Ahead of the new season, Cumberland FA has been reflecting on the positive impact of its Behaviour Ladder and traffic light scheme.
The initiatives remain instrumental in fostering respect, accountability, and positive conduct both on and off the pitch.
In youth football, the Behaviour Ladder provides a structured escalation pathway for addressing poor behaviour.
It ensures consistency in how clubs and leagues respond to incidents, offers education and reflection opportunities, and supports interventions such as Respect Festival Workshops and targeted sessions for parents and coaches.
All 588 youth teams ended the season on Level 1, the baseline for good behaviour.
Of those 560 teams never moved down the ladder at all, due to them creating a positive football environment for all throughout the season.
In addition 519 teams did not pick up a single disciplinary point during the season.
Only 12 teams were temporarily moved down to Level 2 during the season due to behavioural concerns and reminded of the standards expected and asked to communicate this throughout the team.
Nineteen teams went down an additional rung to Level 3, triggering a written reminder of the expectations of the CFA and their respective league; a warning to potential future actions and a visit from a CFA Matchday Observer.
The county FA says this shows that while most teams maintained high standards, the ladder provided a clear and fair process for addressing issues when they arose, ensuring that all participants had the opportunity to learn, reflect, and improve.
The adult football traffic light scheme categorises adult teams based on their disciplinary points:
- Green – Good behaviour, no action needed (0-24 points)
- Flashing amber – Some poor behaviour – warning level/Improvement required (25-49 points)
- Amber – Consistent poor behaviour – intervention and monitoring required (50-99 points)
- Red – Unacceptable behaviour – team suspension and FA meeting – (100 points)
A spokesman for the Cumberland FA said: “The traffic light scheme continues to drive positive change in adult football.
“Of the 88 adult teams monitored last season, 69 remained in the green category, reflecting consistent good behaviour.
“Fourteen of those teams went above and beyond, completing the entire season without receiving a single disciplinary point.
“This is a testament to the commitment of clubs, coaches, and players to uphold the values of respect.”
Working closely with each league and using data from the traffic light scheme and Behaviour Ladder, Cumberland FA recognised clubs that consistently demonstrated outstanding behaviour throughout the 2024/25 season.
Fair Play Club/Team of the Season awards of £100 vouchers courtesy of Kitlocker.com were presented to the following:
- Carlisle City Sunday League – Gosling Bridge
- Cumberland County League – Silloth FC
- Cumberland FA Andrea Buggy U16 Girls League – Gillford Park Juniors U16 Girls (Purples)
- Penrith & District Junior Football League – Aspatria JFC
- West Cumberland Sunday League – Lowca Pirates FC
- West Cumbria Youth Football League – Keswick JFC
In a further show of commitment to improving behaviour across the game, Cumberland FA is to return the £2,448 collected from Sin Bin disciplinary fines during the 2024/25 season.
This decision, made in collaboration with sanctioned leagues, ensures that 100% of the funds will be reinvested into behaviour initiatives.
The money will directly benefit clubs and teams striving to create a positive football environment.
