It goes without saying—maintaining high standards of sportsmanship, behavior, and safety is essential for the success and reputation of your league.
That’s why a comprehensive code of conduct and other policies, such as a league registration agreement, helps uphold these standards and ensures a positive experience for all participants. This guide provides practical steps for implementing your own.
A well-defined code of conduct establishes clear expectations for behavior and sportsmanship for coaches, players, parents, and spectators. By adhering to these standards, NFL FLAG leagues ensure high-quality play and a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment.
Even more, the code of conduct reinforces the values of fair play, integrity, and teamwork that are central to the NFL FLAG experience, promoting a positive atmosphere that benefits everyone.
Key elements of a code of conduct
When creating your NFL FLAG code of conduct, it's important to provide examples of specific behaviors and actions that are expected and prohibited. These include avoiding physically violent actions toward anyone present at NFL FLAG events and maintaining an environment free of drugs, tobacco, and alcohol.
Additionally, respect should be shown to coaches, players, and spectators of all teams before, during, and after games. Emphasizing the importance of following the decisions of referees and maintaining control of emotions during games is crucial, including the conduct of parents. Coaches have a particular responsibility to lead by example and prioritize the well-being of players over personal desires to win.
Establishing additional procedures
Beyond a code of conduct, we recommend outlining specific procedures for league operations. These might include cancellation policies for games or practices due to inclement weather or unforeseen circumstances, as well as communication protocols for informing participants about schedule changes, league updates, and other important information.
It’s also essential to have guidelines for handling disciplinary issues, disputes, or violations of the code of conduct to ensure fair and consistent resolution of any problems that arise. Bottom line—you want to cover all your bases.
Implementing the code of conduct
We always recommend having families sign a waiver at registration as a way to acknowledge the code of conduct. For particularly rowdy parents, our league operators have also posted yard signs at games about showing respect during games. And of course, we encourage open dialogue and collaboration among league participants to address concerns and uphold standards of behavior.
For ongoing reinforcement, you can also email families to remind them of the code of conduct mid-season when necessary.
To help you create your own code of conduct, you can see examples at the end of this document.