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Referee Assault - Suggestions

+ Do NOT strike back unless it is absolutely in self-defense. Defend yourself as passively as possible until others can intervene. Most onlookers, even though they may be equally upset with the referee, will come to the aid of anyone (even the referee!) who is physically attacked.
+ Obtain witnesses ... your assistant referees and spectators (use players as witnesses only as a last resort).
+ Seek medical attention if you are injured.
+ Contact the local police immediately ... assault is a criminal offense, so file a police report!
+ Stay as calm as you can, and record the details of the incident after things get under control. Make sure you have the facts straight before leaving the vicinity of the field.

Referee Assault - Additional USSF Protocol
The day of the incident (do NOT wait until the next day!), call the current GLASRA President. The GLASRA President will then contact the current USSF State Referee Administrator (SRA) for Michigan and report the incident. The SRA will advise you about who else to contact and where to mail your written reports. The SRA will help you with all the details. You may later need to appear at a disciplinary hearing to provide testimony.

Type up a supplemental game report. Provide detail of the incident. For outdoor USSF games, write a summary and include it as a Supplement to the Game Report that you mail back to the league (Capital Area Soccer League, Little Caesar's, Soccer Zone). Mail copies of this report (in the next day's mail) to the league, to the GLASRA President, and to the USSF SRA (and any other person the SRA suggests you send it to). Your written report should be brief, informative, accurate, professional and completely devoid of all emotion ("just the facts!"). It is hard to do, but keep your reports as factual and unemotional as possible. If you do so, the appropriate persons will be better able to take the proper disciplinary action. 

If you wish, ask your assistant referees to write their own reports based on their own points-of-view.

Referee Assault - Additional High School Protocol
There is a special report form to file. These forms are available from either the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) or the GLASRA President. These are the same forms normally used to report player or coach ejections. In the next day's mail, mail the written report to the school and to the MHSAA.

Call the MHSAA and ask for Tom Minter. Advise Tom of the incident, and tell him your written report is in the mail. They may ask you to fax the report to them... do so if you can.

Call the school principal or athletic director on the telephone and report the incident.

Referee Assault - Additional Information
NOTE ... You have the right to seek both criminal and civil charges if you believe the incident is serious enough. Consult your attorney.

GLASRA Policy (effective 6/20/00) - The GLASRA Executive Board will advise all GLASRA members about assaults that occur against its members. Further, the Board will consider, on a case-by-case basis, offering financial help (upon request and in an amount determined by the Board), in support of civil actions filed by the assaulted GLASRA member.