Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 38, September 20, 2024
3.1. The school administrator shall:
3.1.a. Encourage and promote friendly
relationships and good sportsmanship throughout the school by requiring
courtesy and proper decorum at all times, by acquainting students and others in
the community with ideals of good sportsmanship and by so publicizing these
concepts and attitudes that all members of the school and community will
understand their meaning.
3.1.b.
Insist upon implicit compliance with all rules and regulations of the West
Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission, hereinafter referred to in
this rule as the WVSSAC.
3.1.c.
Secure WV registered officials for all contests.
3.1.d. Insist upon adequate safety provisions
for all activities, for both participants and spectators.
3.1.e. Approve only those activities and
schedules which are educationally and physically sound for the
student.
3.1.f. Encourage all to
judge the success of the athletic program on the basis of the education goals
and the attitude of the participants and spectators, rather than on the basis
of the number of games won or lost.
3.1.g. Insist that the students exemplify the
highest standards of good sportsmanship as a means of inculcating desirable
spectator attitudes.
3.1.h. Provide
adequate hygienic, sanitary, and attractive facilities for the dressing and
housing of visiting teams and officials.
3.1.i. Review with staff the Sportsmanship
Rule.
3.2. The coach
shall:
3.2.a. Demonstrate high ideals, good
habits, and desirable attitudes in personal behavior and demand the same
standards of the students.
3.2.b.
Recognize that the purpose of competition is to promote the physical, mental,
social, and emotional well-being of the students and that the most important
values of competition are derived from playing the game fairly.
3.2.c. Be a modest winner and a gracious
loser.
3.2.d. Maintain self-control
at all times, accepting adverse decisions without public display of emotion or
of dissatisfaction with the officials.
3.2.e. Cooperate with the school principal in
the planning, scheduling and conduct of sports activities.
3.2.f. Employ accepted educational methods in
coaching, giving all students an opportunity to use and develop initiative,
leadership, and judgment.
3.2.g.
Pay close attention to the physical condition and well-being of the students
refusing to jeopardize the health of an individual for the sake of improving
the team's chances to win.
3.2.h.
Teach students that it is better to lose fairly than win unfairly.
3.2.i. Prohibit gambling, profanity, abusive
language, and similar violations of good sportsmanship.
3.2.j. Refuse to disparage an opponent, an
official, or others associated with athletic activities and discourage gossip
and questionable rumors concerning them.
3.2.k. Properly supervise students under
their immediate care and specifically observe a coach's responsibilities in
conjunction with state interscholastic contests.
3.3. The spectator shall:
3.3.a. Realize that they represent the school
just as definitely as does the member of a team, and, therefore, has an
obligation to be a true sportsman, encouraging through this behavior the
practice of good sportsmanship by others.
3.3.b. Recognize that good sportsmanship is
more important than victory by approving and applauding good team play,
individual skill and outstanding examples of sportsmanship and fair play
exhibited by either team.
3.3.c.
Recognize that, since the primary purpose of interscholastic athletics is to
promote the physical, mental, moral, social, and emotional well-being of the
students through the medium of contests, victory or defeat is in reality of
secondary importance.
3.3.d. Treat
visiting teams and officials as guests, extending to them every
courtesy.
3.3.e. Be modest in
victory and gracious in defeat.
3.3.f. Respect the judgment and integrity of
officials, realizing that their decisions are based upon game conditions as
they observe them.
3.4.
The student shall:
3.4.a. Be courteous to
visiting teams and officials.
3.4.b. Participate to the limit of their
ability. The true student does not give up, nor do they quarrel, cheat, bet, or
grandstand.
3.4.c. Be modest when
successful and be gracious in defeat. A true "sport" does not offer excuses for
failures.
3.4.d. Maintain a high
degree of physical fitness by observing team and training rules
conscientiously.
3.4.e. Demonstrate
loyalty to the school by maintaining satisfactory scholastic standing and by
participating in and supporting other school activities.
3.4.f. Understand and observe the rules of
the game and the standards of eligibility.
3.4.g. Respect the integrity and judgment of
officials and accept their decisions without questions.
3.4.h. Respect the facilities of host schools
and the trust entailed in being a guest.
3.4.i. The cheerleader shall always cheer
positively for the team and never negatively against the opponent.
3.5. The official shall:
3.5.a. Place the welfare of the student above
all other considerations.
3.5.b.
Know the game rules thoroughly and give intelligent interpretations.
3.5.c. Maintain confidence and control from
start to finish.
3.5.d. Work
cooperatively with fellow officials and game administrators.
