Gold Country Water Polo is committed to providing opportunities for all athletes to participate in the sport of water polo. The club is committed to equity and fairness of all athletes by abiding with the standards, rules, and regulations of USA Water Polo; the bylaws of Gold Country Water Polo; and the Gold Country Water Polo Fair Play and Ethical Code of Conduct.

Every athlete who participates in Masters athletics at Gold Country Water Polo accepts the rules and regulations that govern Gold Country Water Polo and is subject to their enforcement.

The following is a brief summary of the principals and expected ethical conduct of all those participating in Masters athletics with Gold Country Water Polo. The summary is not intended to be inclusive of all rules and regulations, but rather a brief reference to participants of the principals and policies covered in the official Code of Conduct.

* Participants shall follow the rules of Gold Country Water Polo and USA Water Polo at all athletic and social endeavors sponsored by Gold Country Water Polo.
* The Board has the right to suspend and/or terminate membership for any member who does not pay dues or acts inappropriately at Gold Country sponsored athletic and social endeavors.
* Each member shall act in a sportsmanlike manner. Serious acts of misconduct will be dealt with through formal action while minor acts will be dealt with through minor sanctions (i.e. verbal correction) applied fairly and consistently.
* Any serious act of noncompliance may be reported to any member of the Board of Directors of the Gold Country Water Polo Club by any member of the club. Complaints must be submitted in writing or electronically and as soon as possible following the violation.
* Rulings must be completed within a week of the complaint and enacted through a majority vote of the Board.
* Confidentiality will be maintained to greatest extent possible and allegations shall be resolved as informally and confidentially as possible.
* Sanctions may include, depending on the severity of the violation, a warning, increased monitoring, probation, suspension or, in rare circumstances, dismissal from the team.
* Members have the right to appeal any decisions resulting from an issue of noncompliance.

This statement is divided into four sections. Following the initial introductory section is section two which articulates principles applicable to all participants. Section three contains the Gold Country Water Polo Fair Play and Ethical Code of Conduct applicable to all members of the club. Section four identifies principles applicable to enforcement of this statement and other requirements applicable to participants in Gold Country Water Polo programs.

Principles Applicable to all Participants.

2.1. Participants' conduct shall reflect the fact that, by virtue of their participation in athletic and social endeavors sponsored or participated in by Gold Country Water Polo, they are public representatives of the Club. Accordingly, they should always avoid conduct that could be perceived as improper or unfitting of a club representative.

2.2. Participants shall be advised of, understand, and comply fully with the rules, standards, and requirements to which they are subject. These include the principles in this Statement; the requirements of USA Water Polo; The Gold Country Water Polo Bylaws and/or other applicable associations; as well as any additional policies specified by Gold Country Water Polo's Board of Directors.

2.3. The Board of Directors for Gold Country Water Polo has the right to immediately suspend and/or terminate any membership for non-payment of dues, rule violations, or for behavior or actions that violates the Gold Country Water Polo Bylaws or Gold Country Water Polo Fair Play and Ethical Code of Conduct.

3. Gold Country Water Polo Fair Play and Ethical Conduct

3.1. Gold Country Water Polo Fair Play and Ethical Conduct - Athletes of Gold Country Water Polo are expected to follow the Gold Country Water Polo policies on fair play and ethical conduct. It is to be the responsibility of each member to ensure that they conduct themselves in a sportsman-like manner when representing the club, especially at athletic contests.

Acts of unsportslike conduct shall include, but are not limited to the following:
1. Striking, attempting to strike, or otherwise physically abusing an official, coach, spectator, or athlete.

2.Intentionally, or with careless disregard for one's conduct, inciting participants or spectators to violent or abusive action.

3. Using obscene gestures or profane or unduly provocative language or action toward an official, coach, athlete or spectator.

4. Conduct that is verbally or physically threatening or abusive, belligerent, or harassing. Broad latitude shall be given as to defining appropriate behavior in that context (i.e. athletic training and competition).

5. Committing any act of unsportsmanlike conduct not specifically described above shall subject violators to a review of action by the Gold Country Water Polo Board of Directors. In addition to any penalty that may be assessed, the Commissioner or designee may take such remedial action believed to be proper to deter any future unsportsmanlike conduct.

3.2. It is recognized that not all instances of athlete misconduct are serious enough to be dealt with by the Board of Directors. In such minor cases, resolution should be immediate, will require no formal procedures, and will involve relatively minor sanctions (i.e. verbal correction). Such sanctions should be applied fairly and consistently.

