Ethical issues in sport

• Sportsmanship


  Being fair and polite
• Sportsmanship


  • Playing by the rules
  • Shaking hands with opponents
  • Being polite and respectful to opponents
• Sportsmanship means not rubbing the opposition's face in it if you win, and not going off in a huff if you lose
• Sportsmanship also means observing the etiquette of an activity, like following umpires' and referees' decisions
• Sportsmanship in cricket and football


  • A batsman walking even if not given out
  • Players kicking the ball out of play if an opponent is injured
• Gamesmanship


  Gaining an advantage by using tactics that seem unfair, but aren't against the rules
• Gamesmanship tactics


  • Time-wasting in football
  • Making loud noises in tennis to distract opponents
  • Calling a timeout in basketball to disrupt the opposition's free throw
• Deviance


  Behaviour that goes against the moral values or laws of the sport, including cheating to gain an advantage
• Deviance in sport


  • Using performance-enhancing drugs
  • Professional fouls like tripping opponents
  • Aggressive and unsportsmanlike behaviour
• Gamesmanship does not normally result in punishment, but deviance is punished by sports officials
• Deviance is more common at higher levels of sport due to the high stakes involved
• Performance-enhancing drugs


  Drugs used to improve athletic performance, which can lead to health issues and undermine the integrity of the sport
• Types of performance-enhancing drugs

  • Stimulants
  • Anabolic steroids
  • Beta blockers
• The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport is usually banned and can have serious health consequences
• Player violence in sport can occur due to frustration with results or referees' decisions, or from being overly emotional or aggressive
• Examples of player violence

  • Taekwondo athlete Angel Matos kicking a referee
  • Mike Tyson and Luis Suarez biting opponents
• Stimulants Pros

  1. affect CNS ( Controls reactions)
  2. increase mental and physical alertness
• Stimulants Cons

  1. lead to high blood pressure, heart and liver problems, and strokes
  2. they are addictive
• anabolic steroids Pros

  1. Mimic male sex hormone testosterone
  2. testosterone increases bone and muscle growth
  3. makes you more aggressive
• anabolic steroids cons

  1. cause high blood pressure, heart disease and infertility
  2. can cause cancer
  3. women may grow facial hair and body hair and voices may deepen
• beta blockers pros

  1. reduces heart rate, muscle tension, blood pressure, and the effect of adrenaline
  2. this steadies shaking hands, which improves fine motor skills, and has a calming, relaxing effect
• beta blockers cons

  1. cause nausea, weakness, low blood pressure, cramp, heart failure
  2. banned is some sports but can be prescribed