UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT WILL NOT BE TOLERATED IN ANY VIRGINIA HOOP LEAGUE EVENT. 

This is a family-oriented league. Our leagues have been developed to enhance the physical and emotional enjoyment, health, and safety of participants. High standards of behavior promote civility. It facilitates respectful relationships between people and sends a clear message to those watching, that what is important is not who wins or loses, but how you play the game. Sportsmanship is the underlying understanding that the people on the other team are not truly the “enemy” but co participants in athletic activities.  

Definition of Unsportsmanlike Conduct: To be unsportsmanlike is to act in a manner unbecoming of a fair, ethical, honorable individual. It consists of acts of disrespect such as making debasing or critical remarks about or to an official or an opponent, or vulgarity such as the use of profanity whether or not directed at someone.  

The penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct is a technical foul, two free throws, unless the act is flagrant,  when in such time, the offender can, at minimum, be ejected from the game, up to the maximum of  banishment from the league.  

• A player, coach, substitute, or spectator shall not: disrespectfully address an official’s decision by:  rising from the bench/side lines or using gestures; inciting undesirable crowd reactions; or entering  onto the court unless by permission of an official or to attend an injured player. The referee may  end the game if its nature becomes negative, angry, or violent.  
• Profanity is Prohibited. Using profanity towards a referee is an automatic technical foul. 
• Profanity is Prohibited. Using profanity in an absurd manner toward another player is a technical foul. 
• Profanity is Prohibited. Using profanity in general manner is a technical foul. A technical foul awarded for this will not count towards ejection. You may or may not be given a warning, this is at the discretion of the referee.
• Approaching a referee in a threatening manner will lead to an ejection or league suspension.  
• Talking to the referee in a derogatory manner before, during, and after the game is disallowed. If  you have a MAJOR problem with a referee, don’t settle it at the moment. Inform a staff member that you would like to talk to the league coordinator about the issue and say what you need to at that time without a penalty. 
• Two “T’s” on an individual player in one game will be an automatic one full game suspension and  they must leave the building for the rest of the game in which they received the two technical  fouls.  
• Spectators are a privilege and are not covered in the team fee. They must abide by the same  standards as players.  
• Each team is responsible for their own players. If one of your teammates becomes out of control,  it is up to your team to control that player. If the team can not control an individual then the team  can be penalized.  
• A team fight will lead to league banishment with no refund. The key is to immediately step in to  stop the fight and help end a bad situation, before the league has to suspend or banish. The  referees cannot prevent situations as well as players and teammates can.  
• If there is a strong disagreement with referees, the captain needs to talk to the league coordinator, not the referee. The captain may talk to the referee about interpretation, not judgment calls. To maintain organization, these referees are to be given total control.  
• Physical confrontation – Any player, manager, or person affiliated with a team physically  confronting (poking, pushing, shoving, or the like) an official, player, or spectator before, during,  or after the game will be suspended from the league for a period of time. A blow or punch to the  head will be grounds for a minimum of one-year suspension and possible permanent expulsion  from participating in any Virginia Hoop League Event. Teammates need to keep players away from  physical confrontations.  
• Any ejection from the game, the player must leave the building. The game will not resume until this is complete. Refusal to cooperate in this matter may result in a call to police.  
• Any suspensions from the league, the player may not enter the gym to watch any games until the  suspension period is over.  
• League suspensions carry over to all events that Virginia Hoop League runs.  
• Just because the referee isn’t calling something, does not mean it is right to keep doing it. (For  example, the referee is not seeing elbows in the back or extra body bumps – this does not give a  team the license to break the rules and play dirty.)  
• Player(s) or team(s) may be ejected out of a game and asked to leave the building by a ref or any Virginia Hoop League Staff if their behavior is viewed as disruptive or threatening – even if a  technical foul has not been called. 

***Conduct rules will be strictly enforced to set a tone that poor player behavior will not be tolerated.***

WE ARE HERE TO BE COMPETITIVE, HAVE FUN AND PROMOTE POSITIVE VIBES IN THE COMMUNITY. THAT’S WHAT VIRGINIA HOOP LEAGUE IS ALL ABOUT!