Question Number: 9024

Character, Attitude and Control

RE: Soccer in general High School

James of Birmingham, AL U.S.A. asks...

I am very shocked that Frisk resigned. I felt he was one of the best referees in the world...As I referee even recreational and young select tournaments I have noticed more and more abuse of the referees. How can center referees guarantee the safety of his or her crew?..What are some proper pre-game activities a center referee can undertake to prevent:.1. Dissent from the coaches.2. Dissent from the players.3. Threats from parents

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Items 1 and 2 apply to High School competition in America ONLY..1. Caution and show the yellow card to the coach on the first dissent. ..2. Caution and show the yellow card to the player on the first dissent. ..3. Call the police and have the threat dealth with by proper authority. ..Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Laflin

From my point of view:.1. Dissent from coaches.Order them from the technical area and away from the vicinity of the field of play. Report it to your county FA as misconduct..2. Dissent from the players.Tell captains before the match you will not stand for any dissent and for them to pass this message on to their players. Then starting cautioning..3. Threats from parents.If you think you can get away with it, send them to their car. Parents tend to feel pretty stupid in front of their kid and the coach. If it's an actual threat then as ref Fleischer says, you should be contacting the police...Regards