ABTO Social Media Policy

Introduction

The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) Officiating Department and the Association of British Tennis Officials (ABTO) Management Committee recognise the increasing useof social mediaamongstABTO members. We appreciatethe importance of officiating in the lives of members, and the immense time and effort that members put into officiating for the benefit of tennis as a sport. The use of social media to keep friends and family up-to-date with regards members officiating activities, and the positive promotion of officiating by such use of social media, is something we value and are keen to support. It is also important to acknowledge the potential dangers in the use of social media,and this policy is intended to help ABTO members make appropriate decisions about the safe, effective and professional use of social media, particularly in relation to officiating matters and activities.

Policy statement and Applicability

This policy outlines the standards we expect ABTO members to observe when using social media, particularly in relation to officiating. This policy also governs the use of social media in relation to non-officiating matters when a member clearly identifies their relationship with ABTO and/or the LTA through their social media activities. Itapplies to all ABTO members be they full members, honorary life members, or associate members, and covers members of all grades working at all levels of tournament. This policy outlines the action LTA Officiating will take in respect of breaches of this policy, and gives examples of both unacceptable, as well as acceptable uses of social media. This policy also provides specific social media guidance with regards The Championships, Wimbledon. All members are expected to comply with this policy at all times, and are responsible for their own compliance with this policy and for ensuring it is consistently applied.This policy supplements other ABTO and LTA policies and procedures, will be regularly reviewed, and may be changed at any time. Any questions regarding the content or application of this policy should be directed to the LTA Officiating Officer.

The term social media includes but is not limited to: popular social networks such as Twitter and Facebook; sharing and discussion sites such as Delicious and Reddit; photographic social networks like Flickr and Instagram; question and answer social networks like Quora and Yahoo Answers; professional social networks like LinkedIn and SunZu; other sites such as blogs, wikis, podcasts, forums, message boards, or comments on web articles.

How this policy was prepared

This policy was prepared taking into account material including, but not limited to, the current versions of the following:

  • TheITF Code of Conduct for Officials
  • The ITF Social Networking Guidance
  • Guidance from the Tennis Integrity Unit (The Tennis Anti-Corruption Program)
  • The LTA IT Services Usage Policy
  • AELTC social media guidance and guidance from the Wimbledon Chief Umpire
  • The LTA Disciplinary Code

Breaching this policy

Members should be aware thatuse of social media websites might be monitored. Any breach of this policy may be treated as a breach of the LTA Disciplinary Code, and dealt with in accordance with the procedures therein. If appropriate, breaches of this policy may also be referred to the ITF Disciplinary Panel and/or the Tennis Integrity Unit. Any breach or suspected breach of this policy should be reported to the LTA Officiating Officer or the ABTO Management Committee member responsible for disciplinary matters.

The use of social media for ABTO members

a)Basic rules for using social networking sites

When an ABTO member clearly identifies their association withABTO and/or the LTA on social media they must behave appropriately and in ways that are consistent with the following basic principles:

  • Members must not engage in social media activities on the Internet which might bring ABTO and/or the LTA into disrepute.
  • Members must not use the Internet in any way to attack or abuse other ABTO members, or employees or stakeholders of the LTA.
  • Members must not post defamatory, derogatory, or offensive comments on the Internet, regardless of whether or not they are directed towards other ABTO members.
  • Members must not, without express consent, share confidential and/or sensitive information for any reason, no matter how trivial it may appear.

The following list, although not exhaustive, provides some examples of breaches of this policy based on the principles set out above:

  • Members must not post material which is or may be considered by ABTO and/or the LTA to be defamatory or damaging to the day-to-day operations or reputation of ABTO and/or the LTA.
  • Members must not post pornographic material of any kind.
  • Members must not post material that is offensive, obscene, or in any way constituting harassment.
  • Members must not post material that could be considered racist, sexist, or otherwise discriminatory (including on the grounds of disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity, age, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership) or likely to cause offence.
  • Members must not post material that is considered to be an infringement of the legal rights of any individual or organisation, or otherwise unlawful misuse, or any action constituting a criminal or civil offence.

b)Rules for using social networking sites in relation to officiating matters

  • Members must not post material that could be construed as compromising their impartiality as tennis officialsor creates an apparent conflict of interest.
  • Members must under no circumstances be a friend of, a follower of, be followed by or otherwise connected with a player, coach, or other player support staff or family member on any social media websites as this could be deemed a conflict of interest.
  • Members must not post material that could be construed as an attempt to criticise or attempt to explain decisions by other officials.
  • Members must not post material that they have by virtue of their position as a tennis official and that is not in the public domain or readily accessible by the public. Such information could be deemed ‘insider information’ contrary to the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program.
  • Members must ensure that any posts respect any confidential information of or relating to players, parents, coaches and other officials.
  • Members must not post anything which could damage the reputation and good standing of ABTO, the LTA, the LTA Officials’ Licensing Scheme and/or officiating generally, or which could bring the game of tennis into disrepute.
  • Members must not post statements or opinions relating to tennis officiatingthat could be printed or broadcasted,which could equate to participating in an unauthorised media interview.
  • Members must not post material that could cast them in an unprofessional lightand are required at all times to uphold the highest standards of honesty, reliability, integrity, impartiality and confidentiality, and to behave in an equitable manner as befits their status as a recognised qualified official.
  • Members must not post specific details of upcoming assignments that could make them a target for unscrupulous gamblers.

c)Putting the principles into practice

What follows are examples of material that should NOT be posted on social media websites taking into account the rules stated above. Keep in mind that the Tennis Integrity Unit advises that ‘it is safest not to post anything about tennis’.

