Feature article: Implementing your policies and codes: A practical checklist Most sporting organisations today—at national, administrator, whether a volunteer in a local club or state, district or club level—have a range of a paid professional in a state sporting organisation, policies, codes, rules or regulations to apply to who may have no legal training, suddenly must their members, staff, coaches and volunteers. choose between various policies or codes which may overlap, and then apply and implement one or Many sporting organisations’ websites have links more of these. to a Constitution, Member Protection Policy, Social Media Policy, Code of Conduct, Extreme It can be an overwhelming and onerous task. Weather Policy, Disciplinary Policy, Concussion or Unfortunately, if the organisation or administrator other health policy, and the like. That is all before gets the process or procedure wrong, the one considers how the game is to be actually complaint will be dismissed, the organisation or played by its rules. In fact, rarely does one find a the administrator will be pilloried, and a person link to the rules of the game. who should be punished is not penalised, and worse, may gloat publicly about the failings of Issues can arise on a field/court or in a pool in the the organisation. A determined or well-resourced course of competition. Most sports have in place respondent concerned about loss of reputation tribunals, panels or juries—which have defined or financial loss may refer the matter to the civil rules of procedure in place—for regular weekly courts, which are usually more concerned about hearings to deal with on-field incidents. The proper process than the merits of the complaint. complainant is usually an on-field official who files a report of an incident and then gives evidence An administrator receiving such a complaint needs of what has occurred. These are made by senior to consider the following issues: experienced participants, sometimes with legal training, who are knowledgeable in the sport. In (a) What is the appropriate policy or code which high profile sports, the matters are extensively applies to the conduct? reported in the media. It is made to look simple (b) Has the organisation formally adopted that and with easy-to-follow procedures. policy/code, and: (i) Is this the version which applies at the But many sports administrators are faced with time of the conduct the subject of the complaint? infrequent complaints about conduct issues (ii) Can the committee minute adopting the which occur off field or on social media. The relevant policy/code be located and produced? For policies and procedures are not within the example, numerous versions of Member Protection customary experience of the administrators. When Policies have been produced by Sport Australia a complaint about such conduct is received, the by state sporting equivalent organisations for sports administrator is faced with an array of state sporting organisations as templates; and by policies and differing procedures in the application national sporting organisations which are intended of those policies and, if it becomes necessary, to be adopted by state sporting organisations and in forming or dealing with a tribunal. A sports 08 Play by the Rules Magazine Issue 29