Football Crackdown: New Charter Targets Bad Behaviour for 2023-24 Season
Football’s top brass have launched a no-nonsense participant charter for the 2023-24 season to tackle poor conduct on and off the pitch. The Football Association (FA), Premier League, English Football League (EFL), Women’s Super League, Women’s Championship, National League, and referees’ body PGMOL all signed up. The League Managers Association and Professional Footballers’ Association also helped shape the rules.
Strict Rules on Player Conduct and Referee Respect
Players must now steer clear of match officials’ personal space — no confronting, no touching. If two or more players gang up on a ref, they’ll get a yellow card and an FA report. The message is loud and clear: respect the officials or face the consequences.
Zero Tolerance on ‘Tragedy Chanting’ and Fan Abuse
The football chiefs are cracking down on “vile” tragedy chanting—those awful songs about stadium disasters and player or fan deaths. Offenders risk stadium bans and even criminal charges. There’ll also be education campaigns aimed at adults and kids to stop these tasteless chants dead in their tracks.
New Technical Area Rules for Managers and Coaches
- Managers must attend pre-match briefings.
- Only team members on the official sheet can enter the technical area.
- No staff can confront match officials at half-time or full-time.
- Only one person allowed at the front of the technical area during matches.
Officials now have backing to hand out yellow and red cards for unsporting behaviour, with the FA ready to dish out harsher punishments when needed.
Point Deductions for Serious Misconduct in Grassroots Football
At the grassroots level, teams in Step 7 and below (men) and Tier 3 and below (women) face points deductions for repeated serious offences within 12 months. The penalties will depend on how often and how serious the misconduct is, pushing grassroots clubs to clean up their act.
A Clear Message From the Top
Premier League CEO Richard Masters sums it up: “We want passion on the pitch, but there’s a firm line against unacceptable behaviour.” This charter aims to create a respectful, safe, and enjoyable environment for players, managers, officials, and fans alike as the new season kicks off.