These are illustrative examples only and do not provide an exhaustive list. Members should use the guidance in this document and the examples given to help them make decisions about what they can and cannot post, remembering that even posts or material that you protect as private could be accessible by people with the necessary IT skills.

  • Any posts that relate to a player (to include a member of their support team), as this could be seen as compromising your perceived impartiality. This is regardless of whether or not you are, or have been, working at a particular tournament, andincludes but is not limited to:
  • A statement or comment you make about any player, whether positive, neutral, or negative.
  • Posting or reposting an article or comment made by someone else about a player, or posting a link to any of these.
  • Any photograph or video that contains one or more players. This includes photos or videos,in which you or other officials may appear, regardless of whether you are in uniform, and regardless of whether the material was taken on-site, or off-site.
  • Any post that relates to a specific tennis match, as this again highlights specific players that are involved in that match.
  • Any posts that could be considered as ‘inside information’. The dissemination of such information that is not in the public domain violates the Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Program and can be used by unscrupulous gamblers to gain an advantage, and may make you a target for them. This includes but is not limited to:
  • Posts containing advance information about specific assignments for you or other officials such as which court you are on, which line you are on, and which matches you will be officiating on, or posts containing information about match scheduling.
  • Posts about the weather conditions or court conditions at a tournament you are officiating at.
  • Posts about the likely participation or likely performance of a player or medical information about players.
  • Any posts about a tournament or venue, to include photographs or videos, that you are aware of in your role as an official, that could be considered private or confidential, and that is not reasonably in the public domain, such as ‘behind the scenes’ photographs.
  • Any posts related to incidents in a tennis match that may be considered to be controversial. There are many websites now that show replays of controversial incidents in tennis matches, and you should not be seen to be partaking in either criticism or explanation of such incidents in your role as an official.This includes but is not limited to:
  • Posting comments or statements about controversial incidents or decisions in tennis matches.
  • Posting photographs or videos of such incidents, or links to them or websites discussing them.
  • Any posts which portray officials in an unprofessional light. This includes but is not limited to:
  • Photos of members in uniform behaving unprofessionally, or drinking alcohol, or being in an environment that can be linked to alcohol such as a bar or restaurant.
  • Pictures of members behaving unprofessionally that could link them to a tournament, for example at a tournament meal or function, regardless of whether they are in uniform.
  • Any posts related to your opinions about conditions you encounter in your role as an official, particularly comments that could be viewed as negative. These could find themselves in the public domain, and can bring officiating into disrepute. This includes but is not limited to:
  • Comments about the food, transport, assignments, selections, or scheduling. These could be seen as unprofessional.
  • Comments about financial conditions.
  • Any statements that could be seen as dishonest. In particular, it has been noticed that many officials are incorrectly stating through social media that they have, or do currently work for the LTA. Most officials are independent contractors so such statements are untrue, unless you hold a specific role as an LTA employee.

Examples of what can be posted on social media

This policy was prepared taking into account material including, but not limited to, the current versions of the following:

  • Photographs or videos of officials in uniform, either on or off court, where the officials appear professionaland which do not show any player in the photograph.
  • It is accepted that friends or family of ABTO members may post pictures of them, and that members do not necessarily have control over this. However, we would ask that members try to ensure that any pictures or videos of them that others post do not portray officials in a negative light, and do not imply any bias or impartiality on the part of the official themselves.
  • If members want to communicate a selection for a particular tournament, which conveys a sense of pride or achievement, this is acceptable, provided this does not convey more specific information as stated previously. In doing so, please consider that some people could react negatively to such information which could portray officiating in a negative light.

Specific guidance for the use of social media in relation to The Championships, Wimbledon

  • Social media use in relation to The Championships,Wimbledon must take into account the guidance set out above.
  • The AELTC social media guidance in particular advises:
  • Members must not say they work for Wimbledon or The Championships.
  • Members must notuse the Wimbledon logo or any official photos to imply any official association with Wimbledon or The Championships.
  • As discussed above, photographs that portray a professional image, on or off-court, are acceptable but if you have any doubts as to the suitability of a photograph, you are advised not to submit it.
  • Appropriate photographs taken at the Officials’ Receptionmay be posted on social media sites.

Ray Lovell

Last revised: 17 May 20171