We want your feedback!
Did your program use the sportsmanship card this season? Click here to take a short survey to help us improve the Sportsmanship Card program. Thank you!

Officials and Youth Council Team Up to Honor the Game
The US Lacrosse Youth Council and the men's and women's division officials' councils have taken pro-active steps to help insure a positive culture for the sport at the youth lacrosse level. The MDOC/WDOC Sideline Manager and Sportsmanship Card concepts have been designed to be preventative tools at youth games. Sideline Managers help to maintain a positive environment and issue the Sportsmanship Card as a warning to an individual coach, athlete, fan, or group of fans. Most often, the Sportsmanship Card Program will correct the unacceptable, unsportsmanlike behavior that threatens to ruin the game, but is also available to support the unfortunate circumstance of game termination as a consequence of an initial incident of or continued unsportsmanlike behavior.

The MDOC/WDOC Sportsmanship Card is a resource for men's and women's officials working youth games, designed to work in conjunction with and to help clarify the NFHS Boys' High School Rules and the Official Rules for Girls' & Women's Lacrosse. When used in conjunction with the rules, the Sportsmanship Card procedures serve as an effective deterrent to abusive behaviors and create a set of constraints that should: 1) eradicate the "unsportsmanlike behavior" that is creeping into sport, 2) strengthen sportsmanship, 3) contribute to the retention of officials, and 4) honor the game.

Information for officials about the Sideline Manager and Sportsmanship Card concepts was distributed at the 2005 US Lacrosse Convention and informational resources for coaches, players and fans have since been completed. Written into the Boys' Youth Rules for 2005 and running as a pilot for girls' youth lacrosse, the success of the Sideline Manager and Sportsmanship Card concepts will be as strong as the commitment of organizations and individuals to implement them — thanks for doing your part!

Important Sportsmanship Card Resources
Download complete documents including implementation instructions
• MDOC Sportsmanship Card Information & Instructions (PDF)
• WDOC Sportsmanship Card Information & Instructions (PDF)
• Sportsmanship Incident and Game Termination Report (PDF)
• Sideline Manager Instructions: Tri-Fold (PDF)
• Sideline Manager Job Description (PDF)
• View Sportsmanship Card (PDF)
• Sportsmanship Card News Release

Please direct questions or feedback about this program to sportdevelopment@uslacrosse.org.