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Home Learn About MAPLECoach's Ethics COACH'S ETHICS Conduct at the Game
Remain within the technical area; keep your comments positive; do not abuse your players verbally.
Do not address the referee or the assistants during the game. If you have a question or criticism, make it privately to the official after the game.
Never comment on the other team.
Responsibility for Others
If an assistant, manager or parent becomes abusive in any way, and you cannot quiet them, ask them to leave before the referee has to. They are all your responsibility from the time you come on to the field until you leave.
Explain to parents that the referee is trained in the laws of the game, and is almost always better positioned than a spectator to see what actually happened. Point out that much of refereeing is judgment and that the referee is neutral, parents are not. Let them know that all referees miss calls in every game; three people watching 22 in constant motion over 2 acres cannot see everything.
Recruiting
Before inviting a player to try out for or join your team, ask him/her if he/she has signed with or is committed to another team; if he/she has or is, leave him/her alone. Do not try to exploit technicalities; if the player believes he/she is dedicated to the other team for the year, that is sufficient. We are trying to teach fair play, not sharp practice.
Do not approach, or encourage the approach of, an individual player on another team for the following year, or for guest tournament play during the current year, until the current playing season has ended for that team. Let the player focus on the task at hand, not on where he/she might be headed.
Do not hold any tryouts for your team until all MAPLE and State Cups play is over for the previous year.
Player Selection
Notify each player who tries out for your team of your decision as to him/her; if you are cutting him/her or not picking him/her up, tell him/her why; if you cannot, you did not give him/her a fair look. Try to make a painful experience as productive and helpful as possible. Notify promptly; the player may lose opportunities to play with other teams.
Give marginal players an early and honest estimate of their chances of making the following season's roster and of playing regularly. Let them have enough information to make intelligent decisions about their own future.
Do not roster a player you do not intend to use regularly, for any reason.
Open Letter
 
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