CODE OF CONDUCT

INTRODUCTION

Cricket has traditionally been a sport to maintain and promote the highest levels of conduct and sportsmanship. We are all familiar with the saying “It isn’t cricket” which implies that a certain type of behaviour is unacceptable in an ethical sense, even if it might be strictly within a set of rules. Cricket is more than a game; it is an education in character as well as skill.

Tartu Cricket Club plays cricket for enjoyment and all the qualities able to be learned from the game, rather than in order to win for winning’s sake or other individual self-promotion.

These guidelines provide the players with an understanding of the expectations the club has of every player. These guidelines are relevant when players represent the club both on match days and at training sessions. In addition, they provide an indication of the behaviour expected of every player at our club.

OBJECTIVE

Our objective is to ensure that all players, when representing Tartu Cricket Club, play cricket in the true spirit and traditions of the game so that the game can be enjoyed by all, including teammates, opposition players and umpires.

Code of Conduct:

The Code of Conduct shall rely heavily on the “The Preamble – The spirit of Cricket” as a guide for acceptable and unacceptable behaviour and will be referred to as the minimum standard of conduct.

a) No person bound by this Code of Conduct shall engage in disorderly or improper conduct or behaviour.
b) A person who engages in disorderly or improper conduct or behaviour breaches this Code of Conduct
c) Disorderly or improper conduct or behaviour includes, but is not restricted to, a person:

i. Assaulting or attempting to assault, or abusing, either orally or physically, an umpire, opposition player or teammate;

ii. Disputing, as distinct from questioning, an umpire’s decision, or reacting in an obviously provocative manner towards an umpire;
Using crude or abusive language, or hand signals or other gestures;

iii. Engaging in any form of conduct or behaviour detrimental to the spirit of the game or likely to bring the game into disrepute;

iv. Deliberate damage to cricket equipment, – i.e. throwing a cricket bat, kicking a cricket ball, etc;

v. Indulging in any form of religious or racial vilification;

EXPECTED PLAYER BEHAVIOUR

It is up to the individual players to do their utmost to uphold the reputation of our club both within the EKL and in Tartu in general. Consequently, the management board of Tartu Cricket Club will not only enforce the Codes of Conduct but will also enforce its own principles of behaviour expected of players. Players in breach of these guidelines can expect to receive penalties varying from an official warning through to match bans, depending on the severity and nature of the breach.

All penalties (official warnings and match bans) will be decided by the management board, with the final decision announced by the chairman.

These guidelines apply to all playing and non-playing members of Tartu Cricket Club:

1. Play hard, but fair

All players are expected to give their best at all times on the field for the enjoyment of themselves, their teammates and the opposition. We strive to win fairly as a benchmark of our success in perfecting our own game, our skills and character and not at the expense of the enjoyment of the game for the opposition or the umpires.

2. Respect

At all times players must show respect for their teammates, their captain, the umpires, and the opposition. By showing respect for your opposition, you enhance your victory and by showing respect for yourselves you mollify your defeat. All players have a responsibility to protect the game from unseemly incidents and the management board will act on the assumption that it takes two sides to create an argument, no matter the provocation.

3. Umpiring Decisions

The umpire’s decision is final and should be accepted immediately, whether batting or fielding. A player is entitled to politely ask the umpire why he turned the appeal down, but should accept this explanation, if one is given, and accept the umpire’s prerogative to decline to give a reason and immediately play on. The use of offensive language – generally in the form of a disparaging or abusive remark to an umpire is not acceptable.

4. Racial Vilification:

Under no circumstances will the club tolerate racial vilification. The management board will deal with players if an official umpire’s report is not submitted. Likewise, if a Tartu cricket club member is subjected to such abuse, the club will take up the matter with the EKL and the opposition club involved and ensure the matter is dealt with in an appropriate manner.

COMMITMENT

Players can expect from the management board to be treated in a manner commensurate with the level of commitment shown by them to the club. The club expects as a minimum from every player the following commitment:

Player Availability: All players are expected to confirm their availability for all league games via the Facebook event invitation. When a player does not confirm on the Facebook event if he/she is or is not available for the game by Thursday evening, it shall be assumed that the player is not available and the team for the game on Saturday will be announced on Thursday evening. We travel much more than any other club and therefore clearly knowing who is available to play an upcoming game is of vital importance. Team announcement on Thursday evening also provides enough time for those not selected for the upcoming league game to make other weekend plans.

Training Sessions: Training is not compulsory as all players have commitments at different times during the season, such as work, studies, etc. However, when attending training, players are expected to attend training on time and assist with setting up/packing up of cricket equipment.

Team Uniform: All players are required to wear the Tartu Cricket Club shirt and black sports pants for all games. It is not necessary to wear the club shirt at training sessions.

MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is to be the most successful and respected cricket club in the Tartu region:

– to play the game in a competitive yet sportsmanlike manner;
– to abide by all the laws pertaining to cricket;
– to enable each member to have an opportunity to develop their skills;
– to ensure that the administration of the organisation continues to run effectively and efficiently.

‘Happiness is respecting the game and remembering that winning is not forever, nor is losing’.