A World of Abuse: Inside Football’s Growing Referee Abuse Epidemic

From the professional game, funnelling down the pyramid into the depths of Sunday League football. What should be a job that officiates one of the biggest ways to get away from the struggles of life, provides its own for one group of people. Matchday officials are vulnerable to abhorrent levels of abuse every time they blow a whistle.

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Before, during and after a football match has been played, referees will often find themselves at the centre of what both sets of fans and players typically agree on – their hatred towards the referees.

While abuse towards the officials is nothing new, the epidemic has seen a worrying rise in the modern era of football, with data from the FA presenting that there were 1,451 reported incidents in grassroots football in England alone. Of these numbers, 72 individuals were victims of attempted or actual assault.

Refereeing abuse statistics from the 2022/23 footballing season

The question is, why is this becoming such a growing problem and how does the world of football find a way to put it to an end?

Tommy Fleming is a young prospect in the refereeing game and has already been given a level of abuse that would stop anyone from wanting to continue to officiate games.

“The main issue when it comes to refereeing is the negative backlash, we receive in a game for every decision that we make. It’s like people don’t understand that we’re humans and we’re going to make mistakes – people expect us to be perfect every time.

People don’t like to praise us refs for all the good things we do however they love to negatively criticise us for all the bad things we do in a game.”

Despite football growing more and more popular at grassroots level, the number of referees are dwindling significantly, causing a serious threat and endangerment of the grassroots sport.

As a result, it is estimated that one in seven officials quit every year with the abuse becoming too much to handle. This major crisis grows further with the fact that these numbers continue to increase – putting the whole sport in danger.

How do referees feel about the ongoing issues? Andy Simmons is a much more experienced referee who referees at grassroots and at a semi-professional level and has been exposed to abuse all the way up the football ladder.

“The biggest (improvement) that people are asking for would be technology. Body cameras or even cameras (on the sidelines), even audio.

If a player is giving it and you reply in the same tone, they would suddenly cry over it with it seen to be foul and abusive language.

There does need to be more protection of referees.”

Of course, where the biggest influence lays are in the professional game. With the footballers themselves becoming role models by trade, it is essential for them to remain respectful towards match officials to prevent causing a bad influence on the younger generation.

Unfortunately, this is not the case.

“I find it odd. The commentators are sometimes wrong by law. What pundits sometimes say, they bring it onto the lower (levels of football).

Some of the diving and whatever you want to call the drama (is also passed down), suddenly everyone wants yellow and red cards.”

Unfortunately, this abuse does not just come from on the pitch, but rather also off the pitch even being more significant, as punishments don’t reach their participation in the game. Tommy has a passionate perspective of this.

“Every game I have an extreme amount of abuse from players, managers and most of all fans. The further you go up the football pyramid, the more intense you get and the more you have to deal with.”

Tommy Fleming - Aspiring Essex County FA Referee

Such an important issue which causes a vulnerable state for some people and their livelihood would hopefully raise more cause for concern the higher up the football pyramid you go. Once again this seems to be where some of the issues stem.

“The way the clubs look at it, they view that there is more on the line, so they think its right to abuse referees.

I just think for us refs it means you’ve got to be thick skinned, and use yellow cards, sinbins and using other protocol to help protect ourselves in our career.”

What do these referees believe are the biggest problems in officiating? Andy certainly holds a very bold view of the issues surrounding the modern world.

“Probably respect. I put this down to society. No one’s got time to listen or just take on board it’s purely what people want there and then and not the bigger picture.

Even a young 16-year-old can be put into a game well out of his depth. That’s going back to not (having) enough mentors, not enough education and just not enough time.”

On a positive note, football authorities are beginning to respond, with the FA introducing new rules including the possibility of points deductions for clubs with repeated misconduct and also the trialling of bodycams for grassroots referees.

Tommy believes that there is more work to be done in the grassroots game to help protect him and his colleagues.

“Actions are already being taken to protect referees however the professional game is a lot easier to penalise then grassroots.

It’s down to social media and the cameras filming throughout the games to help find people who abuse refs.”

The fight against referee abuse is far from over, with referees globally being insulted and assaulted every matchday at the various levels of football. As referees become more vulnerable, Andy believes it is his duty to take action to help protect upcoming officials.

“If I detect abuse, I act upon it, because I feel the next referee that comes to ref that game or that team shouldn’t take the abuse.

I just think for the next person. It could be the next 16-year-old turns up the next game after me, are they going to continue to that person?”

With that in mind, the message from officials is clear – respect is not optional. The future of football itself could be on the line.