Rapier:Managing misconduct

From Marshal Rules Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Managing misconduct

Concepts

  1. Many sports include a mechanism for removing and excluding a player (being sent off) for misconduct for a period of time, or a game or two, such as the red card in football/soccer, or ejection from a gridiron football or baseball game, benching a player, etc.
  2. If someone behaves unacceptably or violates the rules/standards, whether as a participant or a marshal, a warranted marshal can decide that they are no longer allowed to be on the field and exclude them from taking part for a period of time.
  3. The exclusion could be as simple as sitting out a round to regain their temper, rehydrate and have some food, or could be longer, such as exclusion from the rest of the competition, the remainder of the activity for a day, or the rest of a multi-day event.
  4. In addition to immediately removing an unsafe combatant from the field, long term sanctions can also be applied.
  5. Marshals higher in the chain of command have the ability to exclude participants from a larger scope of activities or for a longer time.
  6. If you are a marshal in the chain of command, and you don't feel you comfortable making the decision or are not sure you can make a decision fairly, you can and should recuse yourself (i.e. voluntarily excuse yourself and ask another marshal of the same or a higher rank to make the decision). If you are involved in the incident or have a conflict of interest, you should consider if you need to recuse yourself to maintain the integrity of the office. Conflicts of interest must be included in the incident reporting.
  7. Any marshal can resign from a position at any time, without dishonor or penalty. (As per the Rule of the Lists - "No one may be required to participate in martial activities.") You are not required to marshal if you are not comfortable with the responsibilities, even if that means an activity cannot happen because there is no marshal.

Sanctions

  1. Possible sanctions include but are not limited to:
    • Excluding or limiting the ability of an individual to participate in an activity, tournament, or scenario,
    • Revoking the authorization of an individual to fight with a particular weapon,
    • Revoking the authorization of an individual to fight in a discipline or multiple disciplines,
    • Revoking the ability of an individual to participate in activities that don't require authorization, such as training, pick-ups, or practices,
    • Recommendation to the Crown to banish the individual from participation in events,
    • Recommendation to the Board to banish the individual from the Society and its activities (or equivalent body for affiliates).
  2. A removal or exclusion from a martial activity at an event does not automatically revoke or suspend a person's authorization.
  3. Sanctions which revoke or limit the ability of a person to participate (e.g. removal or exclusion) for no longer than a single event (even if the event is a multi-day event or war) are not "administrative sanctions" as discussed in the Society Sanctions Procedures and Policies Manual, and do not follow procedures for administrative sanctions.
  4. Sanctions which revoke or limit the ability of a person to participate for longer than one event are administrative sanctions, and must follow the processes in the Society Sanctions Procedures and Policies Manual.
  5. Procedures outlined in kingdom law or kingdom marshal policies must be adhered to when sanctioning any person.

When there is an incident

General

Usually, participants are more than willing to correct any problems or breaches of the rules pointed out by a marshal. This is the desired solution: get the problem fixed. However, occasionally a marshal must take action. In the unhappy event that you find it necessary, here is how to proceed. In order of preference:

  1. Point out the violation (missing armor, grappling during combat, etc.) and ask the participant to correct it.
    1. In the case of missing or inadequate armor or equipment, do not allow the participant onto the field until it has been fixed.
    2. In the case of violation of the rules during combat or the activity, ask the participant to leave the field. This particularly includes removing from the field anyone who has lost their temper - do not allow them to resume until they have cooled off.
  2. If you need support, call on: (in order)
    • Any other marshals who are present (especially the marshal-in-charge)
    • A regional, deputy, or principality Earl or Knight Marshal
    • The Kingdom Earl Marshal
    • The local seneschal
    • The principality or kingdom seneschal
    • The Crown
  3. If the violation cannot be stopped, convince the marshal-in-charge and the local seneschal to end the event.
  4. Marshals should enforce the rules regardless of the rank, title, or office of the participants.
  5. In any case where voluntary correction is not made after the problem has been pointed out, a detailed written report must be made to the Earl Marshal as soon as possible after the event. In cases where the participant has made corrections voluntarily, a report should be sent to the Earl Marshal if a pattern of problems, even minor ones, from the same participant is occurring.

