Uefa's Racism Protocol: A Three-Step Approach to Combat Discrimination in Football
Uefa established a three-step racism protocol in 2009 to address incidents of discrimination within stadiums.
This protocol empowers referees to halt matches and even abandon games if racist behavior persists.
When a referee becomes aware of a racist incident, they will follow these steps:
First, the game is stopped, and an announcement is made over the public address system urging spectators to immediately cease any racist behavior.
If the racist behavior continues, the referee will stop the game for five to ten minutes and remove the players from the pitch while issuing another announcement.
If the match resumes after the second stoppage and the racist behavior persists, the referee has the authority to abandon the game.
A match will only be abandoned after assessing the safety of players and spectators. The case will then be referred to Uefa's disciplinary authorities.
Implementation of the Protocol
The protocol was notably implemented during England's match against Bulgaria in Sofia in 2019, which was stopped twice. Officials threatened to abandon the match after players Tyrone Mings and Raheem Sterling faced racist abuse.
As a consequence, Bulgaria was ordered to play two matches behind closed doors and fined €75,000 (£65,000) by Uefa.
Previously, England's Under-21 players experienced racist abuse from Serbian fans on two significant occasions, but the protocol was not enacted in those instances. Serbia's Football Association was fined £16,000 during the 2007 European Championship in the Netherlands due to the racial abuse directed at England's Nedum Onuoha.
After the protocol's introduction, England defender Danny Rose was sent off for kicking the ball away in response to racist chants during a Euro qualifier in Krusevac in 2012. Rose reported being subjected to monkey chants and having stones thrown at him throughout the match.
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