ONEONTA SOCCER CLUB
Sideline Behavior Policy
It is the desire of the Oneonta Soccer Club (OSC) Board of Directors, for players, parents, coaches, referees and other spectators to be able to enjoy the sport of soccer in a safe and positive environment. To this end, the following policy is adopted to establish guidelines as to what actions constitute unacceptable behavior and the recommended consequences of such actions.
I - Scope: This policy pertains to actions taken by players, referees, coaches, parents and spectators before, during and after an OSC game, practice or team event. All OSC teams playing at home or away are covered by this policy. This policy specifically does not address misconduct by players on the field of play during a game, as those actions and consequences are already addressed by F. I. F. A. and U. S. Y. S. A.. In all other cases, the punishments recommended here are to be considered minimums, which the OSC Board of Directors may or may not increase. If the OSC Board of Directors implements a termination or suspension of a coach or parent or referee or invokes a period of probation, those so penalized shall not be considered "members in good standing" and thus will lose the privilege of "membership", which include participating in any OSC activities or serving OSC in any official capacity during their period of termination, suspension or probation.
II - Procedure: any player, coach, parent, referee or other spectators may bring a complaint against another party. The complaint shall be in writing and shall be directed to the president of OSC who shall instruct the first vice president to investigate the occurrences and bring the findings before the board at the next scheduled meeting.
III - Specific Infractions:
A Coach:
1. Aggressively challenging a referee's decision, either by raising his/her voice, gesturing or otherwise clearly demonstrating dissent:
- First offense: 1 game suspension
- Second offense: 5 game suspension
- Third offense: termination as coach, one-year suspension
2. Aggressively challenging a referee's decision by initiating physical contact with the referee, to include bumping, pushing, shoving or striking in any way, or by direct foul language toward the referee:
Note #1: any physical contact with a referee is a specific misdemeanor in the New York State penal code and can result in prosecution.
No physical contact with a referee will be tolerated.
- First offense: immediate suspension for minimum of one-year, minimum two additional years on probation.
3. Confronting adults in a physical matter by initiating physical contact, to include bumping, pushing, shoving or striking in any way, or by direct foul language to other adults, the day from the opposing team or his/her own team:
Note # 2: any unwanted physical touching, such as bumping or pushing, is considered battery, which can result in a six months prison term and/or a $1,000 fine.
- First offense: suspension has a coach, as in A -2 above.
4. Striking or attempting to strike a player, either on his/her own team or an opponent:
- First offense: permanent termination as coach.
B - Parents and other spectators:
1. Aggressively challenging a referees decision, either by raising his/her voice, gesturing or otherwise clearly demonstrating dissent, or vocally harassing a player on the field or encouraging the willful injury of another player:
- First offense: counseling by a Board Member
- (coach to provide name of adult to referee; refusal will result in coach serving a one game suspension.)
- Second offense: parents suspended from attending child's games for remainder of season, on probation for one-year period
- Third offense: parent permanently suspended from attending child's games.
2. Aggressively challenging a referees decision by initiating physical contact with a referee, to include bumping, pushing, shoving or striking anyway, or by directing foul language toward a referee:
See Note #1 above
- First offense: parents suspended from attending child's games for one-year, suspension for one-year, on probation for two more years.
3. Confronting adults in a physical matter (as in item A-3 above, including the use of foul language) be they from the opposing team or his/or an opponent:
See Note #2 above
- First offense: parents suspended from attending child's games for one-year, suspended for one-year, probation for two more years.
- Second offense: permanent suspension of player had parent from OSC.
4. Striking or attempting to striking player, either on his/her own team or an opponent:
first offense: permanent expulsion of parent from OSC.
Note #3: If parents fail to honor their suspension from their children's games, their child will lose their playing privileges.
C - Referees
1. Confronting adults or players in a physical matter (as in item A-2 above, including the use of foul language):
- First offense: two year suspension, three years of probation.
- Second offense: permanent suspension.
2. Striking or attempting to strike a player:
- First offense: permanent removal of referee from OSC.
By signing in this document I agreed to abide by the above listed policies of the Oneonta Soccer Club.
Refusing to sign this document may preclude participation by myself, or my child in the activities of the club.
A compete form consists of the above pages and a page of attached signatures with date signed, of at least one parent from each team member.
Players passes will not be issued until the registrar has a completed form on file for the team