Unsportsmanlike conduct

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A yellow card being given in a game of handball

Unsportsmanlike conduct (also called untrustworthy behaviour or ungentlemanly fraudulent or bad sportsmanship or poor sportsmanship or anti fair-play) is a foul or offense in many sports that violates the sport's generally accepted rules of sportsmanship and participant conduct. Examples include verbal abuse, taunting of an opponent or a game official, an excessive celebration following a significant play, or feigning injury. The official rules of many sports include a general provision whereby participants or an entire team may be penalized or otherwise sanctioned for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Contents

Examples in different sports

In American football, unsportsmanlike conduct results in a 15-yard penalty, assessed after the completion of a play. [1] When it occurs after a scoring play, the 15 yards are assessed on the kickoff. Situations that can incur such a penalty include excessive celebrations after plays, often involving props or multiple players or engaging in taunting against an opponent; a player's purposeful removal of his helmet anywhere in the field of play during or in between plays; or if a substitute leaves the team bench during a fight. Unsportsmanlike conduct can also lead to players or coaches being ejected from the game if the conduct is found to be flagrant, such as making contact with game officials. In the NCAA, two unsportsmanlike conduct fouls lead to the offender's ejection. Two unsportsmanlike conduct fouls may lead to the offender's ejection in the NFL, depending on the nature of each foul (a rule first implemented for the 2016 season after the events of the previous season's clash between New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr and Carolina Panthers defensive back Josh Norman). [2]

The referee signals unsportsmanlike conduct by holding his arms outstretched with palms facing downward. Coaches can also receive an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty for taunting, arguing with, or abusing officials, one of the few times a coach's actions can be penalized outside of the rare palpably unfair act penalty; however, unlike the players, coaches cannot be disqualified for their second. [3]

During the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the definition of unsportsmanlike conduct was expanded to include violating protocols designed to curb the spread of COVID-19. Penalties may include fines, suspensions, or even loss of draft picks [4] in addition to the standard 15-yard penalty for the guilty party. [5]

In Canadian football, unsportsmanlike conduct is covered by two penalties. Nonviolent offenses constitute an objectionable conduct foul and only carries a 10-yard penalty. (Indoor American football leagues, because of the shorter field, also assign a 10-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.) Rough play is the foul called for unsportsmanlike violent behavior; it carries a 25-yard penalty, the largest in all gridiron football.

In association football, the term "unsporting behaviour" is more commonly used, being one of the listed reasons under law 12 of the laws of the game for which a yellow card may be given. It is interpreted broadly, most commonly to sanction fouls which are more serious than most, though below a level which would merit a red card. [6] Other examples include extravagant goal celebrations (e.g. removing one's jersey) and simulating actions intended to deceive the referee (diving).

In basketball, such misconduct is penalized by a technical foul as opposed to a personal foul. The technical foul is akin to a caution in that two such fouls warrant an expulsion, although egregious conduct will be immediately assessed two consecutive technical fouls, or in at least one case, one.

In tennis, such conduct is categorized as a "code violation". Examples include racket abuse (intentionally throwing a racket or using it to strike an object other than the ball), ball abuse (intentionally hitting or throwing the ball into the stands outside of normal play), or intentionally shouting during a point in order to distract an opponent. Penalties vary based on the organizers of the match or tournament and usually start with a verbal warning for a first violation, and forfeiture of a point, game, or a match for additional violations.

In cricket, such behaviour is considered to be violating the "spirit of the game". The preamble to the Laws of Cricket [7] state certain actions which may violate the spirit of cricket. A more detailed list (along with appropriate sanctions) is given in the ICC Cricket Code of Conduct. Since good behaviour in cricket is traditionally deemed the sine qua non of a gentleman to the game's historical status as a "gentleman's game", it has led to the saying "It's not cricket", an English language phrase meaning unsportsmanlike conduct in sports, in business, or in life in general. There is considerable debate over whether sledging should be deemed as "unsportsmanlike behaviour" and banned due to several high profile punishable instances of racial and verbal abuse during international matches; proponents have argued that sledging was meant to be witty and humorous and not a personal attack on the opposition player. [8] [9] [10] In-game punishments for offences are not substantial and often limited to a handful of penalty runs, but can have much wider consequences as the umpires call into question the honour, integrity and honesty of the player. This can cause significant recriminations from players & nations accused. An example of which was the 2006 ball-tampering controversy, where two umpires judged that Pakistan had been ball tampering and awarded 5 penalty runs to England. Pakistan refused to take the field after a break in play, causing a forfeit win to be given to England and a huge scandal within the sport.

