2. Code of Conduct

Hartley Wintney Cricket Club has adopted the codes of conduct created and endorsed by the ECB and North Hampshire Cricket Development Association. By being on Club premises or taking part in Club events or activities, parents, players, coaches, team managers and other Club officials are deemed to have accepted and to have agreed to abide by the provisions of this Code and any other relevant Codes of Conduct, Rules or Regulations the Club has adopted.

The Club is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of all its members. Members are encouraged to be open at all times and to share any concerns or complaints that they may have about any aspect with their club.

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR ALL MEMBERS AND GUESTS

• Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every person within the context of cricket
• Treat everyone equally and not discriminate on the grounds of age, gender, disability, race, ethnic origin, nationality, colour, parental or marital status, religious belief, class or social background, sexual preference or political belief
• Do Not condone, or allow to go unchallenged, any form of discrimination if witnessed
• Display high standards of behaviour
• Promote the positive aspects of cricket, for example fair play
• Encourage all participants to learn the Laws and rules and play within them, always respecting the decisions of match officials
• Actively discourage unfair play, rule violations and arguing with match officials
• Recognise good performance not just match results
• Place the well-being and safety of children above the development of performance
• Ensure activities are appropriate for the age, maturity, experience and ability of the individual
• Respect children’s opinions when making decisions about their participation in cricket
• Not smoke, drink or use banned substances while working with children in the Club
• Not provide children with alcohol when they are under the care of the Club
• Follow ECB guidelines set out in the “Safe Hands – Cricket’s Policy for Safeguarding Children” and any other relevant guidelines issued
• Report any concerns in relation to a child, following reporting procedures laid down by the ]ECB

Members and guests include all members and officers of the cricket Club and all guests of those members and officers, as well as all individuals who watch/attend/participate/officiate in matches hosted by the club in whatever capacity.

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR ALL PLAYERS

• Respect the rights, dignity and worth of all participants regardless of gender, ability, cultural background or religion.
• Play within the rules and spirit of cricket and respect officials and their decisions.
• Do not swear on the pitch or make any comments to any batsman, directly or indirectly, ]which could be construed as unfair, demeaning, insulting or calculated to put the batsman off.
• Encourage your team-mates in a measured way, not with a constant ‘wall of sound’ which could constitute an intimidating atmosphere. If in doubt, take your guidance from any first class match.
• Keep to agreed timings for training, matches and competitions or inform their coach or team manager if you are going to be late.
• Concentrate during training sessions and seek to follow your coach’s instructions. Disruptive behaviour is disrespectful to the coach and to others in the squad and may result in your being temporarily excluded from a session.
• Wear suitable kit for training and match sessions, as agreed with the coach/team manager.
• If you are a Junior player, do not smoke on club premises or whilst representing Hartley Wintney CC, consume alcohol or drugs of any kind whilst representing Hartley Wintney CC.

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR PARENTS / GUARDIANS

• Encourage your child to learn the rules and spirit of cricket and play within them.
• Discourage unfair play and arguing with officials.
• Publicly accept officials' judgements and never contest officials’ decisions.
• When acting as an official, act in a neutral fashion specifically avoiding any partisan actions or behaviour.
• Do not shout comments or instructions from the boundary.
• Help your child to recognise good performance, not just results.
• Never force your child to take part in sport.
• Set a good example by recognising fair play and applauding good performances of all. Avoid blatantly partisan support for your team.
• Never punish, criticise or belittle a child for losing or making mistakes.
• Support your child's involvement and help them to enjoy their sport.
• Use correct and proper language at all times.
• Encourage and guide participants to accept responsibility for their own performance and behaviour.
• Promptly pay any fees for training, matches, membership or events.
• Promptly provide availability to team managers for the selection of teams and inform the team manager promptly if this changes. Late withdrawals from teams for avoidable reasons create large amounts of stress and administration for team managers and means you are letting down the rest of the team. Avoid this if at all possible.
• Actively support coaches during coaching sessions by volunteering to help for one or two sessions per season.

