Safesport Information / Certification

The Washington State Referee Committee is dedicated to maintaining zero tolerance for Prohibited Conduct. As such, it is imperative that everyone actively participates in the protection of Youth.  We encourage everyone to report Safesport Code violations and stresses that Covered Personnel are mandatory reporters per applicable state and federal law.

If you suspect child abuse, report it to law enforcement within 24 hours.

Under the SafeSport Act, the reporting obligation is triggered when a mandatory reporter becomes aware of “facts that give reason to suspect” a child has suffered an incident of child abuse. Child abuse includes physical or mental injury, sexual abuse or exploitation, or negligent treatment of a child. Sexual Abuse is defined to include the employment, use, persuasion, inducement, enticement, or coercion of a child to engage in, or assist another person to engage in, sexually explicit conduct or the rape, molestation, prostitution, or other form of sexual exploitation of children or incest with children. Mental Injury means harm to a child’s psychological or intellectual functioning which may be exhibited by severe anxiety, depression, withdrawal or outward aggressive behavior, or a combination of those behaviors, which may be demonstrated by a change in behavior, emotional response or cognition.

The SafeSport Act also includes qualified immunity for good faith reports. U.S. Soccer urges all mandatory reporters to refrain from judging or evaluating the credibility of such allegations­ leave that to law enforcement.

Failure to promptly report suspected child abuse to law enforcement authorities may constitute a violation of applicable state and federal law and, in any event, will be deemed a violation of U.S. Soccer’s SafeSport Framework.

The definition of mandatory reporter now includes any “adult who is authorized, by a national governing body (U.S. Soccer), a member of a national governing body (Washington SRC), or an amateur sports organization (WYS Members) that participates in interstate or international amateur athletic competition, to interact with a minor (Youth) or amateur athlete at an amateur sports organization facility or at any event sanctioned by a national governing body, a member of a national governing body, or such an amateur sports organization.”

In addition to the obligation to report to local law enforcement pursuant to the SafeSport Act, Covered Personnel are charged with reporting to U.S. Center for SafeSport and/or WYS. Reports made to WYS involving the Center’s jurisdiction will be promptly forwarded to the Center.