In ice hockey, unsportsmanlike conduct is defined in Rule 75 of the National Hockey League and IIHF Rule Book [11] [12] both read as follows: "Players, goalkeepers and non-playing Club personnel are responsible for their conduct at all times and must endeavor to prevent disorderly conduct before, during or after the game, on or off the ice and any place in the rink. The Referees may assess penalties to any of the above team personnel for failure to do so." A player can receive a two-minute penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. Unusually for a team sport, fighting, in most circumstances, does not constitute unsportsmanlike conduct. Referees signal the penalty by making a "T" shape with their hands; palm to finger tips. This leads to it being referred to as being "T'd off".

In fighting sports such as boxing, unsportsmanlike conduct such as low blows or elbowing can result in a competitor losing a match by disqualification. [13]

Field lacrosse

Field lacrosse's definition of unsportsmanlike conduct generally includes the same behavior as other sports, such as arguing with the official over a call, using foul language , using the lacrosse stick as a weapon for attacking players and/or nonplaying personnel,and fans,taunting or baiting other players. It is considered a personal foul under the rules. Coaches and nonplaying personnel can incur the penalty if they enter the field without the official's permission (save situations where the rules allow it) or use abusive language toward officials. Additional infractions can be called if the behavior continues. Penalties can vary from one to three minutes, usually non-releasable; in some less severe instances that do not involve abusive conduct, such as deliberately handling the ball during play, repeatedly committing the same technical foul or deliberately delaying return to the playing field in order to gain an advantage, those penalties are releasable. [14]

Under rules for high school boys/girls' lacrosse, a second unreleasable unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the same player is an automatic ejection foul. The player must serve three unreleasable minutes in the penalty area; when that time expires, a substitute must re-enter the game in his place. (S)he must leave the game area unless they are no school personnel around to supervise, in which case (s)he is confined to the bench area for the rest of the game, plus his/her suspension increasing by a game. [15]

Motorsports

In Formula 1, drivers are shown a black-and-white flag for unsportsmanlike driving; if said driving continues, the driver will be shown a fully-black flag which outright disqualifies that driver. [16] For unsportsmanlike conduct that occurred once the race has ended, or outside a race, the phrase "bringing the sport into disrepute" is used, such as regarding use of team orders or when FIA expelled Andrea Moda Formula in 1992. [17]

NASCAR likewise has section 12-4, which prohibits actions that are "detrimental to stock car racing". This was invoked against Michael Waltrip Racing as a result of apparently gaming the system in order to allow their driver Martin Truex Jr. to make the 2013 Chase for the Cup. [18] Another example was when Marcos Ambrose and Casey Mears were fined for attacking each other in the pit area after the 2014 Toyota Owners 400. [19]

Match fixing

Unsportsmanlike conduct also includes attempts by players of match fixing, which has seen teams deliberately lose (a thrown game) or achieve draws or select scores, in order to receive a more favorable knockout bracket or a higher draft pick.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian football</span> Canadian team sport

Canadian football, or simply football, is a sport in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete on a field 110 yards (101 m) long and 65 yards (59 m) wide, attempting to advance a pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposing team's end zone.

"Power play" is a sporting term used to describe a period of play where one team has a numerical advantage in players, usually due to a rule violation by the opposing team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penalty (ice hockey)</span> Punishment for breaking the rules in ice hockey

A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for an infringement of the rules. Most penalties are enforced by sending the offending player to a penalty box for a set number of minutes. During the penalty the player may not participate in play. Penalties are called and enforced by the referee, or in some cases, the linesman. The offending team may not replace the player on the ice, leaving them short-handed as opposed to full strength. When the opposing team is said to be on a power play, they will have one more player on the ice than the short-handed team. The short-handed team is said to be "on the penalty kill" until the penalty expires and the penalized player returns to play. While standards vary somewhat between leagues, most leagues recognize several common varieties of penalties, as well as common infractions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Face-off</span> Method used to begin play in ice hockey and some other sports

A face-off is the method used to begin and restart play after goals in some sports using sticks, primarily ice hockey, bandy, floorball, broomball, rinkball, and lacrosse.

