ENGLAND SQUASH AND RACKETBALL CODE OF CONDUCT (New Code of Conduct October 2009) For the Singles and Doubles Game (References to Squash also include Racketball) 1. GENERAL The England Squash Code of Conduct is issued pursuant to the bye-law 9 of the England Squash Bye-Laws and covers the conduct of events run and organised under the auspices of England Squash and is designed to secure the future wellbeing of squash. Different aspects of the Code may have relevance to players, officials, spectators and administrators involved in a squash tournament or competition. The Code, therefore, applies to all these categories and should be understood by all concerned with competitive squash. England Squash supports the Rules of Squash as published by the World Squash Federation and is responsible for the publication of the current Racketball rules. All tournaments and competitions organised in England under the auspices of or in conjunction with England Squash shall be played according to the rules of squash. 2. EVENTS ADMINISTRATION Organisers of squash tournaments and competitions must ensure that clear and comprehensive regulations are prepared and available to all competitors in time to permit compliance with such regulations. Administrative instructions, which require particular actions by players and / or officials, must be clearly stated and communicated to those concerned. Adequate arrangements must be made to permit the proper conduct of a tournament or competition. 3. OFFICIALS Officials should be competent to handle the level of match to which they are appointed, and must ensure that it is conducted in accordance with the Rules of Squash. These officials are responsible for ensuring the good conduct of players during a match. 4. PLAYERS The Code of Conduct for players (and their managers and coaching staff where applicable) applies to individuals and teams. Any player who enters tournaments or competitions thereby accepts all regulations associated with the event, and shall subsequently comply with them. No players shall withdraw from an event after submitting an application to enter without the consent of the event organiser. Such consent will normally only be given in the following circumstances: a) When the player has incurred accidental injury or ill-health after submitting an entry application. b) When the player application to enter is turned down following completion of the draw. c) When adequate notice is given to permit substitution in the event draw without undue discretion Players must be familiar with the Rules of Squash and must make every effort to comply with them. Players must conduct themselves at all times in a way which brings credit to the image of squash in the eyes of spectators, the media and sponsors. They must behave with dignity on court and recognise the need for continuity of play. They must recognise the legitimate interests of the squash media, and make themselves available to meet reasonable requests for interviews, photo calls and press briefings. They must also recognise their responsibilities to sponsors and event organisers, and meet reasonable requests to attend formal and informal functions associated with the event. Some specific aspects of behaviour on court, or in public which are considered contrary to creditable conduct are include in the following list which is not intended to be comprehensive. a. Swearing b. Making offensive gestures c. Disputing decisions made by a referee d. Deliberate contact between players or between players and playing equipment. e. Making offensive comments, or comments which might be regarded as offensive about opponent, match officials, coaches or spectators on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender or disability. 5. SPECTATORS Spectators must remain silent during rallies, and should not encourage extended and undignified delays between rallies by attempting to provoke discussion between players and officials, or between the players themselves. 6. DISCIPLINARY MATTERS England Squash supports the Rules of Squash as published by the World Squash Federation and is responsible for the publication of the current Racketball rules. All tournaments and competitions organised in England under the auspices of or in conjunction with England Squash shall be played according to the rules of squash. 7. RULES OF SQUASH - CODE OF CONDUCT AND RESULTING PENALITIES 1. Are contained within the Rules of Squash and they outline the powers available to any referee for dealing with on court offences by players. 1. In addition, and provided that the referee is England Squash qualified, the referee must submit a report to England Squash within four days of awarding a Code of Conduct Penalty (stroke, game or match). Each conduct offence attracts penalty points as set below in 7.1.3. 