Downley Dynamoes Junior Football Club

Code of Conduct

These codes have been designed to facilitate the smooth running of the club and to ensure that we achieve consistency across all age groups. Please take a few minutes to familiarise yourself with them as they are for the benefit of all.

1. Code of Conduct for Parents and Spectators

It is important that we ensure parents/spectators within the club are always positive and encouraging towards all children - not just their own. We would therefore encourage them to:

  • Applaud opposition as well as own team's good play.
  • Avoid coaching the children during the game.
  • Avoid shouting at the children.
  • Respect refereeing decisions - avoiding confrontation with the opposition.
  • Give attention and encouragement to all members of the team, not just the most talented.
  • Consider our opponents and their spectators in our reactions and celebrations.
  • Avoid using bad language.
  • Remember that children do not mean to make mistakes.


In order to facilitate the efficient running of the club we would encourage all parents to assist the officials of the Club by:

  • Offering to assist with pitch preparation and dismantling of goal posts and nets and storage after training and matches.
  • Helping to collect and return to store all equipment used during training and matches.
  • Encouraging your child's involvement in the activities just mentioned.
  • Making your child aware of the conduct expected of them as players within the club.
  • Reading newsletters and/or website to obtain important administration information.
  • Ensuring that your child's availability/unavailability for matches is communicated to the age group management in good time.
  • Ensuring your child is not late for training or matches so we can begin and finish on time.
  • Providing your child with adequate liquid refreshment for training and matches.
  • Ensuring that your child always wears shin pads and football boots (not trainers) at training and for matches. It is recommended that boots should have screw-in studs not moulded blades.
  • Ensuring that your child does not wear any kind of jewellery and or watches during training and matches

2. Code of Conduct – Players

Players are the Club's most important asset. Playing for the team, and for the team to win, is a fundamental part of the game. But not winning at any cost - Fair Play and respect for all others in the game is fundamentally important. We will encourage each player to read and understand the code of conduct which the Club has approved for them.

Obligations towards the game:

  • Make every effort to develop your own sporting abilities in terms of skill, technique and tactics.
  • Give maximum effort in training and matches whatever the likely outcome.
  • Avoid all forms of gamesmanship and time wasting in matches.
  • Avoid the use of bad language.
  • Accept success and failure, victory and defeat, equally.
  • Avoid violence and rough play and help injured opponents.
  •  Accept the decisions of referees without protest.

Obligations towards the coaches:

  • Avoid disruptive behaviour at training and matches and maintain good discipline to facilitate effective training sessions and matches.
  • Assist the Coaches with collecting and returning to store all equipment (balls, cones, bibs, flags, goals) used during training and matches.
  • Make sure that notification of availability to play is advised as required by the coaches.
  • Be fully aware of the Discipline Code.
  • Be on time for training and matches.

3. Code of Conduct - Managers and Coaches

The role of the Manager and Coaches in each age group is critical in delivering a consistent approach to the running of the Club across age groups.

It is natural that winning is a basic concern for all managers and coaches but we insist that as a Club it is not a "win at all costs" attitude.

The health, safety and welfare of the youngsters is our first priority, before the achievement or reputation of the Club, coaches or parents.

The Club sets out to apply the FA Coaches Association Code of Conduct, the core aspects of which are listed below:

  • Coaches must place the well being and safety of each player above all other considerations.
  • Coaches must adhere to the guidelines laid down by the governing bodies.
  • Coaches must develop an appropriate working relationship with each player based on mutual trust and respect.
  • Coaches must ensure that from the outset that they clarify what is expected from the players (see Players Code of Conduct).
  • Coaches must not use or tolerate inappropriate language.
  • Coaches must always remain positive and promote the positive aspects of the sport.


In addition to this the Club expects managers and Coaches to:

  • Actively seek out and arrange innovative training sessions, which develop skills on a collective and individual basis.
  • Be available sufficiently early enough (possibly on a roster basis) to set up the training pitch and ensure that all equipment (balls, bibs, cones) are available for a prompt start.
  • Organising, with parent help, the marking out, when necessary, of pitches for matches.
  • Actively encourage the players to assist in this process and in clearing the training pitch/match pitch post the training/game.
  • Provide opportunity for all players to participate in games during the course of a season.
  • Request administrators to keep a record of players selected for matches and (in the case of Under 11 age group and above) keep a record of substitutes used.
  • In lower age groups to abide by the rules of the South Bucks Mini Soccer Conference (as detailed on their website www.bucksfootball.co.uk) and the rules of the Wycombe & South Bucks Minor League for the older age groups.
  • Agree the policy on summer tournaments in advance and to advise the Committee of the decision. In addition to ensure that parents are informed of plans for each tournament.
  • Coaches must ensure that no training or match takes place without knowing the first aider on site and the location of the first aid kit.

Discipline Code

To support our codes of good practice we have in place the following Discipline Code for our players. Hopefully we will not have to use this but in order to ensure consistency across all age groups it is important to have one in place should the need arise. All managers and coaches have been asked to adopt a standard approach across the Club.

Operating on a ‘yellow’ and ‘red’ card system, disciplinary offences are categorised as follows and will apply at training and at matches:

Disciplinary Offences

  1. Persistent behaviour which is disruptive
  2. Persistent use of bad language (non directive)
  3. Unsporting behaviour towards team mates and opponents (including teasing and   taunting)
  4. Disrespectful behaviour towards any adults
  5. Dangerous play
  6. Persistent questioning of referee and coaches

In the event of any of the above the player will be verbally warned. Reoccurrence and the player is excluded for five minutes. A record will be kept.

Subsequent offences within 7 days following the issue of a verbal warning will result in a yellow card being issued and the Club Chairman informed. Parents will be contacted and advised of the issue of the yellow card and the reason(s) for issue.

Subsequent offences during the term in which a yellow card is issued will result in the issue of a red card. Parents will be contacted and requested to remove their child from training. The player will be banned from training and matches for the remainder of the term. The Club Chairman will be informed.


Immediate Red Card Offences

The Club considers the following offences as constituting an immediate red card.

  1. Violent conduct
  2. Spitting at an opponent or any other person
  3. Deliberately leaving the field of play without the permission of the manager or referee
  4. Bad language directed at any adult

Persistent offenders will be reviewed by the Committee and may be asked to leave the Club.

We would seek parental support on these matters to ensure that we run a well organised and disciplined club which provides a safe and non threatening environment for all our children to enjoy their football.

In the Wycombe and South Bucks Minor League (11 years ) any fines incurred as a result of a yellow or red card will be the responsibility of the player and not the Club.