English Disc Golf Association

Authority

This Code is adopted by the EDGA Board as a conduct standard for EDGA membership, EDGA events, EDGA-sanctioned activity and people acting in EDGA-related roles. This Code sits alongside the Articles of Association and does not override them. Where a matter involves termination of membership, removal of a director, conflicts of interest, notice requirements or any other matter covered by the Articles, the Articles take precedence.

Board resolution

The EDGA Board adopts the EDGA Code of Conduct with immediate effect. The Code applies to current and future conduct from adoption unless amended or replaced by the Board. Alleged breaches may be handled under the EDGA Member Conduct and Disciplinary Regulations, the EDGA Safeguarding Policy, EDGA Tournament Standards or any other relevant EDGA policy. Any board member, officer, volunteer or role holder who is named in, or conflicted in relation to, a conduct matter must recuse themselves from that matter.

This Code should be read alongside the EDGA Member Conduct and Disciplinary Regulations, the EDGA Safeguarding Policy, EDGA Tournament Standards, EDGA Conflict of Interest Policy and any event-specific rules.

1. Purpose

The English Disc Golf Association (EDGA) wants disc golf in England to be safe, fair, welcoming and respectful. This Code of Conduct sets out the behaviour expected of people involved in EDGA activity. It helps members, players, volunteers, Tournament Directors, officials, spectators, parents, carers, board members and officers understand the standards expected when taking part in, supporting, organising or representing EDGA activity.

2. Who this Code applies to

This Code applies to:

• EDGA members.
• Players and participants in EDGA-sanctioned events.
• Tournament Directors and event staff.
• Volunteers, officials, coaches and helpers.
• Board members, officers and appointed role holders.
• Parents, carers, caddies and spectators.
• People representing EDGA in public, online, at events or with external bodies.
• People using EDGA communication channels, member groups or official online spaces.

This Code may also apply where conduct happens outside an EDGA event or channel but affects EDGA members, events, volunteers, welfare, reputation or the safe running of disc golf activity.

3. General standards of behaviour

Everyone covered by this Code is expected to:

• Treat others with respect, courtesy and fairness.
• Act honestly and with integrity.
• Welcome new players and help create an inclusive environment.
• Follow the rules of disc golf and any event, venue or course rules.
• Respect Tournament Directors, volunteers, officials, venue staff, landowners, course owners and other park users.
• Follow reasonable instructions from EDGA officials, Tournament Directors, event staff or venue staff.
• Raise concerns through the correct route rather than escalating disputes publicly.
• Take responsibility for their own behaviour, language and conduct.
• Protect the safety, welfare and enjoyment of other people.
• Respect EDGA property, event equipment, venue property and course infrastructure.
• Cooperate with EDGA processes, including safeguarding, complaints, conduct reviews and conflict checks.

4. Respect and inclusion

EDGA expects everyone involved in disc golf to help create an environment where people feel safe and welcome. People must not abuse, harass, bully, threaten, intimidate or discriminate against others. This includes behaviour connected to age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, marriage or civil partnership, nationality, socio-economic background, playing ability, experience level or any other personal characteristic.

Unacceptable behaviour includes:

• Personal abuse, insults or targeted hostility.
• Threatening, aggressive or intimidating behaviour.
• Bullying, harassment or repeated unwanted contact.
• Discriminatory comments, jokes, posts or actions.
• Humiliating, belittling or excluding others.
• Pressuring, manipulating or exploiting another person.
• Retaliating against someone for raising a concern or taking part in a complaint process.
• Encouraging others to target, isolate or harass someone.
• Behaviour that creates an unsafe, hostile or intimidating environment.

