Sportsmanship Agreements in Football

Sportsmanship plays an important role in sports that involve contact on every play, such as football. Because of its importance to the game and the well-being of the players many schools, associations and leagues have drafted sportsmanship agreements. Every player must sign these agreements attesting they have been educated of the rules and the guidelines of the sportsmanship polices and will abide by them.

  1. Respect Your Opponents

    • Respecting one's opponents is an essential aspect of sportsmanship. When players line up across from each other, they want to play at the top of their games and hit the other teams hard; as soon as the play is over, however, players must respect the other team as well as their coaches and fans. Playing hard is welcome, but playing dirty and hitting after whistles is not. Cheap shots are an example of not respecting the other team and becoming too caught up in the violence of the game. Ways to show respect include kneeling when an opponent gets hurt and applauding him after he gets up.

    Don't Be A Sore Loser

    • Respecting the other team also includes losing with dignity. Players must always congratulate a team after a win and shake their hands. This gesture may seem difficult for some players who put their all into a game and come out on the losing side, but shaking the other team's hands in an acknowledgement of hard work and respect is an important part of the game.

    Be A Modest Winner

    • Another way to show sportsmanship is to win with dignity. Do not rub the other team's face in a tough loss. The handshake after the game allows the players to congratulate the other team on a well-played game rather than gloating over winning or being a better team.

    No Profanity

    • Using profanity is also unacceptable. The game of football calls for hard hitting, but calling the other team names or using racial slurs goes against the sportsmanship rules. Laying a player out with a good hit is acceptable; calling a player a name because of the color of his skin or using profanity because of a unfair call is not.