Addressing Touchline Issues: A Workshop for Coaches and Referees

1. Problems Outside the TouchlineJoint coaches and referees workshop

3. Instructors • Coach Instructor Name • Coach Instructor’s Title • Referee Instructor Name • Referee Instructor’s Title

4. Are There Problems Outside the Touchlines ?

5. The Issue • Soccer is an Exciting Sport • The participants have considerable passion • The Players • The Coaches • The Referees • The Spectators • Sometimes it can get “too Passionate”

7. What’s Different about thisWorkshop?

8. So What Can We Do? • First, remember our AYSO Team training The AYSO Team AYSO Teammates • - Work together • - Help each other • - Protect each other • - Do their best Referees Spectators KIDS Coaches

9. So How Can We Do It? • Preventive - Pre match or day(s) before • Reactive – during the match, when an incident begins • Follow up – after the match

10. So How Can We Do It? • Preventive - Pre match or day(s) before • Coaches • Prepare your parents • Set expectations (parent meeting) • Feed back - good and bad examples • Model good behavior • Be professional • Demonstrate mutual cooperation with referee

11. So How Can We Do It? • Preventive - Pre match or day(s) before • Referees • Be professional – look right, act right • Confident – look like you know what you’re doing • Courteous – don’t interrupt pregame practice unless absolutely needed • Demonstrate mutual cooperation with the coaches

12. So How Can We Do It? • Reactive – during the match, when an incident begins • Coaches • Let the referee crew handle the game • If your parents are getting out of hand, speak to them • Calm them down • Diffuse the situation • DO NOT criticize the Referee crew • Doing nothing, is giving permission for the bad actions to continue

13. So How Can We Do It? • Reactive – during the match, when an incident begins • Referees • Follow your training • Escalation process • Quick body language message that you heard it and you don’t like it • Look to the Coaching Staff to help out • Stop the game for a private word with the offender. • Remind the offender of the options left to you if the inappropriate behavior continues and your desire to avoid those options

14. So How Can We Do It? • Reactive – during the match, when an incident begins • Referees (cont’d) • If the situation is not getting better – if it is detracting from the player’s enjoyment • Stop the game and tell the offender if the inappropriate behavior continues the offender will have three minutes to leave the area or the match will be canceled • If the offender has not left in 3 minutes, terminate the match. • Doing nothing, is giving permission for the bad actions to continue

15. So How Can We Do It? • Reactive – during the match, when an incident begins • Regional Board Members • Be visible • Be at games with teams that have had previous issues with spectators. • If you hear or see a potential problem, head to that location. • Try to help diffuse the situation as early as possible. • Doing nothing, is giving permission for the bad actions to continue

16. So How Can We Do It? • Reactive – during the match, when an incident begins • Spectators • Wear Kids Zone pin as a reminder • Hand the appropriate AYSO Pledge to the offender and ask them to please read it • Look for help (board member, coach or referee not currently involved in game) • Send a quick body language message to the offender that you don’t like it

17. So How Can We Do It? • Reactive – during the match, when an incident begins • Spectators (cont’d) • Move near the offender and attempt to engage in small talk (distract, then diffuse) • Enlist the support of other spectators to also speak with the offender • Tell the offender how you feel about the inappropriate behavior and ask them to stop • Doing nothing, is giving permission for the bad actions to continue

18. So How Can We Do It? • Follow up – after the match • Coaches • Report the incident to the Regional Commissioner and Regional Coach Administrator • Fill out an Incident Report if needed

19. So How Can We Do It? • Follow up – after the match • Referees • Report the incident to the Regional Commissioner and Regional Referee Administrator • Fill out an Incident Report if needed

20. So How Can We Do It? • Follow up – after the match • Regional Board Members • Follow through with a thorough investigation. Dropping it or hoping it will go away, is condoning it. Conduct the investigation as quickly as possible to be able to address prior to the next match. • Apply sanctions if appropriate • If a case was extreme or involved violence, inform the Area Director

21. Simple Rules to follow Use the least confrontational method you can and still solve the problem. • If you are going to talk to the person: • Have a friend with you • Use “I” messages • In potential violent situations • Walk away • Let an authority know

22. What has worked in your Region?

23. All Regions have Problems Outside the Touchlines • What can we do? • AYSO Team • How do we do it? • Preventive • Reactive • Follow-up

24. Problems outside the touchlines should be rare and should not be allowed to interfere with the players’ right to a Safe, Fair, and Fun soccer experience. Working together, we can help head off these problems. Let’s keep the passion in the game – but focus on the positive AYSO Experience.

26. Referees: Our Role in the AYSO Experience

27. Who are the Referees’ “Customers?”

28. Everyone Plays! “Customer service is not a department, it’s an attitude” - Unknown

29. AYSO Ambassadors

30. Great Refereeing = Great Customer Service • The Game Matters! • We Honor the Laws of the Game • Nurturing New Referees

31. Tips and Tools • Use “The Triangle” • Teaching the Game • Embracing: Troubleshooters, “Help Desk.” • The Thank You

32. We’re AYSO Ambassadors!

33. Thank You