The Athletic Code and the Athletic Code for Coaches carry the force of rule. Member school districts, member schools and/or covered school district personnel who violate any of the provisions of these codes will be subject to penalty.
(a) THE ATHLETIC CODE. The general Athletic Code means to:
(1) Play the game in the spirit of fairness and sportsmanship, observing all rules, both in letter and intent.
(2) Coach and sponsor the teams and individuals without resorting to unethical tactics, trickery which attempts to skirt the rules, or any unfair tactic which detracts from sound educational principles.
(3) Accept decisions of sports and school officials without protest and without questioning their honesty or integrity, and extend protection and courtesy to sports officials from participants, school personnel and spectators remembering that officials are guests.
(4) Regard opponents as guests, putting clean play and good sportsmanship above victory at any cost. Win without boasting and lose without bitterness. Victory is important, but the most important thing in sports is striving to excel and the positive feelings it fosters between those who play fair and have no excuse when they lose. The development of positive human relations should be stressed in all competition.
(5) Remember that conduct that berates, intimidates, or threatens competitors has no place in interscholastic activities.
(6) Provide information or evidence as soon as possible regarding eligibility of any contestant or school to the local administration, then to the proper District Executive Committee. To withhold information is considered dishonorable and contrary to good sportsmanship. Schools guilty of violating this section may be subject to penalty as described in Sections 27 and 29, including disqualification from district honors in the germane activity. Covered school district personnel guilty of violating this section may be subject to the range of penalties as described in Sections 27 and 29.
(7) Not recruit or entice any student to attend and participate at your school. Any inquiries from students outside your school district or from another high school in a multiple-high school district should be directed to the school superintendent or high school principal.
(b) THE ATHLETIC CODE FOR COACHES. The code for athletic sponsors includes the principles described in Subsection (a) and the purposes listed in Section 1200. Further, the coach’s code includes:
(1) Being aware of, understanding and following all rules governing the competition for which the coach is responsible.
(2) Informing one’s immediate supervisor in writing the next school day after a contest if ejected from that contest for unsportsmanlike actions, or, in football, if given two 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalties during one contest, knowing that such conduct requires automatic penalty.
(3) Treating athletes based on what is best for the education, general welfare and health of the student.
(4) Professional loyalty to other coaches.
(5) Not removing a team from a contest as a protest.
(6) Adhering to in season and out of season practice regulations.
(7) Adhering to policies which do not force athletes to specialize or restrict them from participation in other sports.
(8) Allowing students to participate in one school sport without requiring, as a prerequisite, participation in another school sport.
(9) Abstaining from any practice which would bring financial gain to the coach by using a student’s participation in a camp, clinic, league or other non-school athletic event, such as a rebate for each player sent to a particular camp or from each player using a particular product.
Coaches shall not charge a fee for private instruction to student-athletes during the school year. The restriction on charging fees for private instruction applies only to those students who are:
(A) in grades 9-12;
(B) from the coach’s attendance zone; and
(C) participating in the sport for which the coach is responsible.
(10) Abstaining from any practice that makes a student feel pressured to participate in non-school activities.
(11) Avoiding any coaching practice which would endanger the welfare or safety of any player.
(12) Emphasizing the academic progress of all participants by a regular, documented check of their academic standing, both in season and out of season.
(13) Scheduling games and practices to avoid unnecessary loss of study or class time.
(14) Utilizing the best and most current teaching, coaching and training methods through affiliation with professional associations and publications.
(15) Abstaining from any practice that solicits teachers to modify a participant student’s grade for eligibility purposes.
(16) Avoiding any actions that encourage, condone or tolerate the use of performance enhancing drugs by any student-athlete.
(17) Emphasizing a chemical awareness program that informs and educates students of the damaging effects of anabolic steroids and other illegal drugs.
(18) Disclosing to opposing schools any known conflict of interest with an assigned sports official prior to a contest.
(a) THE ATHLETIC CODE. The general Athletic Code means to:
(1) Play the game in the spirit of fairness and sportsmanship, observing all rules, both in letter and intent.
(2) Coach and sponsor the teams and individuals without resorting to unethical tactics, trickery which attempts to skirt the rules, or any unfair tactic which detracts from sound educational principles.
(3) Accept decisions of sports and school officials without protest and without questioning their honesty or integrity, and extend protection and courtesy to sports officials from participants, school personnel and spectators remembering that officials are guests.
(4) Regard opponents as guests, putting clean play and good sportsmanship above victory at any cost. Win without boasting and lose without bitterness. Victory is important, but the most important thing in sports is striving to excel and the positive feelings it fosters between those who play fair and have no excuse when they lose. The development of positive human relations should be stressed in all competition.
(5) Remember that conduct that berates, intimidates, or threatens competitors has no place in interscholastic activities.
(6) Provide information or evidence as soon as possible regarding eligibility of any contestant or school to the local administration, then to the proper District Executive Committee. To withhold information is considered dishonorable and contrary to good sportsmanship. Schools guilty of violating this section may be subject to penalty as described in Sections 27 and 29, including disqualification from district honors in the germane activity. Covered school district personnel guilty of violating this section may be subject to the range of penalties as described in Sections 27 and 29.
(7) Not recruit or entice any student to attend and participate at your school. Any inquiries from students outside your school district or from another high school in a multiple-high school district should be directed to the school superintendent or high school principal.
(b) THE ATHLETIC CODE FOR COACHES. The code for athletic sponsors includes the principles described in Subsection (a) and the purposes listed in Section 1200. Further, the coach’s code includes:
(1) Being aware of, understanding and following all rules governing the competition for which the coach is responsible.
(2) Informing one’s immediate supervisor in writing the next school day after a contest if ejected from that contest for unsportsmanlike actions, or, in football, if given two 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalties during one contest, knowing that such conduct requires automatic penalty.
(3) Treating athletes based on what is best for the education, general welfare and health of the student.
(4) Professional loyalty to other coaches.
(5) Not removing a team from a contest as a protest.
(6) Adhering to in season and out of season practice regulations.
(7) Adhering to policies which do not force athletes to specialize or restrict them from participation in other sports.
(8) Allowing students to participate in one school sport without requiring, as a prerequisite, participation in another school sport.
(9) Abstaining from any practice which would bring financial gain to the coach by using a student’s participation in a camp, clinic, league or other non-school athletic event, such as a rebate for each player sent to a particular camp or from each player using a particular product.
Coaches shall not charge a fee for private instruction to student-athletes during the school year. The restriction on charging fees for private instruction applies only to those students who are:
(A) in grades 9-12;
(B) from the coach’s attendance zone; and
(C) participating in the sport for which the coach is responsible.
(10) Abstaining from any practice that makes a student feel pressured to participate in non-school activities.
(11) Avoiding any coaching practice which would endanger the welfare or safety of any player.
(12) Emphasizing the academic progress of all participants by a regular, documented check of their academic standing, both in season and out of season.
(13) Scheduling games and practices to avoid unnecessary loss of study or class time.
(14) Utilizing the best and most current teaching, coaching and training methods through affiliation with professional associations and publications.
(15) Abstaining from any practice that solicits teachers to modify a participant student’s grade for eligibility purposes.
(16) Avoiding any actions that encourage, condone or tolerate the use of performance enhancing drugs by any student-athlete.
(17) Emphasizing a chemical awareness program that informs and educates students of the damaging effects of anabolic steroids and other illegal drugs.
(18) Disclosing to opposing schools any known conflict of interest with an assigned sports official prior to a contest.
