3.2.4.3 - Ethics In Sport Flashcards
(complete)
Define amateurism.
Participation in sport for the love of it, receiving no financial gain, it is based on the concept of athleticism.
Define athleticism.
A fanatical devotion into sport involving high levels of physical endeavour and moral integrity.
Define physical endeavour and moral integrity.
physical endeavour = trying hard (effort)
moral integrity = a mix of honour, truthfulness and sportsmanship (attitude/stable belief)
Characteristics of an amateur?
- In the 19th century an athlete = amateur if they are from the upper/middle class
- They had plenty of free time to play sport and played it for the love of it rather than for monetary gain
- Higher status than professionals
- Played to an amateurs code - rules, fair play, sportsmanship, e.t.c.
- ‘It’s not the winning, but the taking part that counts’
- Had to use their God given abilities - training frowned upon
- Often all rounder + play several sports to a good level
Examples of amateurism in everyday sport?
- encouragement
- shaking of hands prior to and at end of sporting contests
- admitting fouls
- kicking ball out so injured player receives treatment
- rugby union - calls referee ‘Sir’
Why have the Olympic games now allowed professional performers?
- Traditional amateur sports - now professional
- Blurring of amateur and professional status in many sports
- No prize money awarded
- Amateurs can still compete
- Higher standard of competition
- Greater spectator/media interest
- High levels of income
Amateurism’s impact on 19th century athletics?
- professionals banned
- no financial gain allowed
- wagering banned
- performers banned if money prizes taken
- meetings not sanctioned by AAA banned
- performers need to be affiliated to an amateur club
- women generally not allowed
- working class males
What were the rules of the Amateur Athletics Association? (AAA)
- Club based in each major town
- Annual sports meetings were held in each major town
- Fully codified rules and regulations
- Fair-play highly valued
- No wagering allowed
- Only amateur performers allowed
- Activities based on no financial gain
- No female performers
- Crowd were orderly and well informed
Define the Olympic Oath?
- A promise made by athletes, judges, coaches as representatives of their fellow competitiors officials, coaches to compete fairly and without doping to maintain fair play
- Written by Baron Pierre De Coubertin - founder of modern Olympic games
- The person who recites the oath does it whilst holding a corner of the Olympic Flag
What is the Olympic Oath?
‘In the name of all competitiors I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them, comitting ourselves to a sport without doping and without drugs.’
How can athletes show fair-play?
-Show good sportsmanship
- Abide by the rules
- Do not use gamesmanship
- Do not use PED’s
- Help an injured competitior
- Be modest in victory
- Be generous in defeat
How has the Olympic Oath changed?
- The oath was just for athletes - then, in 1972 an oath for officials was introduced to acknowledge them in the event
- In 1999, IOC created WADA and oath was amended to include references to doping and drugs
- 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang - 3 oaths (athlete, coach, official) combined into one = regognises how interlinked the three roles are
Is the Olympic Oath still relevant?
YES - The underlying principles of the Games haven’t changed, with it being a celebration of sport showcasing the best athletes in each event
- When athletes have been found to have cheated at the Games (e.g. Badminton players in 2012), they have been disqualified
- Where athletes have susequently found to have cheated, they have had their medals removed (e.g. Marion Jones)
- It has been known for the audience to boo athletes who have previously been banned for taking PED’s (e.g.Justin Gatlin)
NO - These are different times 🠮 more on the line than winning, may lead to deviant behaviour.
- Athletes have previously been banned for testing positive for PED’s but have been allowed to compete after their bans have been served 🠮 doubts over level playing fields.
- Could be considered irrelevant as pressure may come from more than just at an individual level.
- Professional athletes going against amateur athletes is never going to be a level playing field.
- Gamesmanship is part of modern day sport and so is in conflict with an oath of sportsmanship.
- Win at all costs athletes - may have no conscience about breaking the olympic oath.
- There will always be cheats because of the pressure of nations to perform and the extrinsic rewards gained from success.
Define sportsmanship.
Conforming to the rules, spirit and etiquette of the sport
What is involved in sportsmanship?
- playing by the written rules to a high code of ethics
- fairness, maintaining self-control and treating others fairly
- maintaining high levels of etiquette to ensure fair play is evident in a sporting contest
- play the game in a positive spirit, with respect shown for opponents and officials
What is respect?
The unwritten code within sport where everyone agrees to:
🠮do their best
🠮strive to win within the spirit of the game
🠮 to play within the rules
Should be given to rules, opponents and officials.
What is a contract to compete?
Unwritten code where performers agree to compete against eachother to win
Examples of the Unwritten Code include:
- to play to the rules
- to try their best
- participation is more important than winning
- display the etiquette specific to the activity
- respect and respond positively to the officials
Examples of Sportsmanship?
- Returning the ball to opposition when it has been kicked out of play to allow an injured player to have treatment
- Walking in cricket
- Fair Play Awards
- Respect your old club if you play against them by not cheering when you score
- Shaking hands before/after matches
- Player helping opponent up after accidental collisions
- Player apologising/shaking hands after committing a foul
- Ensuring you don’t argue with officials
- Ensuring you don’t time waste
How is sportsmanship encouraged?
