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The Impact of Mega Sport Events The 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and developmental goals Cape Town, 5 -7 March 2008. Dr Jim Parry Department of Philosophy University of Leeds, UK. Football Ethics. the work of the Football Association Ethics Strategy Group,
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The Impact of Mega Sport EventsThe 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and developmental goalsCape Town, 5 -7 March 2008 Dr Jim Parry Department of Philosophy University of Leeds, UK
Football Ethics the work of the Football Association Ethics Strategy Group, and some suggestions for FIFA Dr Jim Parry Department of Philosophy University of Leeds, UK
Values in football • Introduction • Values of sport • Values of football • Values in football
Government policy‘The Power of Sport’ • A growing recognition that sport can play its part in improving the social, economic and environmental well being of individuals and communities • A strong commitment to seek equality of access for all people to become involved in sport as participants, coaches, officials and administrators
Introduction • Sense of community • Sense of belonging • Sense of identity • Sense of commitment How do we respond to these feelings? How do we mobilise these attachments?
The F.A. Child Protection strategy • A ‘young person’ is under 18 • 4 million players aged 10 -17 • Some may be in an adult environment Football “contributes significantly to the lives of these young people”.
The F.A. Child Protection strategy Launched in May 2000 Aims • Protection from abuse • Critical examination of the ‘culture’ of football • Provide an enjoyable and safe environment • Promote ethics and high standards in football • Committed to dissemination of good practice
The F.A. Child Protection strategy Acknowledges • ‘Duty of care’ for all participants • Disability issues hitherto not addressed • ‘Welfare policy’ required Essentially about education and ethics • Training and staff development on the ethical basis of all sport, with special reference to football
Concept of Sport • physical (requires effort/training) • contest (‘contract to contest’) • obligation to abide by the rules • institutionalised (‘lawful authority’) • that the activity was freely chosen • that due respect is owed to opponents as co-facilitators
Values of sport What football shares with other sports • What are the features of sport? • Why is sport a good thing? What football shares with other team sports • Competition • Contest • Combat • Controlled aggression
What is sport? Competitive sport is underpinned by basic ethical principles and virtues • Courage • Equality • Fairness • Freedom • Honesty • Respect for other participants as persons Non-moral virtues are also involved in the pursuit of excellence • Commitment • Dedication • Discipline
Values of sport Sports provide opportunities for • Skilled action • Powers of anticipation • Tactical imagination • Speed • Strength • Stamina • Emotional intensity • Competitiveness
Values of sport Ethics and sport • Responsibility to protect the game - ‘activity maintenance’ • Respect for the game, whilst playing • Contract to contest • Rule adherence • Ethos - the ‘spirit of the game’ • Fairness - Equality - Justice • Fair play as moral and logical requirement • Sportsmanship
FIFA’s position on the ethics of Football - a “Code of Conduct” FIFA prescribes the following ten golden rules: • Play to win • Play fair • Observe the laws of the game • Respect opponents, teammates, referees, officials, supporters • Accept defeat with dignity • Promote the interests of Football • Reject corruption, drugs, racism, violence and other dangers • Help others to resist corrupting pressures • Denounce those who attempt to discredit our sport • Honour those who defend Football’s good reputation
Critique While these “commandments” imply some consideration of the nature and value of Football generally, they fail to address: • how they are generally to be interpreted in practice • how they are to be implemented by the different constituents of the world game; • what happens if people break them • any strategic considerations as to how the game itself can be played, taught, coached, administered, refereed or promoted in keeping with the best traditions of the sport.
What’s missing? The final, crucial, point is that the FIFA code fails to make clear what Football is and why it is so important as “the” world game.
What is football?- the nature of the game • Cheap - boots and ball, no special facilities/equip • Simple rules • Non-stop - minimal direction, player autonomy • Equality/equity of performer - e.g. relation of height and size to success - not sizeist • Freedom - lack of constraint in position, attacking options
What is football?- the values of the game • Natural (like running, jumping, throwing) • Skilful (not just power/speed/athletic performance) • Democratic (cheap to play, simple qualities) • Multicultural (the world game) • Player Autonomy (continuous play, minimum interference) • Ethos of ‘ungentlemanly conduct’
Values of football – FIFA 1994 Examples from FIFA of dramatic rule changes in 1994 and their effects on the World Cup • + Skill - tackle from behind • + Attack/adventure - new interpretation of offside • - Evasion - pass-back to keeper • + Honesty - 'stretcher' rule, against injury-faking
Values of football – FIFA 2010? 1. Exploiting the substitute rule 2. Taking the ball to the corner-flag 3. Obstructing the opponent 4. Holding at corners 5. Failure to respect the rules/referee a. Boxing b. Olympic Oath c. Restarts (throw-ins)
Values in and around football • Honouring the game • Recognising, promoting and protecting its internal values • But it's also about the wider values entailed - equity, inclusion, rights • And making contact with social and community issues • Protecting and educating participants
Values in football “It’s only a game.” Well, yes and no. At the local level • Bringing something worthwhile and vibrant into people’s lives • Showing them how they can live good lives together
Values in Football “It’s only a game.” Well, yes and no. • A force for good in the world • Proving that, despite our differences, we are pretty much the same • Contributing to mutual understanding (and peace) • Bringing people together under a system of agreed rules At the global level
Nelson Mandela “Sport has the power to change the world, the power to inspire, the power to unite people in a way that little else can. It speaks to people in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where there was once only despair. It breaks down racial barriers. It laughs in the face of all kinds of discrimination.....spreading hope to the world.”