Basketball is intended to be a recreational activity for enjoyment and health. The codes of conduct are based on those developed by Basketball Victoria to assist everyone to obtain the maximum benefit and enjoyment from their involvement in basketball. As a result, the quality of participation will be improved.

Coaches and Team Managers

Understand and play by the rules.

Understanding and the rules is your responsibility. The rules exist for the safety, proper order and enjoyment of all people involved in basketball. Do not ignore or deliberately break any rules.

Respect referees and other officials.

• Accept bad calls graciously.
• Abuse of referees is unacceptable behaviour.
• Control your temper.
• Display control, respect and professionalism to all involved with the sport. This includes opponents, coaches, officials, administrators, parents and spectators. Encourage players to do the same.
• Be a good sport.
• Be prepared to Win and Lose.
• Acknowledge all good plays whether they be by your team or the other team. Good manners and respect can be infectious. Everyone likes to be praised when they do something well. If you acknowledge the achievements of your opponents it is likely they will follow suit.
• Always introduce yourself to your opponents on court, congratulate them whether you win or lose and accept a loss gracefully.
• Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every person.
• Avoid any remarks that could be construed as offensive or discriminatory.
• Ensure that the time players spend with you is a positive experience. All young people are deserving of equal attention and opportunities. Constructive guidance and encouragement when a player does well will assist a player to improve their game.
• Be reasonable in your demands on players’ time, energy and enthusiasm.
• Show concern and caution toward sick and injured players. Follow the advice of a physician when determining whether an injured player is ready to recommence training or competition.
• Any physical contact with a young person should be appropriate to the situation and only where necessary for the player’s skill development.
• Avoid overplaying the talented players; the average player also needs and deserve their share of court time.

Parents and Spectators

• Encourage your children to participate for their own interest and enjoyment, not yours. Support your children in their participation in basketball but do not force them to play if they don’t want to. Sport is played by children for enjoyment and fitness.
• Encourage children to always play by the rules. Teach children that an honest effort is always as important as a victory. Your children will suffer many disappointments in their lives. You should teach them from an early age that whilst a win in basketball will bring them much pleasure, it is not the most important thing. Participating to the best of their abilities is far more important than winning.
• Focus on developing skills and playing the game. Reduce the emphasis on winning. Primary responsibility for skills training rests with the children and their coaches but you can assist with their enthusiasm by attending games, encouraging them to practise away from formal training and games and even joining in with this practice. A child learns best by example.
• Applaud good play by all teams.Acknowledge all good plays whether they be by your children’s team or the other team. Good manners and respect can be infectious. If you acknowledge the achievements of your children’s opponents it is likely your children will follow suit. This can assist to create a positive and supportive climate for all children involved in the game.
• Do not criticise in front of others. Children can be very sensitive and feel strong humiliation if they are criticised in front of their peers. When you do feel the necessity to speak to your child about something that displeases you, make the effort to explain what the problem is and why you are concerned about it. If you can see some way of avoiding the problem in the future, also explain this to the children. Give your children an opportunity to offer you an explanation. You are not communicating with your children effectively if all the communication is one way.
• Accept decisions of all referees as being fair and called to the best of their ability.Referees and officials have a difficult task to perform and your children could not play the game without them. They are there to enforce the rules of play but they cannot always be right. Accept bad calls graciously. Abuse of referees is unacceptable behaviour. Players who consistently dispute decisions or do not accept bad decisions are bad sports.
• Set a good example by your own conduct, behaviour and appearance. Children often learn by example. You are the prime role models for them. Make your parenting rewarding and beyond criticism by leading by example. Do not criticise opposing team members or supporters by word or gesture. Accept loss graciously and applaud the efforts of all playing the game.
• Support all efforts to remove verbal and physical abuse from sporting activities.
• Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every person.
• Avoid any remarks that could be construed as offensive or discriminatory.
• Show appreciation for volunteer coaches, officials and administrators.Volunteers are necessary for the functioning of sporting activities. Without them, your child could not participate. Whilst many are parents of people involved in the sport, many are also people dedicated to the sport and its development. Show them the respect and appreciation that they deserve.
• Keep children in your care under control.You should ensure that children with you at a basketball game are well behaved and do not wander onto or too near to courts. They can easily be knocked down by a player or a player can trip over a child when concentrating on the play and not expecting a small child to be in the way.
• Always respect the use of facilities and equipment provided. Discourage your children from engaging in dangerous practices such as hanging off hoops or “slam dunking”. Not only can equipment be damaged but serious injury can occur.

Players

• Play by the rules.
• Never argue with an official. If you disagree, have your captain, coach or manager approach the official during a break or after the competition.
• Control your temper. Verbal abuse of officials and sledging other players, deliberately distracting or provoking an opponent are not acceptable or permitted behaviours in any sport.
• Work equally hard for yourself and/or your team. Your team’s performance will benefit.
• Be a good sport. Applaud all good plays whether they are made by your team or the opposition.
• Treat all participants as you like to be treated. Do not bully or take unfair advantage of another competitor.
• Co-operate with your coach, team-mates and opponents. Without them there would be no competition.
• Participate for your own enjoyment and benefit, not just to please parents and coaches.