SafeSport

Overview

U.S. Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer), the national governing body for the sport of soccer in the United States. U.S. Soccer has developed the Safe Soccer Framework as a foundation from which all participants in the soccer community, be they athletes, coaches, referees, administrators or volunteers, play an active role in creating an environment free from emotional, physical or sexual abuse. The Safe Soccer Framework is a comprehensive program of policies and process, screening, education and training, reporting, monitoring and enforcement designed to help participants detect and report abuse, respond to it, and prevent future occurrences.

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

Virginia Youth Soccer Association is dedicated to maintaining zero tolerance for Prohibited Conduct. As such, it is vital that everyone actively participates in the protection of Youth. VYSA encourages everyone to report SafeSport Code violations and stresses that Covered Personnel are mandatory reporters per applicable state and federal law.

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.

Recognize to Recover

Recognize to Recover is aimed at promoting safe play and reducing injuries in soccer players of all ages. The first-of-its-kind, the program was developed with the help of medical experts to provide coaches, parents, players and referees with information, guidance and additional educational materials to improve the prevention and management of injuries.

Resources

MENTAL HEALTH

CONCUSSION AWARENESS WEEK

HEALTH & SAFETY SUMMIT

HEAD & BRAIN CONDITIONS

EMERGENCY ACTION PLANS

INJURY PREVENTION

INJURY RECOVERY
CARDIAC CONDITIONS

RESPIRATORY CONDITIONS

MEDICATION AND ANTI-DOPING RESOURCES

NUTRITION AND HYDRATION

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

SOCCER FOR ATHLETES WITH DISABILITIES

Participant Safety Hub

Virginia Youth Soccer Association is committed to a culture of compliance, ethical conduct and safety. Below you will find policies implemented by U.S. Soccer to ensure this culture, as well as information about how to report to VYSA concerns about any known or suspected violations of law, policy, ethics or rules regarding Virginia Youth Soccer and its staff, athletes and organization members.

Timely reporting of violations support U.S. Soccer’s commitment to a culture of ethics, compliance and safety and we appreciate your cooperation in maintaining a safe and healthy environment for all.

Review policies and find resources at ussoccer.com/participant-safety-hub.

Report a Concern

Suspended or Ineligible Individuals

For a list of individuals subject to measures imposed by the U.S. Center for SafeSport, including individuals on probation, suspended, or ruled ineligible, click here.

How to Report a Concern: To make a report, either fill and submit the form here, or call (312) 528-7004 to leave a voicemail. Please provide as much detail in your report as possible, including contact information, should you wish to be contacted concerning your report. U.S. Soccer does not retaliate and does not tolerate retaliation against any individual who makes a report in good faith. Please see below for more information.

What can I report to the integrity hotline?

Some examples include, but are not limited to:

• Potential violations of the SafeSport Code/participant safety policies
• Potential violations of law or policy
• Anti-doping violations
• Allegations of match fixing
• Allegations of referee misconduct and/or misconduct or assault toward a referee
• Concerns regarding your local soccer club, state association, or national member organization

If you have a general message or concern not related to the foregoing, please submit your message via the U.S. Soccer Contact Us page.

Reporting Instructions: To make a report, either fill and submit the form here, or call (312) 528-7004 to leave a voicemail. Please provide as much detail in your report as possible, including contact information, should you wish to be contacted concerning your report.

Resources for Reporting Abuse

View resources provided by the Virginia Department of Social Services – Child Protective Services (CPS) for reporting child abuse and neglect.

Virginia Hotline Number: (800) 552-7096

Spanish: (800) 855-8200

Virginia Relay enables people who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, or have difficulty speaking to communicate by TTY (text telephone) or another assistive telephone device with anyone who uses a standard phone.

TTY (800) 828-1120
Voice (800) 828-1140
Captioned Telephone Service(877) 243-2823
Speech-to-Speech (866) 221-6784
Visually Assisted Speech to Speech (800) 855-8220