MGCC General Code of Conduct
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The Midland Guildford Cricket Club (“the Club”) will adopt from time to time and modify as appropriate, the Code of Conduct published by Cricket Australia and the International Cricket Council (ICC), which contain details of inappropriate and undesirable conduct.
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All of the Club’s members (defined to include all players, officials and umpires, together with our players’ guardians/family) are bound by and required to comply with this Code of Conduct.
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Club players to play by the rules, including abiding by/with the Spirit of Cricket;
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Club players never argue with an umpire. If you disagree, have your captain, coach or manager, as applicable, approach the umpire in an appropriate manner during a break or after the game;
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Control your temper. Verbal abuse of any officials and sledging by any Club players or members, including players deliberately distracting or provoking an opponent, are not acceptable or permitted behaviour in cricket or by the Club;
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Players work equally hard for yourself and your teammates. Your team’s performance will benefit and so will you;
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Be a good sport. Applaud all good plays whether they are made by your Club’s team/players or the opposition;
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Players treat all participants in cricket as you like to be treated. Do not bully or take unfair advantage of another competitor;
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Players cooperate with your coach, teammates and opponents. Without them there would be no competition;
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All members should participate at the Club for personal enjoyment and the benefit of all;
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Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every person regardless of their gender, sexual preference, ability, cultural background or religion;
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No reports and/or guilty findings under Club, WACA or Cricket Australia Code/s of Conduct;
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Club members shall at all times maintain a positive image of the Club and be constructive in all of their comments;
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The Club does not condone the use or supply of illegal or prohibited substances;
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The Club does not condone excessive use of alcohol nor does it accept intoxication, to any degree, as a reason for any breach of this Code of Conduct or of the Club’s rules;
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The all indoor areas of the Club, and at all opposition clubs, including change rooms and the Club’s Indoor Centre are strictly Smoke-Free zones;
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Club members shall cooperate with the Management Committee, Coach/s, Captain/s, team mates and all other Club members and shall follow due process in relation to any disputes.
In addition, all incidents or breaches of this Code of Conduct will be acted on by the Management Committee. Any penalty will be determined by that Committee. At all times this Code of Conduct is to be read in accordance with relevant section/s of the Club’s Constitution.
MGCC Players Code of Conduct, Offences and Potential Penalties
1.1 Player Code of Conduct and Offences
1.1.1 The Midland Guildford Cricket Club (“the Club”) will adopt from time to time and modify as appropriate to its Competitions the Code of Conduct published by Cricket Australia and the International Cricket Council (ICC), which contains details of undesirable conduct.
1.1.2 All of the Club’s players, umpires and officials are bound by and required to comply with the Club’s Code of Conduct.
1.1.3 The following offences are adopted from the Cricket Australia Code of Conduct and for illustrations of the application of each, reference should be made to the guidelines that accompany the Cricket Australia Code of Conduct.
LEVEL 1 OFFENCES
1.1 Abuse cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings.
Includes actions outside the course of normal cricket actions such as hitting or kicking the wickets and actions which intentionally or negligently result in damage to the advertising boards, boundary markers or any part of or the contents or any building or structure at the ground.
1.2 Show dissent at an umpire’s decision.
Includes excessive, obvious disappointment with an umpire's decision or with an umpire making the decision and obvious delay in resuming play or leaving the wicket.
This Rule does not prohibit the bowler involved in the decision or a team captain from asking an umpire to provide an explanation for a decision, or the captain from commenting on the umpires' performance in their Captain's report.
1.3 Use language that is obscene, offensive or insulting and/or the making of an obscene gesture.
This includes swearing and offensive gestures which are not directed at another person such as swearing in frustration at one's own poor play or fortune.
The extent to which such behaviour is likely to give offence shall be taken into account when assessing the seriousness of the breach.
1.4 Engaging in excessive or unnecessary appealing.
Excessive shall mean repeated appealing when the bowler/fielder knows the batsman is not out, with the intention of placing the umpire under pressure. It is not intended to prevent loud or enthusiastic appealing. However, the practice of celebrating or assuming a dismissal before the decision has been given may also come within this Rule.
1.5 Point or gesture towards the pavilion in an aggressive manner upon the dismissal of a batsman.
Includes charging or running up to the batsman and "getting in his [or her] face".
1.6 Failure by a team to ensure that the condition of a ball is not changed in breach of Law 42.3.
LEVEL 2 OFFENCES
2.1 Show serious dissent at an umpire’s decision.
Dissent should be classified as serious where the dissent is expressed by a specific action such as the shaking of the head, snatching cap from the umpire, pointing at pad or bat, other displays of anger or abusive language directed at the umpire or excessive delay in resuming play or leaving the crease.
This Rule does not prohibit the bowler involved in the decision or a team captain from asking an umpire to provide an explanation for a decision, or the captain from commenting on the umpire's performance in their Captain's report
2.2 Engage in inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with other players or officials.
Without limitation, players will breach this Rule if they deliberately walk or run into or shoulder another player, official or match official.
2.3 Charge or advance towards the umpire in an aggressive manner when appealing.
2.4 Deliberately and maliciously distract or obstruct another player or official on the field of play.
This is not intended to replace Law 42 (4) and (5) of the Laws of Cricket.
Without limitation, players will breach this Rule if they deliberately attempt to distract a striker by words or gestures or deliberately shepherd a batsman while running or attempting to run between wickets.
2.5 Throw the ball at or near a player or official in an inappropriate and/or dangerous manner.
This Rule will not prohibit a fielder or bowler from returning the ball to the stumps in the normal fashion.
