Referee Abuse & Reporting
Your voice matters. We want to hear from you.
Every referee deserves to feel safe, respected, and supported while serving the game.
If a player, coach, team official, parent, spectator, or anyone else crossed the line, please tell us what happened.
You do not need to decide whether an incident technically qualifies as “abuse” before contacting us. You do not need to know which policy applies. And you do not need to prove your case before making a report.
Tell us what happened. We will listen.
You can make a mistake on the field and still deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.
A disagreement with a decision does not give anyone permission to threaten, intimidate, demean, harass, discriminate against, or physically confront a referee. Ever.
You Are Not Alone
Refereeing can be difficult. Unfortunately, there are times when behavior goes beyond disagreement, frustration, or dissent and becomes something more serious.
If an interaction left you feeling threatened, intimidated, targeted, unsafe, or concerned about returning to the field, we want to know about it.
That includes incidents involving:
- Insulting, belittling, taunting, or degrading behavior
- Harassment or intimidation
- Threatening language or threats of physical violence
- Retaliation for something you did as a referee
- Discriminatory or offensive comments
- Cyberbullying, doxxing, or harassment after a match
- Unwanted or deliberate physical contact
- Pushing, grabbing, hitting, kicking, spitting, or other physical aggression
- Damage to your property
- Behavior that occurs while arriving at or leaving a venue
- Conduct after the match or online that is directly related to your role as a referee
If you are unsure whether what happened belongs on this list, report it anyway.
Respect the Call
U.S. Soccer’s Referee Abuse Prevention Policy (Policy 531-9) establishes stronger protections for referees in youth and amateur soccer.
The policy recognizes both physical and non-physical abuse and establishes minimum consequences based on the seriousness of the conduct.
Referees under 18 receive additional protections.
U.S. Soccer’s current policy provides increased minimum penalties for certain offenses committed by an adult against a minor referee.
Adults have a special responsibility for creating an environment in which young referees can learn, develop, and enjoy officiating without being intimidated or abused.
Abusing a referee is unacceptable. Abusing a child who is serving as a referee is especially serious.
[ View U.S. Soccer’s Referee Abuse Prevention Policy → ]
[ View Referee Abuse Resources & Materials → ]
What Happens When You Report?
Our goal is for reporting an incident to be simple and supportive.
1. Tell us what happened.
Use the form below and provide whatever information you have. Give us as much detail as you reasonably can, but don’t worry about identifying the correct policy violation yourself.
2. Your report is reviewed.
The information will be reviewed so the incident can be understood and the appropriate organization, competition, or authority can be identified.
3. We will follow up — if you want us to.
If you provide a way for us to contact you, a member of the Alabama Referee Program will follow up with you. We want to make sure you feel heard, understand what happened, and determine whether there is anything else we can do to support you.
You may also submit a report anonymously. An anonymous report will still be reviewed, although our ability to follow up or investigate may be limited if we cannot contact you for additional information.
4. The matter is directed appropriately.
Depending on the circumstances, information may need to be provided to the appropriate league, competition, club, state association, U.S. Soccer, SafeSport, or law-enforcement authority.
We will handle reports as carefully and discreetly as reasonably possible. Some information may need to be shared with the people responsible for reviewing or responding to the incident.
Worried About Reporting?
We understand.
Maybe you’re worried you overreacted.
Maybe you’re wondering whether your decisions during the match contributed to what happened.
Maybe you’re concerned about future assignments.
Maybe you’re a young referee and aren’t sure whether an adult’s behavior was “bad enough” to report.
Please report it.
Reporting an incident does not mean you are demanding a particular punishment. It means you are giving the Alabama Referee Program and the appropriate soccer authorities an opportunity to understand what happened and respond appropriately.
You deserve to be heard.
And another referee should not have to experience the same behavior simply because no one knew it happened.
Retaliation is also a concern.
If you believe someone is threatening, intimidating, harassing, excluding, or otherwise retaliating against you because you raised a good-faith concern, tell us that too.
We’re Here to Listen.
If something happened, we want to hear from you.
You do not need to determine whether what happened meets a specific definition of referee abuse. You do not need to know which policy applies. Just tell us what happened.
You may provide your contact information so a member of the Alabama Referee Program can follow up with you, or you may choose to submit your report anonymously.
Your report will be handled as discreetly as possible.
Use the form/email below to contact us.
It’s time to be heard.
