NHSA COACH'S - CODE OF ETHICS

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I.  CODE OF ETHICS:

1.  The coach must never place the value of winning over the safety and welfare of his/her players.

2.  A coach must hold him/herself to the highest standards of behavior. He/she must remember that they serve as one of the most influential role models for their players.  Any violation of the player's trust, either in word or in action, on or off the field, cannot be tolerated.

3.  The laws of soccer were written to ensure the continuous flow of action.  These laws have the safety of the players as their primary goal.  Coaches must always play within these rules and never seek unfair advantage by teaching deliberate, unsportsmanlike behavior to their players.

4.  Coaches must adhere to the letter and spirit of the rules.

5.  Coaches who circumvent the rules to gain an advantage have no place in soccer.

6.  Circumvention of eligibility rules must be avoided.  Coaches who use ineligible players will be dealt with quickly and severely.

7.  Coaches are responsible for their player's actions on the field.  Rough house tactics, illegal substitutions, deliberate faking of injuries are prohibited.

8.  The coach must behave in such a manner that the principles, integrity, and dignity of the sport are not compromised.

9.  Officials must have the support of coaches, players, and organizations.  Public or private criticism of officials demeans the game.  Coaches must also refrain from criticizing officials to their players.  Criticism of officials and dissent towards officials during the course of the game is strictly prohibited.

10.  Coaches behavior must be such as to bring credit to  him/herself, his/her organization, and soccer in general.

11.  Coaches have the responsibility to be as inconspicuous as possible during the game.

12.  It shall be considered unethical for a coach to have any verbal dissent during the game with the opposing coach, bench, or players.  Physically contacting an opposing coach or player in an aggressive manner must be considered highly unethical.

13.  Coaches will not belittle their players by yelling at them in a negative manner during the course of the game.  Such action detracts from the game and negatively impacts the performance of the players and the team.

14.  Coaches must remember that they are involved in coaching for the players.  They should always have the players best interest in mind.  They should seek to provide an environment where players not only develop as players of the game, but as people.  They should never place their own concerns of advancement above those of their players.

II.  VIOLATIONS:
1.  Alleged violation of the code of ethics may be brought to the attention of the president or any member of the executive board of the NHSA.  Alleged violations may also be brought to the state director of coaching or the state referee administrator.  All alleged violations will be forwarded to the NHSA disciplinary board for review and further action, if any.



III.  SANCTIONS:

1.  If an alleged violation is brought to the attention of the disciplinary board, and the board decides the coach acted in an unethical manner or in a manner which was not in the best interest of soccer, they may impose the following sanctions:

a.       Letter of reprimand.

b.      Probation

a.       Any additional violation of the code of ethics during the probationary period will result in the immediate suspension of the coach

c.        Suspension of the coach from participation in all USSF activities.

d.      Any coach who has been accused of violating the code of ethics shall be given the opportunity to appear before the disciplinary board and to present evidence refuting said allegations.

IV.  APPEALS:

1. Any decision of the disciplinary board may be appealed within 30 days of the board's decision to the State Appeals Board.  The Appeals Board shall consider such appeal and conduct a De Novo hearing.  The appeals board will be empowered to make it's own decision and findings on said allegations.  If a violation is found by the appeals board, then it is empowered to impose it's own sanctions and will not be bound by any sanctions or recommendations which have been set forth by the discipline.