Rules & Policies

FACILITY RULES, CONDUCT STANDARDS, AND SPORTSMANSHIP POLICY

GULFPORT SPORTSPLEX

Gulfport Sportsplex is committed to providing a safe, welcoming, family-friendly, and competitive environment for athletes, coaches, officials, spectators, event organizers, staff, volunteers, and community members.

These rules apply to all guests, participants, teams, organizations, vendors, and other individuals entering or using Gulfport Sportsplex property. Entry into the facility constitutes agreement to comply with these rules and all instructions issued by authorized Sportsplex personnel.

Tournament directors and event organizers may establish additional event-specific rules, provided those rules do not conflict with Gulfport Sportsplex policies.

General Facility Rules

The following items and activities are prohibited unless specifically authorized in writing by Gulfport Sportsplex management:

Outside Food, Beverages, and Containers

Personal coolers are not permitted.
Outside food and beverages are not permitted.
Outside alcoholic beverages are prohibited.
Glass bottles, glass containers, and other glass items are prohibited.
Food and beverages purchased from authorized concessionaires must remain in designated areas when directed by staff.

Exceptions for medical needs, infant care, team hydration, or other approved circumstances must be authorized by Gulfport Sportsplex management or the applicable event organizer.

Tobacco, Smoking, and Related Products

Smoking and the use of tobacco products are prohibited within Gulfport Sportsplex facilities and activity areas. This prohibition includes cigarettes, cigars, pipes, smokeless tobacco, vaping devices, and electronic cigarettes.

Animals

Pets and animals are not permitted within Gulfport Sportsplex facilities.

Service animals assisting individuals with disabilities are permitted in accordance with applicable law. Service animals must remain under the control of their handler and must not create a direct safety concern, disrupt facility operations, or interfere with an athletic competition.

Recreational and Motorized Devices

The following are prohibited within playing areas, pedestrian areas, common areas, and other locations not designated for their use:

Bicycles
Skateboards
Rollerblades and roller skates
Scooters
Motorized recreational devices
Motorcycles outside designated roadways and parking areas Mobility devices used by individuals with disabilities are permitted in accordance with applicable law and facility safety requirements.

Facility Property and Cleanliness

Guests must respect all Gulfport Sportsplex property, equipment, fields, buildings, parking areas, restrooms, concession areas, fencing, landscaping, and other facilities.

The following conduct is prohibited:

Graffiti
Vandalism
Defacing or damaging property
Misuse of fields, equipment, furnishings, or structures
Entering restricted, secured, or staff-only areas
Leaving trash outside designated receptacles
Removing Sportsplex property without authorization

Individuals and organizations may be held financially responsible for damage caused by their participants, representatives, or guests. Vandalism and intentional property damage may also be referred to law enforcement.

Sportsmanship and Conduct Standards

All athletes, coaches, officials, parents, guardians, spectators, staff, volunteers, and event representatives are expected to demonstrate fairness, respect, integrity, and good sportsmanship.

Respect for Players, Coaches, Officials, and Staff

All individuals must:

Treat players, coaches, officials, staff members, volunteers, opponents, and spectators with respect.
Follow reasonable instructions provided by Gulfport Sportsplex personnel, tournament directors, event staff, security personnel, and game officials.
Respect the authority of game officials and event administrators.
Refrain from arguing with, threatening, intimidating, or verbally abusing officials, staff members, players, coaches, or spectators.
Refrain from entering the field of play, dugout, bench area, officials’ area, or another restricted area without authorization.

Game officials’ decisions regarding competition are final and must be addressed only through the procedures established by the applicable sport, league, sanctioning organization, or tournament director.

Positive Encouragement

Athletes, coaches, parents, guardians, and spectators are expected to create a positive environment by:

Encouraging athletes with positive and constructive feedback.
Supporting all participants during both successful and challenging moments.
Refraining from taunting, ridicule, hostile criticism, or negative comments directed toward athletes.
Recognizing that youth sports and community recreation should promote development, teamwork, confidence, and enjoyment.

Language and Communication

Profanity, foul language, obscene gestures, threatening statements, discriminatory remarks, and abusive or degrading communication are prohibited.

This standard applies to verbal statements, written communication, electronic communication, social media activity connected to an event, signs, clothing, music, and other conduct visible or audible at the facility.

Aggressive and Disruptive Behavior

Gulfport Sportsplex maintains zero tolerance for conduct that threatens the safety or well-being of another person.

Prohibited conduct includes:

Fighting or attempted fighting
Physical aggression
Verbal threats
Intimidation
Harassment
Bullying
Inciting a confrontation
Throwing objects
Deliberately damaging property
Entering the field of play to confront a participant or official
Conduct that interferes with a game, tournament, program, or facility operation

Individuals involved in aggressive, threatening, or violent conduct may be removed immediately and referred to law enforcement.

