Amateur football associations are warning there will be no one left to referee games unless abuse and violence towards match officials is stopped.
Attacks, normally by parents, are frighteningly common. Last weekend a ref in canton Vaud was assaulted by a parent. The referee was under 18 themselves, so this weekend all games in the Vaud junior leagues were cancelled to protest. The action affected around 2,000 children.
Ronald Cramette who works in the Jura says not a weekend goes by without a serious incident being reported.
Amateur officials are clear, the parents are the problem. One idea is that a ‘fair play’ parent is appointed to keep other parents in line.
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