Referee Code of Conduct

REFEREE CODE OF CONDUCT

The following are the Ethical Guidelines that each Australian Powerlifting Alliance (APA) Referee shall maintain at all times.

1. All referees are to acknowledge and respect other officials, coaches and athletes. Referees should not participate or take part in activities that may call into question their ethical or moral judgement.

2. APA Referees shall only officiate after undertaking the appropriate and necessary course of study, training, and supervision, to obtain the appropriate credentials. 

3. In events, which require the testing of new referee candidates, senior referees shall be fair and impartial to the referee candidates and shall be tasked to ensure the competency of those referees. 

4. APA Referees shall respect the rights of others and respect values, attitudes and opinions that differ from their own.

5. APA Referees shall not endorse nor tolerate attitudes on the part of others that demonstrate a lack of respect for any participant, referee, or coach, or which may bring the sport into disrepute.

6. Inappropriate comments are not allowed by lifters toward one another or an IPF or APA Referee, or a referee of another affiliate nation, during a competition. Inappropriate treatment of either a coach, official, referee or athlete shall be reported and handled in accordance with the current APA Complaints, Disputes and Discipline Policy 

7. APA Referees shall not engage in discrimination based on age, gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, language, or socioeconomic status. 

8. APA Referees shall not engage in harassment of an athlete, coach, administrator, official or another referee. This includes, but is not limited to, comments made in public forums such as competitions and social media. Inappropriate treatment of either a coach, official, referee or athlete shall be reported and handled in accordance with the current APA Complaints, Disputes and Discipline Policy. 

9. Honouring Commitments – APA Referees will take the appropriate action to ensure they honour all of their commitments and fulfil all of their assignments to the very best of their ability. 

10. APA Referees shall make themselves available to the APA to assist with powerlifting competitions when reasonably possible.

The following four (4) categories shall guide all APA Referees while officiating at APA or IPF events

1. Competence 

1. APA Referees should strive, at all times, to maintain high standards of excellence in their work at all national, international and world championships. 

2. APA Referees are to use careful judgement at all times and take the appropriate and necessary actions to ensure the safety of all athletes, including obtaining a working with children check. 

3. APA Referees shall maintain and keep current with the technical rules at all times. They shall also review updates and changes via the International Powerlifting Federation website. 

4. APA Referees shall, at all times, maintain a high level of knowledge pertaining to the IPF Technical Rules. 

2. Integrity 

1. At all times, APA Referees are to promote integrity when officiating at championships. 

2. At all times, APA Referees are to be honest, fair, and respectful to the other referees they work with, and to all coaches, officials and athletes. 

3. APA Referees shall not make statements that are misleading or deceptive in any way and that may offer an unfair advantage to any athletes. 

3. Professional Responsibility 

1. APA Referees must, at all times, uphold professional standards of conduct and take full responsibility for their behaviour, as they are representatives of the APA.

2. APA Referees shall be timely in the execution of their assigned tasks, regardless of the position they’re given at a championship. 

3. APA Referees are to maintain high moral standards and conduct at all times and not compromise their responsibilities or reduce the trust the IPF has placed in them. 

4. APA Referees shall be properly attired, as per the IPF Technical Rules, for all events in which they are officiating. The summer uniform includes a white shirt or blouse, grey dress trousers or skirt, black socks or tights, black dress shoes, and an appropriately coloured tie or scarf (red or blue for Category 1 or 2 referees respectively, or another appropriate colour for national or provisional referees.) The winter uniform additionally includes a dark blue blazer with the appropriate badge on the left breast. The jury shall decide if the summer or winter uniform should be worn, and all referees shall wear the same uniform. In the absence of a jury, the referees may decide between themselves which uniform is appropriate. 

5. When engaged in refereeing, referees shall make calls that are accurate and in accordance with the IPF technical rules and guidelines and shall present information accurately and with a reasonable degree of objectivity. 

4. Respect for Athletes 

1. APA Referees are required, at all times, to respect the rights, dignity and worth of all participants participating in our championships, regardless of their physical abilities or strength levels. 

2. APA Referees are to be sensitive to each athlete’s culture, gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, language and socioeconomic status. 

3. APA Referees shall not condone unfair and discriminatory practices and shall report such practices to the relevant authority immediately.

DECLARATION

By ticking the box at sign-up, I confirm the following:

1. I agree to abide by the Australian Powerlifting Alliance Code of Conduct (outlined above) 

2. I acknowledge that the APA may take disciplinary action against me if I breach this code

3. I acknowledge that disciplinary action against me may include demotion of my Referee level or removal from the APA Approved Referee Register.

Referees under 18 are required to download this form below, have a parent/guardian sign it and attach on sign up 

Referees over 18 can accept this code of conduct on sign up or by logging into your membership profile. Click here for instructions on how to access your profile.

You must have accepted this code of conduct to referee at APA events