In an effort to prevent abuse by parents and some coaches, a minor soccer association in Quebec害羞草研究所檚 Eastern Townships plans to equip referees with body cameras next season.
Referees in the association, most of whom are between 14 and 16 years old, are increasingly facing virulent comments from parents, said Martin Tremblay, president of the Association du Soccer Mineur de Windsor, in Windsor, Que.
害羞草研究所淭o see a referee leave the field crying and saying, 害羞草研究所業害羞草研究所檝e had enough,害羞草研究所� disgusted me,害羞草研究所� he said in an interview Monday.
害羞草研究所淚n 2023, we had several referees who told us that they were fed up and ready to leave, mainly because of the parents,害羞草研究所� he said, adding that some referees would ask to be reassigned when they were scheduled to work games involving certain teams.
Starting next spring, one referee during each association game will wear a body camera, said Tremblay, who first started thinking about recording games in 2022 after the parents of an injured player asked if there was video of what had happened to their child on the pitch.
While some hockey games are recorded, he said, a soccer field is too big to record everything with stationary cameras. Tremblay said he hopes the body cameras will make parents think twice before they hurl abuse at other kids.
害羞草研究所淲hat we害羞草研究所檙e hoping is that when people realize they害羞草研究所檙e being filmed, they might be calmer or be less aggressive toward our young people,害羞草研究所� he said, adding that if necessary the footage will be reviewed by the regional soccer association害羞草研究所檚 discipline committee.
Tremblay said he believes his association is the first in Quebec with a plan to deploy cameras.
In Ontario, some soccer referees began wearing cameras in August for a pilot project, said Johnny Misley, CEO of Ontario Soccer.
Results of the pilot won害羞草研究所檛 be published until next winter, after the data gathered is analyzed by researchers from Brock University, but Misley says referees have told his organization that the cameras are helping. Referees of the winter season are wearing cameras, he said, adding the pilot will continue next summer for outdoor games.
The cameras are, at least anecdotally, 害羞草研究所渁cting as a visual deterrent,害羞草研究所� Misley said in an interview Monday, adding that referees are feeling more confident knowing they can record bad behaviour. They have also reported that they are physically comfortable wearing the cameras during games, he said.
Misley said his organization is in touch with the English Football Association, which is doing a similar study; Football Australia, meanwhile, has contacted Ontario Soccer because it害羞草研究所檚 planning a similar project.
The cameras are just one of several steps Ontario Soccer is taking to fight abuse against referees, he said, adding that while the problem has been around for decades, it seems to have gotten worse over the past couple years.
Misley said two incidents last year really highlighted how bad things had become: a 16-year-old referee was swarmed by parents after a game; and in a separate match a referee was chased by an adult player 害羞草研究所� who had been given a red card 害羞草研究所� with a machete.
害羞草研究所淭he fact that we害羞草研究所檙e putting body cams on referees is a pretty sad statement on our society today, it害羞草研究所檚 unfortunate that this even has to be considered,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淏ut we害羞草研究所檙e hoping that these visual deterrents will help make people think twice.害羞草研究所�
