Violence against referees: the shocking data in one of our investigations.

Well the 92% of "insiders" in youth and amateur football (coaches, senior executives, responsible) witnessed episodes of verbal violence towards the referees, often young boys and girls just starting out, almost. And the 29,9% – almost one in three – has witnessed cases of physical violence towards them, with real attacks.

If in professional football the refereeing issue is increasingly in the eye of the storm (e part Where…), in a whirlwind of protests, insults, threats, dramatize, tags, headlines and debates, in grassroots football the situation is no better. On the contrary. It takes on the appearance of a tragicomedy.

With the "whistles" suffocated by a climate polluted by the spasmodic resultism of coaches and parents, the relative lack of vocations, the Federation's difficulty in covering all the youth championship matches, The Hague's need to produce as many referees as possible right from the start 14 years, in a vicious circle where everyone loses. And with TV dramas about "big boys' football" which only serve to fuel further excesses.

The data are those of a survey carried out by Sports Parents School, a reality born last year in Brianza and which is spreading throughout Italy to create a new sporting culture starting from the mothers and fathers of young athletes. In its training plan on the topic (which includes the #Arbitreducaggio project in youth championships, the dissemination of a Manifesto for Respect for Referees and other initiatives), the Sports Parents School questioned 375 operators in the sector.

THE PREPARATION AND STYLE OF THE REFEREES
The believes 54,1% considers the grassroots referees "on average unprepared", while the 37,6%, considers them "averagely prepared". On the shortcomings highlighted, il 41,2% indicates mental-psychological ones, il 36,1% the technical-regulatory ones, followed by athletic physical ones. At an attitude level, being able to choose two, il 68% highlighted “indecision”, il 41,9% fear, il 33,% presumption. Following, fear, authoritarianism and, with only the 4,5% "kindness".
According to 60,5% be able to become referees already at 14 years is too early, while the 29,1% he thinks it's right.

THE CLUBS' INPUTS
The role of sports clubs in educating and raising awareness among their members about respecting referees and their decisions is fundamental. Il 59,4% of the Companies gives these indications but "only verbally", while only the 23,5% even with a written regulation. Il 13,1% does not give any input in this direction. But what can protests lead to?, complaints and encirclement of young whistlers? Il 91,1% he is aware that “they only make the situation worse, with more chaos and errors”. They know it, but then on the field many are transformed and don't realize it.

REFEREES IN PINK
Even on suburban fields the number of girls who get involved is increasing. Il 71,4% did not notice any particular differences in refereeing compared to men, while the 21,4% he says “very good, we would need more". The rest 7,2% states that “I don't think it's an appropriate role for them”.

PROPOSALS FOR THE HAGUE
Among the proposals to improve the critical situation are "more tutoring and monitoring of young referees" (61,1%), “improve the courses and then do ongoing training” (50,4%), more meetings with companies and professionals (48,8%), greater selection (19,6%). Many also propose to train the new referees in the Rookie category.

VIOLENCE AND REPRESSION
According to 49,3% of the interviewees, more effective preparation of match directors would reduce the – never justifiable – cases of violence against them. While the 28% believes that nothing would change. Il 78,1% believes that sanctions against those who attack referees should be tightened, while the 19% already considers them adequate.

SELF-ARBITRATION
In grassroots activity, self-refereeing among young footballers has been in place for a few years, my he 57,8% believes that it is often thwarted and ruined by the intervention of adults, while the 22,3% considers it beautiful and useful and the 19,9% completely useless.

SPORTS CULTURE
Fortunately, il 69,7% he says he is interested in bringing a training and awareness project regarding respect for referees to his club aimed at members and fans, just like the Sports Parents School does, with multiple initiatives.

THE MOST EPISODES’ INCREDIBLE
The investigation also asked people to talk about cases they had witnessed. Here then is the referee "who insults the parents, even with provocative gestures, during the match"; the one "attacked by the kids while the parents insulted him instead of defending him"; “fans of parents waiting for the boy referee outside the playing field”; “the mother of a referee, in the stands crying over the insults directed at her 15-year-old son". And again "blowing an offside from a throw-in"; “a drunk manager hits a referee”; “a female referee hit with shameful sexist epithets”; “players who follow the referee home at the end of the match”; “My 16 year old daughter was attacked for a last minute penalty, I came in to take her away"; “referee chased by a manager with a flag”. Up to an "U8 match with the coach who withdraws the team from the tournament because according to him the referee didn't want him to go through" and "punch to the referee with a fracture of the nasal septum".

THE OPINION OF AN EXPERT
“The situation is critical and complex – declares Angelo Bonfrisco, former Serie A referee, which collaborates with the Sports Parents School to propose training initiatives in amateur clubs -. Everyone gets promoted in the courses, without a minimum of selection and evaluation of aptitudes, because you have to make up the numbers. Then kids from 15-16 years are thrown into disarray, without adequate accompaniment. They end up in a jungle, where they are targeted by everyone, and we have percentages around 50% of those who give up after a year. Unfortunately, little is being done to improve this situation, we are trying with the Arbitreducaggio and the Manifesto for the Respect of Referees, but action should be taken from above. A serious and far-sighted plan is needed, at matches from schools and football schools, working on the kids of 10-12 years and then reap the benefits over time. Double membership is fine, but it is unappetizing, it is not enough. And then we need to train the trainers, that is, those who must accompany the new referees".