Soccer referee abuse and assault are very serious crimes against the sport and they continue to happen to our members. Misconduct against referees may occur before, during, and after a match — including travel to and from a match.
It is critical that referees correctly identify and make a report of these incidents.
REFEREE ABUSE
Referee abuse is a verbal statement or physical act not resulting in bodily contact. It implies or threatens physical harm to a referee or the referee’s property or equipment. Examples may include:
verbal and nonverbal communication which contains foul or abusive language and which implies or directly threatens physical harm;
spewing a beverage on or spitting at a referee or the referee’s personal property;
remarks such as: “I’ll get you after the game,” or: “You won’t get out of here in one piece.”
These examples qualify as an immediate ejection from a match along with a Referee Report.