THE Hampshire FA aim to crack down on discipline at amateur levels - but admit it might take "a generation" before the grass-roots game reaps the benefits.

The association, charged with overseeing that almost 60,000 registered players behave themselves, have already dealt with almost 2,000 disciplinary cases this season.

Before last weekend they had seen a 19 per cent rise on indiscipline on last season, and in one week dealt with seven cases of assault on a referee.

There is a full-time team of three working solely on indiscipline and disciplinary commissions sit in six different parts of the county almost weekly.

The county FA are around 400 referees short of the number needed to officiate all their games, and operations manager Neil Cassar believes that has a knock-on effect with regard to on-field offences.

"It's probably a reason," he said. "If you have a man in black on the pich, it's obviously better than if there was a manager of one of the teams in a tracksuit."

Last season the county FA dealt with over 16,000 indiscipline cases, though Cassar admits that figure has been higher in recent years.

"It might have come down because there's less referees taking games and stand-in referees might be less likely to report offences."

It could also be down to the fact that there's less 11-a-side adult football taking place these days.

"Years ago you could say adult 11-a-side football accounted for 90 per cent of all our games, but that figure is down to about 40 per cent now," said Cassar.

"The biggest rise has been in the five and six-a-side leagues. In 1991 we only had about 20 or 30 teams, now we have over 1,000."

He added: "Sadly indiscipline is a part of the game, and it has to be governed by the FA. We obviously want the amount of indiscipline to come down, and there are several initiatives aimed at promoting fair play.

"It's important to target the youngsters, and it might be that it takes a generation before the levels of indiscipline fall dramatically."

The FA Charter Standard initiative aimed at junior clubs has been well received in the county.

The standard requires clubs to have qualified FA coaches and people qualified in child protection. Those who pass receive a range of benefits including tickets to England international matches at all levels. "If a parent wants to send their child to a club then those with FA Charter Standards are going to be more attractive," Cassar explained.

The county FA are also promoting the Fair Play award, which has been running for around five years and was this year won by Petersfield Town Youth.

Aimed at junior clubs, there are plans to extend the Fair Play award, and the FA Charter Standard, to adult clubs.

The only positive to be gained from the thousands of indiscipline offences recorded every year is the increasing fines from suspended clubs and players the county FA receives, which is extra cash for promoting their Fair Play initiatives.

Cassar said: "People perceive the Hampshire FA as an autocratic body that stops you from playing and takes your money.

"We are a non profit-making organisation. I can tell you there's no healthy pot here. All the money we received is ploughed back into the game."

Regarding assaults on referees, he revealed: "We used to deal with 60 or 70 a season but that figure has been coming down.

"There's three stages of assault, ranging from a 182-day ban and £100 fine to a life ban and £500 fine."

l Latest suspensions: See right hand column.

l THE next guest speaker for the Southampton Referees' Association's monthly meet has a foot in two sporting camps.

Not only is Phil Ratcliffe a former football referee, but he is now a cricket panel umpire on the Minor Counties League.

Phil will be speaking at The Dell Supporters' Club, St Mary's, next Thursday, November 21 (7.30pm).