The ultimate responsibility for the actions of coaches, players, parents and/or spectators resides with member clubs. The following document addresses our Zero Tolerance Policy Procedures.

• Zero Tolerance Policy Procedures – Parent Spectator Misconduct (PDF)

To help prevent physical assault and verbal abuse in the leagues and clubs within the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA); the Association has adopted a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY.

This policy applies to all coaches, players, parents, spectators and other supporters and referees effective immediately. Abusive and obscene language, violent play/conduct, fighting and other behavior (including, but not limited to sarcasm, taunting, etc.) deemed detrimental to the game between the above-mentioned groups will not be tolerated. The ultimate responsibility for the actions of coaches, players and spectators resides with the member clubs.

It is the responsibility of the coaches to provide referee support and spectator control, and it is the responsibility of the member clubs to provide instructions to their coaches on how they are expected to carry this out. This policy applies before, during and after the game at the soccer field and its immediate surrounding areas.

Parents & Spectators

No parent or spectator shall persistently address the referee or assistant referees at any time.

This includes, but is not limited to:

a. Parents and spectators shall not dispute calls during or after the game.

b. Parents and spectators shall not make remarks to the referee(s) or advise the referee(s) to watch certain players or attend to rough play.

c. Parents and spectators shall never yell at the referee(s), including criticism, sarcasm, harassment, intimidation or feedback of any kind before, during or after the game.

d. Parents and spectators shall never follow or approach a referee before, during or after the game at the soccer field or its immediate surrounding areas.

The only allowable exceptions to the above are:

a. Parents and spectators may respond to a referee who has initiated a conversation, until such time as the referee terminates the conversation.

b. Parents and spectators may point out an emergency or safety issues, such as a player apparently injured on the field or observed fighting.

Additionally, parents and spectators shall not make derogatory comments to players of either team.

Penalties (Parents & Spectators)

In the opinion of the referee, depending on the severity of the offense, the referee may take any of the following actions:

a. The referee may issue a verbal warning to the coach of the offending party’s team.

b. The referee may stop the game and instruct the coaches to direct the parent / spectator to leave the field.

c. The referee may abandon the game if the parent/spectator does not leave the field.

d. The referee may abandon the game if a credible threat is made to any member of the referee team.

After the match, the organization sanctioning the game may assess additional penalties including fines, suspensions and other sanctions.

Players

The conduct of the players is governed by the Laws of the Game as stated by FIFA and USSF. The Laws themselves describe penalties associated with violating the Laws of the Game. Additional penalties for players who engage in misconduct may be established by the club and/or league but may in no case be less severe than penalties established by FIFA, USSF, or ENYYSA.

Racial Slurs

ENYYSA enforces all sportsmanship rules for players and coaches. ENYYSA will not tolerate negative statements or actions between opposing players, especially trash-talking, taunting, or baiting opponents including racial or discriminatory comments or slurs. If such comments or actions are heard or seen, or actions of this nature are reported, disciplinary action may be levied at the discretion of ENYYSA.

Assessed penalties will include a minimum 3 game suspension and suggested education.

Penalties (Players)

In addition to the issuing of yellow and red cards during the match, additional penalties may be assessed as follows:

Coaches, Assistant Coaches & Bench Personnel

It is the responsibility of all coaches to maintain the highest standards of conduct for themselves, their players, and supporters in all matches. Failure to do so undermines the referee’s authority and the integrity of the game resulting in a hostile environment for players, the referee(s), coaches, assistant coaches, bench personnel and spectators. As role models for all the participants and spectators, coaches participating in an Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association sanctioned event are expected to be supportive of, and to acknowledge the effort, good play and sportsmanship on the part of ALL players from either team in a contest. By example, coaches, assistant coaches, and bench personnel are expected to show that although they are competing in a game, they have respect for their opponent, referees, and spectators at all times. The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association will not tolerate negative behavior exhibited either by demonstrative actions and gestures, or by ill-intentioned remarks, including those addressed toward the referees or members of an opposing team. Coaches exhibiting hostile, negative, sarcastic, or otherwise ill-intended behavior toward referees, opposing players or coaches will be subject to sanction by the match official. Additional sanctions may be imposed by the club that the coach or assistant coach represents, the league that the match is being played under, or as allowed by Eastern New York State Soccer Association policies after a review of the match report.

