Page 49 - 2021-22 By-Laws

Rule 8 - Conduct, Character, Discipline

8-2 Coaches Conduct
The member School principal is responsible for initiating appropriate disciplinary measures
against coaches for improper and unethical practices. A report of such must be forwarded to
the Executive Committee if requested by the Commissioner.
8-3 Contest Administrators and School Administrators Conduct.
With respect to a Contest Administrator who works at a Contest, or a School Administrator
attending a Contest, a member School principal is responsible for (i) reporting to the IHSAA
about any Contest Administrator hired by the School, or any School Administrator, who is
ejected from the site of the Contest, or is cited for improper or unethical actions at the Contest
site, and (ii) initiating appropriate disciplinary measures against any such Contest Administrator
or School Administrator.
8-4 Contest Ejection
a. Any contestant, coach, Contest Administrator, School Administrator or Fan who is ejected
from a Contest for an unsportsmanlike act the first time during a sports season shall be
suspended from the next interschool Contest (Home Contest for a Fan) at that level of
competition and all other interschool Contests (Home Contests for a Fan) at any level in
the interim, unless an IHSAA sport-specific rule or policy provides a different protocol or
penalty for ejections.
b. As an additional penalty, a coach who is ejected from a Contest the first time during a sport
season must successfully complete the NFHS Teaching and Modeling Behavior course
before returning to coach at a competition, and a contestant who is ejected from a Contest
the first time during a sport season must successfully complete the NFHS Sportsmanship
course before returning to competition.
c. Any contestant, coach, Contest Administrator, School Administrator or Fan who is ejected
from a Contest for an unsportsmanlike act a second time during a sport season shall
be suspended for the next Two (2) Contests (Home Contests for a Fan) at that level of
competition and all other Contests (Home Contests for a Fan) at any level in the interim,
unless an IHSAA sport-specific rule or policy provides a different protocol or penalty for a
second ejection.
d. This penalty shall be in addition to any other penalties assessed.
Q & A
Conduct - Generally
Q. 8-1 Can a member School file a protest regarding the ejection of a player for
unsportsmanlike conduct?
A. No. A decision of an Official during or related to a Contest is final and binding,
and an Official’s judgment call, an Official’s application or misapplication of a
game or playing rule and an Official’s ejection of a player may not be protested
or appealed. (rules 9-5, 16-2, 17-8.1)
Q. 8-2 During a Contest a coach becomes very disturbed with the officiating of the Contest
and refused to continue play after half-time. Is this a violation of an IHSAA rule?
A. Yes. This is a serious violation of the Contest Rule, rule 19, and should immediately
be reported to the Commissioner by the coach’s School principal. (rule 9-16)
Q. 8-3 What action should be taken by the Contest Officials when an unsporting act
occurs and a School’s player or coach is ejected? And what action should be
taken by the principal of the player’s or the coach’s School?
A. Under the Conduct Rule, rule 8, a Contest Official who ejects a player or coach
must immediately initiate an unsporting report with the IHSAA, and the principal
of the player’s or the coach’s School must promptly submit to the IHSAA an
acknowledgement to the unsporting report. The principal is also encouraged to
have the ejected player attend the Contest(s), in street clothes, and sit on the
team bench; an ejected coach on the other hand is barred from attending the
next Contest(s). (rule 8-3)
Q. 8-4 What action should a member School principal take when an unsporting act occurs
involving a Contest Administrator or a School Administrator who is ejected from
a Contest?
A. The Contest official who ejected the Contest Administrator or the School
Administrator shall immediately initiate an unsporting report with the IHSAA,
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