3.5.e. Refrain from exhibiting emotions or
arguing with a student or coach. Maintain self-control under all
conditions.
3.5.f. Be fair,
impartial and professional.
3.5.g.
Be neat and dress in the appropriate uniform.
3.5.h. Be in adequate physical condition for
the demands of the particular sport.
3.5.i. Refrain from commenting upon or
discussing a team, play, game situation, or fellow official.
3.5.j. So conduct the game as to enlist the
cooperation of students, coaches, and spectators in the interest of good
sportsmanship.
3.6.
Protection, Facilities, and Assistance. The home team is
expected to furnish supervision. Outdoor facilities or playing facilities
should be separated from the spectators by a restraining barrier (fence, wire,
rope, etc.). Officials should be provided with a parking space, private
dressing facilities not accessible to unauthorized personnel, and should be
paid no later than half-time of game. The use of trained, competent, adult
"assistant officials," i.e., scorers, timers, chain and down marker crews,
etc., is strongly recommended.
3.7.
Statement of Policy. Insofar as unsportsmanlike actions by
students, school administrators, officials, coaches, faculty members, and
spectators are concerned, the identical items under the Sportsmanship Rule
along with the following guides will be referred to by the WVSSAC:
3.7.a. The school whose coach behaves in a
manner likely to have adverse influence on the attitudes of students or
spectators may be provided with the choice of taking disciplinary action
against that coach or having the entire school disciplined by the
WVSSAC.
3.7.b. Any student who in
protest lays hands or attempts to lay hands upon an official may be declared
ineligible by the principal or by the WVSSAC for up to one year. Any student
who strikes an opponent, coach, or a spectator during or following an athletic
event may be declared ineligible by the principal or the WVSSAC for a specified
period of time up to one year, depending on the seriousness of the
act.
3.7.c. Any coach, player, team
member, student, or bench personnel ejected or disqualified by rule or by an
official, referee, judge, or other such person charged to administer
participation, will be suspended for the remainder of a game, match, meet,
contest or other interscholastic event, (ejected, disqualified, or
disqualification hereafter) (excepting any applicable ejection or
disqualification sport specific rule not involving sportsmanship). The coach,
player, team member, student, or bench personnel ejected or disqualified will
also be suspended an additional contest(s); the suspension is assessed based
upon ten (10) percent of the allowed regular season contests for that sport.
Regardless of when the suspension occurs (regular season or post season), the
length of the suspension (number of contests) will be as follows: golf (two);
cross country (two); soccer (two); volleyball (two play dates); football (one);
cheer (one); swim (two); wrestling (two weigh ins); boys basketball (two);
girls basketball (two); tennis (two); track (two); softball (three); and
baseball (three). The suspension will include the number of indicated contests
in that sport and at that level and all other sport contests in the interim at
any level. A second ejection or disqualification will result in the doubling of
the suspension assessed for the first ejection. If an individual is ejected or
disqualified for a third time during the same sport season, the individual will
be suspended from participating or coaching for 365 calendar days from the date
of ejection or disqualification. In accordance with Rule §127-3-15.3, an
individual ejected or disqualified may not appeal that ejection or
disqualification, but may appeal any subsequent suspension that is a
consequence of the ejection or disqualification.
3.7.c.1. Any coach, player or bench personnel
who has been ejected shall not be permitted to attend any contest(s) during
said suspension. He/she shall not be affiliated with the team in any capacity.
This would include but not be limited to transportation to or from the contest,
meeting with the team before, during or after said contest. He/she is not
permitted to be in sight or sound of said contest venue. Regular practice or
team meetings not affiliated with a contest are permitted.
3.7.c.2. If suspensions are imposed to a
student or bench personnel at the end of the sport season and no contest
remains, the suspension is carried over to that particular sport until the next
school year. In the case of a senior student, the penalty will continue to the
next WVSSAC sponsored sport.
3.7.c.3. Any coach suspension that cannot be
enforced during the sport season in which the ejection occurs will be enforced
at the beginning of the next season of that same sport.
3.7.d. In case of spectators physically
molesting an official, administrator, coach, or student, the school may be
given one of two options:
1) file charges
against the offender (s) or
2)
accept discipline from the WVSSAC. Any person found guilty of W. Va. Code
§
61-2-15(a)
Assault, Battery on Athletic Officials, while these individuals are working or
as a result of working an athletic contest, shall be banned from all WVSSAC
athletic events for a minimum of 365 days from the date of being found guilty.
The school filing charges shall notify the WVSSAC of the incident and outcome
of any legal action.
