Falmouth Community Youth Football Club - Social Media Policy

Everyone involved in football must recognise that the responsibility to safeguard exists both on and off the field of play. Coaches, club officials, volunteers and others in a position of trust need to act responsibly on and off the field, and this includes the use of electronic communications.

Clubs and leagues that set up websites have a responsibility to ensure safeguards are in place. The club is responsible for ensuring all content on its website, social network areas and any associated message boards or blogs abides by the rules and regulations of The Football Association.

The club will

Refrain from publishing comments about other clubs, players or referees, and any controversial or potentially inflammatory subjects.
Avoid hostile or harassing communications in any posts or other online communications. Harassment is any offensive conduct based on a person's race, sex, gender identity, national origin, colour, disability, age, sexual orientation, veteran status, marital status, religion or any other status identified by the Equality Act 2010.
Identify all copyrighted or borrowed material with citations and links. When publishing quotes, thoughts, ideas, photos or videos, give credit to the original publisher or author.
Review responses to online posts and resolve any concerns about the propriety of those responses before they are posted.
Not respond to an inaccurate or negative comment posted about the club or anyone associated with it, but contact the Club Welfare Officer for guidance and advice.

Club volunteers must not

Use text or email for personal conversations, sending pictures or jokes, or engage in any "banter" or comments with or about children at the club.
Use the internet, web-based apps, mobile phones or any other form of communication to send personal messages of a non-football nature to a child or young person.
Respond to emails or texts from young people other than those directly related to club matters.
Use language that is, or could be misinterpreted as being, racist, sexist, derogatory, threatening, abusive or sexualised in tone.
Accept as a friend, on social networking sites, any young player or any person employed or volunteering at the club who is under 18.
Share their own personal social networking sites with children or young people involved at the club, or ask them to be a "friend".
Make contact with children or young people known through football outside of the football context on social networking sites.
Post personal comments about the management or operation of the club, club officials, match officials, children, parents or guardians, opposition teams, or any family members of those groups.
Delete any inappropriate text or email messages sent to them, as they may form part of a subsequent investigation.

Guidance for parents and carers

Know who the FCYFC Welfare Officers are (Hannah Martin and Caroline Moyses) and how to contact them if you have any concerns about the content of club web pages or the welfare of your child.
Be aware of how coaches, managers and other members of the club should communicate with your child.
Show an interest in the communications between the club, you and your child.
Familiarise yourself with The FA's guidance for clubs on websites, text messaging and social networking sites.
Understand the club's communication practices. If the club uses texts or emails to communicate, you may request to be copied into anything sent to your child.
Ensure your child understands that they should tell a trusted adult about any communication that makes them feel uncomfortable, or where they have been asked not to tell their parent, carer or coach.
Abide by the club policy and The FA's rules and regulations regarding comments placed online about the club, club officials, players, managers, match officials, opposing teams or family members.
Inform a Welfare Officer as soon as possible if you or your child receives any inappropriate communication from anyone associated with the club, and save the communication.
Do not use social media to speak ill of the club, its staff or associates, or to comment on players, training or matches, and do not reveal any information you may have received about a player.

Guidance for players – players must not

Post, host, text or email anything that is hurtful, insulting, offensive, abusive, threatening or racist, or post personal comments about the management or operation of the club, club officials, match officials, players, opposition team members or any of their family members.
Engage in any personal communications, "banter" or comments with staff, volunteers or opposition teams.
Give out personal details online, including mobile numbers, email addresses or social networking account access, to people they do not know well offline.
Invite any adult involved with the club to become a friend online, or accept them as a friend on any social network site – those adults have been told they must not accept such invitations.
Use the internet, web-based apps, phone or any other form of communication to send personal messages of a non-football nature to any member of staff or volunteer at the club.
Delete inappropriate text or email messages sent to them, as they may form part of a subsequent investigation.
Use inappropriate or unacceptable language.
Reveal information about training, fixtures and agreements using social media – this is provided by the club for personal use only.

Breaches

A breach of this policy will be taken to the club for discussion and may lead to involvement with our local FA offices. All reports of cyberbullying and other misuse of technology will be investigated fully and may result in notification to the police where the club is obliged to do so. Sanctions may include, but are not limited to, suspension or banning from Falmouth Community Youth Football Club. Where a crime has been committed, individuals may be subject to a criminal investigation by the police, over which the club has no control.