PLANS were unveiled today for Respect, a cross-game programme dedicated to improving standards of behaviour at all levels of football.

The programme will be implemented in professional and grassroots football, and encompasses not only respect towards match officials, but also the conduct of overly-competitive coaches and parents on the sidelines at grassroots youth games.

This is something that Assistant Academy Manager Nick Cox feels strongly about: "Overly competitive parents can be a real issue, we've combated this at Harefield by consigning them to an area 20 yards away from the touchline on the opposite side from the coaching staff.

"Sometimes parents forget why children are playing football, because their only exposure to football is what they've seen on TV or when they've paid £30 to watch a live match.

"They forget that their children are actually part of a learning environment where they will frequently make mistakes as they experiment with new skills. Mistakes are all part of learning, nobody ever rode a bike the first time and parents need to remember this.

"The added pressure of parents shouting and giving complex instructions can often hinder a child's football development and take the enjoyment out of the game.

"We have a series of signs around our home venues reminding parents of exactly what we're trying to achieve here.

"Examples of which include, "Would you shout at your son if he was learning to read?"

"We do appreciate parents being there to support their children and give them encouragement, but it must be done in the right way, which is why the Respect campaign is a great initiative."

Watford midfielder Lee Williamson is somewhat of an ambassador of the campaign already, in his flat out refusal to swear, which surely must be a rarity in football.

"I used to but I gave up after I had children as I didn't want them around that sort of language. Then I realised if I could do it when they were there, then I could do it when they weren't there either.

"I guess it's similar to giving up smoking, it's just will power. I would never, ever swear at a referee in any case. It's hard when you get frustrated because a decision hasn't gone your way, but there is never any excuse for swearing."

The campaign represents a shared commitment between The FA, Premier League, Football League, PFA, LMA, PGMO, County FAs and regional and local leagues. From this coming weekend, a range of new measures will be in place, to improve the relationship between players and match officials and conduct in the technical area at the top end of the game.

When the non-league season kicks off, leagues up and down the country will be implementing measures to address the abuse and intimidation of referees and the excessive demands placed on young players.

The new Respect measures will be in place for the kick-off to the Football League season. There will also be a number of competition-specific initiatives, starting with The FA Community Shield on Sunday 10 August, including big screen messages, perimeter board advertising, and promotional films. In addition, the Manchester United and Portsmouth teams and the match officials will wear Respect shirts in the warm-up, and Respect sleeve badges during the game.

FA Chief Executive Brian Barwick said: "I'm delighted that the whole game is working together on this issue. There is a general agreement that something has to be done to improve levels of respect, for the game's long-term health.

"This has been a personal priority, and I would like to thank our various partner organisations for their support. This is not only about players and managers at the top of the game acknowledging the impact that their behaviour has further down the football pyramid, but also about addressing the most pressing issues in the grassroots game.

"Changing a culture is about long-term commitment to change negative attitudes and abusive behaviour. It needs the whole game working together to make a real difference, and that is what collectively we have done."

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore added: "Football engages, motivates and inspires - but at times we know it can spill over and get ugly. We all have a responsibility to deal with these excesses, and I sense there is a commitment from all quarters of the game - including the media - to deal with it.

"The Premier League, our clubs, the players and the referees are all engaged - we want to make sure that this ends up being much more than a campaign and results in making unacceptable behaviour just that. Unacceptable."

PFA Chief Executive Gordon Taylor said: "The PFA support and endorse the Respect programme and welcome the involvement from all of the games' stakeholders in sharing the responsibility.We will continue to work with our members to remind them of the pivotal role they must play in this initiative to ensure its success."

The key steps to be introduced in the Premier League and Football League are:

1. Referee managing the game, captains taking more responsibility for the behaviour of their team

Referees have been instructed to work with captains to manage the players and the game effectively. They have also been reminded of their responsibility to control the game by applying the Laws of the Game and dealing firmly with any open show of dissent by players. The instruction to referees is to stay and deal with dissent rather than moving away.

While the captain does not have any special privileges under the Laws of the Game, captains will be expected to take on more responsibility for the conduct of their team. Under the Respect programme, the referee will work with the captain to manage the players and the game effectively. The captain will act as the main contact point for the referee, and will be called over to an incident involving a team-mate even if he is some distance away.

2. Pre-match briefing meeting with referee and managers/captains

The referee will meet with the captains and managers (or a senior member of the coaching staff) at least one hour before kick-off to view the team colours, see the team-sheets but also to provide the referee with an opportunity to give a clear message of how he intends to manage the game and work with the captain to do this.

3. Team handshake before kick-off

This already happens in the Premier League and has been adopted by the Football League for the coming season.

4. Improved behaviour in the technical area

Managers/coaches/team officials should be removed to the stands if they leave the technical area to berate the match officials in breach of the Laws of the Game, or ignore the instructions of the Fourth Official to return to the bench after giving instructions and having a suitable amount of time to see if they have been carried out.

In addition, there will be no TV monitors in the technical areas at any level of the game. This is expressly prohibited by Premier League rules, which were amended in June this year, followed by a blanket ban from the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the body responsible for the Laws of the Game.

How it started

Respect started as The FA's direct response to the abuse and intimidation of referees at grassroots level, and poor behaviour by over-competitive parents towards their children, as well as aggressive coaches and spectators on the sidelines.

Those issues were identified as the top priorities in the enormous consultation exercise undertaken by The FA in defining its vision for grassroots football, "Your Game, Your Say, Our Goal", which compiled the views of over 37,000 participants, including players, coaches, referees, volunteers and fans. The feedback confirmed that parental pressure is one of the main reasons why young players drop out of the game, while poor behaviour by coaches, parents and players towards referees sees around 7,000 referees quit the game every year.

On the back of that research, during the second half of last season The FA conducted a 10-week pilot scheme in 20 adult and youth leagues across the country. The pilot comprised a combination of three measures: allowing only the captain to speak to the referee, erecting barriers along the touchlines to keep spectators back, and codes of conduct with related sanctions for everyone involved in the participating clubs. Over 300 teams, 150 referees, and 4000 players were involved.

The measures were identified after looking at the work done in grassroots leagues around the country, and consulting with County FAs, leagues, referees, and child welfare specialists. The FA also produced posters, guidance notes and pocket guides for clubs, players and parents, as well as an online feedback system where designated referees, players, club officials and parents fed back on levels of behaviour and respect.

The positive feedback revealed that the measures had a tangible impact on behaviour on the pitch and sidelines, and informed The FA's plans for the 2008-09 season. The "captains-only" initiative has been adapted on the basis of feedback from players and referees. Both groups wanted to retain a greater degree of interaction and communication. The detailed results will be communicated at the start of the non-league season.