How the Manitoba Soccer Association is helping young referees avoid abuse

WINNIPEG — The Manitoba Soccer Association (MSA) has created a campaign to help keep younger referees and to help them avoid abuse in their early years as a ref.

The MSA has started the Purple Shirt Respect Campaign, which would see new referees wearing a purple shirt to indicate to coaches, players, and spectators that they are still learning.

Hector Vergara, who is the executive director of the MSA, said the association has struggled with keeping younger referees.

"We have in the past encountered many young referees who have decided not to continue to referee after the first year,” he said, saying they’re receiving aggressive criticism of their decisions by players, coaches, and parents.

He added it is “disheartening” for some of the referees.

Vergara said for some of the leagues in the province, referees can be as young as nine-years-old. In the higher-level leagues, kids can start refereeing at 14-years-old.

"They are learning and they are going to make mistakes, there is a lot to learn as a referee. Therefore, by advising them, making them aware that there is a young referee on the pitch, hopefully, they can keep their comments to themselves and let the referee do the best job that they can, based on what they know, and eventually, it helps everybody in the system keep the referees."

Vergara added that all clubs have been told about the campaign and that if abuse of young officials continues, steps can be taken for discipline.

As part of the campaign, if referees wearing purple shirts feel that they are being mistreated or abused, they can abandon the game and then file a report about the incident.

Any team or individual can face discipline. The discipline can be a suspension and a fine and can be increased based on the number of offences that have been committed.

Vergara said he hopes they don't see cases like this as it would show that the program is working.

He added that the campaign is already underway and there are currently 70 referees who have the purple shirts.

"We have received very good feedback from different individuals including coaches and parents, who have made the comment that 'it is very good for us to have this program going'," said Vergara.

He said he expects more referees to get the purple shirts within the coming weeks. There are over 500 referees in Manitoba, who ref at all different levels for the MSA.