2. Accumulation of Code of Conduct penalties following the submission of these report forms will result in an automatic ban as set out in 7.1.6 below. Additional penalties may also be imposed, as denoted in 7.1.4 and 12.9. 3. A player will accumulate penalty points for each conduct offence: CONDUCT STROKE AWARDED = 1 penalty point for each conduct stroke. CONDUCT GAME AWARDED = 3 penalty points for each conduct game. There is no sanction for a warning. 4. There is no penalty provision for the award of a conduct match against a player because this would be automatically dealt with by the England Squash Disciplinary Panel on an individual case basis. 5. All infringements occurring during a match shall be used for the purpose of points accumulation. 6. A player will invoke automatic bans as set out under 7.1.6.5 below for reaching the following penalty point levels in any 12 month period in addition to any other sanction which a player may attract: 1. Accumulation of 3 -5 points during any 12 month period = 4 week ban. 2. Accumulation of 6 points or over during any 12 month period shall result in an ENGLAND SQUASH DISCIPLINARY HEARING under paragraph 12 below 3. Points remain active for a 12 month period. 4. If a player is subject to a ban in each of two successive years, a further sanction may be imposed by the England Squash Disciplinary Panel. 5. A ban would prohibit a player from competing in any England Squash Sanctioned Event or Metropolitan/County League during the period concerned. 6. Any bans commence on the third Monday after the details of the conduct offence are received by the England Squash office. However, all periods of bans will fall within the months of October - April and may be carried over if necessary. 7.1.7 The England Squash office will collate the information relating to conduct offences (against which there is no right of appeal), and inform the offending player when a ban is imposed. 8. DISCIPLINARY MATTERS AT CLUB LEVEL 8.1 If not already covered in paragraph 2, will be dealt with by the club concerned or other delegated appropriate authority. 2. Any appeals will be dealt with by County SRA. 9. DISCIPLINARY MATTERS AT EVENTS WITHIN A COUNTY AND COUNTY LEAGUE 9.1 If not already covered in paragraph 2 will be dealt with by the County SRA concerned. 9.2 Any appeals will be dealt with by a County SRA Appeals Panel, so convened or by England Squash itself, if so referred (9.3). The County SRA Appeals Panel should meet within 28 days of appeal notification. 9.3 Appeals against decisions involving fines of less than £50.00, or bans of less than four weeks, cannot be referred to England Squash. 10. DISCIPLINARY MATTERS AT EVENTS RUN BY ENGLAND SQUASH 10.1 If not already covered in paragraph 2, will be dealt with by the England Squash Disciplinary Panel. 2. Any appeals will be dealt with by the England Squash Appeals Panel. 11. PLAYER ASSOCIATION REGISTERED TOURNAMENTS 1. The Player Association Code of Conduct governs their tournaments. 11.2 Disciplinary Authority - Player Association Board 11.3 Appeals Authority - Player Association Appeals Committee. 4. The Code of Conduct forms will be submitted to the England Squash Office in the normal way by the England Squash qualified referee, when the event is being held in England. England Squash reserves the right to discipline a player, official, spectator or administrator when the event is being held in England. 5. Similarly, England Squash reserves the right to discipline an English player, official, spectator or administrator whilst involved in a Player Association registered event outside England. 6. Penalties imposed by the Player Association Boards for on-court and on-site offences will normally be endorsed by England Squash. 7. The implementation of penalties relating to off-site offences as they affect a player in England will be dealt with on their merits by the England Squash Disciplinary Panel. 12. GUIDANCE DEALING WITH DISCIPLINARY OFFENCES, DISCIPLINARY HEARINGS AND APPEALS. 12.1 If not already covered in paragraph 2, the alleged offender must be informed as soon as possible after the alleged breach of the Code of Conduct, that a report is to be submitted to the appropriate Disciplinary Authority and that he/she may be the subject of a disciplinary hearing. 12.2 A written report and written statements must be submitted to the appropriate Disciplinary Authority by the appointed tournament director, competition director or other appropriate person within seven days of the alleged breach. 