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Copied from the Texas Association of
Sports Officials - Football Mechanics Manual
Texas Association of Sports
Officials
Code of Ethics
SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION
Member officials of the Texas Association of Sports Officials (TASO) have a duty
to act as impartial judges of interscholastic sports competitions. This duty
carries with it an obligation to perform with accuracy, fairness and
objectivity. Though member officials work contests played by amateur athletes,
every official must approach each game assignment in a professional manner.
Because of their role in athletic competition, member officials must have a high
degree of commitment and expertise. It is because of this role that a high
ethical standard is imposed on TASO members.
SECTION 2 - PURPOSE
This Code
of Ethics is designed to provide TASO members a set of guidelines and ethical
standards to govern their behavior and conduct and to recognize the need to
preserve and encourage confidence in the sports officiating profession.
SECTION 3 - CODE OF ETHICAL
CONDUCT
Each member
of the TASO:
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Shall be free of obligation to
any interest other than the independent, impartial and fair judging of
interscholastic sports competitions. Game decisions which are slanted by
personal bias are dishonest and unacceptable.
-
Shall recognize that anything which
may give the appearance of or lead to a conflict of interest, either real
or apparent, must be avoided. Gifts, favors, special treatment, privileges,
employment, or a personal relationship with an individual, school, or team
which may compromise the perceived impartiality of an official must be
avoided.
-
Has an obligation to treat
other officials with professional dignity and courtesy.
-
Shall never publicly criticize
another official or the association, or express disagreement with another
official when a spectator.
-
Has a responsibility to
continuously week self-improvement through study of the game rules,
mechanics and techniques of game management.
-
Shall work to eliminate from
the officiating profession all practices which are a discredit to the
profession and the association.
-
Shall not be a party to any
action designed to unfairly limit or restrain access to officiating,
officiating assignments or membership in the association. This includes,
but is not limited to actions based on race, creed, color, age, sex
religion, physical handicap or national origin.
-
Shall be in good physical
condition, be both mentally and physically prepared to officiate and be
prompt for all officiating assignments.
-
Shall at all times display
actions that are a credit to the officiating profession and the
association.
-
Shall wear the proper uniform
and patches (if applicable) as prescribed by the association.
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Shall promptly pay all dues,
assessments, fines, complete all testing and other membership requirements
and file all required reports.
-
Shall not accept any
officiating assignment unless they are in good standing with their local
chapter.
-
Shall follow the association's
prescribed mechanics and approved techniques in all officiating assignments.
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Shall avoid the use of tobacco
products at game sites.
-
Shall devote sufficient time
and study to the rules of the game and the mechanics necessary to enforce
the rules so that each official is able to officiate in a fair, impartial
and unbiased manner
SECTION 4 - STANDARDS OF
CONDUCT
Each member of the TASO
must avoid any action, whether or not specifically stated in this code, which
might result in or create the appearance of a violation of these standards of
conduct which include, but are not limited to:
- Officiating any competition after having any
alcoholic beverages on the day of the competition and consuming alcohol in
public after officiating a game.
- Soliciting or otherwise influencing or
attempting to influence a coach, athletic director, school official or any
other person for game assignments unless the official is working in an
area without a chapter assignment secretary.
- Obligating themselves to any person
affiliated with any game they may be assigned to officiate.
- Engaging with any contact, speech, activity
or action which could prejudice, reflect adversely on or compromise the
integrity of any member of the association.
- Canceling an officiating assignment to
accept another assignment unless such cancellation is pursuant to chapter
policy regarding canceling officiating assignments.
- Engage in scouting activities or
conversations with a coach, athletic director or other school personnel
regarding officiating assignments.
- Failing to honor an officiating assignment.
- Soliciting or accepting any gift, favor or
anything of value from any person, entity, company or school serviced by,
seeking affiliation with or otherwise associated with the TASO.
SECTION 5 - CONFLICTS OF
INTEREST
An official
shall not:
-
Knowingly accept an
officiating assignment if there is a TASO Chapter that makes assignments
through an assignment secretary and the game was not assigned through an
authorized chapter assignment procedure.
-
Knowingly accept an
officiating assignment if any official assigned to the game is not a
member in good standing of the appropriate TASO division.
-
Knowingly accept an
officiating assignment if the official or the official's spouse is
employed by a school involved in the game.
-
Knowingly accept an
officiating assignment if the official is related by blood or marriage to
a person affiliated with a team involved in the game.
-
Knowingly accept an
officiating assignment if the official and and person affiliated with a
team involved in the game are former or present teammates, roommates,
classmates, business associates, clients, patients, customers or personal
friends.
-
Knowingly accept an officiating
assignment if the official or the official's spouse attended, is employed
by or was employed by either school involved in the game within the
previous five (5) years.
-
Knowingly accept an
officiating assignment if the official's child attends one of the schools
involved in the game or graduated from one of the schools in the previous
five (5) years.
Prior
to receiving games assignments for a season, each official shall notify his/her
local assignment secretary in writing of all known conflicts of interest with
any of the schools serviced by the local chapter. In the event a chapter
assignment secretary is not aware of a conflict as set out above, the official
shall promptly notify the chapter assignment secretary of any conflicts upon
receipt of his/her schedule.
In the
event of a conflict of interest arises following acceptance of a game
assignment, the official shall notify the chapter assignment secretary as soon
as possible, whereupon the official shall be removed from the game assignment
without penalty. The assignment secretary shall then notify both coaches of the
official's conflict and shall reassign the official to another game. With the
exception of 5a and 5b above, the provisions of this Section may be waived by
the mutual consent of both coaches.
Adopted: April 14, 1995
Revised: June 1, 1998
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Texas
Association of Sports Officials-Football
