Category:RAP/FAQ

Yes, anyone can report. Referees report potential abuse by players or team officials on on a match report. Anyone can report an incidents involving anyone other than players or team officials are reported on an Incident Report.

The RAP Program Administrator conducts an investigation based upon the materials provided by the referee(s) and witnesses. As needed, has conversations with the referee(s) and/or witnesses to gather additional details and clearly understand the incident.

Yes, they can and should be reported by anyone witnessing such behavior using an Incident Report.

In most cases, incidents not involving the referee are not a RAP situation but should be reported either by the referee on a match report or by another witness on an Incident Report.

New referees may be taken unawares by confrontational abusive behavior by coaches or spectators. This does not mitigate such behavior and should be reported to the Referee Administrator who can provide council on the most appropriate response.

The Disciplinary Board should meet within 3 days of the incident to ensure sanctions are in effect for participation in the matches the following week.

After the sanctions are final, the RRA or ARA may, at their discretion, provide verbal feedback to the Referee involved in the RAPP violation regarding the imposed sanctions. This also provides an opportunity to coach the Referee on game management tactics used to de-escalate a challenging and/or abusive incident.

AYSO’s Privacy Policies prevent the public dissemination of the (i) Referee or Incident Report, (ii) the RAPP Administrator’s investigatory findings, conclusions and recommendations; (iii) the RAPP Disciplinary Panel’s sanction determination; and (iv) the details or outcome of a Due Process Hearing regarding the RAPP incident.

Sanctions taken against spectators are communicated to them through the Regional Commissioner.

AYSO’s Privacy Policies prevent the public dissemination of the (i) Referee or Incident Report, (ii) the RAPP Administrator’s investigatory findings, conclusions and recommendations; (iii) the RAPP Disciplinary Panel’s sanction determination; and (iv) the details or outcome of a Due Process Hearing regarding the RAPP incident.

Each violator's actions are investigated and treated separately.

In the case of Physical Referee Abuse, should a criminal complaint be filed by the victim of any referee abuse, the documentation created through the RAPP reporting and investigatory process will be provided to police, a court of competent jurisdiction, or a litigant after a valid subpoena or warrant has been received and responded to by the appropriate AYSO representative.

Abuse against minors are automatically subject to a “minor multiplier” resulting in triple punishment as shown in the Penalty Summary.

Behavior that is abuse has gone beyond dissent (a cautionable event) and abusive languange and behavior (a send-off event) so a card should be shown for such behavior. That notwithstanding, RAP sanctions can be pursued even if a caution or send-off has not occured.

Suspension apply to all AYSO events. For example, a 4 week suspension bars an indiviual from any particiaption in AYSO events for 4 weeks, regardless of the team involved.

The final disposition of RAP sanctions as determined by the RAP Disciplinary Board are reported to the AYSO National Referee Program Administrator who, in turn, communicates that sanction with US Soccer Clubs.

Training is available at https://www.ussoccer.com/rap.

Additionally, all volunteers are required to sign a Referee Abuse Prevention Electronic Legal Agreement when they register as a volunteer.

Education and mentoring...abusive behavior is not to be tolerated. Anyone can report such misbehavior. Our Referee training materials are being updated to include appropriate training on RAP to include an overview of dissent and when and how to report potential abuse.