In basketball, a technical foul is any infraction of the rules penalized as a foul which does not involve physical contact during the course of play between opposing players on the court, or is a foul by a non-player. The most common technical foul is for unsportsmanlike conduct. Technical fouls can be assessed against players, bench personnel, the entire team, or even the crowd. These fouls, and their penalties, are more serious than a personal foul, but not necessarily as serious as a flagrant foul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free throw</span> Penalty in basketball

In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points by shooting from behind the free-throw line, a line situated at the end of the restricted area. Free throws are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team, analogous to penalty shots in other team sports. Free throws are also awarded in other situations, including technical fouls, and when the fouling team has entered the bonus/penalty situation. Also, depending on the situation, a player may be awarded between one and three free throws. Each successful free throw is worth one point.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Personal foul (basketball)</span> Illegal contact with an opponent in basketball

In basketball, a personal foul is a breach of the rules that concerns illegal personal contact with an opponent. It is the most common type of foul in basketball. A player fouls out on reaching a limit on personal fouls for the game and is disqualified from participation in the remainder of the game.

In gridiron football, clock management is an aspect of game strategy that focuses on the game clock and/or play clock to achieve a desired result, typically near the end of a match. Depending on the game situation, clock management may entail playing in a manner that either slows or quickens the time elapsed from the game clock, to either extend the match or hasten its end. When the desired outcome is to end the match quicker, it is analogous to "running out the clock" seen in many sports. Clock management strategies are a significant part of American football, where an elaborate set of rules dictates when the game clock stops between downs, and when it continues to run.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ejection (sports)</span> Removal of a participant due to a rules violation

In sports, an ejection is the removal of a participant from a contest due to a violation of the sport's rules. The exact violations that lead to an ejection vary depending upon the sport, but common causes for ejection include unsportsmanlike conduct, violent acts against another participant that are beyond the sport's generally accepted standards for such acts, abuse against officials, violations of the sport's rules that the contest official deems to be egregious, or the use of an illegal substance to better a player's game. Most sports have provisions that allow players to be ejected, and many allow for the ejection of coaches, managers, or other non-playing personnel. In sports that use penalty cards, a red card is often used to signal dismissals. In some sports, another player is permitted to enter the game in place of the player who has been ejected, but in others the team is required to continue the game with a reduced number of players.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flagrant foul</span> Basketball foul for excessive or violent contact

In basketball, a flagrant foul is a personal foul that involves excessive or violent contact that could injure the fouled player. A flagrant foul may be unintentional or purposeful; the latter type is also called an "intentional foul" in the National Basketball Association (NBA). However, not all intentional fouls are flagrant fouls, as it is an accepted strategy to intentionally commit a foul in order to regain possession of the ball while minimizing how much time elapses on the game clock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foul (basketball)</span> Unfair act by a player in basketball

In basketball, a foul is an infraction of the rules more serious than a violation. Most fouls occur as a result of illegal personal contact with an opponent and/or unsportsmanlike behavior. Fouls can result in one or more of the following penalties:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penalty card</span> Card shown for misconduct in sports

Penalty cards are used in many sports as a means of warning, reprimanding or penalising a player, coach or team official. Penalty cards are most commonly used by referees or umpires to indicate that a player has committed an offence. The official will hold the card above their head while looking or pointing toward the player who has committed the offence. This action makes the decision clear to all players, as well as spectators and other officials in a manner that is language-neutral. The colour or shape of the card used by the official indicates the type or seriousness of the offence and the level of punishment that is to be applied. Yellow and red cards are the most common, typically indicating, respectively, cautions and dismissals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Touchdown celebration</span> Celebrations in gridiron football

In gridiron football, touchdown celebrations are sometimes performed after the scoring of a touchdown. Individual celebrations have become increasingly complex over time, from simple "spiking" of the football in decades past to the elaborately choreographed displays of the current era.

Delay of game is an action in a sports game in which a player or team deliberately stalls the game, usually with the intention of using the delay to its advantage. In some sports, the delay of game is considered an infraction if it is longer than that permitted according to the game's rules, in which case a penalty can be issued. Some sports that have a delay of game penalty are American football, Canadian football, ice hockey and association football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foul (sports)</span>

In sports, a foul is an inappropriate or unfair act by a player as deemed by a referee, usually violating the rules of the sport or game. A foul may be intentional or accidental, and often results in a penalty. Even though it may not be intentional, fouling can still cause serious harm or injury to opposing players, or even their own players if unaware of their surroundings during particular situations on sports. Fouls are used in many different sports. Often own teammates can clash and foul each other by accident, such as both going for and with eyes on a ball in AFL. Strategical fouls violate the traditional norms of cooperation and agreement to the essential rules and regulations of the game, or are perhaps not part of the games at all.

