Player Code of Conduct & Parent Expectations.

Section 01

Purpose

Sporting Pearls exists to develop talent, build character and transform lives — and none of it works unless our environment is safe, fair and enjoyable. This code keeps every squad that way. It is shared with players and families in accessible language, it is acknowledged at registration each season, and it sits beneath the Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy, which governs how the academy handles any concern arising under it.

The code is deliberately two-sided. Players carry responsibilities for how they train, compete and treat one another. Parents and guardians carry responsibilities for how they support, communicate and behave — especially from the sideline. And the academy carries responsibilities too, which are set out in Section 7 so that families know exactly what they are entitled to hold us to.

Section 02

Player Code of Conduct

Our player code of conduct keeps every squad safe, fair and enjoyable. It applies at training, on matchday, on tour, at school events in the academy’s name, and online. Players are expected to:

• Respect everyone — teammates, opponents, coaches, officials, volunteers and parents. Winning never licenses disrespect.
• Reject bullying and discrimination — no teasing, exclusion, name-calling or harassment, whether in person, in the changing room or online. If you see it, you do not join it and you do not ignore it.
• Protect teammates — if something is wrong for someone else, tell a trusted adult. Looking out for each other is the strongest thing we do.
• Follow reasonable safety instructions — from coaches and volunteers, including rules about equipment, areas of the facility and warm-up routines.
• Play fair — no cheating, no pretending to be fouled, no arguments with officials. We compete hard and we lose well.
• Look after kit and equipment — academy property and personal kit are cared for and returned as issued.
• Be honest about injuries and how you feel — playing through pain is never toughness; telling your coach is.
• Represent the academy well online — no abusive posts, no sharing teammates’ images without consent, and no contact with adults at the academy through private channels.

Section 03

Parent & Guardian Expectations

Parents and guardians are the academy’s most important partners. Children take their cues from the adults closest to them, and the standards below exist so those cues are always the right ones. Families registered with the academy receive safeguarding information, know who to approach with a concern, and are asked to meet the following expectations:

• Support, don’t coach from the sideline — encouragement is welcome; instructions, criticism and refereeing from the touchline confuse players and undermine coaches.
• Applaud good play from both sides — respect for opponents and officials is what makes our environment safe and worth being part of.
• Never confront coaches, officials or other families at sessions or matches — concerns are raised calmly, privately and through the proper channels, never in front of children.
• Deliver and collect on time — following the academy’s arrival and collection procedures, and informing the team’s coach of any change to who is collecting a child.
• Keep emergency and medical information current — so that we can respond properly if something happens.
• Respect communication channels — general questions go through the published academy channels; personal matters about your child go to the coach privately at an appropriate time, or through the contact page.
• Respect players’ consent and images — photograph your own child freely; publishing images of other players requires the same consent we apply to ourselves.
• Never ask staff to bend the rules — selection, playing time and development decisions are footballing matters, discussed through proper channels, not through pressure.

Section 04

Spectator Behaviour

Sporting Pearls matches are family events, and our touchlines are part of our safeguarding environment. Spectators — whether parents, relatives or visiting supporters — are expected to watch in a manner that keeps the environment safe for children. There is no scenario at a youth football match that justifies abuse from the sideline.

• No abusive, insulting or discriminatory language toward any player, official, coach or spectator.
• No coaching instructions or criticism of players from the touchline, including your own child.
• No entering the field of play, the technical area or officials’ areas.
• No consumption of alcohol or smoking in designated viewing areas around youth matches.
• No unauthorised photography or filming of players.

Academy officials may ask any spectator to modify their conduct or to leave the venue. Refusal is treated as a conduct matter under this code, and where a spectator’s behaviour places a child at risk, it is handled as a safeguarding concern under the Safeguarding Policy.

Section 05

Raising Concerns

Anyone can raise a concern — a player, parent, guardian, coach, volunteer or visitor. The academy operates three reporting channels, all of which reach the Welfare & Safeguarding Lead:

1. The confidential online form — Form 10, which logs your report with a reference number and lets you choose between confidential follow-up or a completely anonymous submission.
2. Email — to the official academy address, marked “Safeguarding”.
3. In person — to any member of academy staff, who is required to pass it on.

You do not need proof, you do not need certainty, and you will not be blamed for raising something in good faith. If a child is in immediate danger, contact the police or emergency services first, then notify the academy. The full response procedure, including how allegations against adults are handled, is set out in the Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy.

Section 06

When Standards Slip

Children and young people are learning, and the academy’s response to misbehaviour is educational before it is punitive. We correct, we explain, we involve families early, and we escalate only when correction does not hold. Equally, no child’s talent places them above the code, and repeated or serious breaches carry real consequences.

• First instances of on-pitch or conduct issues are corrected by the coach, and where useful discussed with parents.
• Repeated issues lead to a recorded conversation with the player and family, and agreed expectations.
• Serious breaches — bullying, discrimination, violence, endangering others — lead to suspension from squads or activities while the matter is handled.
• Safeguarding-relevant behaviour is referred immediately to the Welfare & Safeguarding Lead under the Safeguarding Policy.

For parents and spectators, breaches are handled through a conversation in the first instance, escalating to formal warnings and, where conduct places children at risk or repeatedly breaches this code, withdrawal of attendance privileges at academy activities. Every decision is proportionate, recorded, and open to discussion with the academy’s leadership.

Section 07

What Families Can Expect From Us

Responsibilities in this code run in both directions. Parents and guardians can expect the academy to deliver the following, consistently and without having to be asked:

• A named person — a Welfare & Safeguarding Lead who owns safeguarding, and clear channels to reach them.
• Safe sessions — supervised, planned, on inspected facilities, with first-aid provision and emergency contacts held for every player.
• Screened adults — every coach and volunteer vetted, inducted, trained, and bound by the Coach & Volunteer Code of Conduct.
• Transparency — published policies, published reporting channels, and honest answers about how the academy is run.
• Fair treatment — development decisions explained in footballing terms, and favouritism of any kind prohibited by our codes.
• Consent respected — clear rules on photography and media, honoured without exception.
• A serious hearing — every concern raised in good faith is taken seriously, handled confidentially, and never met with retaliation.

Section 08

Acknowledgement

This code is acknowledged at registration each season — by players in age-appropriate form, and by parents and guardians on their behalf and their own. Acknowledgement is recorded by the academy. The code applies to every squad and programme, from our youngest players through the U19 senior pathway, and equally across Sporting Pearls Féminin.

Questions about this code are always welcome — raise them with your child’s coach or through the academy contact page. Concerns about safety or welfare go, as always, to the Welfare & Safeguarding Lead or Form 10.