Suncook Valley Soccer Club

Coach's Code of Ethics 

I. Code of Ethics

1. The coach must never place the value of winning over the safety and welfare of his/her players

2. A coach must hold him/herself to the highest standards of behavior. He/she must remember that they serve as one of the most influential role models for their players. Any violation of the player's trust, either in word or action, on or off the field, cannot be tolerated.

3. The laws of soccer were written to ensure the continous flow of action. These laws have the safety of the players as their primary goal. Coaches must always play within the rules and never seek unfair advantage by teaching deliberate, unsportsmanlike behavior to their players.

4. Coaches must adhere to the letter and spirit of the rules.

5. Coaches who circumvent the rules to gain advantage have no place in soccer.

6. Circumvention of eligibility rules must be avoided. Coaches who use ineligible players will be dealst with quickly and severely.

7. Coaches are responsible for their player's actons on the field. Rough house tactics, illegal substitutions, deliberate faking of injuries are prohibited.

8. The coach must behave in such a manner that the principles, integrity, and dignity of the sport are not compromised.

9. Officials must have the support of the coaches, players, and organizations. Public or private criticism of officials demeans the game. Coaches must also refrain from criticizing officials to their players. Criticism of officials and dissent towards officials during the course of the game is strictly prohibited.

10. Coaches must behavior must be such as to bring credit to himself, his/her organization, and soccer in general.

11. Coaches have the responsibility to be as inconspicous as possible during the game.

12. It shall be considered unethical for a coach to have any verbal dissent during the game with opposing coach, bench, or players. Physically contacting an opposing coach or player in an aggressive manner must be considered highly unethical.

13. Coaches will not belittle their players by yelling at them during the course of the game. Such actions detracts from the game and negatively impacts the performance of the players and the team.

14. Coaches must remember that they are involved in coaching for the players. They should always have the players best interest in mind. They should seek to provide an enviroment where players not only develop as players of the game, but as people. They should never place their own concerns of advancement above those of their players.

II. Violations

Alleged violation of the code of ethics may be brought to the attention of the president or any memeber of the SVSC Board of Directrors. All alleged violations will be forwarded to the SVSC disciplinary review board for review and further action, if any.

III. Sanctions

1. If an alleged violation is brought to the attention of the disciplinary board, and the board decides the coach acted in an unethical manner or in a manner which was not in the best interest of soccer, they may impose the following sanctions:

a. Letter of reprimand

b. Probation

Any additional violation of the code of ethics during the probationary period will result in the immediate suspension of the coach.

2. Any coach who has been acused of violating the code of ethics shall be given the oppurtunity to appear before the disciplinary review board and to present evidence refuting said allegations.

IV. Appeals