Evidencing good practice and tackling abuse

There are many challenges that exist for match officials. Verbal and physical abuse, particularly at lower levels of sport, are a concern for individuals in positions of leadership within governing bodies. Incidents of abuse can lead to reduced retention and discontinuation of referees, umpires and other match officials. However, governing bodies and sporting organisations are aware of these concerns and are attempting to address concerns where possible. Therefore, this concluding chapter provides examples of good practice from sports in England and around the world. Furthermore, this chapter introduces a 10-point plan, formulated following extensive research with sports match officials, designed to control and reduce abuse as well as provide improved support and, as a result, increased retention of match officials in sport. This chapter provides essential reading for both individual match officials and governing bodies of sport.