- NGB Campaigns
- Promotion in schools
- Fair Play Awards
- NGB rules promoting fair play
- Use of technology to help officials
- Positive role models
- Drug testing
- Club fines
- Players code of conduct
- On field penalties
- Violent play prosecuted
Has sportsmanship declined?
YES 🠮 professionalism developed - motivated by extrinsic rewards
🠮 20th into 21st century - increased pressure to win
🠮 greater pressure form media - encourages copying of poor role models
🠮 increased drug taking, cheating, deviancy, match fixing
🠮 19th century corruption - part of sport as wagering and fixed contests were common
NO 🠮 sportsmanship is promoted at events
🠮 performers are role models and understand their responsibility to act responsibly
🠮 greater need to maintain image to retain sponsors
🠮 ethics of sportsmanship are still evident in modern day 21st century sport
🠮 sport still operates with officials enforcing rules
🠮 positive sporting ethics are still promoted within school PE programmes
Has commercialisation impacted sportsmanship?
YES 🠮Lombardian / ‘win at all costs ethic’ more common
🠮 pressure to be successful to ensure coverage
🠮 more likely to cheat / show deviant behaviour
🠮 breaking rules
🠮 doping methods/drug use
🠮 increased number of prosecutions due to foul play
NO 🠮performers seen as role models
🠮 image to maintain
🠮 loss of deals
🠮 better technology to detect foul play
Define gamesmanship.
Bending the rules and stretching them to their absolute limit without getting caught; using whatever dubious methods possible to achieve the desired result.
or - The intention to compete to the limit of the rules and beyond if you can get away with it.
Examples of gamesmanship?
- Delaying play at a restart
- Time wasting when ahead in a game to try and ensure victory
- Psyching out an opponent
- Deliberate deception of an official to try and gain an advantage
- Appealing a line call in tennis
- Diving to earn free kicks and penalties
- Taking drugs to improve performance
- Swearing at the officials decisions
Examples of gamesmanship in football?
- time wasting e.g. taking the ball to the corner when winning in the last few minutes of a game
- delaying a restart to get set up defensively
- over appealing to officials to pressure them to make decisions
Examples of gamesmanship in cricket?
- Over appealing to pressure an umpire to give a batsman out
- Sledging an opponent to upset their concentration
- Taking a toilet break as a fast bowler to quickly refresh/refuel
Define the Lombardian ethic (win ethic).
A desire to win at all costs approach to sport e.g. drug taking
Key characteristics of the Win Ethic?
- heightened by the needs of professionalism and society that only acknowledges winners
- suggests the outcomes override the process of participating
- sits at the heart of sport in the USA
- rejects the Olympic ideal that taking part is the most significant component
- reinforced by the media - hiring and firing of coaches and managers, no drawn games philosophy and a high level of deviancy
- it is the reason why more children than ever before are choosing not to participate in sport
Examples of win at all costs attitudes?
- in late 20th century - top level coaches resorted to using fake blood capsules to mimic a blood injury - means specialist kicker can enter field at crucial stage in game
- cheating in various ways
How is the win ethic evident in modern day elite sport?
- no drawn games
- managers and coaches are fired if unsuccessful
- high amounts of deviance e.g. over aggression, doping
- media negativity for losers
- media praise for winners/positive newspaper headlines
Why do performers show gamesmanship and unacceptable behaviour?
- pressure from media
- pressure from sponsors
- high expectation of supporters
- financial rewards
- fear of losing contract
- retaliation due to foul play
- officials’ decisions
- win at all costs ethic
Define deviance.
The fact or state of diverging from usual or accepted standards
Define etiquette.
A convention or rule in an activity which is not enforceable, but is usually observed
Define citing.
Players can be cited e.g. reported and investigated, for dangerous play, whether they are seen by the referee or not.
Define simulation.
Trying to deceive an official by over-acting e.g. diving to win a free kick
2 types of deviance?
Positive and negative
What is positive deviance?
Behaviour which is outside the norms of society but with no intent to harm or break the rules
Involves over-adherence/conformity to the norms or expectations of society
Examples of positive deviance?
- over-training or competing when injured
- training through injury
- sacrificing family life
What is negative deviance?
Behaviour that goes against the norms and has a detrimental effect on individuals and society in general.
The performer is motivated to win at all costs.
Examples of negative deviance?
- aggression and violence amongst competitors
- taking illegal performance enhancing drugs
- deliberately fouling or harming an opponent
- accepting bribe to lose/match-fixing
- diving to win penalty
- cheating within a contest
- illegal betting
What causes deviant behaviour?
- individuals lack moral restraint
- greater rewards
- pressures from sponsors
- financial rewards
- fear of losing
- retaliation
- poor decision by official
- lombardian ethic
How can high standards of behaviour be maintained?
- campaigns to promote sportsmanship
- better officials/better technology
- rules changed
- punish the club
- positive role models
- codes of conduct for players/spectators
- drug testing
- prosecute violent play
- encourage respect for officials
