Code of Conduct

Compete fiercely, win modestly, lose graciously.

Leichhardt Saints is a volunteer-run community club. More than 1,200 people play here every season, on public grounds, alongside families from across the Inner West. This code sets out what we expect from everyone involved.

It applies to every member of the club, players, parents, guardians, spectators, coaches, managers, ground officials and committee members, and it applies whether or not you have read or signed it.

We are also bound by the codes of Football Canterbury and Football NSW, and by the Laws of the Game.

Our shared commitment

Whatever your role at this club, you agree to:

Treat every player, official, volunteer and spectator with respect, whether they are ours or the opposition’s
Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every person, regardless of age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, race, colour, religion, language, politics, or national or ethnic origin
Never use violence, threats, or abusive, offensive or insulting language or gestures towards any person
Respect the decisions of match officials, and never approach or publicly criticise them
Never enter the field of play without the referee’s permission
Not consume alcohol before or during a match, or anywhere within the field of play
Not use social media, forums or other online platforms to criticise teams, players, coaches, match officials, spectators or the club
Follow any reasonable direction from a ground official, referee or committee member

Players

Play by the rules. The Laws of the Game exist so everyone gets a fair game.

Never argue with an official. If you disagree with a decision, tell your captain, coach or manager at a break or after the game. Officials make mistakes, the same as players and coaches do.

Control your temper. Verbal abuse, sledging, and deliberately distracting or provoking an opponent have no place here.

Applaud good play – yours and theirs.

Look after your teammates. Include the player who is struggling. Learning to do that is as much a part of football as learning to pass.

Turn up, and turn up on time. Being late lets your team down.

Wear the full club uniform, including shin pads. Uniform and Equipment Policy

Treat every player the way you would want to be treated. No bullying, and no taking unfair advantage of another player or official.

Parents and spectators

This section applies to anyone on the sideline – parents, guardians, grandparents, siblings, friends and visiting supporters.

Remember whose game it is. Children play football to have fun, be with their friends and improve. Winning matters less to them than it does to adults.

Never ridicule or scold a child for making a mistake – yours or anyone else’s.

Encourage, don’t coach. One voice from the sideline is the coach’s. Children who are being instructed by four adults at once stop making their own decisions.

Respect the referee, and teach your children to do the same. Many of the officials at junior games are children themselves, some as young as ten, and some in their first season. Before you call out, ask yourself whether it will change the decision, and whether you are about to shout at a child.

Stay behind the spectator line and off the field of play.

Raise concerns properly. Talk to your child’s coach or manager, not to the referee, the opposition, or from the sideline.

Game time and team selection are not member protection issues. Selection is a decision for coaches. If you have concerns about game time, raise them with the coach, then the club. Game Time Policy · Grading Policy

Volunteer. Every team needs a ground official, a canteen shift and potentially a washing roster. The club has very few paid staff. Parent Information

Coaches, managers and team officials

Be properly registered. Every coach, manager and assistant must be registered through PlayFootball and, if coaching players under the age of 18, hold a valid Working with Children Check before taking a session or appearing on a team sheet. How to register

Complete a coaching course appropriate to your age group. The club will support you to do it.

Set sessions appropriate to the age, ability, experience and maturity of your players. Never use physical activity as a punishment.

Apply the club’s playing time policies. Every junior is entitled to their share of the game. Game Time Policy

Follow the heading and concussion protocols. If in doubt, sit them out. A player suspected of concussion does not return to the field that day. Heading and Concussion Policy

Never argue with, approach or publicly criticise a match official, and never enter the field of play without the referee’s permission. Remain in your technical area or behind the spectator line.

Manage your own sideline. If your team’s supporters are out of line, it is your job to say so, and to support the ground official who does.

Never be alone with a child who is not your own. Do not transport a player alone, and do not contact players privately. Team communication goes through parents and guardians.

Report concerns. If you have a concern about a child’s welfare, raise it immediately with the Member Protection Information Officer.

Ground officials

Be identifiable. Wear the vest for the whole match. Ground Official Guidelines

Be impartial. You are there for both teams, and for the referee.

Act early. Most sideline problems can be settled with a quiet word before they become an incident.

You have the club’s backing. If you ask someone to change their behaviour or to leave, the club will support that decision. You are never expected to put yourself at risk.

Game Leaders are learning. Many are ten to fifteen years old and officiating for the first time. Support them, and step in if adults do not. Game Leader Program

What happens if this code is breached

At the ground, ground officials, coaches and committee members will:

Ask. Politely request the person change their behaviour, and remind them of this code.
Direct. Firmly instruct them to change their behaviour, or be asked to leave.
Remove. Ask them to leave the venue.
Escalate. Refer the matter to club officials.
Call police if anyone’s safety is at risk. Nobody at this club is expected to manage a threatening situation alone.

After the event, depending on what happened, the club may:

Issue a warning
Suspend a player, official or member from participation for a period
Refer the matter to Football Canterbury, which can impose its own sanctions
Cancel a registration without refund
Report the matter to police or the relevant authority

A Football Canterbury fine may also follow a red card or a serious incident. Fines are handled separately from this code and are the responsibility of the person or team concerned. Fees, Refunds and Fines

Serious matters, and anything involving the safety of a child, go straight to the Member Protection Information Officer and are not dealt with at the ground.

Raising a concern

Concern	Who to contact
Your team, game time, selection	Your coach or manager, then your Age Coordinator
Behaviour at a match	The ground official on the day, then the Committee
Child safety or member protection	Member Protection Information Officer
Anything involving a criminal matter	Police, on 000 if urgent

All contacts are on the Contact Us page.

You can raise a concern without being asked to prove it first. We would rather hear about something early than read about it later.