PLYF (PLYF) has a zero tolerance rule for any form of abuse. In particular, child abuse has become a growing concern within recent years and can take many forms including verbal abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse. PLYF organization is committed to providing a safe environment for its members and participants, and to prevent abusive conduct in any form. Every member of this organization is responsible for protecting our participants and ensuring their safety and well-being. Any form of child abuse/molestation reported will be dealt with swiftly and severely by PLYF.

To this end, PLYF have established the following guidelines of behavior and procedures for our directors, staff, volunteers and participants. All members of this organization, as well as parents, spectators and other invitees are expected to observe and adhere to these guidelines.

1. Abuse of any kind is not permitted within our organization. This means we do not tolerate physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse or misconduct from our players, coaches, officials, volunteers, parents or spectators.

2. Physical and sexual abuse, including but not limited to, striking, hitting, kicking, biting, indecent or wanton gesturing, lewd remarks, indecent exposure. Unwanted physical contact, any form of sexual contact or inappropriate touching, is strictly prohibited within our organization.

3. Emotional abuse or verbal abuse is also prohibited. These include, but are not limited to such forms of abuse as: yelling, insulting, threatening, mocking, demeaning behavior, or making abusive statements in regard to a person’s race, gender, religion, nationality/ethnicity, sex or age.

4. We are committed to providing a safe environment for participants, volunteers, and staff. We do so by appointing all coaches, officials and volunteers – and anyone else affiliated with our organization – as protection advocates. Every member of PLYF is responsible for reporting any cases of questionable conduct or alleged mistreatment toward our members by any coach, official, volunteer, player, parent, sibling or spectator.

5. Buddy System: No single child shall be left alone with a non-related adult. Each youth participant should be assigned a buddy during sponsored activities. No child should go anywhere – to the bathrooms, or other locations – without his or her buddy.

6. To further protect our youth participants, as well as our coaches, officials and volunteers, we strongly advise that no adult person allow him/herself to be alone with a child or with any group of children during sponsored activities. In particular, we recommend that coaches or other adult members of this organization:

   1. Do not drive alone with a non-related child participant in the car

   2. Do not take a child alone to the bathroom or any other private room

   3. Provide one-on-one training or individual coaching with the assistance of another adult or the child’s Buddy

   4. If you must have a private conversation with a youth participant, do it within clear view of others, on the field, or other public viewing area, instead of in a private venue.

   5. Do not have any sleepover event at any representing official house.

7. When traveling overnight with youth participants, children should be paired up with other children of same gender and similar age group, with chaperones in separate but nearby rooms.

8. We encourage parents to become as active as possible in sponsored activities, games, practices and other events. The more the parents are involved, the less likely it is for abusive situations to develop.

9. We will respond quickly to any and all allegations of abuse within this organization. This information will be communicated to the appropriate civil authorities for investigation and will be reviewed by the PLYF Executive Board of Directors. The alleged offender will be notified of such allegations promptly.

10. Any person accused of sexual or physical abuse may be asked to resign voluntarily or may be suspended by PLYF Association until the matter is resolved. Regardless of criminal or civil guilt in the alleged abuse, the continued presence of the person could be detrimental to the reputation of the organization and harmful to the participants. A person who is accused but later cleared of charges, may apply to be reinstatement. Reinstatement is not a right, and no guarantee is made that he or she will be reinstated to his/her former position.

11. We promote good sportsmanship throughout the organization and encourage qualities of mutual respect, courtesy and tolerance in all participants, coaches, officials and volunteers. We advocate building strong self-images among the youth participants. Children with a strong self-image may be less likely targets for abuse; similarly, they may be less likely to abuse or bully others around them.

12. PLYF shall screen all volunteers who have repeated access to youth by requiring completion of a Volunteer Application and by running a criminal background check. All criminal background checks indicating a conviction involving crimes against a minor must result in disqualification of the volunteer. In addition, other charges and convictions may be an indication of an unfit volunteer and may result in disqualification.

13. PLYF Zero Tolerance Policy against Abuse shall be administered and managed by the serving President of Plain Local Youth Football. In the absence of the President, the Vice President will execute the orders of the policy.