ECB GENERAL CONDUCT REGULATIONS 2024
SCHOOL CONDUCT OBLIGATIONS
(extracts from ECB Document 2024)
The Regulations cover both on-field offences and off-field offences (such as inappropriate comments on social media). As cricket organisations will be well aware, there has been (and will no doubt continue to be) an increase in cases involving off-field offences and the Regulations will help cricket organisations to navigate the disciplinary process should complex issues arise
For the 2024 season, the Regulations are applicable to County Cricket Boards, National Counties, Leagues, and Schools.
Cricketers will be subject to on-field conduct obligations mirroring the Laws of Cricket and other participants present at matches (e.g. coaches, officials and representatives of other cricket organisations acting in an official capacity at the match) will be subject to more limited on-field conduct obligations (as is the case in the professional game).
Captain/Team responsibility
- If any cricketer commits two or more breaches of Regulation 4 or 5 (Conduct obligations on and around the field of play), which take place during or immediately before or after a match, when playing for the same school in a season it shall automatically be a separate offence of failing to ensure that the relevant cricketers have complied with their obligations for each of:
(a) Any person who captained the team in each of the relevant match(es); and
(b) The school the cricketer was playing for. - Schools shall also be held responsible for disorderly behaviour at any part of the cricket ground on any match day by their spectators, unless they can show that:
(a) they took adequate steps to ensure that their members and spectators behaved in an orderly fashion; and/or
(b) they did not or could not control entry to that part of the cricket ground by the relevant spectators and it would therefore not be fair for them to be held responsible.
A School shall be in breach of these Regulations if, at any time:
(a) it fails to take reasonable steps to ensure the good behaviour and conduct of their Participants for any breach of these Regulations;
(b) it knowingly permits a cricketer who is suspended as a result of a previous breach of these Regulations to play in any match or competition;
(c) any of its Participants commit any serious, collective or repeated breaches of these Regulations;
(d) it commits any breach of its obligations under the ECB Anti-Discrimination Code;
(e) it fails to comply with any decision(s) and/or sanction(s) validly imposed on it or on any person within the organisation, which has arisen following due process as prescribed by these Regulations.
Participants are considered responsible for any relevant posts on their social media accounts and may be in breach of Regulations 10-12 for posting, repeating, commenting or supporting posts or comments by others (e.g. ‘retweeting’ or ‘liking’) on social media.
SANCTIONS
(f) Caution or reprimand
(g) Letter of apology
(h) Expulsion of a Club from a competition for that season
(i) Exclusion from a competition for a period of time
Robert Morris
April 2024