Touch Football Australia (TFA) will introduce a new match official identification initiative at the 2026 DoorDash National Youth Championships (NYC), with all referees under the age of 18 to wear a high-visibility fluro green armband.
Featuring the TFA logo and ‘U18’ marking, the armband will be worn on the upper arm of all applicable match officials throughout the event. Its purpose is straightforward: to make it clear to everyone at the venue that the official in the middle is under the age of 18, and to reinforce the responsibility of the Touch Football community to support and respect our youngest officials.
TFA Chief Executive Officer, Marcus Ashcroft, said:
“The behaviour we accept on our sidelines is the behaviour we teach the next generation. When an adult abuses a young official, every child at that field learns something from it, and it is not something we want taught in our game.
“Culture is not built in a strategic plan, but it is built in how we conduct ourselves at events like this one, and TFA is clear on where it stands. Our officials are empowered to act, they are backed by us, and conduct that falls short of our values will be addressed under our Disciplinary Regulations.”
Supporting our youngest officials
The NYC is one of the most significant development environments in TFA’s officiating pathway. For many young referees, it is their first opportunity to officiate at a national event, supported by referee coaches and team leaders, and connected directly to TFA’s Referee Education and Development Framework.
Almost without exception, these officials are volunteers. They give up their school holidays, travel with their families or state squads, and make split-second decisions in a fast and physical game in front of an audience.
Many are also the same age as the players they are officiating, and some are even younger.
A zero-tolerance approach to match official abuse
TFA will take a strong zero-tolerance approach to match official abuse at the 2026 NYC.
Disappointingly, most match official abuse reported at the event does not come from players. It comes from the sideline, from coaching staff and from parents, the people our young participants look to as role models.
Abuse of any match official, regardless of that official’s age, may be dealt with under TFA’s Disciplinary Regulations. Sanctions can apply to individuals, including coaches, team staff, players, and spectators, and can also be applied to teams.
Teams are responsible for the conduct of the people who travel with them and represent them at the event.
Action will be taken on the field
Match officials at the 2026 NYC have been instructed and encouraged to address abuse on the field as it occurs, with incidents then followed up through the usual reporting and disciplinary processes.
Where abuse comes from the sideline or the coaching box, action is taken through the team. Depending on the scenario, the team captain can be penalised, sin-binned or sent off, and coaches can be ejected from the coaching box.
Incidents are documented and, where warranted, referred for determination under TFA’s Disciplinary Regulations. On-field action and the disciplinary process are not viewed in isolation, and both can apply to the same incident.
What TFA is asking of the Touch Football community
TFA’s 2026-32 strategic plan, The Next Play, is anchored by a commitment to safe, social, and meaningful Touch Football experiences and to the values of unity, inclusion, integrity, and excellence.
Those values apply to the sidelines at the NYC as much as they apply on the field.
Coaches are asked to model the behaviour they expect of their players. Parents and spectators are asked to remember that the young person wearing the green armband may well be someone else’s child, and players are encouraged to thank their referee.
TFA Officiating Performance and Pathways Manager, Luke Saldern, said:
“Our under-18 officials are learning their craft in one of the most demanding environments in the sport, and that is exactly what the NYC is there for.
“Development requires mistakes, and it requires young people being brave enough to put their hand up, walk onto the field, and get things wrong in public so that they can get them right later.
“The green armband is a visible reminder that the official in the middle is a young person doing a very difficult job, and that they deserve our support while they do it.
“To the under-18 officials taking the field, wear the green armband with pride. It is not a warning label or a mark of inexperience. It signals that you have taken on a role most people never will, and that the Touch Football community stands behind you while you learn it.”
