Read all about the TCSL Respect the Referee initiative!
As you may know, referees are in short supply. The referees that we do have will be working many matches, to ensure that matches can be played. Without them, there is no match.
WHAT TO KNOW:
- There is a referee shortage. We need to encourage our referees to stay part of the game, instead of giving them reasons to leave the game.
- Referees will make mistakes. They are learning, just as the players are.
- Decisions are made in the moment and are final. Please understand that angles are critical to decision making, and your angle might have differed from the angle of the referee.
- Be empathetic: the referee is a son, daughter, mother, father, grandparent…what if they were yours?
- Perspective is important: 10 years from now, your child will remember the friendships they made and their love for the game….not a call in a specific match!
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
| Role | What You Can Do |
| Coach | ✔️ Greet the referee before each and every match. ✔️ Thank the the referee for coming at the conclusion of the match. ✔️ Be courteous and polite during the match. ✔️ Do not engage about decisions during the match or after the match. ✔️ Feedback can be provided, good and bad, through the Match Reporting & Feedback Form (linked below). |
| Team Manager | ✔️ Encourage participation in the Sideline Project. ✔️ Model good behavior. ✔️ Intervene in cases of poor sideline behavior. ✔️ Communicate expectations to team parents. |
| Player | ✔️ Recognize that mistakes are part of the game. You make them, and others do, too. ✔️ Be a role model for other players in terms of good behavior. ✔️ Thank the referee after the match. |
| Parent | ✔️ Take the Sideline Project course and take the pledge. ✔️ Model good behavior for your player and those around you. ✔️ Communicate expectations to any of your guests attending matches. |
RESOURCES:
Match Reporting & Feedback Form
