Play by the Rules has three main aims:

Information

To give you information and free online learning about discrimination, harassment and child protection.

Rights

To explain your rights, and how the law protects your right to fair and safe participation in sport and recreation activities.

Responsibilities

To ensure that you know your legal and ethical roles and responsibilities, to:

• create a fair and safe environment for participation
• to treat others fairly
• to treat others with respect.

This information is important to your sporting organisation.

Promoting safe and fair play will help:

• attract new members, and keep existing ones
• assure strongest commitment to the club and the game
• improve co-operation between members
• result in greater personal and team satisfaction.

Allowing discrimination and harassment is bad practice. It can:

• reduce club morale
• cause loss of members and income
• lead to costly discrimination complaints, which may end up in court.

Creating a safe environment for children is essential to protect them from harm. Abuse in any situation can cause long-lasting emotional, physical and behavioural damage.

The information on Play by the Rules is not intended to be, nor should it be relied upon as, a substitute for legal or other professional advice.

Much of the information on dealing with complaints and incidents of concern is presented as an overview of common steps and strategies. This information provides an introduction to the processes involved in complaint handling and should be used in conjunction with other model policies and procedures.

Acknowledgements

Play by the Rules acknowledges the contribution of information and resources from other sport and recreation, anti-discrimination and child protection agencies. Permission has been given to directly include or adapt information from the following organisations:

• the Australian Sports Commission (www.ausport.gov.au)
• the New South Wales Department for Tourism, Sport and Recreation (www.dsr.nsw.gov.au/children)
• Child Protection In Sport UK (www.thecpsu.org.uk)
• Canadian Red Cross RespectED: Violence and Abuse Prevention (www.redcross.ca/respected)

The Australian Sports Commission, South Australian department of Children, Youth and Family Services and the New South Wales Department for Tourism, Sport and Recreation provided generous assistance in developing generic information and online learning programs on child protection for Play by the Rules.