Complaints and Complaint Handling
Football West is committed to providing a safe, respectful and positive match day environment for everyone involved in football. We want our competitions to be fair, enjoyable and well‑run for players, coaches, officials, volunteers and spectators.
This information applies to concerns arising from the conduct or administration of Football West-sanctioned Competitions and Matches. Matters relating to safeguarding, serious misconduct or integrity concerns are managed separately.
Concerns should generally be raised and addressed at the lowest appropriate level, usually the relevant club, so matters can be resolved promptly and fairly.
Before raising a concern, it is helpful to consider what occurred, when and where it occurred, and who was involved, including any witnesses.
Where appropriate and safe to do so, individuals are encouraged to raise concerns directly with their club in the first instance. Clubs are responsible for responding to complaints in a timely, fair and impartial manner. To support volunteers, a free online Complaint Handling Course is available through Play by the Rules.
If a concern cannot be resolved at Club level, or it is not appropriate to raise it there (for example due to a conflict of interest, risk of victimisation, seriousness of the behaviour, or repeated conduct), the matter may be escalated to Football West by submitting a Competition Incident Report.
Individuals may seek procedural information at any stage from their Club Secretary or Member Protection Information Officer (MPIO), noting these roles provide guidance only and do not investigate or determine complaints.