2.6 Use language that is obscene, offensive or of a generally insulting nature to another player, official or spectator.
This is language or gestures which are directed at another person. See comments under Rule 1.3 above in relation to the seriousness of the breach.
2.7 Change the condition of the ball in breach of law 42.3.
Prohibited behaviour includes picking the seam or deliberately throwing the ball into the ground for the purpose of roughening it up and the application of moisture to the ball other than perspiration and saliva.
2.8 Without limiting Rule 8, attempt to manipulate a Match in regard to the result, net run rate, bonus points or otherwise. The captain of any team guilty of such conduct shall be held responsible.
Prohibited conduct under this Rule will include incidents where a team bats in such a way as to either adversely affect its own, or improve its opponent's performance points or net run rate.
LEVEL 3 OFFENCES
3.1 Intimidate or attempt to intimidate an umpire or referee whether by language or conduct.
Includes appealing in an aggressive or threatening manner.
3.2 Threaten to assault another player, team official or spectator.
3.3 Use language or gestures that offend, insult, humiliate, threaten, disparage or vilify another person on the basis of that person’s race, religion, colour, descent, sexuality or national or ethnic origin.
LEVEL 4 OFFENCES
4.1 Threaten to assault an umpire or referee.
4.2 Physically assault another player, umpire, referee, official or spectator.
4.3 Engage in any act of violence on the field of play.
4.4 Use language or gestures that seriously offends, insults, humiliates, intimidates, threatens, disparages, or vilifies another person on the basis of that person’s race, religion, colour, descent, sexuality or national or ethnic origin.
LAWS OF CRICKET AND ‘SPIRIT OF THE GAME’
5. Players must obey the ‘Laws of Cricket’ and play within the spirit of the game.
This is meant as a general Rule to deal with situations where the facts of, or gravity or seriousness of the alleged incident are not adequately or clearly covered by the Level 1 to 4 offences set out above.
Conduct which will be prohibited under the Rule includes time wasting and any other conduct which is considered "unfair play" under Law 42 of the Laws of Cricket.
This Rule is not intended to punish unintentional breaches of the Laws of Cricket. Reference may be made to any statement or explanation of the Spirit of Cricket published in conjunction with the Laws of Cricket. Nothing in this Rule or the Code alters the onus on the captain to ensure that the Spirit of the Game is adhered to as stated and defined in the preamble to the Laws of Cricket.
UNBECOMING BEHAVIOUR
6. Without limiting any other rule, players, and officials must not at any time in any situation engage in behaviour unbecoming of a Club player, or official that could bring them, the Club or the game of cricket into disrepute or be harmful to the interests of cricket and/or the Club.
This is also meant as a general Rule to deal with situations where the facts or, or the gravity or seriousness of the alleged incident are not adequately or clearly covered by the Level 1 to 4 offences set out above. It is intended to include serious or repeated criminal conduct, public acts of misconduct, unruly public behaviour and cheating.
1.2 Recommended Penalties for Code of Conduct Breaches for Players
1.2.1 In respect to the Code of Conduct, the following are the penalties that will apply for Level 1 to 4 offences:
(a) Level 1 - Official reprimand and/or ban of up to a month.
(b) Level 2 - A ban of 1 or 2 matches.
(c) Level 3 - A ban of 2 to 4 matches.
(d) Level 4 - A ban of 5 or more matches, or a life ban.
1.2.2 Any part of a suspension may be offered as a suspended penalty.
1.3 Code of Conduct Offences, Cautions and Reporting of Players
1.3.1 Under these Rules, a contravention of the Code of Conduct is an offence.
1.3.2 Umpires must warn the Club, player or official for a contravention of the Code of Conduct and report the matter to the other umpire and the player’s team captain.
1.3.3 Umpires must notify the Club, player or official of any intention to lodge a Code of Conduct complaint, and the nature of the offence committed, within 60 minutes after stumps have been drawn on the day on which the offence is alleged to have been committed.
1.3.4 Umpires must lodge Code of Conduct complaints with the Club no later than 12 noon on Monday following completion of a match in which the alleged offence occurred. Failure by an umpire to comply with this clause does not invalidate the complaint made.
1.3.5 Any player reported by an Umpire must have the complaint referred to the Disciplinary Committee who shall:
(a) Consider the complaint and the level of offence, if any, for which the Club, player or official is alleged to have committed; and
(b) Offer the club, player of official a penalty, open for acceptance for a definite period, in lieu of referring the matter to the Tribunal; or
(c) Refer the matter to the Tribunal in accordance with prescribed requirements.
1.3.6 A Code of Conduct complaint shall be referred to the Tribunal in accordance with prescribed requirements unless the player, Club or official accepts a lesser penalty from the Disciplinary Committee within the time prescribed
1.3.7 Where an umpire has occasion to speak to a player about his/her behaviour but does not consider the player’s behaviour to be so serious as to warrant a formal report the umpire shall caution the player.
(a) An umpire shall note a caution on the Umpire’s Match Report and shall lodge a formal record of the caution.
(b) The umpire shall notify the Club, player or official.
1.3.8 Should a player receive three cautions (3) over any two season duration, the player shall receive a minimum one match suspension by the Club. Any subsequent caution within the same season will result in the player being referred to the Disciplinary Committee.
1.3.9 Any player in any grade who has been found guilty of a Code of Conduct Offence shall be ineligible for a player-of-the-season award in any grade. In the event that a suspension arising from a match in a final series and extends into the ensuing season the player shall not be precluded from winning an award in the ensuing season.