The Don’t X The Line Campaign, Weekend of action has a strong community focus and concentrates on teaching Children, Parents, Coaches, and Spectators the importance of Respect, and Sportsmanship, in Football, and in particular towards the Referee, No Referee No Game.
The Weekend will see all the Professional Referees, and Officials coming together under the banner of the Don’t X the Line Campaign, getting across the message of Respect, and Sportsmanship, while having a Zero Tolerance stance towards Aggression, Verbal Abuse, Racist Comments, and Bullying from senior level down to grass roots and vice versa.
During this period and beyond, we urge all grass roots teams, clubs, committees, schools, community groups, and spectators to join forces with the Professional game for an extended weekend of symbolic activities by promoting Respect, and Sportsmanship.
The Nationwide, Weekend of Action will take place between the 14th and 17th of September 2007, and will be the biggest series of activities of their kind in Europe.
Getting Involved
Getting involved and how they get involved, Managers, and Spectators, if you feel that the referee has given a controversial decision, and lets face it in the eyes of most, every decision given is some way controversial one way or another,
For the awareness weekend and beyond, we would like to see captains only talk to the referee, over his/her decision, no other team member should question any decision given, and they must refrain from voicing their opinion, leaving the game to flow, and leaving the officials to do their job as they leave them to do theirs, any other player/s involvement then they must risk a booking from the referee.
At grass roots level, all players, spectators, and managers, should be tight lipped and try to keep their opinions to themselves, Aggression, and Verbal Abuse, will never change a referee’s decision. Managers and spectators should always support their teams in a responsible and sporting manner, and should adopt at all times respect, and sportsmanship, on and off the pitch.
Touchline Behaviour
All Team/Clubs at grass roots football should note this awareness weekend as the start of respect, and sportsmanship not just for the weekend planned but for the future of football week in and week out, it should not be seen as the power and the glory, but a learning process, we as responsible adults should be the teachers and teach the children the mark of respect.
Adults are seen as role models by children, what they see they copy, and what they hear they repeat, so why can’t we educate our own children about respect, and sportsmanship and in some cases re-educate ourselves to this, we have the power to control it as adults so why don’t we start on the weekend of action and carry it on each week.
- Respect the referee
- No Verbal Abuse.
- No Aggression
- No Bullying
- No Racist Comments
- Always shake hands with opponents, encourage spectators to do the same
- Always play the game and support it, in a responsible and sporting manner
- And remember, it’s only a game.
Eight good reasons how you can get involved on the awareness weekend and beyond, make the game more enjoyable and stress free, and make it the introduction of respect, and sportsmanship, back into grass roots football.
If you have any ideas or suggestions for the weekend of action and boyond please feel free to email us at dxtl08@googlemail.com.
DXTL
