unsportsmanlike conduct
Penalized poor behavior
Unsportsmanlike conduct is behavior in athletics that violates the spirit of fair play—taunting opponents, arguing with officials, deliberate fouls, or excessive celebration.
In organized sports, it typically draws a penalty: The referee flagged him for unsportsmanlike conduct after the shove.
The phrase extends to any competitive setting where someone acts in bad faith.
- holdingMaintaining physical possession
- penaltyPunishment for wrongdoing
- personal foulIllegal player contact
- flagrant foulUnnecessary or excessive contact
- fightingEngaging in physical conflict
throwing punches · checking · roughing the passer · late hit · sledging · diving · violation · foul play · charging · brawling · bench clearing · obstruction · cheater · fake · misconduct · gamesmanship · running up the score · time-wasting
- sports infractionsfoul, violation, red card, ejection, disqualification
- sportsmanshipfairness, fair play, respect, integrity, play fair
- football rulesdowns, first down, first downs, touchdowns, field goals
- dirty playcheap shot, cheap shots, dirty play, foul play, late hit
- football officiatingreferee, penalty flag, yellow flag, false start, offside
- foulslow blow, headbutt, eye gouge, biting, rabbit punch
unsportsmanlike conductsportsmanship
Ethical athletic conduct
fair play · good sportsmanship · gentlemanly conduct · integrity
unsportsmanlike conductgraciousness
Courteous, kind demeanor
class · dignity · honor · magnanimity · decency
unsportsmanlike, sportsmanlike, sportsman, sportsmanship, sports, sporting, sporty, sportive, manliness