Sport and Society U6

Fair play

Fair competition, respect, friendship, team spirit, equality, sport without doping, respect for written and unwritten rules such as integrity

Sportsmanship

Conforming to the rules, spirit and etiquette of the sport

Abiding by both written and unwritten rules

Respecting opponents and officials

Accepting contract to compete

Examples of sportsmanship

Shaking hands with the opposition

Kicking the ball out of play in football if opposition player is injured

Raising your hand if tennis ball clips the net

Gamesmanship

Bending the written rules to gain an advantage

Why is gamesmanship bad?

Destroying the spirit of the game

Lack of respect for the sport, officials, opposition and teammates

Examples of gamesmanship

Trash talk

Toilet breaks in tennis

Feigning injury to time waste in football

Why is fair play and sportsmanship important in sport?

Ensures equality of competition

Ensures sport is enjoyable

Provides sport with moral and ethical values

Provides role models

If sport is well respected, it can increase participation

Socialisation

Sport can attract sponsorship

Olympic ideal

Why has sportsmanship decreased and gamesmanship increased?

Lombardian ethic - win at all costs approach

Commercialisation of sport - financial rewards and celebrity status for winning are too tempting

Big sponsorship contracts which are dependant on winning

Pressures from all areas - coaches, fans, country

Use of performance enhancing drugs is now more the ‘norm' - level playing field

What impact can gamesmanship have on sport?

Disrupted play

Tension

Violence - fans and players

Negative role model effect

Sport as a whole is devalued

Bad reputations leading to lost sponsorship or reduced participation

4 dimensions of the Sports Ethic

Sacrifices

Striving for excellence

Playing through pain

No limits of possibility

Sacrifices dimension of the sports ethic

Unwavering commitment

Live up to expectations of coaches and fellow athletes

Make sacrifices to stay in the game

Sacrifices are made out of love for the game and not for money

Striving for excellence dimension of the sports ethic

Constantly seeking improvement and perfection

Winning symbolises improvement and establishes distinction

Work hard to achieve this

Playing through pain dimension of the sports ethic

Do not give in to the pressure, pain or fear

Accept the risk of injury and the challenge of the competition

Don’t back down from challenges, challenges involve moral and physical courage

Injured players set an example of over-conformity to others

No limits of possibility dimension of the sports ethic

An athlete does not accept a situation without trying to change it, overcome it, or beat the odds

They ignore external limits

Driven by what they must do as athletes

Deviance

Behaviour that is at a tangent to the norm

Behaviour that is outside the norms and values of society

Relative deviance

When it is acceptable within the sport but wouldn’t be in society e.g. boxing

Absolute deviance

When it’s wrong in all circumstances, in sport and society e.g. deliberately causing harm to someone on/off the field

Coakley’s Normal Distribution Approach to deviance

According to Coakley, most actions in sport fall within a ‘normally accepted range' - normal behaviour which most people follow.

Deviance occurs outside of this range - it can be either positive or negative

Negative deviance

When a coach, player or official behaves in a way that knowingly breaks the rules of that sport to gain an advantage

Ignoring or rejecting norms

Examples of negative deviance

Hooliganism

Violence

Drug taking

Fielding illegible players

Positive deviance

Actions based on uncritically accepting norms and being willing to follow them to extreme degrees

Examples of positive deviance

Over training

Playing whilst injured

Aggression

The intention to harm another human being, either verbally or mentally

Hostile aggression

Committed in response to a perceived threat or insult

Instrumental aggression

Committed with provocation to obtain an outcome

Reasons for deviance and on-field violence

Temperature

Partisan crowd - very loyal and passionate crowd

Pain/fatigue

Embarrassment

Frustration

Desire to win/Lombardian ethic

Pressure from sponsors/crowds

Over arousal

May be asked to do so by coach or teammates

Importance of the game

Financial rewards

Player lacks moral/ethical restraints for personal behaviour

Deviant behaviour is more common so more socially accepted

Strategies to reduce on-field violence

Video technology

Punishments

Educate players 

Greater rewards for fair play. Praise players who demonstrate good sportsmanship e.g. FIFA fair play award

Avoid win at all costs mentality - Lombardian ethic

More authority for officials

Promote positive role models

Sub off over-aroused players

Use arousal lowering techniques

Teach players to walk away from the situation

Point out responsibilities to the team

Hooliganism

Aggressive, anti-social behaviour by people within a crowd of spectators, often violent and usually directed at opposition spectator, sometimes directed at officials, stewards, players and police.

Types of hooliganism

Fighting

Chanting/booing

Rioting and violent behaviour

Vandalism

Match interference

Social media abuse

Reasons for off-field violence and hooliganism

Alcohol

Thrill seeking

Release (of anger), in the form of aggressive behaviour

Part of football ritual/ethos

International rivalry

Past conflicts

Tribalism theory - protecting ‘territory’ from invasion

Expression of masculinity

Bourgeoisification

Bourgeoisification

Process by which individuals or groups adopt the values, behaviours and characteristics of the middle class

Consequences of hooliganism who it affects

The sport/club

Sporting authority

Society

Individuals

Consequences of hooliganism to the sport/sporting authority

Damage to football’s reputation e.g. team, club, FIFA, FA etc

Damage to reputation of the country and their fans

Bans and fines from competition

Loss of sporting values

Separation of fans and policing of them

Play behind closed doors

Negative role models

Spectator attendance declines

Sponsors/commercial deals withdrawn

Negative impact for histing future events

Consequences of hooliganism to the society and individual

Damage to reputation of the country and their fans

Decline in relationship with local community/other countries

Fear for local communities

Cost of policing events increases

Damage to local property and cost of repairs

All supporters treated as hooligans

Injury to the people involved

Banning of supporters

Strategies to reduce off field hooliganism

Ban/control alcohol

Tougher deterrents - bans/fines/prison

CCTV

Legislation

Responsible reporting

Create family atmosphere

Segregation of fans

More policing/stewards

Sharing of police intelligence

Use of high profile role models to appeal for good behaviour

Fair play charters/awards

Players display sportsmanship - role models

Clubs not making inflammatory statements

Strict control on ticket sales

Educate supporters - FA’s No Room for Racism campaign

Mid-day kick offs to limit alcohol consumption

Doping

The use of or distribution of any substance which could artificially improve the athlete’s performance by increasing their mental and/or physical condition

Ergogenic acid

Any substance which enhances sporting performance - legal or illegal