Respect

Downtown Las Vegas Soccer Club is committed to creating an environment where parents, players and coaches are respectful to game officials.

These are some principles we live by:

1. The referees have been trained to do their job.

Referees have been trained in both the play of the game and the rules.  Referees are not going to absorb what you telling them in a game and become better referees that instant.  While it is true that some referees are better that others, experience and training will make them better, not instructions from the sideline.

 

2. Focus on the game, not the referee

While it is very easy to get caught up in the emotion of a close game, remember that the referee is not going to put the ball into the net or make goal-line save.  In the end, you are your team must do this, so get to it.

 

3. Referees need to be respected as part of the game.

It would not be realistic for a coach or parent to expect that a player plays a 100% flawless game.  Even the pros make mistakes. Why would we expect referees to be flawless?  There are many circumstances where a referee can make a mistake.  They learn from them just as you do, so respect that they are there to do their best and nothing more.

 

4. Yelling at refs helps them make calls against you.

If you think getting on the bad side of a referee doesn’t have an affect on the game, think again.  It is human nature for referees to unknowingly become biased when a sideline is badgering them.  So help yourself out and be kind.

 

5. Yelling at referees fuels others to do the same.

Coaches who yell at a referee will enable spectators to do the same.  If a coach does not yell and requires parents to do the same, they will comply.

 

6. You really can’t criticize until you have done it yourself

If you think you can do it better, see the contact information below. Otherwise, don’t speak out.

 

7. It is just a game.

A bad call or a missed call never ruined a career.  We want the best for our players, but seriously, how is any of us really affected by a poor referee performance. If you think that a bad call is a life changer for youth soccer, perhaps golf or track and field may be better sports for you.

Want to become a referee?

9 + 15 =

Our Proud Sponsors & Partners