In gridiron football, roughing the passer is a foul in which a defensive player makes illegal contact with the quarterback after the latter has thrown a forward pass. The penalty is 10 or 15 yards, depending on the league, an automatic first down for the offense, and a disqualification if flagrant. Defenders are allowed to contact a player attempting a forward pass while he still has possession of the ball ; however, once the ball is released, defenders are not allowed to make contact with the quarterback unless carried to do so by momentum. Judgment over whether contact following release was the result of a violation or momentum is made by the referee on a case-by-case basis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penalty (gridiron football)</span> Penalty in American football

In gridiron football, a penalty is a sanction assessed against a team for a violation of the rules, called a foul. Officials initially signal penalties by tossing a bright yellow colored penalty flag onto the field toward or at the spot of a foul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Out of bounds</span> Concept in many sports related to the edge of the playing area

In sports, out of bounds refers to being outside the playing boundaries of the field. The legality of going out of bounds, and the ease of prevention, vary by sport. Sports that use this term include American football, Canadian football, field lacrosse, basketball, rugby union, rugby league, and association football.

In American football, an unfair act is a foul that can be called when a player or team commits a flagrant and obviously illegal act that has a major impact on the game, and from which, if additional penalties were not enforced, the offending team would gain an advantage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helmet-to-helmet collision</span> Dangerous contact in gridiron football

Helmet-to-helmet collisions are occurrences in gridiron football when two players' football helmets make head-to-head contact with a high degree of force. Intentionally causing a helmet-to-helmet collision is a penalty in most football leagues, including many high school leagues.

References

  1. ↑ "NFL Rules Digest: Summary of Penalties". National Football League . Retrieved 11 February 2009.
  2. ↑ "NFL Rulebook - Section 3: Unsportsmanlike Conduct". National Football League . Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  3. ↑ "NFL Official Signals". National Football League. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  4. ↑ Smith, Pete. "Titans Outrageous Disregard for COVID-19 Protocols Warrants Substantial Penalty". Sports Illustrated Cleveland Browns News, Analysis and More. Retrieved 2021-12-20.
  5. ↑ West, Jenna. "NFL Refs Can Penalize Coaches for Not Wearing Masks". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2021-12-20.
  6. ↑ "Laws of the Game 2008/2009" (PDF). FIFA . p. 35. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 6, 2008. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
  7. ↑ "Preamble to the Laws - Laws of Cricket - Laws & Spirit - Lord's". Archived from the original on November 6, 2011. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  8. ↑ "There's something disturbing about Abbott's acceptance of sledging in cricket". The Guardian . 6 January 2015.
  9. ↑ "Sledging shows Australian cricket culture has lost its moral compass". The Sydney Morning Herald . 21 January 2015.
  10. ↑ Johnston, Barry (2009). The Wit of Cricket. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN   9781444715026.
  11. ↑ "Official Rules. Rule 75 - Unsportsmanlike Conduct" (PDF). Nhl.com. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  12. ↑ "IIHF rule book Rule 75 - Unsportsmanlike conduct" (PDF). iihf.com. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  13. ↑ "What is DQ in Boxing? A Quick Guide To Understanding Disqualification Rules". The Sports Reference.
  14. ↑ "NCAA Men's Lacrosse 2015 and 2016 Rules and Interpretations" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. October 2014. p. 51. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 12, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
  15. ↑ 2017 Boys' Lacrosse Rules Book. Indianapolis: National Federation of State High School Associations. p. 63.
  16. ↑ Keith Collantine (2010-04-04). "Drivers as stewards make presence felt as Hamilton gets black-and-white flag · F1 Fanatic". F1fanatic.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-01-24.
  17. ↑ AP (1992-09-09). "Andrea Moda team ruled out of Formula 1 season". The Courier-Journal. p. D7. Retrieved 2018-01-24– via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ "NASCAR penalizes Michael Waltrip Racing". Nascar.com. 2013-09-09. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2016-01-24.
  19. ↑ Gluck, Jeff (April 29, 2014). "NASCAR fines Ambrose, Mears for Richmond altercation". USA Today Sports. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
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