Read widely. I recently read Richard Haass' Bill of Obligations. Obligations are suggested standards of behavior by which democracy functions better, but are not codified as laws.
Basketball has a similar structure with rules and norms.
Rules include boundaries, time and location (paint) constraints, legal guarding position, limits on contact, dribbling rules, and so forth. The game has officials trained to enforce the rules both for good order and for player safety.
Rules can vary across the sport according to age and sex of the players (e.g. three-point distances) and internationally.
Examine what we might call "norms," mostly unwritten standards that accompany our sport. I'm not the Commissioner of Norms but here are some to consider.
- Impartial officiating
- Fan civility
- Safe playing conditions
- Sportsmanship
- Similar facilities and conditions by gender
Officiating. We may not always think the officiating is great, but seldom is it partial, recent AFC Championship game aside. The last two years I coached (fifty games), I didn't think the officiating ever decided the outcome. Middle school players make enough mistakes of commission and omission to nullify blaming the officials.
Fan civility. It's not about the money (gambling) but sometimes can be about the money (user fees). Fans may be unhappy with coaching strategy, playing time, or worse, bloodthirsty for victory. Miscellaneous causes like interscholastic or public-private (town versus gown) rivalries fuel bad behavior. Occasionally and equally unfortunate are fights waged over race or religion.
Safe playing conditions. It's rare to have unsafe playing conditions such as slippery floors with unplayable conditions, sunlight streaming onto courts (I've seen that), or irregular, poorly-maintained court(splintering) conditions. Older gyms with boundaries too close to walls have been rare for us. Both teams should agree that conditions are safe for participants.
Sportsmanship. Respect the game. Respect officials, coaches, teammates, and opponents. Sounds easy. Some of the same factors under fan civility disrupt sportsmanship, too.
Sportsmanship implies playing the game 'the right way'...hard and clean. Unwritten rules include avoiding cheap shots, head shots, running up the score, pressing up by large margins, calling inappropriate time outs, and more. For example, I've seen coaches call a time out to set up an inbounds play ahead by over 25 with under 30 seconds to play.
Separate and unequal. Practice availability and facilities should be similar. You recall the rancor during the NCAA Men's and Women's tournament a few years ago where the men had elaborate training facilities and the women a rack of weights...tone deaf and incredibly dumb.
A separate issue may arise where males get better coaching than females. Comparisons may be difficult and intent even harder to judge. Who decides and who enforces?
Add your ideas on norms, deviations, and corrections.
Lagniappe. It's not all bad news.
