What do I do if a coach or spectator abuses me?

On the field (Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 5):

• You have authority to take disciplinary action from entering the field for the pre-match inspection until leaving it after the match, including penalties.
• You can warn, or show a yellow card (caution) or red card (sending-off), to team officials who fail to act responsibly, in the field of play and its immediate surrounds, including the technical area. If the offender cannot be identified, the senior coach present in the technical area receives the sanction.
• If a spectator's behaviour or an object thrown hits a match official, you may allow the match to continue, or stop, suspend or abandon it, depending on how serious the incident is.
• The decisions of the referee and all other match officials must always be respected.

Afterwards:

• Put the incident in your match report. It is submitted in writing to the Match Commissioner, where appointed, or as the competition regulations say.
• Clubs and leagues must take all precautions necessary to prevent players, officials and spectators from threatening or assaulting anyone at games, especially the referee and assistant referees, and are expected to provide security for players and match officials.
• In all cases of alleged physical assault, attempted assault or threatening behaviour toward a game official, the accused is suspended from all soccer activities from the date of the incident until a hearing has been held and the case decided.

Sources: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 5; Canada Soccer Disciplinary Code August 2024, Articles V, XIV and XV (https://canadasoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2024-CSDC_Final_EN.pdf); Canada Soccer Rules and Regulations, Regulation 14.1 (https://canadasoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CS_2025_RR_FINAL_EN-1.pdf).