Overview

• Published this week, the 26-page guide advises avoiding gendered cheers such as “come on lads” in favor of “come on team” and using “assistant referee” instead of “linesman.”
• It addresses inclusive wording across the Equality Act’s nine protected characteristics with guidance on age, disability, religion and family status.
• Examples include asking captains for pronouns, using “partner” rather than “girlfriend” or “boyfriend,” saying “parent or carer,” and preferring “given” over “Christian” name.
• Berks and Bucks FA says the advice is intended to help everyone feel safe and welcome across roughly 600 clubs and 34,000 players in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and parts of Oxfordshire.
• Conservative MP Sir John Hayes criticized the guidance as “daft” and “sinister” and encouraged players to continue saying “come on lads.”