Roles and responsibilities for incidents

If you see a problem, you can take appropriate action by following the steps below, depending on your current role.

Anyone

  1. Anyone can call hold. This includes whether you are an adult or child, authorized or not, spectator, participant, or field marshal, or taking part in any martial activity. Anyone who sees something unsafe, or potentially unsafe, can call "Hold!".
  2. Once the activity has paused, find the nearest marshal to explain what you saw / why you called hold.
  3. If you believe that there needs to be further action taken, you can discuss this with the marshal.

A warranted marshal

  1. If there is an issue before the activity:
    1. Point out the problem and ask the participant to correct it.
    2. In the case of missing or inadequate armor or equipment, do not allow the participant onto the field until it has been fixed.
  2. If there is an issue during an activity, you are allowed to stop the bout/round, and point out any violations and give an opportunity to correct the issue, and if necessary, remove the offending person/people for the remainder of that bout/round.
  3. Cautions or warnings can be given for grappling during combat, moving out of bounds etc.
  4. Brief "time outs" can be given to participants exhibiting signs of distress (heat, fatigue, dizziness, etc.), or loss of temper, who should be asked to leave the field until they have recovered or cooled off.
  5. Removal or exclusion can be used for violation of the rules. This includes, but is not limited to:
    • Not accepting blows
    • Excessive blows
    • Ignoring the rules of engagement
    • Discourteous behavior
    • Behavior that is dangerous to participants or others,
    • An action which forces their opponent to retire from the field due to an injury.
  6. If the issue is resolved with discussion, this could be the end of the matter.
  7. If you are removing or excluding someone, you must explain why, including being able to point to the rule or standard that has been violated.
    1. They cannot appeal this, as the bout/round is over at that point.
    2. You must report this to the marshal-in-charge of the activity, who will report it up the chain of command. Include information about what happened, what you did, and whether you believe further action is required.
  8. If the marshal-in-charge of the activity determines that you have made an incorrect decision, you can accept that your decision was incorrect, appeal to the next in the chain of command, change your decision, or remove yourself from further marshaling in this activity.

Marshal-in-charge of the activity

  1. An incident can come to your attention in a number of ways:
    1. You see it happen
    2. You hear about it happening
    3. It's officially reported to you
    4. Someone appeals a decision to you
  2. Investigate what happened and determine whether the marshals have so far made the right decision. Gather enough information to be able to make an informed decision and be able to explain why you made that decision. Take into account previous known incidents involving the participant(s).
  3. You could decide that:
    1. No further action is required.
    2. One or more people should be removed or excluded from the remainder of the activity.
    3. The marshal has made an incorrect decision.
  4. If you believe that there needs to be further action taken, you can make this recommendation to the marshal-in-charge of the discipline for the event.
  5. Inform them that they are allowed to appeal to the next in the chain of command, change their decision, or remove themselves from further marshaling in this activity.
  6. If necessary, you can remove or exclude the marshal from the remainder of the activity.
  7. If you are removing or excluding someone, you must explain why, including being able to point to the rule or standard that has been violated.
  8. You must explain that they can appeal this decision to the marshal-in-charge of the discipline for the event, or higher, but the exclusion is in effect until a determination is made to uphold or reverse the decision.
  9. You must pass the information to the marshal-in-charge of the discipline for the event, who will report it up the chain of command. Include information about:
    1. What happened
    2. What you did
    3. Whether you believe further action is required.
  10. If the marshal-in-charge of the discipline determines that you have made an incorrect decision, you can accept that your decision was incorrect, appeal to the next in the chain of command, change your decision, or remove yourself from being marshal-in-charge of the activity.
  11. You must include any incidents in your activity reporting.

