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.