Unsporting behavior continues across the nation. Even in our state of North Carolina, ejections remain unacceptable annually.
To assist member schools in spreading the word, the NCHSAA encourages its membership to utilize these NFHS materials to combat poor sportsmanship.
The NCHSAA believes we all can and must do better.
NCHSAA Sportsmanship Expectations
The NCHSAA expects student-athletes, coaches, and game officials to conduct themselves respectfully and courteously. Disrespectful behavior in the playing area or the sidelines can result in an ejection. As has been the case in the past, profanity directed at players or officials is a penalty and an ejection as well.
The NCHSAA has empowered officials to step up their enforcement surrounding bad behavior and language. They have also requested help from coaches to get the behavioral expectations message to their assistant coaches, players, and fans.
Coaches and administrators are expected to role model excellence in their behavior on the sidelines. There will be a continued strong emphasis on positive behavior models and professional conduct between coaches and game officials. There will be procedures for questioning an official’s call and stiffer penalties if those procedures are not followed in most sports.
The above provisions have always been NCHSAA rules. By spotlighting these rules, coaches, officials, players, and fans are educated about the bad behavior and poor sportsmanship in and around the playing arena. It is also to inform all interested parties that sportsmanship and decorum issues will be dealt with stringently. The NCHSAA continues to empower and charge game officials to enforce these rules strictly.
We know that if all players, coaches, officials, and fans work together towards a common goal of exhibiting good sportsmanship respectfully, we can definitely impact the lives of student-athletes.
Sport Protocols
All-Sports Protocol
- Zero Tolerance for inappropriate language/profanity
- Zero Tolerance for assistant coaches contesting calls
Baseball & Softball Player/Coach Protocol
- Inappropriate language/profanity – Automatic ejection
- Assistant coaches contesting calls – Automatic ejection
- If an assistant coach is on the field (coaching bases) and contests a call – automatic ejection
- If an assistant coach is in the dugout contesting a call
- No coach may come onto the field or the home plate area to contest a call.
- If they come onto the field of play (between the foul lines) or immediately towards home plate – automatic ejection
- The head coach may come to the respective foul line in front of their dugout, midway between home plate and first/third base, to confer with the crew chief and base umpire (if necessary to explain the call) to make an appeal/protest.
- Head Coach Appeal:
- This appeal/request must be made professionally.
- When a ruling is given, the appealing coach must return to the dugout.
- If the call is overturned, the opposing coach may come out to the foul line in front of their respective dugout for an explanation without penalty.
- Head Coach Appeal Consequences:
- If the appealing head coach questions the call or is unsporting in his/her conference, a warning will be given. This is to be recorded by the crew chief.
- If the conversation/action of the appealing coach warrants, restriction to the dugout or/ejection will be given. This is to be recorded by the crew chief.
- If the conversation/action of the appealing coach warrants, an immediate ejection can occur. The 3-tier system of warn/restrict/eject is not mandatory.
- Any player displaying verbal or physical dissent to an umpire
- Restricted to the dugout (disqualified)
- 2nd offense – ejection from the contest
- Baseball/Softball Coaches protocol to discuss play with umpires:
- Coaches walk out of their dugout and approach the respective foul line in front of their dugout, halfway between home plate and first/third base.
- Do not cross the baseline onto the field – automatic ejection. Remain in foul territory.
- Umpires will come to the foul line, in fair territory, socially distancing to communicate with the coach.
- Only the Head Coach can request this meeting with the umpires.
- If the Head Coach goes directly to home plate – automatic ejection.
- If the Base Coach enters the field – automatic ejection.
- Upon completion of the discussion between the Head Coach and umpires, Head Coach immediately returns to his/her.
Basketball Player/Coach Protocol
- Inappropriate language/profanity – Automatic Technical Foul
- Technical foul – loss of coaching box
- Immediate ejection
- Completion of NFHS “Teaching and Modeling Behavior” course before returning to coaching duties.
