Working with County FAs and regional/local leagues, The FA is opening up the Respect programme to the whole grassroots football pyramid. This week Brian Barwick is writing to 1300 leagues around the country to ask them to sign up to the Respect measures.
The programme includes four practical steps to improve behaviour, both on the pitch and on the sidelines:
1. Codes of Conduct for players, referees, coaches and spectators. The codes of conduct set down basic principles which everyone must accept and adhere to, with related actions for repeated breaches.
2. Designated Spectator's Area demarcated by touchline barriers, keeping spectators about 2 metres back from the pitch. This allows the assistant referees to perform their function unimpeded, and in the pilot scheme has demonstrated a marked restraining effect on spectator behaviour. Spectators will be on the opposite touchline to the coaches. The Football Foundation will provide £1m of funding towards the barriers at youth games.
3. Referee managing the game, captains taking more responsibility for the behaviour of their team.
Leagues are encouraged to opt into the programme by adopting the “Respect toolkit” provided by The FA. This includes:
- Guidance notes on the operation of the Respect steps, with versions tailored specifically to clubs, leagues, and referees.
- Order forms for obtaining touchline barriers at a specially negotiated rate
- Codes of conduct
- Captain’s guidance leaflets and Respect armbands