• Coaches shall not interact directly or indirectly with the coaches or players of the opposing team during the game in any manner that may be construed as negative, hostile or sarcastic either by way of demonstrative actions and gestures or by ill-intentioned remarks.

• Coaches shall not offer dissent to any call made by the referee(s) at any time.

• Coaches are not to address the Referee(s) during the game except to:

1. Respond to a referee who has initiated a conversation.

2. Point out emergency or safety issues.

3. Make substitutions.

4. Ask the referee, “What is the proper restart (i.e., direction and Indirect Free Kick or Direct Free Kick)?

5. Ask for the time remaining in the half.

• Coaches are allowed to ask a referee after a game or during the halftime interval, in a polite and constructive way, to explain a law or foul, but not judgment calls made in the game.

a. Polite and friendly concerns can be exchanged with the referee. If the polite tone of the conversation changes, the referee may abandon the exchange at any time.

b. Absolutely no sarcasm, harassment or intimidation is allowed.

NOTE: It is recommended that coaches or other team members do not engage in any conversation with the match official once the match has concluded.

Penalties (Coaches, Assistant Coaches & Bench Personnel)

In the opinion of the referee, depending on the severity of the offense, the referee may take any of the following actions:

a. The referee may issue a verbal warning to the offending coach, assistant coach or bench personnel.

b. The referee may eject the offending coach, assistant coach or bench personnel. Once ejected, the individual will be required to leave the field immediately.

NOTE: Referees are allowed to issue cards for misconduct to coaches and team officials.

c. The referee should abandon the game if the coach, assistant coach or bench personnel do not leave the field or any immediate adjoining area after having been instructed to do so.

Additional penalties associated with the misconduct of a coach, assistant coach or bench personnel may be assessed including fines, suspensions and sanctions. These additional penalties may be assessed as follows:

US Soccer Policy 531-9

USSF Policy 531-9 (https://www.ussoccer.com/governance/bylaws ) describes three categories of offenses towards match officials; gross mistreatment, abuse and assault. Those definitions are as follows.

Referee Assault and Referee Abuse

USSF defines assault and abuse as follows

a. Referee assault is any deliberate physical action against a Referee. Referee abuse is extreme, deliberate, and non-contact behavior that causes a Referee or Protected Party significant harm. Actions in this category may be subject to an immediate suspension, meaning that the perpetrator cannot appear at the next sanctioned match. Assault and abuse include, but not limited to, the following actions or behavior committed against a Referee or Protected Parties:

i. Imposing physical harm upon a Referee or a Protected Party, including by use of objects or equipment.

ii. Any act that endangers the Referee’s physical wellbeing, whether deliberate or

merely reckless.

iii. Any form of unwanted physical contact, including but not limited to pushing, hitting, striking, kicking, choking, or spitting at the Referee.

iv. Any behavior that constitutes a criminal offense under any applicable law.

v. Threatening, either directly or in insinuation, physical harm, including by use of objects or equipment, to a Referee or a Protected Party or property. Threatening is defined as any statement or action that instills reasonable fear of acts of violence to a person’s safety or property.

vi. Threats of harm or any retaliatory action against the Referee or their Protected Parties, including threat of exclusion from assignment or future participation opportunity.

Gross Mistreatment

USSF defines gross mistreatment as follows

Actions that do not meet above assault or abuse definitions, but cause a Referee or Protected Party harm, may be subject to U.S. Soccer’s gross mistreatment framework. Gross mistreatment means any deliberate, non-contact behavior that is expected to cause harm to a Referee. Gross mistreatment includes, but not limited to, the following actions or behavior committed against a Referee or Protected Parties:

a. Severe or repeated harassment, including hate speech or discriminatory remarks based on race, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, disabilities, or any other legally protected characteristic.

b. Extreme verbal attacks that would cause emotional harm to a reasonable person.

c. Approaching a Referee when they arrive or depart the venue with aggression (e.g.,

intimidation).

d. Any form of cyberbullying, including spreading false information about the Referee, sharing the Referee’s personal information (aka doxing), or publicly posting content that ridicules or mocks the Referee or uses hate speech.

e. Questioning the Referee’s character, integrity, honesty, truthfulness, or impartiality.f. Yelling insults, taunting, making, or expressing derogatory/belittling remarks towards a Referee.

g. Pervasive action that belittles or undermines the Referee’s authority or intended to cast doubt on the Referee.

Eastern NY Soccer Association  – Zero-Tolerance-Policy