- Assistant coaches contesting calls – Automatic Technical Foul
- If Indirect technical foul to Head Coach – loss of Coaching Box
- Any physical or verbal display in a negative/demonstrative manner
- Technical foul – loss of coaching box
- Counts as 1 of 2 towards disqualification
- If by a player – automatic technical foul
- It counts as 1 of 5 personal fouls and a team foul
- Technical foul – loss of coaching box
- Any physical or verbal display in a negative/demonstrative manner by a school administrator
- Stop the game and warn
- 2nd offense – Game suspended until administrator leaves the area
Football Player/Coach Protocol
- Inappropriate language/profanity – Automatic ejection
- Unsporting foul on the team bench – charged to the Head Coach
- Immediate ejection
- 1-game sanction
- Completion of NFHS “Teaching and Modeling Behavior” course before returning to coaching duties
- Assistant coaches contesting calls – Automatic Unsportsmanlike Penalty (15-yard)
- Unsporting foul on the team bench – charged to the Head Coach
- 1 of 2 unsporting fouls charged to the Head Coach
- On 2nd offense, Head Coach is ejected
- Any coach/player coming onto the playing field to contest a call
- Automatic unsporting foul charged to coach/player
- Any player displaying verbal or physical dissent to an official
- Unsporting 15-yard penalty
- 1 of 2 allowed for a game disqualification
- Any physical or verbal display in a negative/demonstrative manner by a school administrator
- Stop the game and warn
- 2nd offense – Game suspended until administrator leaves the area
Soccer Player/Coach Protocol
- Inappropriate language/profanity – Automatic Unsportsmanlike – Yellow Card issued
- Unsporting foul on the team bench – charged to the Head Coach
- Immediate ejection
- 1-game sanction
- Completion of NFHS “Teaching and Modeling Behavior” course before returning to coaching duties
- Assistant coaches contesting calls
- Unsporting foul on the team bench – Yellow Card issued charged to the Head Coach
- 1 of 2 unsporting fouls charged to Head Coach
- On 2nd offense, Head Coach is ejected – Red Card issued
- Any player displaying verbal or physical dissent to an official
- Immediate Yellow Card issued
- 1 of 2 allowed for match disqualification
- Any physical or verbal display in a negative/demonstrative manner by a school administrator
- Stop the game and warn
- 2nd offense – Game suspended until administrator leaves the area
Wrestling Player/Coach Protocol
- Inappropriate language/profanity – Misconduct Penalty – loss of team point
- Unsportsmanlike conduct on the team bench – charged to the Head Coach
- No warning – penalty issued
- Loss of team point
- Immediate ejection
- 1-game sanction
- Completion of NFHS “Teaching and Modeling Behavior” course before returning to coaching duties
- Unsportsmanlike conduct on the team bench – charged to the Head Coach
- Assistant coaches contesting calls) – Misconduct Penalty – loss of team point
- Unsportsmanlike conduct on the team bench – charged to the Head Coach
- If an individual tournament and an Assistant Coach is the only one in the corner – charged directly to the Assistant Coach
- Loss of 1 team point
- 1 of 2 unsportsmanlike conduct penalties charged to Head Coach
- On 2nd offense, Head Coach is ejected (for the remainder of the event/day)
- Loss of 2 team points
- Unsportsmanlike conduct on the team bench – charged to the Head Coach
- Any player displaying verbal or physical misconduct to an official
- Loss of 1 team point
- On 2nd offense, the wrestler disqualified and loss of 2 team points
- Any physical or verbal display in a negative/demonstrative manner by a school administrator
- Stop the game and warn
- 2nd offense – Game suspended until administrator leaves the area
Volleyball Player/Coach Protocol
- Inappropriate language/profanity – Automatic Unsportsmanlike
- Unsporting foul on the team bench – charged to the Head Coach
- Head Coach loses their right to stand and must remain seated for the remainder of the match
- Immediate ejection
- 1-game sanction
- Completion of NFHS “Teaching and Modeling Behavior” course before returning to coaching duties
- Unsporting foul on the team bench – charged to the Head Coach
- Assistant coaches contesting calls
- Unsporting foul on the team bench – charged to the Head Coach
- Administrative Yellow Card issued
- 1 of 2 unsporting fouls charged to Head Coach
- On 2nd offense, Head Coach is ejected – Unsporting Red Card shown apart. A red card is a penalty point.
- Unsporting foul on the team bench – charged to the Head Coach
- Any player displaying verbal or physical misconduct to an official
- Yellow Card Issued
- On 2nd offense – Player issued Red Card and Disqualified
- This includes any demonstration made towards the opponent after points scored – considered taunting. Keep between points/game celebrations contained to their own team
- Any physical or verbal display in a negative/demonstrative manner by a school administrator
- Stop the game and warn
- 2nd offense – Game suspended until administrator leaves the area
