At Flagstaff Soccer Club, the image we present on the sideline is very important. Other players, parents and referees often judge us by how we behave on the sideline. Below is a list of expectations regarding sideline behavior. Adherence to the following guidelines will help ensure a positive experience for all of our players.

• Let the Coaches coach. Coaching by the parents from the sidelines is not acceptable. “Coaching” includes any comment that could be heard by any player which could be interpreted as instruction on technique, form, positioning, tactics or strategy. Also, parents should be aware that constantly talking to your player or other players creates distraction and confusion. Your role on game day is cheerleader.
• Make positive comments from the sideline. You will see our players make that extra effort when they hear encouraging words from the sideline.
• Absolutely no negative comments about the other team. This includes their players, coach and parents.
• Under no circumstances shout anything negative to the referee either during or after the game. The coach is the only person who can communicate with the referee. Calls will be missed and sometimes the outcome of a game is directly affected by a bad call. However, the majority of referees are putting forth an unbiased, honest effort and should be respected.
• Outbursts from parents on the sideline toward the referees only signal to our players on the field that they can blame the refs for anything that goes wrong. Blaming others is not a formula for success in sports.
• Yelling out sarcastic comments such as “Good call, ref” or “Thanks, ref” will only serve to alienate an official and are inappropriate.
• Do not discuss the play of specific players in front of other parents. Negative comments and attitudes are hurtful and erode parent relations, which are essential to the success of any team. Speak positively of each player, family or coach.
• If any issues arise during a game, parents must wait a minimum of 48 hours before discussing with the coach. NO EXCEPTIONS!
• In the event a parent fails to abide by these guidelines he coach will warn the parent. If the parent’s improper behavior persists despite the warning, the coach may instruct the parent to leave the field. The coach may also choose to sit the player of the offending parent out of the game. In such cases, the coach will inform the affected player that the reason for their removal is that their parent behaved inappropriately.  At the discretion of the coach, the coach may refer the matter to the D & R Committee for investigation. The repeated failure to abide by the policy regarding parental conduct may result in the offending parent’s player being removed from the team without the right of refund for any moneys paid.