The Purple Card was developed to work in conjunction with the “Spectator Code of Conduct” that all parents & guardians must sign and agree to when their child participates in club volleyball. Giving referees and tournament officials a stronger tool for dealing with unruly parents and spectators at regional and national tournaments.
Over the last decade volleyball has been one of the fastest growing youth sports in America. With that success there has been an increase in the display of rude and aggressive behavior from parents/spectators. This misbehavior typically consists of verbal, often profane outbursts directed at court officials, officiating coaches and junior players, specifically those players assigned to line judge. Additionally, there were increasing encounters of physical confrontation in the stands during matches. As these instances continued to spread, many new & younger officials quit officiating, reducing the number of certified refs needed for the expansion of regional and national events. Just as significant, the verbal attacks on junior players required to line judge instilled fear and intimidation in them, undermining their self-confidence.
It reached the point where in August of 2017 the Arizona Region board of directors communicated a policy directive that their region was adopting and implementing the use of the “Purple Card” This is specifically for parents and spectators, before, during and after a match, who display bad or disruptive behavior. You can read the complete rules and enforcement policy here.
Summarizing the Purple Card. This is an additional tool for the up referee to use. Like the Yellow Card (warning) and Red Card (penalty) for coaches and players, the Purple Card will have the same issuance as those two cards but specifically for the spectators and the team they support. At its most basic, it gives the offending team and their parents a warning. With continued infractions, it can include loss of serve, points awarded to the opposing team and ultimately spectator expulsion.
Currently, for the 2024 season, there are nine regions that have adopted the use of the Purple Card. They include: Arizona, Southern California, Florida, Carolina, Oklahoma, Sun Country, Chesapeake, Columbia Empire and Puget Sound.
It’s important to remember you are there to support and lift up your child and their teammates. Your role as parent and spectator should never include confrontation with any official and certainly never with a child from another team. Your positivity and kindness will leave an important impact on your daughter or son long after their playing days are complete.