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CODE OF CONDUCT
(FOR PROFESSIONAL POCKET BILLIARD PLAYERS)
Beta Version 1.0: Doug Gordon and I welcome everyone?s input on this document and will consider possible corrections, changes or additions to the document during this stage. Please be concise with all of your suggestions.
The role of the professional sportsman should be regarded as a privilege and as such, it carries with it certain responsibilities. These responsibilities are towards
a) Your sport - to maintain it?s growth, prestige and positive public image
b) Your fellow competitors and officials ? to maintain an environment within which it is pleasurable to operate
c) Yourself ? to maintain a sense of achievement and self satisfaction.
With these parameters in mind this document sets out some basic principles and guidelines to help you fulfil these responsibilities. Hopefully they should not be regarded as rules (or laws) but as a natural set of values designed to enhance your chosen sport. The best guidelines/rules/laws are the ones that command respect without explanation. If something requires strict enforcement it can cause friction between the transgressor and the enforcer. This is an undesirable situation for both parties. Therefore this document seeks to find a set of values that people can accept as being beneficial to the overall good of the sport rather than the requirement of individual participants.
WHERE THE OFFICIAL RULES OF THE GAME OR THE TOURNAMENT ARE SPECIFIC ON MATTERS HEREIN THEN THEY SUPERCEDE THESE GUIDLINES
The three main categories cover:
DEMEANOR
This includes your attitude to fellow competitors both professional and amateurs, officials, sponsors, supporters, fans and the media.
IMAGE
This includes detailed requirements and suggestions on projecting a positive image.
ACTIONS & PUBLIC RELATIONS
This relates to more specific details regarding tournament play and general issues.
DEMEANOR
All players will treat each other with respect, integrity, honesty and politeness. Proffer a handshake before and after your match.
All players will treat the tournament director with respect. Apply the same principles to other officials or referees. These people are invariably volunteers or get limited reward for their efforts so don?t abuse their contribution. A handshake and a few words of gratitude would be appreciated. Any
arguing, arguing is clearly out of line but how do you distinguish between arguing and questioning an improper call? Not talking about a judgment call but a call made applying the wrong rules for example, clearly wrong.profanity or physical confrontation will be grounds for immediate removal from the tournament.
FANS
All players will treat fans courteously. Pay special attention to young fans, they are the most impressionable. If practical, set up a facility near you where they can get further involved. Junior clinics or classes ensure future audiences or even opponents. If you do encounter resistance from room owners or other parties then fight your corner and persist with the project. You want to be a winner ? so be one!
AMATEUR COMPETITORS
When amateur players compete in professional events, make the amateur players feel welcome. Offer conversation and practice time with the amateur players, building a solid personable bond with them. Engage in conversation and offer tips on how to improve their game. You can offer instructional services (lessons) for a later date but not while the tournament room is active or the event is in progress.
I agree with an earlier poster, this may or may not be practical depending on the event and player. Not sure that it should be in the code of conduct.
Amateur players help to fill the field and contribute greatly to our sport and lots of goodwill can be gained by offering assistance and friendship. Larger fields mean larger purses.
DRUG ABUSE
Drug abuse (as detailed in the IOC guidelines) will not be tolerated at any professional event. Violators will be escorted from the premises and will be banned from competitive play for a minimum of 12 months. A subsequent offence will be punishable by a lifetime ban.
DINING WITH FANS & AMATEUR COMPETITORS
Professional players should accept offers to dine and socialize with fans and amateurs alike. These offers will grow as the players make themselves more presentable and amiable. This is part of the celebrity process and refusal can offend.
socializing with people basically in private is a minefield. No high profile person does this as a routine matter. socialize with groups of fans yes, private time together as part of a code of conduct, I say bad idea.
WAGERING
Professional pool players should not make wagers with novices of the game. Remember that the public, the media and potential sponsors are everywhere. Your local poolroom is a good place to practice your ethics.
Any player who thinks that another player has a gambling addiction should provide that person with the national gambling addiction hot line phone number. It could save a life.
SEXUAL RACIAL & RELIGIOUS COMMENTS
All players will refrain from making sexual comments, racial remarks or any comments about another person?s religious convictions.
no derogatory remarks during tournament play, period. Ill advised at any time. We are all on display at all times when we are in public and should behave in a manner that considers that.
INTOXICATION
Professional pool players should avoid intoxication and other negative forms of social behavior. Remember the public, the media, your fans and potential sponsors are monitoring your behavior. So, at all times, conduct yourself with dignity.
