Manager Tony Pulis criticised officials Peter Walton and Andre Marriner for their performances in Stoke's last two games.
The Potters were denied a penalty at Bolton when the ball clearly struck the arm of Zat Knight and the home side went on to win 2-1.
Gary Neville then fouled Stoke winger Matthew Etherington twice in quick succession in Sunday's 2-1 defeat by Manchester United and even Neville admitted he was lucky Marriner did not show him a second yellow card.
Coates feels the Potters are entitled to complain when they feel wronged by referees and insists they are not putting undue pressure on officials.
"We're not trying to persecute referees because we want them to have good games and not affect their outcome," he told the Sentinel.
"This is not a crusade against referees, we just speak out against bad decisions when they happen. If we have an injustice done to us, we should say so.
"I don't like players being sent off because I like the balance of a game with 11 v 11, but if you deserve to go then it's just tough on that team."
Coates also feels that referees favour the bigger clubs and believes Marriner would have had little hesitation sending off a Stoke player if they had been in Neville's situation.
"There's no question that if it had been a Stoke full-back like Andy Wilkinson or Robert Huth playing at Stoke - never mind at Old Trafford - he would have been sent off for that challenge on Sunday," he added.
"It was a very poor decision. Everyone in the stadium could see what happened, except the referee.
"Like every Stoke supporter in the ground, I was hugely disappointed with the final outcome of the game.
"Conceding late goals has cost us two valuable points in our last two games, but now we move on to the next game at West Ham tomorrow night."
Stoke take on the Hammers on Wednesday for a place in the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup.
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