Throughout the school year, TSSAA-registered contest officials report incidents of unsporting behavior to the TSSAA in order for the Executive Director to insure that schools are respecting association bylaws regarding unsportsmanlike conduct.

The TSSAA and its member schools believe strongly that the major purpose of education-based athletics is to be a part of the total educational program. A major part of this purpose is to stress to coaches, players, officials, and fans the vital importance of sportsmanship. It is critical that all parties understand the role they play in maintaining an atmosphere of good sportsmanship and being a positive role model for others.

A finalized list of incidents and responses is maintained by the state office staff and presented to the Board of Control each year at its June meeting.

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To address these issues, coaches and school administrators can teach and demonstrate positive behavior by emphasizing the importance of respect and sportsmanship. Coaches should lead by example, treating officials, opponents, and their own players with respect at all times. They should emphasize the importance of fair play and encourage their players to display good sportsmanship. Additionally, coaches and administrators should create a positive game environment by promoting crowd etiquette and addressing any fan behavior that goes against the values of sportsmanship. It is crucial to educate everyone involved in the game about the importance of positive behavior, both on and off the court, to create a more enjoyable and respectful atmosphere for all participants.

Boys' Basketball

Based on these reports, the most common unsportsmanlike scenarios in high school boys basketball revolve around disrespectful conduct towards officials, physical altercations, and inappropriate behavior from fans. Players frequently receive technical fouls and ejections for cursing, arguing calls, and taunting opponents. More serious incidents involve throwing punches, pushing, and using racial slurs. Coaches are often ejected for arguing excessively with officials, sometimes accompanied by threatening language. Finally, unruly fans contribute significantly to unsportsmanlike conduct, shouting obscenities, entering the court, and even engaging in physical altercations, requiring security intervention and ejections from the venue.

The full list of disciplinary actions is only available to school personnel. Sign into the Portal and return to this page to view the report.

Girls' Basketball

Based on these game reports, the most frequent unsportsmanlike incidents in girls' basketball revolve around escalating verbal altercations and physical retaliation. Players often engage in profanity-laced exchanges, progressing to pushing, shoving, and ultimately, throwing punches. Technical fouls are commonly issued for unsportsmanlike conduct like taunting, arguing with officials, and using foul language. Bench clearing incidents and spectator interference further compound the issue, creating volatile scenarios that sometimes result in game cancellations and ejections of players, coaches, and fans.

The full list of disciplinary actions is only available to school personnel. Sign into the Portal and return to this page to view the report.

Football

Based on these reports, the most frequent causes for unsportsmanlike conduct and ejections in high school football involve fighting, taunting or verbal abuse, and illegal contact or physical aggression. Players often get ejected for throwing punches, leaving the bench to join an altercation, or making physical contact with an official. Disrespectful language, including profanity and racial slurs, directed towards opponents or officials, is also a common problem. Flagrant fouls, such as kicking or stomping on a downed player, and illegal hits, like helmet-to-helmet contact, are also frequent causes for ejections.

The full list of disciplinary actions is only available to school personnel. Sign into the Portal and return to this page to view the report.

Soccer

Based on these reports, the most common scenarios for unsportsmanlike conduct in high school soccer involve dissent towards officials, reckless challenges leading to injury or potential injury, and retaliatory violence. Dissent often manifests as verbal abuse directed at referees or assistant referees. Reckless challenges include late tackles, head-to-head contact, and dangerous plays against goalkeepers. Finally, after an initial foul, retaliation often follows by punching, hair pulling, or abusive language, leading to further ejections and disruptions of the game. A number of fans are also being ejected from games after shouting obscenities.

The full list of disciplinary actions is only available to school personnel. Sign into the Portal and return to this page to view the report.

Girls' Soccer

Based on these referee reports, the most common unsportsmanlike scenarios in girls' high school soccer revolve around dissent towards officials, often expressed through shouting, abusive language, or even personal attacks. Another frequent issue is violent conduct, ranging from reckless fouls and tackles to intentional acts like punching, kicking, hair-pulling, and spitting. Fan behavior also poses a significant problem, with instances of air horn usage, excessive yelling, and verbal abuse directed at referees and players, sometimes escalating to personal threats and ejections from the game.

The full list of disciplinary actions is only available to school personnel. Sign into the Portal and return to this page to view the report.

Girls' Volleyball

Based on these official reports, unsportsmanlike conduct in girls' volleyball commonly stems from disputes over officiating calls. Coaches frequently exhibit poor behavior, ranging from arguing and profanity to throwing objects and, in extreme cases, physical confrontation and ejection. Fan behavior is also a recurring issue, with instances of verbal abuse directed at officials and players, inappropriate remarks, and even physical actions like throwing objects or following officials after the game. These situations often escalate due to a lack of effective management, including unresponsive security personnel and site administrators, creating hostile environments for players, officials, and spectators alike.

The full list of disciplinary actions is only available to school personnel. Sign into the Portal and return to this page to view the report.

Wrestling

Based on these reports, the most common unsportsmanlike conduct in high school wrestling revolves around physical aggression and verbal abuse. Biting is a recurring issue, often resulting in immediate disqualifications due to the clear violation of sportsmanship. Beyond biting, wrestlers frequently engage in punching or headbutting their opponents during matches. Verbally, wrestlers and coaches alike display poor conduct through cursing, directing insults at opponents, officials, or even their own coaches. Additionally, some wrestlers exhibit unsportsmanlike behavior after losing a match, directing their frustration and anger towards opponents or officials, sometimes accompanied by throwing gear in disgust.

The full list of disciplinary actions is only available to school personnel. Sign into the Portal and return to this page to view the report.