2011 - CODE OF CONDUCT

All participants involved in the California Cup XXXX agree to comply with the California Cup Tournament Regulations, the rules and directives of this Code of Conduct and is applicable to all participants at the California Cup XXXX tournament.

Participants are defined as all participating team members and officials including players, team management, coaching staff, medical staff and the duly appointed representatives of the participating teams.

  1. The code is established to create awareness of and accountability for the promotion of the game of field hockey amongst the participants of the above-mentioned event.

  2. All participants are responsible for their own behavior and conduct, and as such, accountable. They must abide by the Tournament Regulations and Directives of the Code of Conduct as set out hereafter.

  3. It is therefore the responsibility of the Team Managers of the participating teams to instruct their players and team officials of the requirement. The participating clubs shall share liability with their players and team officials should breaches occur of the terms of the Tournament Regulations and the Rules and Directives of the Code of Conduct as mentioned in II above.

  4. Complaints in relation to either misconduct or breaches of the Tournament Regulations as mentioned in II above, shall in the first instance be dealt with by the Tournament Director before, during or after the competition by the California Cup Committee who in turn may refer and involve the U.S.F.H.A and/or the National Field Hockey Federations of the participating teams' host countries.

All participants are therefore subject to the jurisdiction of the California Cup Committee. The California Cup Committee is committed in maintaining the highest standards of behavior and conduct of those participating in the California Cup. In pursuance of these standards, all participants shall observe the following rules and directives:

  1. Participants shall at all times conduct themselves fairly and properly on the field of play and any part of the hockey venue/accommodation. No person may conduct him/her self in a manner or commit any act or omission which may prejudice the interest of field hockey or which may bring the tournament or game of field hockey into disrepute.

  2. Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the following shall be regarded as conduct which is improper, unfair, and unacceptable:

    1. Verbal/physical abuse or hostility towards any other participant, person or any other member of the public.

    2. Continued disputing/protesting, reacting in a provocative or threatening manner toward any decision made by an umpire or official in an inappropriate way.

    3. Using rude or abusive language or hand signals.

    1. Public statements must be fair and reasonable and must not involve a personal attack on another player, umpire, appointed official or administrator.

    2. The California Cup Committee recognizes that fair and reasonable comments on the game in general are essentially in the interests of everyone. However, it further recognizes that in the interest of maintaining the generally pleasant relations between players, umpires and officials, it is necessary to ensure that any such comment and criticism is constructive. Any public statement therefore by a participant shall not comprise "a personal attack or threat" upon any similar participant like himself also subject to the jurisdiction of the California Cup Committee.

    3. The California Cup Committee defines a "public statement" as follows:

        4. Any statement in which the whole, part or essence, is made public. Such a statement may be made in a newspaper, magazine, periodical or by any electronic (Internet, E-mail, etc.) or other means through the medium of television, radio or in any other manner whatsoever, regardless of the circumstances in which the statement was made.

  4. Alcohol is prohibited at the tournament venue. Any person consuming or even possessing alcohol will be immediately disciplined or referred to the police. Any individual suspected of being under the influence of alcohol or any other illegal substance will be removed from the venue by the Moorpark Campus Police and may be barred from the tournament by the Tournament Director. No exceptions.