Cloudy Policy Casts Shadow on Flag Football Festivities
Sportsmanship rating system impeding play according to some
Ryan Sheffield
Issue date: 10/8/04 Section: Sports
Flag football has received some very apparent revisions this season, and players as well as officials are facing some added responsibilities. No, not the instant replay, it's the new sportsmanship rating system. After every game, officials bestow upon each brigade a bill of behavior on a scale of one to five. Team captains from both squads rate their opponents also. If a player on a team receives a personal foul, the team is only eligible for a rating of three or below for that game. These rulings are recorded, and when playoff time rolls around, any team with an average rating of below 3.75 is disqualified from further competition.
Originally, the changes were viewed as merely another burdensome formality, but interest has inclined because a number of teams are in jeopardy of automatic postseason elimination. Subsequently, players have raised a number of questions and objections regarding the new policy. Recreational athletic director Erin Saluta said that she wasn't aware of any sportsmanship problems at Hendrix in the past, but that, "It's very common for many college and university recreation programs to have more of an emphasis on sportsmanship as opposed to just a winning record. The idea being that you can be a good team and you can conduct yourself well. You don't have to have a good team and be poor sports about it."
Many are concerned that the subjectivity of the rating system may leave it vulnerable to manipulation by opposing captains. There is a fear that players may administer lower scores to teams that they wish to keep out of the playoffs.
Asked whether she thought that the rating system was manipulatable, Saluta replied, "Not really. Any system has its flaws and such. But the idea, again, is that we're trying to emphasize with the program that it's more about coming out and respecting yourself in a reasonable manner. It's something you're going to have to take away from Hendrix when you leave here. You can't -in an office environment- if your boss says something or your coworker says something [that you don't like], just start screaming and yelling."
Originally, the changes were viewed as merely another burdensome formality, but interest has inclined because a number of teams are in jeopardy of automatic postseason elimination. Subsequently, players have raised a number of questions and objections regarding the new policy. Recreational athletic director Erin Saluta said that she wasn't aware of any sportsmanship problems at Hendrix in the past, but that, "It's very common for many college and university recreation programs to have more of an emphasis on sportsmanship as opposed to just a winning record. The idea being that you can be a good team and you can conduct yourself well. You don't have to have a good team and be poor sports about it."
Many are concerned that the subjectivity of the rating system may leave it vulnerable to manipulation by opposing captains. There is a fear that players may administer lower scores to teams that they wish to keep out of the playoffs.
Asked whether she thought that the rating system was manipulatable, Saluta replied, "Not really. Any system has its flaws and such. But the idea, again, is that we're trying to emphasize with the program that it's more about coming out and respecting yourself in a reasonable manner. It's something you're going to have to take away from Hendrix when you leave here. You can't -in an office environment- if your boss says something or your coworker says something [that you don't like], just start screaming and yelling."