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR CLUB OFFICIALS, COACHES, CAPTAINS AND MANAGERS

• Clarify the nature of the coaching services being offered to players
• Make a commitment to providing a quality service to your players
• Consider the well-being and safety of participants before the development of performance.
• Ensure the environment is as safe as possible, taking into account and minimising possible risks. Promote the execution of safe and correct practice
• Make sure all activities are appropriate to the age, ability and experience of those taking part.
• Develop an appropriate working relationship with players and officials, based on mutual trust and respect.
• Recognise the rights of all players to be treated as individuals
• Recognise the rights of players to confer with other cricket coaches and experts
• Create and maintain an environment free of fear and harassment
• Support, encourage and praise players. Empower players to be responsible for their own decisions
• Assist in the creation of an environment where every individual has the opportunity to participate in cricket
• Promote the positive aspects and benefits of the sport (e.g. fair play to society of participation in cricket
• Be fair, honest and considerate to players and others in cricket
• Be professional and accept responsibility for your actions
• Display consistently high standards of behaviour and appearance; be a positive role model for players at all times.
• Project an image of health, cleanliness and functional efficiency. Promote the concept of a balanced lifestyle, supporting the well-being of the player both in and out of cricket.
• Follow all guidelines laid down by the ECB and the NHYCL.
• Hold the ECB coaching qualifications appropriate to the level at which you coach cricket, and insurance cover including CRB and first aid requirements.
• Contribute to the development of cricket coaching as a profession by exchanging knowledge and ideas with others
• Communicate and cooperate with other organisations and individuals in the best interests of players.
• Never exert undue influence over performers to obtain personal benefit or reward.
• Never condone rule violations, rough play or the use of prohibitive substances.
• Do not engage in behaviour that constitutes any form of abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, neglect, bullying)
• Discuss team matters in private.
• Refrain from coaching an on-field player and/or from providing advice to a fielding team on field placement, or tactical advice to batsmen or bowlers, when outside the boundary in any game and, if umpiring, only in Age Group matches for which such assistance is permitted (see the Match Officiating section in these Rules).
• Encourage players to learn about captaincy and for bowlers to understand their own field placements.
• Never promote or undertake actions considered to be both demeaning to an individual player and contrary to the spirit of the game; for example forcing a player to run themselves out so a better player can return to the crease, instructing a player to deliberately drop a catch.
• Avoid sexual intimacy with players, either while coaching them or in the period of time immediately following the end of the coaching relationship
• Take action if you have a concern about the behaviour of an adult towards a child

THE SPIRIT OF CRICKET (extract from the ECB Code of Conduct)

Cricket is a game that owes much of its unique appeal to the fact that it is played not only within its Laws, but also within the Spirit of the Game. Any action which is seen to abuse this spirit causes injury to the game itself. The responsibility for ensuring the spirit of fair play rests with Coaches, Managers and Captains of all junior teams playing in these competitions.

Player’s Conduct
In the event of any player failing to comply with the instructions of an umpire, criticising a decision by word or action, showing dissent, or generally behaving in a manner which might bring the game into disrepute, the umpire concerned shall in the first place report the matter to the other umpire and to the player’s Captain and Manager, requesting the latter to take action.

Fair and Unfair Play
According to the Laws the umpires are the sole judges of fair and unfair play. The umpires may intervene at any time, and it is the responsibility of the captain (or Manager, if more appropriate) to take action where required.

The umpires are authorised to intervene in cases of:

• Time wasting
• Damaging the pitch
• Dangerous or unfair bowling
• Tampering with the ball
• Any other action that they consider to be unfair.

The Spirit of the Game involves RESPECT for:

• Your opponents
• Your own captain and team
• The role of the umpires
• The game’s traditional values

It is against the Spirit of the Game:

• To dispute an umpire’s decision by word, action or gesture
• To direct abusive language towards an opponent or umpire
• To indulge in cheating or any sharp practice, for instance: appeal knowing the batter is not out; advance towards an umpire in an aggressive manner when appealing; seek to distract an opponent either verbally or by harassment with persistent clapping or unnecessary noise under the guise of enthusiasm and motivation of one’s own side.

Violence
There is no place for any act of violence on the field of play.

Players
Captains, managers, coaches and umpires together set the tone for the conduct of a cricket match. Every player is expected to make an important contribution to this.

Disciplinary action
Failure to respect any or all of the spirit of cricket, the NHYCL Code of Conduct and ECB Code of Conduct may lead to disciplinary action.

Reviewed April 2023. Next Review April 2025.