Marshal-in-charge of the discipline at the event

  1. An incident can come to your attention in a number of ways:
    1. You see it happen
    2. You hear about it happening
    3. It's officially reported to you
    4. Someone appeals a decision to you
  2. Investigate what happened and determine whether the marshals have so far made the right decision. Gather enough information to be able to make an informed decision and be able to explain why you made that decision. Take into account previous known incidents involving the participant(s).
  3. You could decide that:
    1. No further action is required.
    2. One or more people should be removed or excluded from one or more of the activities of your discipline at the event.
      1. You must inform the marshals-in-charge of the activities, so that they know who has been excluded.
      2. If you believe that there needs to be further action, such as removing them from other martial activities during the event, you can make this recommendation to the marshal-in-charge of the event.
      3. If you believe that there needs to be further action taken beyond what you have already applied or supported, you can make this recommendation to the Kingdom Marshal for the discipline, or to the Regional or Principality Marshal for the discipline if they are part of your kingdom marshalate structure.
    3. The marshal has made an incorrect decision.
      1. Inform them that they are allowed to appeal to the next in the chain of command, change their decision, or remove themselves from their marshal role.
      2. If necessary, you can remove the marshal from the remainder of the activities of that discipline at the event.
      3. If you choose to override a marshalate decision made by another marshal who answers to you in the chain of command, you have taken on the responsibility for any incident that then occurs related to your decision.
  4. If you are removing or excluding someone, you must explain why, including being able to point to the rule or standard that has been violated.
  5. You must explain that they can appeal this decision to the marshal-in-charge of the event (or the next appropriate person in the chain of command), but the sanction is in effect until a decision is made in the appeal process.
  6. You must pass the information to the marshal-in-charge of the event, who will report it up the chain of command. Include information about:
    1. What happened
    2. What you did
    3. Whether you believe further action is required.
  7. If the marshal-in-charge of the event determines that you have made an incorrect decision, you can accept that your decision was incorrect, appeal to the next in the chain of command, change your decision, or remove yourself from being marshal-in-charge of the discipline.
  8. You must include any incidents in your discipline in your event report.

Marshal-in-charge of the event

  1. An incident can come to your attention in a number of ways:
    1. You see or hear about it happening.
    2. It's officially reported to you.
    3. Someone appeals a decision to you.
  2. Investigate what happened and determine whether the marshals have so far made the right decision. Gather enough information, including consulting with subject matter experts, to be able to make an informed decision and be able to explain why you made that decision. Take into account previous known incidents involving the participant(s). A mechanism to achieve this could be holding a marshal's review to gather information and expert advice, and hear about the incident directly from those involved.
  3. You could decide that:
    1. No further action is required.
    2. One or more people should be excluded from one or more further martial activities at the event.
      1. You must inform the marshals running any further activities at the event, so that they know who has been excluded.
      2. If you believe that there needs to be further action taken beyond what you have already applied or supported, you can make this recommendation to the Kingdom Earl Marshal, or to the Regional or Principality Earl Marshal if they are part of your kingdom marshalate structure.
    3. The marshal has made an incorrect decision.
      1. Inform them that they are allowed to appeal to the next in the chain of command, change their decision, or remove themselves from their marshal role.
      2. If necessary, you can remove the marshal from marshaling or participation in further martial activities at the event.
      3. If you choose to override a marshalate decision made by another marshal who answers to you in the chain of command, you have taken on the responsibility for any incident that then occurs related to your decision.
  4. If you are removing or excluding someone, you must explain why, including being able to point to the rule or standard that has been violated.
  5. You must explain that they can appeal this decision to the Kingdom/Principality Earl Marshal, or higher, but the exclusion is in effect until a decision is made to uphold or reverse the decision, or the event is over.
  6. You must inform the Kingdom Earl Marshal, and/or the Regional or Principality Earl Marshal if they are part of your kingdom marshalate structure, and the relevant Earl Marshal for the offending person, if they are from another kingdom.
  7. If you believe that there needs to be further action taken, you can make this recommendation to the relevant Earl Marshal for the offending person.
  8. You must include the details of any incidents reported to you in your event report.

