Sportsmanship
MDOC/WDOC SPORTSMANSHIP CARD
(in collaboration with the Youth Council)
Honoring the Game and Game Termination Procedures for Youth Lacrosse
Honoring the GameThe sport of lacrosse has recently seen a rise in the number of incidents of unsportsmanlike behavioroccurring at both men's and women's youth lacrosse games. Unfortunately, this pattern of abuse mirrors the type of unacceptable behavior that other youth sports have experienced when parents mistakenly project that the athletic accomplishments of their adolescent children will be connected to their adult potential to compete for college scholarships and other achievement related accolades and honors. In response to these challenges and as a strategy of the US Lacrosse Campaign for Excellence, the US Lacrosse Youth Council and the men's and women's division officials councils have taken pro-active steps to help insure a positive culture for the sport at the youth lacrosse level.
The MDOC/WDOC Sportsmanship CardThe Sportsmanship Card is designed to be a preventative tool, not a punitive device. It is a warning givento an individual coach, athlete, fan, or group of fans. Most often, the Sportsmanship Card program, ifadministered in a non-threatening fashion, will correct the unacceptable, unsportsmanlike behavior that threatens to ruin the game. However, it is possible that the first instance of an unacceptable unsportsmanlike act could be the catalyst for game termination without issuing a Sportsmanship Card. The MDOC/WDOC Sportsmanship Card is also designed to help clarify the NFHS Boys’ High School Rules and the Official Rules for Girls’ & Women's Lacrosse.
For example, in the boys’ game there are only two references in the NFHS rules (Rule 2, Section 3, Para 2 & 3 and Rule 2, Section 6, Article 2) to controlling teams and spectators. There are no references in these rules that cover the termination of a contest for reasons of unsportsmanlike behavior(s). In the girls’ game, the references are located in the Official Rules for Girl's & Women's Lacrosse, Rule 18E and Rule 19B-2, which state that "team followers’ misconduct may result in a penalty assessed to the coach." These carding procedures culminate in the suspension of the coach or team follower and ultimately could result in a forfeit. This may pose a challenge to novice officials who are not yet confident in their knowledge of the rules nor sufficiently experienced to command a difficult situation without a clear set of guidelines and procedures to follow. Interpreting these rules may be difficult for the novice official; experience on the field is critical for understanding the potential impact of abusive behavior on the game.
The Sportsmanship Card is a resource for men’s and women's officials working youth games. When usedin conjunction with NFHS Rules and the Official Rules for Girl's & Women's Lacrosse, the Sportsmanship Card procedures serve as an effective deterrent to abusive behaviors and create a set of constraints that should:
1) eradicate the “unsportsmanlike behavior” that is creeping into sport,
2) strengthen sportsmanship,
3) contribute to the retention of US Lacrosse officials
4) honor the game.
For more info Please visit US Lacrosse at - http://www.uslacrosse.org/official/sportsmanshipcard.phtml
To view the card - http://www.uslacrosse.org/official/pdf/mdocsportsmanshipcard.pdf