You’re unhappy with the referee’s performance? Moaning and groaning about this call and that or the penalty would have given you that elusive victory? Was there a serious enough problem to make a valid complaint? And if so, will anybody ever listen or will you just be wasting your time in an exercise of futility?

Avenues are available for making effective complaints. But complaints directed right at the referee during a game, and particularly a young referee at that, will fall on deaf ears.

It’s not that the complaints don’t have merit. Rather, they are generally perceived as abusive, insulting and intimidating to the referee. In fact, those remarks are usually ill- timed and will almost certainly drive the new referee away from the game without the referee ever having the benefit of learning from the mistakes. What’s alarming to the National Referee Committee is that the attrition rate for new referees nationally last year was more than a startling 30%, with abuse from coaches and irresponsible parents ranking as the number one reason in one poll of former referees. This percentage was high enough to get our attention and begin the process to reverse it.

Effective complaints can be made when they are done in a professional, responsible manner, formally or informally. Let’s first review the formal process. For serious infractions by an official, such as unethical behavior, conflicts of interest, misconduct, or abuse of authority, there are the Association's rules (Rule 11, Discipline Section F) that specifically outline the steps for filing a complaint and the procedures that govern their review. The Provincial association is obligated to investigate all written complaints they receive and determine whether they are either unfounded or if there is any validity to them. They then decide if any additional action should be taken. Due process must be adhered to during the investigation of the charges.

Informal complaints are low key, such as a phone call, a quiet word out on the field, or a friendly discussion with the local referee coordinator at an association or league meeting. Most of the referee administrators in the program care a great deal about the health of their referees and are interested in listening to bona-fide complaints when properly registered.

Have you ever called, and what was the tone of your call? Were you mad as hell and not going to take it anymore? Were you calm, acting in a professional manner, and interested in getting your complaints satisfactorily resolved? Most times, I’ll bet it was probably the former instead of the latter.

Your complaints are taken seriously by responsible referee administrators, although you may not always see the direct results. When action is taken, it should be done in a quiet and very dignified way that will be a win-win situation for both you and the referee. For example, the referee in question may be reassigned to a lower, less challenging game where the comfort level for that official is much higher. The administrator might arrange for the referee to be assessed by a neutral observer to determine where the referee’s performance could be improved. Or the referee may be counseled about areas of performance or conduct that should be modified. These are some of the lesser known steps available to the skilled administrator.

No one wants to listen to unfounded and unwarranted complaints or the ranting and raving of a coach or parent who simply is looking for a scapegoat for their team’s losses. It’s much too easy to blame our defeats on others rather than admit our own shortcomings or that we simply got outplayed. In soccer, there will always be winners and losers, but it is possible to have a win-win situation here -- for the referee and for your complaint. Properly presented complaints, whether formal or informal, will always be listened to when the presenter is sincere, courteous and honorable.

Ask yourself some questions: When was the last time you called the referee coordinator for your area to compliment the performance of a local referee? When was the last time you called the referee coordinator after you had won a game to say that the game was much too challenging for the skill of the referee? When was the last time you called and recommended that a new referee who did a splendid job is capable of a much more challenging match than yours?

The ultimate goal of an effective referee complaint is to retain the referee, let them learn from their experiences and become a better official for it. When you have valid complaints--we’ll listen with an open mind. We all share the same goal--to make the game a better place for its participants and its spectators.