The Football Association have introduced a series of tough new mandatory bans for grassroots players who abuse referees following a strike last season of officials and a Telegraph campaign for action.

In a series of rule changes that will come into force for the 2017-18 season, players at all grassroots and youth levels will now receive an automatic and minimum five-year ban from football if they assault a referee. There will also be at least an 84-day ban and £100 fine for any physical contact with a match official. Verbal threats will now be sanctioned with a minimum ban of 56 days, or six matches, and a fine of £50.

County FAs have all been written to by the national governing body and told that disciplinary commissions must impose these sanctions and can further increase them based on any aggravating factors. The FA did previously have a series of recommendations for the punishment of serious misconduct but these were not mandatory and, as extensively reported by The Telegraph, many grassroots referees felt both endangered and unsupported.