IMAGE & DRESS CODE
A dress code is desirable in projecting pool players as positive role models. Therefore, the dress code must be strictly observed by all tournament players.
It is the responsibility of the player to ascertain the relevant tournament dress code requirements.
No excuse will be accepted and if you are in violation of the dress code, you will forfeit your match. In some cases you may be required to leave the tournament room. No matches will be delayed for any player who is informed that they are in violation of the dress code.
The mandatory requirements are:
Clean and pressed (ironed) clothing or wrinkle-free clothing at all times while in the tournament room.
All shirts must have collars. The may be short or long sleeved but the latter should not be rolled up. They could be Polo style or formal but the latter type must be tucked into trousers.
Clean black or brown shoes should be the footwear of your choice.
Unacceptable Items would include
Torn, dirty or worn-out clothing, sagging trousers or immodest clothing, ? length trousers, short pants, distracting jewelry, sunglasses, headwear or apparel with lights (distracting or otherwise).
Clothing with unapproved or inappropriate signage.
Political or commercial slogans should not be displayed unless they are the signage of your sponsor. Care should be exercised to ensure that there is no conflict of interest between any tournament sponsors and those displayed on your attire. Wherever practical, you should avoid having temporary signage as it looks unprofessional. We recommend using embroidery or silk screening processes. Before giving instructions take time to locate your signage on an appropriate part of the garment so that is viewable when you are in your playing stance. Bridge arm or shoulder adverts are often more effective than a similar message on the front of an item.
Tournament directors may add to the requirements of the dress code as seen fit but will not be allowed to remove articles herein.
All players will have clean, cut hair, be clean shaven or have any facial hair groomed and in general, simply be practicing the best of hygiene. The better you look, the better the image you convey to the public, your fans, the sponsors and the promoters. Pay attention to your dental hygiene and keep teeth in good condition. A nice smile melts the hardest of hearts.
The tournament director has the final interpretation on all dress code matters.
Quite simply the punishment is too harsh for what can be purely a judgment call. Far more reasonable for a competitor to have the opportunity to change offensive clothing as long as it does not delay the match beyond the time given for both players to be ready to play without forfeiting. The DCC delayed the one pocket finals one year for Corey to go change clothes.
Individual sponsors will conflict with event sponsors sometimes and this should not be an issue. As hard as sponsorship is to come by restricting a player's ability to represent their sponsor to the best of their ability is flat wrong in my opinion. I agree that nobody should be wearing any garb with signage or large logos for anyone but their own sponsors or the event's sponsors
(It is also in your best interest to dress similarly in a pool room setting as well.) When giving a lesson, practicing, or just hanging around, a pro pool player needs to realize that he/she is on public display and in the midst of those who care about the sport, and how he/she presents and conducts himself will affect the image of the sport.
ACTIONS & PUBLIC RELATIONS
Professional players should maximise opportunities to act a Public Relations Person for the game. Make special efforts to seek out your local media people in newspapers, TV or Radio. The more exposure that you can give pool the more attractive it is to a potential sponsor. Offer to give these people an insight into the beauty of your chosen sport. Play them a few games of pool. Let them try a few shots with your stick ? that can hook them. Set them up a simple trick shot and watch their reaction when they make the shot. Speculate to accumulate - the price of a cup of coffee can be a wise investment.
Get yourself some publicity material. Check out one of the billiard forums on the Internet like
www.azbilliards.com and start a thread/post and ask for help if you are not experienced in designing publicity materials. One of those fans you have been kind to might have the skills you need for this project and may be eager to help you with a presentation. Preferably this should contain a photograph of you, a brief synopsis of your career achievements and your contact details. Try postcards, which you can autograph and give away (or perhaps even sell to defray costs). Alternatively, mini-stickers are a cheap form of getting your name and image across.
Publicity is the life-blood of any successful sporting celebrity and their sport!
In accepting these guidelines and practicing them, you give yourself an opportunity to improve not only the value of your pool career but the quality of your personal life as well.
The CODE OF CONDUCT for Professional Pocket Billiard Players was created by Joey Aguzin and Doug Gordon May 23, 2008. It is our gift to the billiard community and may be used by anyone in all or part for their individual enterprises.
I felt the CODE OF CONDUCT for Professional Pool Players should have an international perspective and Doug has made a fine collaboration with me and I am honored to have had him work on this project.
