Lancashire League Handbook 2024

GENERAL CONDUCT REGULATIONS FOR RECREATIONAL CRICKET 2024 01 ENGLAND AND WALES CRICKET BOARD GENERAL CONDUCT REGULATIONS FOR RECREATIONAL CRICKET Introduction The purpose of the General Conduct Regulations (the “ Regulations ”) is to set consistent standards of conduct and behaviour and provide a single set of regulations which can be applied consistently at the top end of recreational cricket. This will ensure that disciplinary matters are dealt with in a fair, efficient and consistent manner by cricket organisations and provide assistance to cricket organisations when establishing and running their disciplinary processes. The Regulations also contain sanction guidelines, which will ensure there is more consistency across recreational cricket. It is to the benefit of cricket as a whole that broadly the same process and sanctions will apply to a participant, whether they are based in the North East or the South West. Conducting a fair and transparent disciplinary process will also help to protect cricket organisations from legal or reputational damage. 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 when such complex issues arise. The Regulations are accompanied by template documents and guidance, which are designed to assist cricket organisations. They are also intended to be a comprehensive reference guide for cricket organisations when conducting a disciplinary process. However, to assist cricket organisations in applying the Regulations, we have set out below a summary of the key points within the Regulations: 1. For the 2024 season, the Regulations are applicable to County Cricket Boards, National Counties and ECB Premier Leagues and it shall be mandatory for these cricket organisations to adopt the Regulations. Other cricket organisations in recreational cricket are also encouraged to implement the Regulations for the 2024 season, although this is not mandatory. 2. Although certain of the provisions are mandatory in full, cricket organisations can amend and/or supplement certain of the provisions. The provisions which can be amended and/or supplemented have been underlined in the document so that they can be easily identified. 3. 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). 4. Participants in recreational cricket will be subject to off-field conduct obligations which either relate to their participation in recreational cricket or occur outside their direct participation but are of a sufficiently serious nature to justify disciplinary action being taken in relation to recreational cricket (e.g. discriminatory comments being made on social media). There is reduced scope for bringing disciplinary action against representatives of cricket organisations, as opposed to cricketers, coaches and officials, given the role they play within cricket. 5. Cricket organisations must appoint a disciplinary officer, although this does not have to be the same (i.e. a single) individual for each case. Some cricket organisations may wish to appoint a group of individuals, which may also assist with resourcing issues and conflicts of interest but it must be clear who these individuals are so that any complaints can be directed to them.