The behaviour of your players, parents and coaches is going to be hugely important in terms of the enjoyment everybody gets from the game. Some useful thoughts / resources below...

FA RESPECT Campaign

The FA's RESPECT campaign has been running for a number of years now and you've probably heard of it. The strapline on their website says "good behaviour makes for a great game" and that sums it up nicely.

Visit the RESPECT website here...

RESPECT Barriers

We *should* have these at all our home grounds, for use during matches - if you find they aren't there, use a line of cones.

When games are going on, RESPECT barriers do two things:

They physically keep parents behind a line, a couple of feet back from the edge of the pitch, stopping encroachment on the playing area.

They remind people of the RESPECT campaign and that as a club, we are taking these things seriously. From the FA's own documentation... "Research has shown it to have a beneficial impact on the behaviour of spectators and their impact on players and match officials."

Codes of Conduct

Players, coaches and parents should all sign a code of conduct at the start of each season that clearly states how they are expected to behave. By doing this, you not only have something to refer back to if there is ever an issue, but you are also reminding everybody what is expected and raising this in a way that comes from the FA rather than from you, which gives it an official seal of approval that hopefully makes everybody buy into it more.

Download codes of conduct from the FA here...

Problems?

If you have any problems with regard to any behaviour that you feel you are struggling to handle on your own, you can speak with our Child Welfare Officer, Sue Sessions.