Code of conduct

Players shall conduct themselves in a manner which brings credit to themselves and the game and shall: 1. Abide by the rules of ice hockey and principles of good sportsmanship. 2. Play for fun and enjoyment and that winning is only part of a player’s motivation. 3. Conduct oneself in accordance with the principles of dignity, integrity, responsibility, and respect for others. 4. Respect teammates, coaches, team officials, referees, opponents, opposing coaches, opposing team officials and other participants in games, practices, and other association activities. 5. Work hard to improve skills both as an individual and as a team player. 6. Refrain from any derogatory comments as to another individual’s race, ethnic origin, cultural background, religion, gender and/or sexual orientation 7. Refrain from any abusive, bullying, harassing, or violent behaviour; and if appropriate report any bullying or harassment they are aware of to a position of authority. 8. Act in a safe and responsible manner at games, practices and all activities. 9. Support and encourage teammates; both on and off the ice. 10. Never argue with the official's decision. Going hard for a puck in the corner? Great! But if your momentum carries you into another player that's dangerous, and it's on you to make sure it doesn't happen. Battling hard in front of the net? The coach will be happy. But keep your stick out of it, leave the chopping to the lumberjacks. Got dangled? Hard luck. Get your feet moving, hustle back, and get your stick on the puck. No knees. No elbows. No stick in the hands. No slashing. The above are all penalties and the refs are doing their best to call them. We are constantly improving our reffing program. We are currently working on organising ref training for all Wellington referees (please get in touch if you'd like to participate). Examples of poor misconduct that will be reviewed could be:

• Aggressive physical contact with another player or the referee

• Use of foul language or threatening gestures directed at referees or players

• Having a win-at-all-costs mentality

Inappropriate behaviour by players can result in:

• Fewer people wanting to play or are willing to volunteer for official positions

• Being penalised during the game or reprimanded afterwards

• Suspension from a league and/or expulsion from WIHA

The easiest way to clean up the game is for players to play clean hockey. The fundamental principles are:

• Use your stick for hitting the puck, not other skaters

• Use your body to press against but never strike

• If you receive a penalty, accept it and skate to the bench, no feedback is required

If you think penalties are being missed, have your team manager let the refs know during the period break. Don't take matters into your own hands, a slash-for-slash escalates quickly. If you want to get into a scrum, we recommend rugby (or joining an agile delivery team). This is a community effort and it's on all of us to do our part to help the great sport of hockey grow in a safe way in Wellington! WIHA follows the NZIHF’s disciplinary, tribunal and suspension regulations for all age groups and leagues. If you feel that somebody has breached the code of conduct, please use the contact form or report the incident to one of the WIHA board members so that the incident can be followed up.