CIF approves on-site sportsmanship meetings

By Joe Naiman

The CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) Board of Managers has unanimously agreed to allow sportsmanship sessions to be handled by on-site administration on school campuses for players with a one-game suspension.

A player thrown out of a CIF San Diego Section game must attend a sportsmanship meeting before he or she is eligible to return to play. A meeting with CIF staff was required, and as of the 2012-13 seasons, the sportsmanship class was allowed to be held on the player’s school campus.

The June 5 CIF Board vote to allow on-site school administration to handle sportsmanship sessions is only for one-game suspensions; classes for gross unsportsmanlike action will still take place with CIF staff.

At on-campus meetings, the post-ejection form with proof of attendance will be e-mailed or faxed to the CIF office.

The topics at the sportsmanship meeting must include the reason for the ejection, the CIF San Diego Section Code of Ethics, a review of the sport-specific player conduct rule, a discussion of the consequences for a subsequent violation, and a review of school policies related to the specific conduct.

CIF’s rationale for the change is that some ejections were unsportsmanlike but not severe, such as an intentional hand ball in the penalty box in soccer.

A red card, which removes the player from the game, can also be issued in soccer for the second yellow card caution (or for other unsportsmanlike actions), and in basketball, a second technical foul results in removal from the game. Recipients of a “soft red card” (a second yellow card) or two technical fouls must attend the sportsmanship class and are suspended for the following game.

In water polo, an ejection refers to a 20-second penalty, also known as an exclusion. A player with three ejections is “rolled” or “majored” and is removed from the game.

A water polo player with three ejections is not subject to the sportsmanship class or suspension from the ensuing game.

A water polo or basketball player can also be removed from the game for flagrant unsportsmanlike activity.

The CIF had a total of 214 ejections from the start of the 2011-12 seasons through April 4, including 20 gross unsportsmanlike ejections which resulted in six-game suspensions for all sports other than football and 14 gross unsportsmanlike behaviors which created three-game suspensions in football Two of those suspensions were a player’s second of the season.

Boys soccer accounted for 127 of the ejections with girls soccer having 18 ejections.

The boys basketball season saw the ejection of 17 players while 16 football players and nine boys water polo players were tossed from games.

Spring sport ejections between the start of the seasons and April 4 included eight in baseball, four in softball, four in boys volleyball, and three in boys lacrosse.

Four girls basketball players and two girls water polo players were ejected.  One ejection apiece was issued in field hockey and in girls volleyball.

No players were ejected in girls tennis, girls golf, boys cross-country, girls cross-country, or wrestling competitions.

As of April 4 there had been no ejections in boys swim, girls swim, boys track and field, girls track and field, boys golf, boys tennis, girls lacrosse, or gymnastics.

Related posts:

1. CIF approves North County Conference realignment
2. Bulldog Slate
3. Bulldog water polo edges Knights for first league win
4. Students beat staff in fundraising soccer match
5. Water polo to honor seniors before today’s game

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Posted by Karen Brainard on Jun 29 2012. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry