Social Media Policy

•  Definitions:

Covered Individuals – All leagues, teams, players, referees, employees and independent contractors associated with any state association of SRA

Social Media – Any form of online media or use of sites that apply technology to facilitate social interaction, including, but not limited to profiles, commentary, writings, photographs, images, logos, and audio or video files posted on outlets including but not limited to Facebook, Instagram, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, LinkedIn, Wikis, blogs, podcasts, message boards and websites.

Content – All material posted on Social Media, including links to other websites.

Entity – Any leagues, teams and players affiliated with any state association, including but not limited to Officers, Trustees, Life Members, Servants, Employees, Agents, Referees and Contractors.

• Prohibited Conduct:

1. Displaying or transmitting content via Social Media in a manner that reasonably could be construed as an official public communication of any state association entity or attributed to any state association entity.

2. Using any state association's or state association's entity's logo, mark, or written, photographic, video or audio property in any way that might indicate an affiliated league, team or player’s approval of content, create confusion as to attribution or jeopardize an entity, league and/or team’s legal rights with respect to a logo or mark.

3. Linking to the website of any state association entity on any Social Media outlet in any way that might indicate a state association's entity’s approval of the content or create confusion as to attribution.

4. Displaying or transmitting content that contains trade secrets, confidential or proprietary business information of any state association entity or its agents, including, for example, internal reports, the development of systems, processes and products, internal business-related confidential communications, strategic information, financial information, etc., and confidential information related to an employee, such as medical/health information and personally identifiable information (e.g., Social Security numbers, account numbers, etc.).

5. Displaying, transmitting or posting content that reasonably could be construed as condoning the use of any substance prohibited by any state association's drug program.

6. Displaying, transmitting or posting content that questions the impartiality of or otherwise denigrates any state association, affiliated league, team, player or State Referee Association (SRA) referee or any referee who officiates any USSF, league officials, regional and/or US Soccer affiliated and sanctioned game or any conduct that is detrimental to the state association and/or affiliated leagues and/or teams.

7. Displaying or transmitting content that reasonably could be viewed as discriminatory, bullying and/or harassing based on race, color, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, religion, or other categories protected by law and/or which would not be permitted in the workplace, including, but not limited to, content that could contribute to a hostile work environment (e.g., slurs, obscenities, stereotypes) or reasonably could be viewed as retaliatory.

8. Displaying, transmitting or posting Content that threatens or advocates the use of violence against an individual or group of individuals, Affiliated Leagues and Teams, including Referees.

9. Displaying, transmitting or posting Content that contains obscene, offensive or sexually explicit language, images, or acts.

10. Displaying or transmitting Content that violates applicable local, state or federal law or regulations.

• Fines and Penalty for Social Media Policy Violations:

Posting, transmitting or displaying any content on social media is an extension of the playing field/pitch. As such, any inappropriate content that is considered in violation of the Social Media Policy will be viewed as if the comments were made on the field and dealt with in a manner that the League or state association views as appropriate within their discretion.

Multiple violations by any person will be dealt with and viewed in an appropriate manner in the sole discretion of the League or relevant state association.