All coaches, team managers, players, and spectators shall support and respect the directions and decisions made by the match officials before, during, and after the game. Failure to do so undermines the authority of the match officials and has the potential to create a hostile environment for the players, referees, and all other participants/spectators at a match. See Match Rule 15.

The Referee Abuse Prevention (RAP) Policy applies to all coaches/team officials, players, parents, spectators, and other supporters and officials participating in a BAYS program or event.

• Only players are to speak to the match officials during and after the game.
  • Exceptions:    

    Coaches may: 

• 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/indirect vs. direct free kick
• Ask for the time remaining in the half

Absolutely NO DISPUTING CALLS during or after the game, no direct or indirect remarks to the referee to watch certain players or attend to rough play. Failure to follow the instructions of the match official, yelling, criticism, sarcasm, harassment, intimidation, or negative feedback of any kind before, during, or after the game will not be tolerated.

• Violators may be cautioned or sent-off in and may be subject to disciplinary action by the RAP Committee. (See the Penalties Matrix, including Key Penalty Factors). 

After the Game:

• If Coaches would like to provide feedback about the refereeing, AFTER the game, log into the BAYS site and under My BAYS->Coach/Manager->Game Feedback click the correct game link to access a form that will send the feedback directly to the home Referee Assignor as well as to BAYS officials.
• If Spectators have questions regarding particular calls, rules, or a referee, or wish to give feedback regarding a referee, they should contact their BAYS team coach. Coaches can file feedback reports with BAYS or speak with their club officials to get more guidance.

To report a violation of the Language Incident or Discriminatory Act per MYSA policy: Click Here

The referee has the authority to take disciplinary action from the moment they arrive at the field of play for the pre-match inspection until leaving the field of play/parking area after the match ends.

RAP violation suspensions extend to all Mass Youth Soccer sanctioned leagues. If a coach, player, or spectator participates with another team or league under Mass Youth Soccer, they are suspended from all coaching, practicing, spectating, or playing for the length of the sanction. Sanction may carry over to the next BAYS season if it cannot be served in the current season. If the violator is also a referee with MSRC, the suspension also removes them from all referee activities for the stated time.

BAYS Member Clubs are responsible for making sure that the required sanctions are fulfilled. 

RAP Violation Process:

For each reported RAP violation, at least three members of the RAP Committee will form a RAP Review Committee, as needed. RAP Review Committee members will work with club officials from both teams to try to determine what occurred and confirm the identity of who was involved within 48 hours of receiving the violation notice. Depending on the findings, a sanction advisory will be issued to the violator based on the 531-9 Penalty Matrix, or in the instance of a first offense only, the RAP Review Committee may recommend that an official warning be issued instead. The sanctioned person has 48 hours from receiving the sanction advisory to request a reconsideration (which can be either a review of additional documentation submitted or a hearing). Depending on the length of the sanction, the reconsideration will be handled by BAYS or by Mass Youth Soccer. Reconsideration reviews must be held within a timely manner. All violations, sanctions, and official warnings are tracked by BAYS and Mass Youth Soccer and will be considered should a violator reoffend. 

There is no fee to request a reconsideration. 

The club and the violator will be notified of the BAYS RAP Review Committee’s decision. See Match Rule 11 B. RAP Committee.

In the event that a violator cannot be identified or confirmed by their club, if the unidentified violator was a member of the coaching staff, the head coach of the team will serve the suspension. If the unidentified violator was a spectator, the spectators of the team will serve the suspension, and the violator’s team may not have any spectators on the sidelines or near the playing field for the number of games warranted by the Penalties Matrix. Fans and supporters of the violator’s team must stay 100 feet away from the playing field or stay in the parking lot, whichever is further, during the games for their suspension.