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TCUL Code of Conduct

Players joining the TCUL leagues are expected to comply with the TCUL Code of Conduct. The TCUL Code of Conduct is an extension of the USA Ultimate Conduct Policy, which can be read here. While all parts of the USA Ultimate Conduct Policy are relevant to players of TCUL leagues, the on field conduct section IIIA is most relevant, and is quoted here verbatim:

Players and teams are expected to treat one another with respect, to conduct themselves in a safe and orderly manner, and, while playing, to adhere to the rules of ultimate as well as to any tournament and site regulations, including the USA Ultimate Policy on doping.  On-field violations may therefore include (with the clause being violated appearing in parentheses), but are not limited to, abusive heckling (respect), spiking the disc on another player (respect, safety), dangerous play (safety), spitting at another player (respect), cheating (rules), deliberate fouling (rules), reckless behavior at a tournament party (order, safety), drinking on the sidelines when prohibited (site regulations), taunting (respect), and violence against another player (respect, order, safety).

TCUL players are expected to play with a level of inclusiveness beyond what is expected by the USA Ultimate Conduct Policy. TCUL leagues are recreational leagues that strike a balance between competitiveness and being welcoming to all players.

  • Leagues include players of a variety of skill levels. While it is not expected that all players should get equal amounts of playing time, team captains should focus on equitable playtime. No players should be excluded from game play. It is the responsibility of all team players to make sure that all players get a reasonable share of the playing time, and are utilized on-field to the extent of their abilities. No player should be ridiculed on the basis of age, experience level, or physical capabilities.

  • Coed leagues include players of all genders. All players in co-ed leagues are expected to be respectful of players of all genders, and to play with them to the extent of their abilities. Players who do not play well with teammates of all genders are in violation of the code of conduct.  For more detail read the Statement on Appropriate Coed Ultimate from the TCUL board of directors.

  • Behavior that falls outside of the code of conduct may result in any of the following actions: a warning, suspension from game play for the remainder of a game, suspension from game play for a period of weeks as determined by the league coordinators, suspension from game play for the remainder of the league, penalized lottery position in the following years’ lottery, ineligibility in the following years’ lottery, etc..  

Captains are expected to alert all players on their team to the code of conduct, and council players that are not meeting the expectations of the code of conduct. If a captain is having trouble with a team member, they should consult the league coordinators for assistance. Players who feel excluded, threatened, or disrespected should alert their captain to the situation, and may contact the league coordinators if they feel the situation is not being adequately addressed.

Players who participate in the offerings of the Twin Cities Ultimate League are expected to adhere to the TCUL Code of Conduct while participating in games, clinics, leagues, celebrations, and any events that are put on by TCUL. In order to ensure a safe, friendly, and open environment for players, if individuals are found to be violating the Code of Conduct, sanctions may be imposed upon the individual. Repeated violations of the Code of Conduct will result in an escalation of the severity of sanctions levied against an individual. Such sanctions may include, but are not limited to, ejection of a player or team from a game, suspension from future games or events, revocation of captainship, meeting with the TCUL Disciplinary Committee, or denial of future participation in all future TCUL offerings.

Enforcement of the Code of Conduct

Violations of the TCUL Code of Conduct should be reported as soon as possible. This can be done by various methods, depending upon the TCUL event, availability of board members, and safety of the person(s) reporting the violation. The following are all recommended ways of reporting Code of Conduct violations:

  • If a board member is present at the same location as the game or event where the violation occurred, report the violation directly to the board member present.

    • The board member may be unable to take immediate action, but the violation details and parties involved can be documented at that time.

    • For a list of current board members, please see the contact list here.

  • Use our player reporting contact email of TCULPlayerReporting@gmail.com.

    • This email address is managed by the TCUL Disciplinary Committee, which currently consists of Seija Stratton, Joe Ling, and Katie Koessler.

  • Use the TCUL contact email of TwinCitiesUltimate@gmail.com.