5. Event and competition conduct

Players, caddies, spectators, volunteers and officials must behave in a way that supports fair and safe competition. Everyone involved in EDGA events should:

• Follow the rules of disc golf and the instructions of event officials.
• Play safely and responsibly.
• Wait until landing areas are clear before throwing.
• Treat other players, groups and divisions fairly.
• Avoid repeated or targeted abusive language.
• Avoid throwing items in anger, except for discs thrown as part of play.
• Avoid conduct that disrupts, delays or undermines an event.
• Respect event equipment, scoring systems, course markings, signage, trophies, prizes and EDGA resources.
• Report serious player misconduct to the Tournament Director or an EDGA official.
• Avoid public intoxication or impairment that creates a safety, welfare or conduct risk.
• Avoid deliberate attempts to cheat, manipulate results, evade rules or mislead officials.

Tournament Directors and event officials should apply rules fairly, avoid conflicts of interest, keep records where needed and escalate serious concerns through the appropriate EDGA route.

6. Online conduct and public communication

This Code applies to conduct in EDGA online spaces and may apply to conduct in club, public or private online spaces where the behaviour affects EDGA activity, EDGA members, welfare, events or reputation. People covered by this Code should:

• Communicate respectfully online.
• Avoid personal attacks, pile-ons, harassment or targeted hostility.
• Avoid abusive, discriminatory, threatening or intimidating posts or messages.
• Avoid sharing private messages, personal information, screenshots or images without a proper reason or appropriate consent.
• Avoid using EDGA, club or public channels to pressure people involved in a complaint or dispute.
• Avoid posting public claims that could prejudice a complaint, safeguarding matter or conduct review.
• Follow moderator, group admin or EDGA requests where content needs to be removed.
• Make clear when they are speaking personally and not on behalf of EDGA.

Board members, officers, Tournament Directors, volunteers and role holders should take extra care when posting publicly because their conduct may be seen as connected to EDGA.

7. Safeguarding and welfare

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Where conduct involves children, young people or adults at risk, the EDGA Safeguarding Policy applies. If there is any conflict between this Code and the Safeguarding Policy, safeguarding takes priority. Everyone covered by this Code should:

• Report safeguarding or welfare concerns promptly.
• Follow the EDGA safeguarding reporting route.
• Avoid one-to-one situations with children unless this is part of an agreed and appropriate arrangement.
• Use organisational communication routes when communicating with children, young people or their parents and carers.
• Respect consent around photography, video and social media.
• Avoid language, behaviour or physical contact that could be inappropriate, exploitative or unsafe.
• Support people who raise safeguarding or welfare concerns.

No one should ignore, suppress or discourage a safeguarding concern.

8. Volunteers, officers and representatives

People acting for EDGA, or appearing to represent EDGA, have additional responsibilities. They are expected to:

• Act in EDGA’s best interests.
• Follow EDGA policies, procedures and board decisions.
• Communicate accurately and honestly.
• Protect confidential information, including member data, complaint material, safeguarding information, financial information and internal discussions.
• Declare actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest.
• Avoid taking part in decisions where they are conflicted.
• Use EDGA resources only for authorised EDGA activity.
• Hand over EDGA property, records, account access or equipment when reasonably requested.
• Avoid using their role to pursue personal disputes or private interests.
• Treat members, volunteers and the public with courtesy.
• Support fair, recorded and proportionate handling of concerns.

Volunteers and role holders should not present personal views as EDGA positions unless authorised to do so.

9. Parents, carers, caddies and spectators

Parents, carers, caddies and spectators are part of the disc golf environment and should support a safe and respectful experience. They are expected to:

• Encourage players positively.
• Respect players, officials, volunteers and other spectators.
• Follow event, venue and course rules.
• Avoid pressuring, coaching or interfering in a way that disrupts play.
• Avoid abusive, intimidating or discriminatory behaviour.
• Support children and young people to follow event rules and safety instructions.
• Raise concerns calmly through the correct route.
• Respect decisions made by Tournament Directors or officials, subject to any formal appeal or review route.

10. Property, equipment and EDGA resources

EDGA property, event resources, club property, venue property and course infrastructure must be treated with care.

