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 and 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 promotes.
The primary responsibility for the actions of coaches, players, and spectators resides with their 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).
Coaches, Players, and Spectators must adhere to all BAYS and Mass Youth Soccer rules, policies, and procedures at all times. These include but are not limited to:
Mass Youth Soccer Spectator Misconduct Toward Referees Policy which extends USSF-531-9 to include spectators
Codes of Conduct
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, but are encouraged, to provide verbal warnings prior to issuing cautions or send-offs or submitting a Misconduct violation in the game report.
All interactions before the game, and any permissible interactions during the game, must be positive and respectful. Coaches must be responsive to any directives or questions posed by the referee crew.
During the play of the game, team officials and 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 Misconduct violations, regardless of whether or not they are directly addressed to a referee.
Coaches may ask questions before the start of the game. Coaches may not approach the referee, during the game, 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 (referee retains the right to stop the game or not)
For the purposes of this rule, arguing about calls or non-calls, especially regarding not calling fouls or aggressive play, does not fall under this emergency or safety issue exception and is not allowed.
Alert the referee that there has been an incident of misconduct containing discriminatory, derogatory, or abusive language or behavior: Coach should say: “Referee, Misconduct Report”
Call for substitutions
Ask the Officials to clarify: 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 Club and 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.
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, if the team is left without a credentialed adult on the sidelines, or if a team has more than two people ejected (sent off or dismissed) from a game.
The referee must record any misconduct violation(s) per the BAYS guidelines in the game report.
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.
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 misconduct violation(s) per the BAYS guidelines in the game report.
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 respectfully 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.
For the purposes of this rule, arguing about calls or non-calls, especially regarding not calling fouls or aggressive play, does not fall under this emergency or safety issue exception and is not allowed.
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 are acting inappropriately.
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 misconduct violation(s) per the BAYS guidelines in the game report.