Fair Play, Teamwork, and Integrity

Participants must compete fairly and honestly while prioritizing teamwork and respect for the game.

Cheating, intentionally violating competition rules, falsifying information, using an ineligible participant, manipulating eligibility documentation, or engaging in other unsportsmanlike conduct is prohibited.

Competition-related violations may be addressed by the appropriate tournament director, sanctioning organization, league administrator, or game official in addition to any action taken by Gulfport Sportsplex management.

Spectator and Parent Conduct

Parents, guardians, and spectators are responsible for maintaining appropriate behavior throughout each event.

Spectators must:

Remain in designated viewing areas.
Avoid interfering with coaches, officials, athletes, or event operations.
Refrain from coaching athletes from spectator areas when prohibited by event rules.
Supervise children and minors in their care.
Avoid confronting officials, coaches, athletes, or other spectators.
Comply immediately with instructions from Sportsplex staff, tournament representatives, officials, security personnel, or law enforcement.

A team, coach, or organization may be held accountable when its spectators repeatedly engage in disruptive or inappropriate conduct.

Field and Competition Area Access

Only authorized athletes, coaches, officials, medical personnel, event staff, and credentialed representatives may enter fields, dugouts, benches, warm-up areas, competition areas, control rooms, scoring towers, or other restricted locations.

Children and spectators must not enter a field or competition area unless participating in an authorized activity or instructed to do so by event personnel.

Guests must not climb fences, backstops, structures, equipment, scoring towers, or other Sportsplex property.

Enforcement and Consequences

Gulfport Sportsplex management, authorized staff, tournament directors, game officials, security personnel, and law enforcement may enforce these policies.

Depending on the nature, severity, and frequency of a violation, consequences may include:

A verbal warning.
Removal from a field, game, activity, or designated area.
Ejection from the facility.
Disqualification from a game, tournament, league, program, or event.
Forfeiture of admission fees, registration fees, rental payments, or other amounts paid.
Suspension from future Gulfport Sportsplex activities.
Revocation of facility privileges.
Financial responsibility for damage, cleanup, repair, or replacement costs.
Notification of a team, league, sanctioning organization, school, employer, or governing body.
Referral to law enforcement or other appropriate authorities.

Serious violations may result in immediate removal without a prior warning.

Individuals who are ejected must leave the facility and surrounding Sportsplex property immediately. Failure to leave when directed may result in law-enforcement involvement and additional restrictions.

Unless otherwise required by an applicable agreement or law, individuals removed or disqualified for violating these policies are not entitled to a refund.

Team and Organizational Responsibility

Teams, leagues, tournament operators, vendors, renters, and event organizers are responsible for communicating Gulfport Sportsplex policies to their athletes, coaches, employees, volunteers, families, and spectators.

Organizations using the facility are expected to assist with:

Maintaining order within their participant and spectator groups.
Addressing inappropriate behavior promptly.
Protecting Sportsplex property.
Cleaning assigned areas.
Following field-use and scheduling requirements.
Reporting safety concerns, injuries, property damage, or serious misconduct.

Failure by an organization to manage repeated or serious violations may affect its current reservation, future bookings, rental privileges, or participation in Sportsplex events.

Reporting Violations and Safety Concerns

Rules violations, unsafe conditions, threatening behavior, injuries, property damage, or other concerns should be reported promptly to a Gulfport Sportsplex staff member, tournament director, security representative, or law-enforcement officer.

In an emergency, guests should call 911 and notify on-site personnel as soon as safely possible.

Policy Administration

Gulfport Sportsplex reserves the right to interpret, apply, revise, or supplement these policies when necessary to protect public safety, facility operations, property, event integrity, and the guest experience.

Additional rules may be posted at entrances, fields, concessions, parking areas, restrooms, buildings, or event-specific locations. Posted instructions and reasonable directions from authorized personnel are considered part of this policy.

Sportsmanship Acknowledgment

By entering Gulfport Sportsplex or participating in an event at the facility, each individual acknowledges that they will:

Treat athletes, coaches, officials, staff, volunteers, and spectators with respect.
Encourage positive participation and constructive communication.
Refrain from fighting, threats, intimidation, abusive language, and disruptive conduct.
Compete fairly and honestly.
Respect Gulfport Sportsplex property and facilities.
Follow all facility, tournament, league, and competition rules.
Accept the consequences associated with violations of these standards.

Failure to comply may result in immediate ejection, disqualification, suspension, loss of facility privileges, financial responsibility, or other disciplinary action without refund.