Unacceptable behaviour includes:

• Damaging, misusing, hiding or withholding EDGA property or event resources.
• Failing to return EDGA property, event resources, records or account access when reasonably requested.
• Vandalising course equipment, signage, baskets, tee pads, facilities, plants or animal habitats.
• Misusing EDGA funds, systems, logins, mailing lists, member data or official channels.
• Using EDGA property or systems for personal purposes without permission.

Concerns involving property, finance, access or data may be handled under this Code, the EDGA Member Conduct and Disciplinary Regulations or another EDGA policy.

11. Complaints, investigations and cooperation

EDGA expects people to cooperate with safeguarding, complaint, conduct, welfare and governance processes. People covered by this Code must not:

• Obstruct an EDGA complaint, safeguarding or conduct process.
• Refuse reasonable requests for relevant evidence or information.
• Tamper with, delete, edit or selectively present evidence once a concern has been raised.
• Harass, intimidate or pressure a complainant, respondent, witness, investigator, panel member or EDGA officer.
• Retaliate against someone for raising a concern, providing evidence or taking part in a process.
• Discuss restricted complaint material outside the agreed process.
• Make public comments that could undermine a fair review.
• Use EDGA or club channels to continue a dispute after being asked not to.

People involved in a complaint must follow any reasonable interim measure, including no-contact directions, instructions not to post publicly about the dispute, temporary event conditions, temporary role restrictions or evidence access restrictions.

12. Conflicts of interest

Anyone involved in EDGA decisions, complaints, safeguarding matters, selection decisions, event decisions, procurement or governance must declare any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest. A person may be conflicted where they:

• Are named in the matter.
• Are directly involved in the events being reviewed.
• Are a close associate of a party.
• Have a personal, financial or organisational interest in the outcome.
• May reasonably be seen as biased.

A conflicted person must not take part in evidence review, discussion, recommendation, decision, sanction or appeal, except where asked to provide evidence as a witness.

13. Reporting concerns

Concerns about conduct should be raised through an official EDGA channel, such as the EDGA contact form, an EDGA email address or an EDGA officer who forwards the concern into the official process. Safeguarding concerns should follow the EDGA safeguarding reporting route.

If someone is in immediate danger, or a crime is in progress, call 999. If a matter may involve a crime but there is no immediate danger, it may be reported to police via 101 or online.

A concern should include, where possible:

• Who is raising the concern.
• Who the concern is about.
• What happened.
• When and where it happened.
• Any evidence available.
• Names of any witnesses.
• Any outcome being requested.

You do not need to prove misconduct before raising a concern. EDGA may be limited in what it can do without enough information, but genuine concerns should still be raised.

14. Possible action

Breaches of this Code may be handled under the EDGA Member Conduct and Disciplinary Regulations, the EDGA Safeguarding Policy, EDGA Tournament Standards, the Articles of Association or another relevant EDGA process. Possible action may include:

• No further action.
• Advice or guidance.
• Conduct reminder.
• Informal warning.
• Formal written warning.
• Request for apology or corrective action.
• Removal of online content.
• No-contact direction.
• Conditions on attendance or participation.
• Removal from an event, role or activity.
• Temporary suspension from EDGA events or activities.
• Longer-term suspension or exclusion in serious cases.
• Termination of membership, only where appropriate and in line with the Articles of Association.
• Referral to another body, venue, statutory agency or emergency services where relevant.

Any action should be fair, proportionate and recorded.

15. Relationship with other rules and policies

This Code does not replace:

• The EDGA Safeguarding Policy.
• The EDGA Member Conduct and Disciplinary Regulations.
• EDGA Tournament Standards.
• PDGA rules or event rules where they apply.
• Venue rules, park rules or legal requirements.
• The EDGA Articles of Association.

Where a matter involves safeguarding, the safeguarding of the individual takes priority. Where a matter involves possible criminal conduct, EDGA should avoid making criminal findings and may pause or adjust its internal process depending on police or statutory agency involvement.

16. Review

This Code will be reviewed by the EDGA Board as required, including after significant conduct issues, safeguarding incidents, governance changes, changes to EDGA activity or changes in relevant external guidance.