PRO is happy to support US Soccer’s “Respect The Call” initiative.
Promoting stronger sanctions for any form of non-physical or physical abuse toward referees during amateur and youth matches, it was launched launched in March 2025.
Please click here to visit the Respect the Call section of US Soccer’s website for more info
The updated Referee Abuse Prevention Policy lays out clear levels of sanctioning for both non-physical and physical abuse:
Non-physical abuse
Level 1: Verbal Taunting – Minimum two-game suspension (Examples: offensive, insulting, belittling, insinuating, taunting language).
Level 2: Harassment / Intimidation – Minimum four-game suspension (Examples: harassment, intimidation, retaliation, abusive language, non-physical threats).
Level 3: Threats / Derogatory Language – Minimum six-game and/or 6-12 month suspension (Examples: aggression, attacking, derogatory, doxing, physical threat, cyber bullying).
Level 4: Offensive or Discriminatory Acts – Minimum 10-game and/or 12-24 month suspension (Examples: comments about race, skin color, ethnicity, nationality, social origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation, language, religion).
Physical abuse
Level 1: Minor or Slight Touching – Minimum three-game and/or 1-6 month suspension (Examples: minor or slight deliberate touching).
Level 2: Physical Confrontation – Minimum 10-game and/or 6-24 month suspension (Examples: pushing, grabbing, pulling, squeezing, pinching, slapping, use of object in a non-striking manner, property damage).
Level 3: Violent Contact – Minimum 12-month suspension to lifetime ban (Examples: hitting, punching, elbowing, kicking, biting, spitting, choking, tackling, kneeing, headbutting, throwing object in striking manner).
Please click here to visit the Respect the Call education series on YouTube