4. Principles Concerning Enforcement
The principles in this Statement serve the interests of all participants in athletic programs and endeavors of Gold Country Water Polo. Therefore, the Board of Directors expects that all participants will comply. Nevertheless, the quality of any code of conduct is no greater than the rigor with which it is enforced. The purpose of enforcement is not the detection and punishment of noncompliance for its punishment's, but instead to encourage compliance with this Statement and applicable requirements by all participants, so as to increase the participation in and integrity of Gold Country Water Polo Club.

Of course, not all noncompliance acts are of equal severity or warrant similar sanctions. In addition, the process by which an alleged offense is investigated and adjudicated will also depend in large part on the nature of it and the severity of the potential sanction. Many acts of noncompliance with this Statement will and should be resolved immediately and informally, and will result in comparatively minor sanctions, such as verbal correction. Such sanctions should be applied fairly and consistently.

At the other end of the spectrum, some noncompliant acts will be so serious, frequent, or deliberate, that existing bylaws provide for potentially severe sanctions and formal processes and standards of review. This Statement in no way alters the application of those policies or processes.

There are likely to be noncompliant acts that fall between these two extremes, involving offenses or behavior at least moderately serious in the nature that warrants more complete investigation than immediate judgment would allow, but still that may not necessarily fit within existing procedural guidelines. The following enforcement principles provide general guidance that may prove useful, but that are designed specifically to guide investigations, adjudications, and the imposition of sanctions in this broad intermediate part of the spectrum.

4.1. Acts of noncompliance or grievances may be reported by any athlete or board member of Gold Country Water Polo. Reports of noncompliance or grievances may be submitted to any member of the Gold Country Water Polo Board of Directors. All reports shall be submitted in written form and may be submitted in electronic form.

4.1.1. Enforcement shall be swift, fair, consistent, certain, and appropriate. All rulings shall take no longer than the period of one week from the time of the complaint and all rulings mandate a majority vote by the Gold Country Water Polo Board of Directors.

4.1.2. The Board of Directors shall investigate credible reports of noncompliance with this Statement or other applicable requirements. Except in unusual circumstances, a report shall be considered credible only if it is made by a person who has personally witnessed or experienced the allegedly noncomplying act, or by a Director with oversight responsibilities for participants in Gold Country Water Polo programs.

4.2. Enforcement shall be swift, fair, consistent, certain, and appropriate. All rulings shall take no longer than the period of one week and all rulings mandate a majority vote by the Gold Country Water Polo Board of Directors.

4.2.1. The Board of Directors shall investigate credible reports of noncompliance with this Statement or other applicable requirements. Except in unusual circumstances, a report shall be considered credible only if it is made by a person who has personally witnessed or experienced the allegedly noncomplying act, or by a Director with oversight responsibilities for participants in Gold Country Water Polo programs.

4.2.2. Acts of noncompliance shall be reported as swiftly as possible after the person making the report becomes aware of them. Delays in reporting a violation may significantly impair the Boards ability to investigate the complaint and interfere with the alleged perpetrators due process rights. Exceptional delay may, therefore, based upon the known circumstances, necessitate that the Board decline to investigate a complaint.

4.2.3. Anonymous allegations will not be formally acted upon by the Board, except to the extent required by law. Any person making an allegation concerning a participant shall be informed that his or her identity may be disclosed to that participant.

4.2.4. The participant shall be given the opportunity to receive and provide information regarding the alleged noncompliance.

4.2.5. Allegations shall be investigated and resolved in a timely manor and as informally and confidentially as is possible.

4.2.6. Allegations of noncompliance shall be received, investigated, and adjudicated. Sanctions, if determined to be appropriate, shall be imposed consistently. This does not require that all procedures or sanctions be identical, but that similarly situated participants be treated consistently and that there be a general consistency among the treatment of all participants.

4.2.7. Sanctions should also be appropriate to the alleged offense, taking into account the circumstances and context of the offense, the perpetrator's membership status, whether a pattern of improper conduct exists, the magnitude of the violation, and the effect the conduct has had on others. A single offense, particularly where the act of noncompliance is found to be unintentional and resulted in little or no harm to another person, might result in a minor sanction such as:
* A warning
* Increased monitoring
* Probation

4.1.9. On the other hand, repeated or deliberate noncompliance, or noncompliance that threatens or results in physical harm to another person or other demonstrable injury, should be subject to significant sanction, such as:
* Suspension from two or more practice sessions
* Suspension from two or more games and or events
* Dismissal from the team

4.2. Appeals
4.2.1. Members of Gold Country Water Polo have a right to appeal disciplinary decisions or express grievances in response to actions made by the Board of Directors. The process follows: the member must make an appointment to see the Board. At this time, the member will explain the basis of the appeal, including any mitigating factors that may not have been taken into consideration by the Board. The Board of Directors will then determine the appropriate action.