12.3 The appropriate Disciplinary Authority must notify the alleged offender in writing that a formal complaint against him/her has been received, and copies of the written report and statements referred to in paragraph 12.2 above should be supplied to him/her. He/she must be invited to provide written response about the incident or incidents which gave rise to the allegation, and indicate whether he/she accepts the accuracy of the supplied documentation, and in serious cases should be informed of his/her right to have the matter dealt with at a disciplinary hearing under 12.4 below 4. A Disciplinary Authority shall consist of not less than three persons appointed to consider the written reports and other relevant documentation and, if necessary, shall convene a disciplinary hearing to be held at the Disciplinary Authority's discretion. The Disciplinary Authority should be given clear guidance as to its powers to impose disciplinary sanctioned should it find the allegations to be substantiated by the evidence. The Disciplinary Authority may be standing or convened to consider a particular incident, and may not contain any person who has any connection with the parties involved. 5. If a hearing is called, it is essential that the alleged offender be given reasonable opportunity to attend (minimum 14 days) and/or be represented, and statements taken from witnesses must have been served on him/her fourteen days prior to the hearing. 6. Consideration of the alleged breaches of the Code of Conduct, whether involving a disciplinary hearing or not, should be dealt with as a clear priority. (It is impossible to set an arbitrary timescale to cover all levels of squash but, at the very least, the aim should be to complete the initial disciplinary process (excluding appeal) within one month of the alleged breach). 7. Except in the case outlined in 9.3, the alleged offender should have the right to appeal to a superior authority as set out in paragraphs 8-11 above against the findings of the relevant Disciplinary Authority (the Authority receiving the disciplinary matter referred to in paragraph 12.2), and/or any penalty imposed. He/she should also have the right to convene an appeal hearing (see paragraph 12.9). 8. A range of sanctions are available for application by a Disciplinary Authority which considers that the England Squash Code of Conduct has been breached. The range included administrative action against event organisers, officials, players and spectators, which could affect their future involvement in squash competitions and tournaments. There is also provision for specific financial penalties. 9. Any person wishing to appeal against a decision by a Disciplinary Authority must register an intention to appeal to the relevant Appeal Panel in writing, with the Disciplinary Authority which issued the sanction within seven days of being notified of the Disciplinary Authority's decision. Persons appealing against a decision by the England Squash Disciplinary Panel must provide a deposit of £400.00 in the form of a cheque to England Squash. The deposit will be returned in full if the appeal is upheld. If the appeal is not upheld, the costs of the appeal will be taken from the deposit. Any penalty imposed by a Disciplinary Authority shall be suspended pending the outcome of the appeal. An Appeal Panel will consider the matter afresh by way of a re-consideration of all relevant reports and statements and should consider the reports and findings of the Disciplinary Authority who first handled the case. The Appeal Panel may call a further hearing and may consider fresh evidence those appointed to hear an appeal may confirm, set aside, reduce or increase any penalties already imposed. 10. Any expenses of the Disciplinary Authority, the informant and witnesses involved in the first disciplinary hearing will be borne by the Disciplinary Authority dealing with the alleged breach of the Code. The alleged offender must bear his/her own expenses unless the Disciplinary Authority otherwise decides. However, the Disciplinary Authority may, if it so decides, pass on costs reasonably incurred by the offender. 11. All expenses incurred or connected with any Appeal (including costs associated with any hearing) will be borne by the person making the appeal, unless the findings of the Disciplinary Authority (or any part thereof if there is more than one allegation), are set aside. These costs or such proportion as is considered reasonable by the relevant Appeal Panel hearing the appeal, will then become the responsibility of the Disciplinary Authority whose decision has been appealed against. 12. An alleged offender may be assisted by a legal adviser or supporter at a hearing if he/she so wishes. 13. CIVIL OR CRIMINAL ACTION If civil or criminal proceedings are pending, all reports and statements should be collated as normal, but the disciplinary proceedings postponed until a decision by the civil or criminal authorities has been reached. 14. PENALTIES In order to ensure that punishments are as consistent as possible, all results of the disciplinary hearings should be given to the England Squash office immediately the appeal time limit has expired. Relevant information will then be circulated periodically to Clubs and County Associations