Referee Abuse Policy

The purpose of this policy is to make clear that referee – where “referee” includes assistant referees – abuse of any kind is unacceptable and to define the standard sanctions for all reported referee abuse.

• No coach or spectator shall question decisions by the referee. Mistakes are part of gaining experience and learning how to officiate matches.
• Any and all forms of abuse – especially emotional, psychological, and verbal abuse – of referees is not tolerated. The referee subjected to abuse is authorized to dismiss the abuser immediately and without warning in accordance with this policy and Law 5 of the Laws of the Game.
• The referee may, at their discretion, provide clarification or an explanation of a decision to a coach or both coaches. Coaches and spectators are not entitled to clarifications or an explanation for referee decisions.
• The coach is responsible for controlling the behavior of all spectators associated with their team. A coach can enlist the help of the referee to address spectator misbehavior. Yet, enlisting the help of the referee does not release the coach from responsibility for controlling spectator behavior.
• The following Regional Board Members are authorized to: 1) Intervene on behalf of the referee; and/or, 2) Take immediate action including, but not limited to: a) Dismiss a coach or spectator, or b) Suspend or terminate the match: Regional Commissioner (RC), Assistant Regional Commissioner (ARC), Regional Coach Administrator (RCA), Regional Referee Administrator (RRA), and/or Child-Volunteer Protection Advocate (CVPA).

Youth Referees are one of our most treasured resources.
They are also minors.
There are no cautions or warnings for abuse of youth referees; your first negative interaction with a youth referee will result in your dismissal from the match.