    • This email address is managed by the TCUL Communications Committee, which currently consists of Rick Gebhardt.

    • Use of this email address in lieu of the player report contact email can be done in situations where the Disciplinary Committee may be involved in the violation being reported or may not be able to exercise impartiality towards the situation.

  • Contact a board member directly outside of league activities.

    • If you are unable to find a board member during a game or event, or if you would prefer not to report an issue via email, contacting a board member directly is an option.

    • When contacting a board member directly, if a situation merits action, some documentation may be required for review by the Disciplinary Committee.

Violations of the Code of Conduct will be treated with confidentiality regarding the individual(s) reporting the violation. Violations will be treated in a serious manner and have sanctions imposed as necessary to ensure that future violations are discouraged, eliminated, and not repeated, as well as ensuring a safe playing environment for all participants in TCUL offerings. Sanctions will be imposed on a situation by situation basis, as every violation is unique, but a general framework for imposing sanctions is outlined below.

  • For a first time violation, the individual who has violated the Code of Conduct will be contacted by the Disciplinary Committee regarding the violation.

    • The violation will be discussed, the Code of Conduct referenced, and acknowledgement from the individual who violated the Code will be requested before participating in further TCUL offerings.

    • In league situations, the captain(s) of the individual who violated the Code of Conduct will also be made aware of the situation. This will be done in order for the captain(s) to better take action going forward and be aware that an individual on their team has violated the Code of Conduct while a member of their team.

  • For a second violation within the same one-year period, the individual who has violated the Code of Conduct will again be contacted by the Disciplinary Committee regarding the violation.

    • The violation will be discussed, the Code of Conduct referenced, previous violation(s) revisited, and acknowledgement from the individual who violated the Code will be requested before participating in further TCUL offerings.

    • The individual may also be asked to cease participating in a current event, if reported during the event.

    • Depending upon the severity of the violation(s), the individual may forfeit their ability to play in the remainder of an event, game, season, or clinic. In this case, no refund will be given for missed playing opportunities.

    • In league situations, the captain(s) of the individual who violated the Code of Conduct will be made aware of the situation. They will also be asked to take on a proactive role in managing the sanctioned individual’s conduct in the league.

  • For a third violation within the same one-year period, the individual who has violated the Code of Conduct will be contacted by the Disciplinary Committee, removed from the current event, and be disallowed from participating in any TCUL offerings for a period of no less than one year.

  • For multiple violations outside of a one-year period, the individual who has violated the Code of Conduct will be contacted by the Disciplinary Committee and, depending upon the overall number and severity of the violations, the individual will be removed from the current event, at a minimum, up to being disallowed from participating in any TCUL offerings for a period of no less than one year.

  • For habitual violations of the Code of Conduct, after the previously mentioned sanctions have been applied, an individual may be barred from participating in any future TCUL offerings in perpetuity.

  • For extremely egregious violations of the Code of Conduct, an accelerated application of sanctions may be used.

Appeals

An individual may appeal any application of sanctions that is imposed by the Disciplinary Committee. A request for an appeal should be made to the president of the board, currently Rick Gebhardt, at which point the full board will be convened to review the details of the situation, the history of the player in the league, all historically assessed sanctions, and the currently assigned sanction. The full board will then vote to either uphold the applied sanctions or to modify or remove the applied sanctions.

TCUL Board Member or Committee Member Violations

If a violation of the Code of Conduct is committed by a board member or an individual serving on one of the TCUL committees, the reporting methods listed above can be used, but it is recommended that a board member is contacted directly.

The board and committee members must adhere to the same Code of Conduct as players in any TCUL offering, so the same enforcement methods listed previously will be used, with the one notable change that if the individual violating the Code of Conduct is on the Disciplinary Committee, that individual must recuse him/herself from the process. A replacement board member will temporarily fill the open position on the Disciplinary Committee to review the reported violation.