Honour Our Game!
Fair Play & Best Effort Card Guide
Positive Coaching Scotland
Positive Coaching Scotland - Fair Play Cards
Quality Mark clubs and leagues will be issued sets of fair play cards to help re-enforce the behaviour you expect to see from the sideline. The standard of
behaviour you set can have a significant impact on the touchline atmosphere. Use these fair play cards (and parents leaflet) as a gentle method of reminding
spectators that there are role models and play a key role in the development of a child. The message on the fair play cards is very clear – It’s their game,
let them play it!
To use your fair play cards, follow these steps:
 Before kick-off, coaches should bring all players together and set the behavioural standard they expect from the players.
 Coaches should then give the players one fair play card each
 Players then run to their parent / guardian / grandparent etc, hand the card to them and ask them to read it. (if they do not have anyone watching
them the player should hand the card to one of their team officials, coaches or supporters)
 Once the game has finished, the coach should then call the players together and re-enforce any behavioural points that may have arisen during the
match.
 The players should then run to their parent / guardian / grandparent etc, and collect the fair play card back from them.
 Coaches should then collect the cards from the players to use again the next week or once a month depending on how often you need to promote
the positive message.
Positive Coaching Scotland – Best Effort Cards
Your club will also be supplied with a set of best effort cards to help encourage young players in your team to adopt a hard work ethos. Research has
shown that praise for effort leads to increased motivation. The result of this is that they enjoy their experience and continue to develop their skills.
To use your best effort cards, follow these steps:
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After the match has finished the coach should call all the players together
The players should then nominate one player from your team to receive the best effort card
This may not be the best player, or the man of the match but the player that has shown a hard work ethic
Once agreed the team captain should then present the nominated player with the best effort card (this is repeated by both teams)
The player can then take the card home as reward for the hard work shown during the match and bring it back the following week.