CODE OF ETHICS
1. You are obligated
to abide by the Constitution and By-Laws of the
2. If you cannot attend a general meeting, the Constitution requires that a phone call or note (prior to meeting) be directed to the Board Chairperson. A fine, as listed in the Constitution, will be assessed against any board member for failure to attend any general meeting without prior notification to the Board Chairperson. Failure to pay the fine will result in a one year suspension from the Board.
3. Upon receiving a rating, the candidate must join the Hudson Valley Board and the Sport division from which the rating has been obtained in order to be listed as a certified official. Duties of members are included in the Constitution.
4. The Sport Chairperson will notify the Assignors in the area of service, and any other interested parties who contact her/him for information on all rated officials. DO NOT CALL coaches or assignors (BOCES) requesting work.
5. Officials are assigned games according to rating received from your sport group, and according to availability.
6. An official may request (on the availability form) not to service a particular school or not to work with a particular official.
7. DO NOT accept an assignment unless you have every intention of completing it. Call home school to confirm any assignments you have taken.
8. If a valid reason prevents you from doing an assigned contest, inform the home school and assignor immediately Penalties and procedures are outlined in the contract. Any official who turns back 5 or more day of game assignments will be called before the DAC.
9. NEVER switch an assignment with another official. All changes must go through the assignor.
10. We are contracted to provide Section 1 schools with officials - therefore each member is expected to accept assignments in Section 1.
11. Pay is received for all games assigned by Section assignors. Games not assigned by Assignors (i.e., CYO, colleges, private high schools) are paid by individual schools.
12. You must wear the official uniform for your sport. Jewelry is not acceptable with the following exceptions: wedding bands in all sports and watches in softball and volleyball). As a paid professional, your appearance should be beyond reproach emphasizing cleanliness and good grooming.
13. Officials are expected to arrive and be ready to officiate at least 15-20 minutes prior to game time (sooner if specified by your sport).
14. When a difference of opinion arises between officials, the head official makes the ruling and the other official is obliged to be supportive.
15. Avoid making statements to coaches, teams, spectators, or news media after a game or contest.
16. Avoid making statements to coaches, teams, spectators, or news media with regard to fellow officials or any game or contest that you are not officiating or have not officiated.
17. Avoid making statements concerning your plans, which may give the impression that you are rushing to complete the contest.
18. An official WILL NOT determine if and when an injured player is to be moved.
19. An official should not declare a forfeited game because an opponent's bus is late to arrive.
20. In the event that a problem should occur in which there is an indication of a protest or a contest is to be discontinued, the official is to note the game time, score and/or game situation in the scorebook, and follow procedure outlined for the sport in the appropriate rule guide. Sport Chairperson should be notified within 24 hours.
21. If, in accordance with the official game rules; a situation should occur in which the officials must remove the coach from the contest area, the game should be discontinued unless another official school representative is present to assume the responsibility for the team. NOTE: A parent, student, etc., is not considered an official
School representative. Sport Chairperson must be notified within 24 hours.
22. You must file a written report if a difficult situation or problem is encountered with a coach, team member, spectator, etc., with the Sport Chairperson.
23. Grievance or protest procedure is to be followed if you have a problem that concerns your responsibilities as an official (i.e., ethics, sport by-laws). You must contact the following people in the following order, discuss your problem thoroughly, proceeding to the next step only upon recommendation or dissatisfaction with the solution presented:
1. Sport Chairperson
2.
3. Executive Committee of the
24. VOLUNTEER TO BE AN OFFICER! These time consuming positions should
rotate, in fairness to all. You might not be a rated official today if many hours or work had not
been donated by rated officials.