Arkansas USSSA
Code of Conduct
I. Conditions
A. The Code of Conduct applies to all participants
including, players, coaches, managers, sponsors, and spectators associated with
the adult softball program.
B. The code applies to participant conduct before, during
and after all USSSA events.
C. Participants will be held liable for damages caused by
misusing park facilities and may be required to reimburse the City for any
damages caused.
D. It is the responsibility of each team manager to
ensure that all participants and spectators know and adhere to the rules and
regulations.
II. Enforcement
A. The Arkansas USSSA Ethics Committee will review all
stage 2 and higher Code of Conduct violations.
Then will make a recommendation for disciplinary action to the State
Director based on the range of disciplinary action listed under the penalty
section of the Code of Conduct rules.
B. The State Director has the authority to impose
penalties as prescribed within the Code of Conduct regardless of the Ethics
Committee recommendations.
C. The Umpire in Charge (UIC) for the tournament,
tournament director, and the State UIC will collect all necessary documentation
and are responsible for notifying the team manager in writing (email or
registered letter) of any penalty imposed.
It is then the team manager's responsibility to inform the player(s) of
the penalty.
D. All communications regarding code of conduct
enforcement will be done via e-mail or registered letter.
E. Any Code of Conduct violation that is a stage 2 or
higher violation and involves any misconduct against an umpire will result in
an investigation and a possible suspension of those involved.
F. Most decisions will be final with no possibility of
appeal. In some instances the person(s)
involved may be given a period of time to appeal the penalty.
G. That appeal must be in writing and delivered to the
state director or state UIC within 10 days of the date of the notice.
III. Violations and penalties
A. Stage 1
Misconduct includes but is not limited to:
. Unsportsmanlike
conduct
. Unnecessary
roughness
. Reckless
physical conduct and/or action(s)
. Casual
profanity
. Inappropriate
gestures
Penalty: Ejection from game and suspension for the
remainder of the game based on the below listed criteria:
. If
ejection occurs prior to the 5th inning, the participant may play the next game
as long as the participant leaves the game without additional incident and does
not commit any other code of conduct violations (see Post Ejection Conduct
below).
. If
the ejection occurs after the 4th inning the participant is suspended for the
next game.
Post Ejection Conduct (participant action immediately
following an ejection by an umpire):
Misconduct includes but is not limited to:
Continues to use profanity
Acts or carries on in a disruptive manner Refuses to leave
as requested by the umpire or staff
Penalty: Ejection from the tournament, AND moved to at
least a Stage 2 violation and will be reviewed by the ethic committee.
B. Stage 2: Includes Stage 1 criteria but more severe
Misconduct includes but is not limited to:
. Taunting
. Failure
for a coach or manger (whoever represents the team for the game) to: attempt to
de-escalate a potentially volatile situation, attempt to control a participant
that is violation the Code of Conduct.
. Intimidating
behavior and/or action
. Excessive
profanity
. Perceived
reckless behavior
. Unnecessary
roughness with the perceived intent to cause harm or injury
. Unruly,
disruptive, unsportsmanlike, uncooperative behavior etc. immediately following
an ejection by an umpire
Penalty: Ejection from the tournament, AND possible
suspension for up to one year from the date of the incident, AND/OR probation
for up to three years from the date of the incident.
C. Stage 3: Includes Stage 2 violations but more severe
Misconduct includes but is not limited to:
. Verbal
threats such as "I know where you live", "I better not see you
out here again", "or else" etc.
. Physical
contact with anyone (includes incidental contact with umpire, opposing players,
spectators, staff etc.
. Any
negative (verbal, physical) contact with an umpire prior to or after a game on
or off the field
. Any
negative contact with an umpire in the parking lot, at their vehicle or
anywhere else on City property
. Throwing
a ball or any other object in the general direction of anyone
. A
player purposefully throwing a ball at a base runner while the base runner is
attempting to stay out of the way of a fielders attempt to throw.
. Giving
the distinct impression through gesture or verbally expressing the idea or
perceived notion and intent to instigate a fight. This includes commonly known phrases such as
"let's take this to the parking lot" etc.
Penalty: immediate ejection from all USSSA play for up to
one year with the probability that the State Director will ask the National
Organization for up to a lifetime of suspension from all USSSA participation.
Team Misconduct:
A team will be found in violation of the Code of Conduct
if the following occurs:
. A
team instigates, promotes or participates in a bench clearing fight at any time
before, during or after a game.
. The
definition of a bench clearing brawl is defined as 2 or more players from the
same team leaving the dugout or their positions on the field to instigate the
above bulleted misconduct violations.
Penalty: immediate ejection from the tournament, followed
by the possible suspension of the entire team from participation in all
tournament play for up to one year from the date of the incident.
Chris Walker Ken
Hawk
State Director State
Umpire in Charge