How to Deal with Assault, Referees' Helpful Tips.
How to respond if you are assaulted.
All Assaults should be reported to the Referees' Association of Wales (RAW) as well as the usual reports required by the Football Association who appointed you to the game. Do not hesitate to contact the Mon RA (Secretary) for further support and advice.
Click >> Form for the RAW
Never react to an assault by losing your self-control or showing aggression. Step back from the person concerned and keep your composure. If the incident occurs before or during the game, you must decide whether you are fit to continue. Consider the severity of the assault and any injury; determine whether it is necessary to call immediately for the police, an ambulance or for other urgent medical attention. If not, ask yourself whether you should nevertheless travel directly to hospital or to a GP surgery for treatment. Allow plenty of time, first consulting your Neutral Assistant Referees, if appointed.
If in any doubt, abandon the match, and do not allow your senior Assistant Referee to take over. Being fit to continue includes not only the absence of any significant injury: you must be fully in control of yourself mentally and physically and fully capable of controlling the game. If suffering shock or feeling anger, you will be unfit and must withdraw. If an assault occurs after a match the following procedures also apply.
Note the time of assault and the name and address of any witnesses who saw it occur or the aftermath. Ideally they will be independent persons and will have had a clear view of the incident, but others who are not independent, or who did not observe the incident but saw what happened afterwards, they may also be able to provide useful evidence.
If you decide to continue refereeing the match.
Identify by name the person responsible for the assault. Different principles apply according to who that person is:
1. A player or a substitute must be sent off and shown the red card (Should be told to return to the dressing rooms or whatever the competition rules require).
2. A club official, representative or spectator can be ordered away from the boundary-lines of the field of play. A club official or representative must later be reported to the FA/County FA for misconduct. The home club must be reported for the misconduct of any spectators.
(Remember Red and Yellow Cards from 2019/20)
3. A club trainer or physiotherapist can remain on the boundary as they may later ask your permission to enter the field of play to treat an injured player. You must decide whether there continued presence at the touch-line during the remainder of the game may present a threat to your match control. If you decide to resume play but they then interferes with the game again, you should abandon the match. They must later be reported for misconduct.
If you decide to abandon the match
If possible, identify by name the person responsible for the assault. Send them off and show them a red card. If it is not possible to send them off formally, they or their captain be advised that the incident will be reported to the appropriate authorities. Use your whistle to signal end of the game and confirm your decision orally to the captains of the teams as you leave the field of play, and/or to the coaches/managers at the touch-line immediately afterwards or, if possible, in the calmer atmosphere of your changing room. After changing, leave the club/ground quickly, if there is any risk of a further incident. In exceptional cases you might be well advised to collect your clothes and equipment and depart in you referees kit.
Keep a record of your loss
Keep a full record of any injury or loss caused by the assault. That photos of injuries for use at any trial or FA/County FA disciplinary commission. Retain receipts for all additional expenditures, including medical treatment, medication, dental repairs and repairing or replacing damaged equipment. Maintain a record of all travel costs, telephone calls, lost earnings etc. All this may later be recoverable from the person concerned, under an award by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority or under insurance cover.
Legal proceedings, informing the Police
If the incident is serious enough, including any case where you have been injured, it should be immediately reported to the local police station. You will be asked to provide details of the offence and any witnesses and to make a written statement describing the incident, which should be consistent with your disciplinary report for The FA/County FA. Ask for the police crime reference number. A copy of your written statement will not normally be provided. A police investigation will follow and a decision will be taken on whether to being criminal proceedings.
Always inform Alan Watkins/Kevin Jones for incidents in Gwent CFA or FAW where applicable. The Secretary of the League involved and your Mon RA Secretary.
If in other area FA's contact their Secretary (unless you have another name)
How to respond if you are assaulted.
All Assaults should be reported to the Referees' Association of Wales (RAW) as well as the usual reports required by the Football Association who appointed you to the game. Do not hesitate to contact the Mon RA (Secretary) for further support and advice.
Click >> Form for the RAW
Never react to an assault by losing your self-control or showing aggression. Step back from the person concerned and keep your composure. If the incident occurs before or during the game, you must decide whether you are fit to continue. Consider the severity of the assault and any injury; determine whether it is necessary to call immediately for the police, an ambulance or for other urgent medical attention. If not, ask yourself whether you should nevertheless travel directly to hospital or to a GP surgery for treatment. Allow plenty of time, first consulting your Neutral Assistant Referees, if appointed.
If in any doubt, abandon the match, and do not allow your senior Assistant Referee to take over. Being fit to continue includes not only the absence of any significant injury: you must be fully in control of yourself mentally and physically and fully capable of controlling the game. If suffering shock or feeling anger, you will be unfit and must withdraw. If an assault occurs after a match the following procedures also apply.
Note the time of assault and the name and address of any witnesses who saw it occur or the aftermath. Ideally they will be independent persons and will have had a clear view of the incident, but others who are not independent, or who did not observe the incident but saw what happened afterwards, they may also be able to provide useful evidence.
If you decide to continue refereeing the match.
Identify by name the person responsible for the assault. Different principles apply according to who that person is:
1. A player or a substitute must be sent off and shown the red card (Should be told to return to the dressing rooms or whatever the competition rules require).
2. A club official, representative or spectator can be ordered away from the boundary-lines of the field of play. A club official or representative must later be reported to the FA/County FA for misconduct. The home club must be reported for the misconduct of any spectators.
(Remember Red and Yellow Cards from 2019/20)
3. A club trainer or physiotherapist can remain on the boundary as they may later ask your permission to enter the field of play to treat an injured player. You must decide whether there continued presence at the touch-line during the remainder of the game may present a threat to your match control. If you decide to resume play but they then interferes with the game again, you should abandon the match. They must later be reported for misconduct.
If you decide to abandon the match
If possible, identify by name the person responsible for the assault. Send them off and show them a red card. If it is not possible to send them off formally, they or their captain be advised that the incident will be reported to the appropriate authorities. Use your whistle to signal end of the game and confirm your decision orally to the captains of the teams as you leave the field of play, and/or to the coaches/managers at the touch-line immediately afterwards or, if possible, in the calmer atmosphere of your changing room. After changing, leave the club/ground quickly, if there is any risk of a further incident. In exceptional cases you might be well advised to collect your clothes and equipment and depart in you referees kit.
Keep a record of your loss
Keep a full record of any injury or loss caused by the assault. That photos of injuries for use at any trial or FA/County FA disciplinary commission. Retain receipts for all additional expenditures, including medical treatment, medication, dental repairs and repairing or replacing damaged equipment. Maintain a record of all travel costs, telephone calls, lost earnings etc. All this may later be recoverable from the person concerned, under an award by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority or under insurance cover.
Legal proceedings, informing the Police
If the incident is serious enough, including any case where you have been injured, it should be immediately reported to the local police station. You will be asked to provide details of the offence and any witnesses and to make a written statement describing the incident, which should be consistent with your disciplinary report for The FA/County FA. Ask for the police crime reference number. A copy of your written statement will not normally be provided. A police investigation will follow and a decision will be taken on whether to being criminal proceedings.
Always inform Alan Watkins/Kevin Jones for incidents in Gwent CFA or FAW where applicable. The Secretary of the League involved and your Mon RA Secretary.
If in other area FA's contact their Secretary (unless you have another name)