It is expected that every coach, team official, spectator, and player will support the match officials. Match officials include all registered referees, assistant referees, fourth officials, referee mentors, and other individuals appointed to assist in refereeing the game.
This support is essential to the proper play of the game and to the development of our players and referees. Failure to support the match officials, especially by club officials/coaches, undermines the authority of the referee crew, sets a bad example for the players, and can rapidly escalate into a hostile game environment which is inconsistent with the sportsmanship goals BAYS is trying to promote.
The primary responsibility for the actions of coaches, players, and spectators resides with the Member Club. It is the club’s responsibility to educate, monitor, and enforce sanctions on any team officials, players, or any of its teams’ spectators whose conduct is cited as being in violation.
Team officials/coaches and spectators shall not address members of the referee crew at all during or after the play of the game (see limited exceptions for coaches below).
All interactions before the game, and any permissible interactions during the game, must be positive, respectful, and responsive to the directives or questions posed by the referee crew.
Coaches, Players, and Spectators must adhere to the USSF 531-9 Referee Abuse Prevention Policy, and the Spectator Misconduct Toward Referees Policy from Mass Youth Soccer, which extends the same minimum penalties to all spectators at BAYS sanctioned events.
Threats or acts of physical harm constitute referee abuse or assault and should result in immediate game termination.
BAYS recommends that the center referee deal with infractions of this rule in the following manner with escalation in steps as needed. Referees are not required to provide verbal warnings prior to issuing cautions or send-offs or submitting a Referee Abuse Prevention (RAP) violation in the game report.
Team Officials/Coaches on the team sideline
During the play of the game, team officials/coaches should not say anything to the referee, nor should they do anything that conveys any criticism of the referee either directly or audibly to the referee crew. Disrespectful comments that are loud enough to be heard by any of the referee crew are still considered RAP violations, regardless if they are directly addressed to a referee.
Coaches may ask questions before the start of the game. Coaches may not approach the referee at half time or at the end or after the game except to:
- Respond to an Official who has initiated a conversation
- Point out emergency or safety issues
- Call for substitutions
- Ask the Officials to clarify ONLY: type of restart/direction of throw-in or indirect vs. direct free kick
- Ask for the time remaining in the half
To report a violation of the Language Incident or Discriminatory Act per MYSA policy: Click Here
Coaches who have concerns about the officiating may only express their concerns by filling out a BAYS Game Feedback Report that will be routed directly to the home Referee Assignor as well as to BAYS officials. Coaches may not express those concerns directly to any member of the referee crew, even if they feel that they are only being helpful.
The referee should use their knowledge of the laws of the game to take any of the following actions:
- The referee may issue a verbal warning
- The referee may issue a caution by showing a yellow card, followed by a dismissal for continued violations.
- The referee may send off a coach for a second caution or a straight red card
- The referee may abandon the match, if the dismissed team official does not leave the field, or if the team is left without a credentialed adult on the sidelines.
The referee must record any RAP policy violation(s) per the BAYS guidelines in the game report.
Players
Players must respect the calls made by the officials.
Before, during, or after the match, players must not say anything to the Referee(s) that conveys criticism of the Referee(s).
- Players shall not dispute calls during or after the match.
- Players shall not make remarks to the Referees or advise the Referees to watch certain players or attend to rough play.
- Players shall never yell at the Referees - includes criticism, sarcasm, harassment, intimidation or feedback of any kind before, during, or after the match.
The referee should use their knowledge of the laws of the game to take any of the following actions:
- The referee may issue a verbal warning
- The referee may issue a caution by showing a yellow card, followed by a dismissal for continued violations.
- The referee may dismiss a player for a second caution or a straight send-off red card
- The referee may abandon the match if the dismissed player does not leave the field or if the team is left with fewer players than needed to continue the game.
- The referee must record any RAP policy violation(s) per the BAYS guidelines in the game report.
Spectators (includes parents, guardians, and any other spectators)
Before, during, or after the match, spectators shall not say anything to the Referee(s) nor shall they do anything that conveys any criticism of the Referee(s)
- Spectators shall not dispute calls during or after the match.
- Spectators shall not make remarks to the Referees or advise the Referees to watch certain players or attend to rough play.
- Spectators shall never yell at the Referees, including criticism, sarcasm, harassment, intimidation or feedback of any kind before, during, or after the match.
- The only allowable exceptions to the above are:
- Spectators may only respond to a Referee who has initiated a conversation, until such time as the Referee terminates the conversation.
- Spectators may point out an emergency or safety issues, such as a player apparently injured on the field or observed fighting.
If a spectator infraction occurs that the referee decides to address during the match, the referee should stop the game and inform both teams’ coaches that one or more spectators violated the RAP policy.
Depending on the severity of the offense, the center referee may take any of the following actions:
- Issue a verbal warning to the coach of the offending party’s team and instruct the coach to direct the spectator to cease their actions
- Stop the match and instruct the coach of the offending party’s team to direct the spectator to leave the field area
- Terminate the match if the spectator does not leave the field area and report the termination circumstances in the game report.
The referee must record any RAP policy violation(s) per the BAYS guidelines in the game report.