Riders' code of conduct vague on consequences
The Saskatchewan Roughriders' Code of Conduct has some suggestions about how players and team personnel should act, but it stops short on explaining which consequences will be dealt to people who are acting against it.
Questions about discipline and the code have come forth after three Roughrider players were charged last week in an aggravated assault.
Dwight Anderson, Taj Smith and Eron Riley were charged. Riley remained on the injured list, but Smith and Anderson played with the team days later.
The team's head coach Corey Chamblin and general manager Brendan Taman both told reporters following the charges they were waiting for more information about the court case before they made any on-field decisions.
Former Roughrider Brent Hawkins said it boils down to simple guidelines.
"Some people bypass it. But if you look in there, its common sense things," Hawkins said. "To be honest, they don't even need a code of conduct because it's all common sense."
The code specifically points out how players should conduct themselves off the field, beginning with the following points, listed under the heading 'basic standards':
"All Club Personnel should in all of their actions, be guided by and demonstrate the following:
While it specifically mentions dealing with the law, the code does not say what actions should be taken against team members and personnel who are found to have breached it.
The code does, however, make mention of how the team will investigate any breaches of conduct expectations. It says complaints will be checked out by the CEO's office, and, if they're determined to be true, it lists some of the ways that players can be punished:
"After receiving the result of a complaint investigation, and subject always to applicable CFL rules and the requirements of the CFLPA bargaining agreement, the Club will determine whether and what action should be taken regarding Club Personnel," it says. "Action in this regard may include a direction regarding counselling or other remedial action, a reprimand or a suspension or termination of employment."
But the guidelines stop short of prescribing which form of discipline matches with how people have breached the code.
