LOVE FOOTBALL. PROTECT THE GAME

We need everyone to play their part, so together we create a safe, enjoyable and inclusive game for allPoor behaviour is not acceptable in grassroots or any level of football. Passion, emotion and excitement are fundamental, however, they must be shown in the right way.

Once again, we want to take the opportunity at the start of the season to set expectations on behaviour. We need stronger progress, from everyone involved, to protect the game we all love.

Within grassroots football, we have a number of existing tools to address poor behaviour and have strengthened our toolkit with the introduction of points deductions this season, to demonstrate how seriously we’re taking the challenge to improve the current situation.

Repeat offences of serious misconduct will result in points deductionsWe are introducing point deductions for teams across the grassroots game if their players or coaches commit repeated offences of serious misconduct, making clear to clubs that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated.

Point deductions will apply to clubs at Step 7 and below of the men’s game, and clubs across Tier 3 and below in the women’s pyramid. They will be applied where there are cumulative incidents of serious misconduct. This could include acts of discrimination and assault or attempted assault, and physical contact or attempted physical contact against a match official.

Deductions will range from 3 to 12 points depending on the amount and severity of offences committed within a 12-month period.

READ FAQsVIEW GUIDELINES

Discrimination will not be tolerated in our gameAlongside publishing a joint action plan with Kick it Out to tackle serious misconduct in the game, we will launch a new campaign to raise awareness of discriminatory behaviour and to encourage people to report it.

If you see or experience any incidents of discrimination, please report it here:REPORT DISCRIMINATION

Sin Bins will be used to combat dissentTemporary dismissals are issued at the discretion of referees as punishment for dissent and apply to all levels of grassroots football, including youth, veterans and disability. This season, we will continue to encourage and support referees to apply the use of sin bins, where appropriate, to tackle poor behaviour.LEARN MORE

Promoting positive side-line behaviour through Silent Support WeekendsTo continue to influence positive behaviour in the game, we encourage leagues and clubs to adopt Silent Support Weekends throughout the season. We will also host a national weekend in March 2024.

This intervention encourages spectators to applaud, rather than shout and is designed to generate a more positive experience for players. We will communicate further information about how to run these weekends shortly.

Let’s make the 2023/24 season a positive and enjoyable one for all – please play your part.