Sportsmanship, Gamesmanship and Deviance
Where is the line between clever competing and cheating? Learn the difference between sportsmanship, gamesmanship and deviance, and why athletes at the top sometimes cross the line.
Justify the choices, the way you are assessed
Free interactive practice on the decisions the assessment actually asks you to justify.
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Where is the line?
Every sport has written rules and unwritten etiquette. Most athletes compete fairly, but the pressure to win can push some over the line. This module sorts three kinds of behaviour: sportsmanship, gamesmanship and deviance.
Three kinds of behaviour
Learn to tell these apart:
Fair, sly or foul?
The three sit on a scale from fully fair to clearly against the rules.
Name it
What is gamesmanship?
- Gaining an advantage without breaking the rules, against their spirit
- Always playing fairly and respecting opponents
- Breaking the rules and being banned
- Trying hard but losing the match
Match the term
- Sportsmanship
- Gamesmanship
- Deviance
- Etiquette
- Playing fairly and respecting the rules
- Bending the spirit of the rules to gain an edge
- Breaking the rules and accepted norms
- The unwritten customs of fair play
Why cross the line?
At elite level the pressure is huge. The chance of prize money, sponsorship, fame and the win-at-all-costs mentality can tempt athletes into deviance such as match-fixing, deliberate violence or cheating. The rewards feel high, but so do the risks.
Reasons to deviate
Which THREE are reasons an elite athlete might commit deviance?
- The chance of prize money and sponsorship
- The desire for fame and status
- A win-at-all-costs mentality
- To enjoy the sport for its own sake
- To improve their general fitness
What happens next
Put the consequences of being caught for deviance in a likely order.
- An athlete commits deviance, such as match-fixing
- They are caught and investigated
- They receive a ban and a fine
- They lose sponsors and their reputation
- The image of the whole sport is damaged
Sportsmanship, gamesmanship, deviance
Playing fairly and respecting your opponents shows _____. Wasting time to unsettle a rival is _____, which bends the spirit of the rules without breaking them. Fixing a match for money is _____, which breaks the rules and can lead to a _____ and a damaged _____.
True or not?
Tap the TWO statements that are true about sporting behaviour.
- Gamesmanship bends the spirit of the rules without breaking them.
- Deviance can lead to bans, fines and a damaged reputation.
- Sportsmanship means cheating to win at all costs.
- Match-fixing is an example of good sportsmanship.
- Deviance never has any consequences for an athlete.
Consequences
- A ban
- A fine
- Lost sponsorship
- Bringing the sport into disrepute
- The athlete cannot compete for a set time
- The athlete must pay a sum of money
- Companies end their deals with the athlete
- The image of the whole sport is harmed
Sort the behaviour
Decide which kind of behaviour each action shows.
- A footballer kicks the ball out of play so an injured opponent can be treated. This is...
- A player takes very slow throw-ins to waste time while winning. This is...
- A player is secretly paid to lose a match on purpose. This is...
From fair to foul
Order these actions from the most sporting to the most serious rule-breaking.
- Shaking hands with opponents after the match
- Wasting time when ahead
- A deliberate dangerous foul
- Fixing the result of a match for money
Explain the difference
Explain the difference between sportsmanship, gamesmanship and deviance, and why deviance harms sport.
- Define sportsmanship with an example
- Define gamesmanship with an example
- Define deviance with an example
- Explain one reason deviance harms a sport