Kingdom or Principality Deputy for a discipline

  1. An incident can come to your attention in a number of ways:
    1. You hear about it happening.
    2. It's officially reported to you.
    3. Someone appeals a decision to you.
  2. Investigate what happened and determine whether the marshals have so far made the right decision. Gather enough information to be able to make an informed decision and be able to explain why you made that decision. Take into account previous known incidents involving the participant(s).
  3. You could decide that:
    1. No further action is required.
    2. One or more people should have one or more of their authorizations in your discipline suspended or revoked.
      1. If the authorization is not issued by your kingdom, you should make a recommendation to suspend/revoke the authorization to the relevant kingdom/principality's deputy for the discipline.
      2. If you believe that there needs to be further action taken beyond what you have already applied or supported, you can make this recommendation to the Kingdom Earl Marshal, or Principality Earl Marshal if part of your kingdom marshalate structure.
    3. The marshal has made an incorrect decision.
      1. Inform them that they are allowed to appeal to the next in the chain of command, change their decision, or remove themselves from their marshal role at the event.
      2. If necessary, you can suspend the marshal's warrant for up to 90 days, or as a joint decision with the Crown, revoke the warrant entirely.
  4. You must explain why you are suspending or revoking their authorization, which authorization is being suspended/revoked, the duration, and any conditions for how they can regain their authorization.
  5. You must explain that they can appeal this decision to the Kingdom/Principality Earl Marshal, or someone even higher, but the suspension/revocation is in effect until a decision is made in the appeal process.
  6. You must include the details of the suspension/revocation in your report to the Kingdom/Principality Earl Marshal.
  7. You must inform the group marshals for your discipline within your kingdom and the Kingdom Deputy for your discipline of any neighboring kingdoms that the participant might visit.
  8. If you believe that there need to be further sanctions applied, follow the sanctions guidelines.

Kingdom or Principality Earl Marshal

  1. An incident can come to your attention in a number of ways:
    1. You hear about it happening.
    2. It's officially reported to you.
    3. Someone appeals a decision to you.
  2. You must investigate what happened and determine whether the marshals have so far made the right decision. Gather enough information, including consulting with your deputies, to be able to make an informed decision and be able to explain why you made that decision. Take into account previous known incidents involving the participant(s).
  3. You could decide that:
    1. No further action is required.
    2. One or more people should have one or more of their authorizations suspended or revoked.
      1. If the authorization is not issued by your kingdom, you should make a recommendation to suspend/revoke the authorization to the relevant kingdom/principality's Earl Marshal.
    3. The marshal has made an incorrect decision.
      1. Reverse the decision.
      2. If necessary, you can suspend the marshal's warrant for up to 90 days, or as a joint decision with the Crown, revoke the warrant entirely.
  4. You must explain why you are suspending or revoking their authorizations/warrants, which authorizations/warrants are being suspended/revoked, the duration, and any conditions for how they can regain their authorizations/warrants.
  5. You must explain that they can appeal this decision to the Society Marshal, or higher, but the suspension/revocation is in effect until a decision is made in the appeal process.
  6. You must include the details of the suspension/revocation in your report to the Society Marshal.
  7. You must inform the group marshals within the kingdom, and the Kingdom Earl Marshal of any neighboring kingdoms that the participant might visit.
    1. If the fighter is subsequently re-authorized, or the marshal is re-warranted, the group marshals within the kingdom and the Kingdom Earls Marshal must again be notified.
  8. If you believe that there need to be further sanctions applied, follow the sanctions guidelines.

Marshal's review

  1. A marshal's review can be held at each event where martial activities occur to:
    1. Identify issues from the day's activities.
    2. Review potential infractions, and enable experienced marshals to help determine the appropriate actions. Decisions made by the marshal-in-charge remain in effect until reviewed by the next level in the chain of command.
  2. The marshal-in-charge of the event should convene a review at the end of the day's martial activities. In the case of an event that spans several days (such as a war), a marshal's review should be held each day.
Retrieved from "http://society-rules.fullmesh.co.nz/index.php?title=Rapier:Managing_misconduct&oldid=1963"