Sporting Conduct

Healthy competition is encouraged, but we also want all participants to feel supported and valued. Below is a list of guidelines to ensure good sporting conduct across the league, both inside and outside the sports venue.

1. Lead with Kindness: Approach every game with a positive and encouraging attitude. Remember, we're all here to have a good time and support one another.
2. Respect & Appreciate Officiants: We are a non-profit and 100% volunteer-run organization, including our umprires and line refs. Please show all the officiants respect and appreciation.
3. Read the Room: Levity is encouraged; Gauge the atmosphere and ensure that humor is inclusive and appropriate. 
4. Give Players the Benefit of the Doubt: Not everyone is an expert. Help your fellow players understand the game and its rules, and always assume good intentions.
5. Call Out Bad Behavior: Address any negative behavior directly with the person involved or by communicating with your team captain. Constructive dialogue and in-the-moment contact with team captains is encouraged.
6. When in Doubt, Be Respectful: Treat others how you'd like to be treated.
7. Consider the Context: Approach bad or rule-breaking behavior with empathy and integrity.

We hope that these rules will really set the tone for the type of conduct we would like to have within our community.

What does that mean for our players? A couple of callouts of what Stonewall Will Be Doing:

1. Empowering Umpires: Umpires will be more empowered and encouraged to issue yellow or red cards for bad behavior. Please be kind and respectful to our officiants and use captains to be your conduit for challenges during or after a game.
2. Handling Complaints: Any complaints will be followed up with discussions involving the teams, team captains, and/or players involved. Appropriate disciplinary actions will be taken if warranted.