An investigation of amateur football players' fair play behaviors and tendencies to move away from sporting ethics

This study examines amateur football players' fair-play behaviors and their tendency to distance themselves from sports ethics. The ethical attitudes of football players, including adherence to social norms, respect for rules, and moral values, were evaluated within the framework of demographic factors such as age, income level, playing experience, and playing position, as well as environmental factors such as VAR technology and attitudes towards compromising fair play. The sample consists of 738 football players from amateur football clubs in Istanbul. Validated scales were used for data collection, and statistical techniques such as the independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation analysis were applied. Correlation analyses revealed significant negative relationships between distancing from sports ethics and adherence to social norms, respect for rules, commitment to responsibilities in sports, and respect for opponents. This finding indicates that adherence to ethical values reduces the tendency to deviate from sports ethics. Regarding independent variables, it was found that players over the age of 25 exhibited greater adherence to ethical values, and players with an income below the minimum wage showed greater adherence to social norms, while no significant differences were observed in other dimensions. Players with a moderate level of football experience (4-6 years) scored higher in adherence to social norms and respect for opponents. Defensive players demonstrated the most positive attitudes toward social norms and respect for rules, whereas goalkeepers scored lower in some dimensions. Players who supported VAR showed greater adherence to rules, whereas those with a critical stance toward VAR exhibited a higher tendency to distance themselves from sports ethics. Additionally, players willing to compromise fair play scored lower in adherence to social norms, respect for rules, and respect for opponents, while scoring higher in distancing from sports ethics. Overall, the findings suggest that ethical behaviors in sports are significantly influenced by demographic characteristics, playing experience, and attitudes toward fair play.