Club Photography and Videography Policy – DRAFT and UNDER REVIEW

Vision

Hills Hawks Football Club promotes a safe, respectful, and positive football environment where photography and videography support player development, celebrate participation, and uphold Football Australia’s safeguarding and digital conduct principles.

This policy is based on Football Australia’s current safeguarding, member protection, and social media policies and principles.

Purpose

This policy ensures that all photography and videography at Hills Hawks FC:

· protects children and vulnerable people

· aligns with Football Australia’s safeguarding expectations

· supports legitimate football activities including coaching, analysis and promotion

· prevents digital misuse or harm

· respects the rights of all participants

Where and Who this Policy Applies to

Football Australia’s Member Protection Policy applies to anyone participating in Hills Hawks FC activities including

· players

· coaches

· managers

· volunteers

· match officials

· spectators

· parents and guardians

· club administrators

It is applicable at Hills Hawks FC matches, training, team photos and events including events held at external private venues.

✓ Personal Use

A parent, guardian or family member may take photos or footage of their own child within their immediate family or household. This is designated as personal use and is not governed by this policy.

Managing Underage players

Football Australia’s Safeguarding Framework requires :

· protecting children from harm and abuse

· respecting children’s rights

· responsible use of photos and footage and safe digital practices

· responding promptly to safeguarding concerns and removing content and harmful content upon request

✓ Prohibited Conduct

Based on Football Australia’s policies, this policy specifically prohibits:

· Embarrassing, humiliating, intimidating, discriminating against or harming any participant through photography or video

· Exposing children to risk, distress or exploitation through photography or video

· Using photos or footage video to escalate conflict

· Digital misuse of photos or footage

· Ignoring safeguarding concerns or removal requests

Working with Our Teams

Hills Hawks FC expects everyone to use photography and videography in ways that support our own teams and uphold Football Australia’s safeguarding and digital conduct principles.

✓ Respectful and Safe Filming

Photography and videography of Hills Hawks players must be conducted respectfully and in a way that protects children and young people from harm, distress, exploitation or embarrassment.

✓ Supporting Player Development

Photos and footage may be used for legitimate football purposes including coaching, analysis, team communication and celebrating participation.

✓ Responding to Concerns

If a Hills Hawks player, parent or guardian raises a concern about photography or videography, or requests removal of an image or footage involving their child, we will respond promptly and remove the content as soon as practical.

✓ Avoiding Harmful or Misleading Content

Photos or footage of Hills Hawks players must not be used in ways that humiliate, intimidate, escalate conflict, or misrepresent incidents.

✓ Team Level Communication

Coaches and managers should communicate openly with their teams about when and how photos or footage will be taken, especially for junior teams. This supports Football Australia’s principles of transparency, empowerment and safe digital environments.

Working with the Other Team

In the absence of guidelines from Football Australia on filming or photographing opposition teams, Hills Hawks adopts the following policy:

✓ Legal position

The legal position is that Australian law does not prohibit photography or videography of people, including children, in publicly accessible spaces, provided the photos or footage is not indecent, voyeuristic, defamatory, in breach of a court order, or used for unauthorised commercial purposes. Most Hills Hawks fixtures take place at council and school grounds where filming is lawful.

✓ Doing the right thing

Hills Hawks expects everyone to use cameras respectfully. Even when filming is allowed, it isn’t always the right choice. If an opposition parent or guardian asks us not to photograph or film their child or to stop pointing a camera at someone, we will endeavour to respect that request.

If an opposition club requests removal of photos or footage involving a child or content that may cause harm, we will endeavour to meet this request as soon as practical.

✓ Photos or footage of opposition players

We will not post photos or videos that identify a child from another club without permission. Note that wide angle photography or videography will usually not fall into this category and if so, is acceptable use.

Where underage players are involved, the Hawks manager or other official should advise the opposition prior to the game that we are intending to take photos or footage of the game.

For senior teams, there is no requirement to notify the opposition of intent to take photos or footage before the game. This reflects accepted community practice and is the usual approach adopted by most clubs.

✓ Requests from the Opposition for copies

We will not release photographs and footage to the opposition or other third parties where we are unable to control or influence how they will be used.

In exceptional circumstances, this may be overridden at the discretion of the associated Hills Hawks coach, manager or official. Photos or footage that show contentious incidents or may humiliate either team or an official should not be shared in any circumstances.

If in any doubt, refer to the Hills Hawks Committee for guidance.

Requests from NWSF

Any requests for copies of photos or footage from external organisations, including NWSF must be referred to the Hills Hawks Committee.