3.7.e. The school that does not lend complete
cooperation in the host school's effort to promote the spirit of good
sportsmanship may be disciplined by the WVSSAC.
3.7.f. A coach may be considered as
committing unsportsmanlike conduct if they make degrading remarks about
officials during or after a game either on the field of play, from the bench,
or through any public news media, argues with officials, or goes through
motions indicating dislike for a decision, protests the decision and actions of
officials pertaining to the game during and after the contest, or detains the
official on the field of play following a game to request a ruling or
explanation of some phase of the game. If a coach feels he/she has a legitimate
criticism of a penalty call or a request for a rule interpretation, such
criticism or request should be made in the privacy of the coach's office or the
official's quarters and should be made in a courteous manner.
3.7.g. A student or team attendant shall not
leave the bench area, team box area, or their designated off-field area during
a game or contest other than during that time permitted by game or contest
rules. A coach shall not leave the bench area, team box area, or the designated
off-field area during a game or contest other than during that time permitted
by game or contest rules unless a student altercation is taking place and the
official requests assistance. Violation of this rule shall cause the coach,
student, or team attendant to be immediately ejected from the contest; team
penalized according to game or contest rules; and that coach, student, or team
attendant will not be eligible to participate in the next contest as outlined
in §127-4-2.3.
3.8.
Procedure. Unsportsmanship action must be reported in detail to the WVSSAC. A
copy of the complaint must also be filed with the principal of the school
involved. Each principal involved shall report such information or answers to
the report as they deem appropriate. Upon receipt of all reports, the Executive
Director and/or the Board of Directors of the WVSSAC shall investigate and
adjudicate such reports in accordance with the powers afforded in W. Va.
§127CSR1, Constitution, sections 8.6, 8.7, 12.2, and 12.3. Penalties up to
and including suspension of member schools may be made in accordance with
§127CSR4.
3.9. The following
defines the different types of disciplinary action which may be assessed for
violation of any WVSSAC rule by a member school, administrator, coach, athlete
or contest official:
3.9.a.
Warning. A warning may be given by the Executive Director or
Assistant Executive Director. It is official notice that an inexcusable,
unethical, or unsportsmanship action has occurred, is a matter of record, and
that such an occurrence must not be repeated.
3.9.b.
Probation. Probation
is a much more severe type of warning and may be expressed two ways:
1) a school, coach, student, or team
attendant on probation is told that further violations will lead to a fine or
suspension; and/or
2) a school on
probation is on conditional WVSSAC membership but may engage in its regular
schedule, sanctioned events, and all WVSSAC tournament play, providing a
program is filed with the Executive Director of the WVSSAC indicating measures
to be taken to alleviate this problem which caused the school to be placed on
probation.
3.9.c.
Suspension. A school/coach suspended from the WVSSAC may not
meet in interscholastic competition of any kind with a WVSSAC member school or
a school that is a member of another state associated with the National
Federation of State High School Associations.
3.9.d.
Fine. A fine may be
levied by the Executive Director.
3.9.e. Each of these sanctions (Warning,
Probation, Suspension, and Fine) may be imposed or levied separately, or in a
combination of one or more sanctions.
3.10.
Appeals. All cases
involving disciplinary action against member schools, coaches, students, team
attendants, or officials may be protested in accordance with W. Va.
§127CSR6, Violations of the Rules (Rule §127CSR6). However,
disciplinary action imposed by an official, including disciplinary action that
is a consequence of a decision by an official, such as a suspension for an
additional game or games as a consequence of an ejection, is governed by Rule
§127CSR3, section 15.3, and is not subject to appeal.
3.11.
Review of Ejections.
Disciplinary action imposed by a contest official, including disciplinary
action that results in a suspension for an additional game or games as a
consequence of an ejection, is not subject to appeal pursuant to Rule
§127CSR6. However, if the individual ejected believes the ejection was
improper, he/she may request a review of the ejection by his/her principal. If
the principal believes there is merit in the requested review, the principal
shall complete and submit the WVSSAC Ejection Review Form within 24 hours or
the next business day of the ejection to the Executive Director of the WVSSAC.
If a review is properly requested, the WVSSAC will review the officials'
special report, the WVSSAC Ejection Review Form, and such other information as
the WVSSAC deems appropriate. Upon review, the WVSSAC Executive Director or the
designated Assistant Director will either sustain the ejection and any
consequent suspension(s), or will determine the ejection was improper and void
any consequent suspension(s). A decision by the WVSSAC upon reviewing an
ejection is not subject to appeal pursuant to Rule §127CSR6.
