Code of Conduct
We have certain expectations around the behaviour of league participants. We want to create a safe, supportive and fun environment for everyone and we reserve the right to ask players to leave who are being abusive or putting others down. Some points to guide you:
Honesty is the core value of Dodgeball. Be honest if you are hit and call yourself out. There is an element of uncertainty as a ref or player so a 50/50 call might be used. This implies it was too close to call and will follow that with ‘out’ or ‘safe’.
The referee’s decision is final. In social games, we don’t always have a referee and are relying on other participants and team mates to make calls. Please be respectful, they are all volunteers. In this case, the best practice is to ask for clarification at the end of the round. In competitive games, only a captain can clarify calls mid game.
No hateful language (written, verbal or otherwise) is to be directed towards anyone at any time. This includes, but is not limited to: racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia.
Sexual harassment directed at anyone, including all participants in Dodgeball, in any form will not be tolerated, on any platform or in person.
No “Self Refereeing” the opposition (other team). In social games, opposing players can ask if a player was hit and must accept their response. Remember that we have players of all experience levels and they might not know the rules or be unaware of obscure rules. Be mature and help that player in the breaks between or after games to avoid turning it into an unnecessary conflict
If there are any issues that need to be discussed, please speak to your Captain first who is then advised to bring it to one of the organisers (Michael) who will discuss how to proceed.
Breaches of the Code of Conduct
Reporting
There are two ways that a breach of the code of conduct can be reported:
Observation by an organiser or staff member of Dodgeball For All.
A written complaint submitted to the relevant League organiser (the person who is running the event where the breach occurred).
All submissions should lay out in plain language what occurred and by whom.
In the case of an incident where anyone's safety is immediately in danger, one
Removal of the individual(s) causing the disturbance, or if this is not possible,
Removal of all other event attendees to a safe location
In extreme circumstance, outside support (venue staff, security, etc) may be asked to assist. Once the situation is settled, then a report will need to be made and the remainder of this process followed.
Assessment
Once a report of a breach is received, the recipient of the report will assess the severity of the report looking at the following factors:
Was someone physically harmed in this incident?
Was the incident a misunderstanding?
Was the harm intentional?
Was it a one-off incident in that session?
Is there a history of incidents with the people involved?
The complaint may need to be escalated to someone higher up (Dodgeball For All CEO/President) but if the recipient of the report deems the complaint to be minor then it can be dealt with by them.
At this point, the recipient of the report may need to investigate the incident further. This may involve:
Checking video footage if available.
Interviewing and getting statements from witnesses.
Once all information is gathered a decision will be made by the recipient of the report or their supervisor. This decision will be communicated to the complainant(s), the complained about people and the Dodgeball For All CEO/President.
Follow Through
Depending on the severity of the incident and the findings of the person investigating, the outcome of the report will vary. These are some possibilities of outcomes, which may be used in combination:
Verbal warning/Discussion
Apology by the offending party
Written warning
Temporary Ban (of varying lengths)
Permanent Ban
The higher the level of severity of the outcome, the more thorough an investigation will be required. No one will be banned (temporarily or permanently) without due process and in most cases (except for deliberate violence) we will endeavour to assist any players to reenter the community.
All incidents will be recorded in a central database that all league organisers have access to. After 2 years, incidents will be deleted from this register.