RateTheRef

I care little for football these days preferring rugby, but comparisons can be made. There is a shortage of rugby referees leading to the cancellation of fixtures and indeed leagues have been abandoned. There are many reasons and the post covid affects cannot be ignored but the shortage is driving people from the game, removing income passing through the club houses threatening the very foundations of community rugby. Professional rugby is struggling but frankly the whole game needs a full, in-depth review.
Referees have a number of problems and indeed at higher level there is a dire shortage of decent ARs. Firstly, why should a referee give up a large chunk of his Saturday for little if any financial reward? Secondly, are referees being asked to travel too far to fixtures making their day too long? Are the financial rewards / incentives sufficient? Rugby referees spend a lot of time during the week preparing and maintaining fitness and skill levels and good football referees need to do so also. What are the other rewards that a referee can get such as respect and acknowledgment by the players, coaches and spectators for their efforts? Is there a clear and fair promotion path, incentives to improve? Are assessors and referee coaches available in sufficient quantities and are they good enough to help and develop new officials? Have we removed the discrimination that I have personally seen in rugby promotion - sexism, racism and "fat shaming", the latter being an obsession with physical appearance than and ability to do the job at the level expected of them? I am sure FAs will say we have procedures and powerpoint presentations to prove that we do, but where is the evidence?
It often boils down to money but that has to be spent wisely and must filter down to the lower levels, grass root rugby so to speak. But often the problems are beyond anyone's control until such time society learns to respect other people.

I left after a year many years ago. I was simply rubbish and the abuse I got was deserved! Not everyone is naturally able to handle games and the dropout rate maybe a realisation that it is not worth the candle. Of note, the RFU has reported an increase in referee abuse this season. Maybe it is because we are more sensitive and more easily offended but it is interesting that one lovely club often gets increased numbers of spectators when the local football team is not playing due to the international football break. It was at this game there was an incident of referee abuse. Co-incidence or what? Never before has the club had issues like this. One individual I would add.
The professional game has a lot to answer for and I would love local authorities to threaten to close a ground if abusive behaviour continues. It won't as that will upset the locals on who you rely on politically, but it might focus a few minds!

If we want to turn the tide then this must start at the top.  The FA must take a deep breath or courage and:-
~ Tell players that feigning injury to get an opponent into trouble will not be tolerated.  Video evidence will be used and every instance will result in a three-match ban (doubled for subsequent offences).
~ Tell players that hounding referees and assistant referees will not be tolerated and will be dealt with according to Law as either dissent of OFFINABUS.
~ Tell club officials that any irresponsible, abusive or offensive behaviour has a zero tolerance level and will result in three-match stadium bans (doubled for subsequent offences).
~ Tell referees to implement the above consistently and without fear or favour; adding that referees who do this will be supported and those that do not will be held to account.
~ Tell the other PGMOL "stakeholders" that the above is 100% necessary for the good of games in the EPL / EFL and of the wider game in this country.
~ Remain steadfast when the inevitable whining starts to take place after 3/4/5 weeks with player and club officials serving suspensions and refuse to countenance reverting to the abominable approach of "managing the game" that has got us into this mess in the first place.

Compared with other sports, football at the highest level has become a huge embarrassment in the way players and club officials are allowed to treat match officials.  It has to change - now.

Once the above has bedded in and behaviour has changed at the top level, the benefits will slowly start to be seen at grass-roots level.  It will take time for this to happen, but it can only happen when there is a fundamental change at the top.

I am happy to be contradicted by those nearer the "coal-face" than me, and accept that it is a pretty drastic manifesto, but is it wrong?

A really insightful post and I agree with much of the prescription. However, senior football is, it seems to me, being transformed from pure sport to a form of entertainment and so a referee is not called upon to be an arbiter but a master of ceremonies. The Laws are therefore massaged in a pursuit of the chief objective which is to provide a financially profitable spectacle. Football has been an important part of my life since I was a young lad but now I find my disinterest in much of it greater than I have ever known in my life, precisely because of this reason.

As the Chair of a very large Junior League we find this a problem. We try to offer our support to any referees and try to take the clubs to task. But there's very little we can do as a League without the support of the Local CGA and the FA.

One instance that springs to mind is that of  a manager pouring water over a referee. We banned said manager for enough time until his team would be out of the League. Que intervention from CFA who said we could not do that and manager allowed to continue. Voting teams out needs a 2/3 majority and tbh most of the clubs are insular and don't see the bigger picture. All they see is kids not being able to play football. We had to resort to withdrawing fixtures, which we probably not allowed to do but we have to try. the most annoying thing is parents abusing U18 referees and if someone spoke to their kids like that they'd kick off.

The dissent sin bin seems to have cut a lot of player issues down, and as a referee I welcome this. But the problems have to be addressed in my opinion from the top down. So start sinbinning players at PL & EFL for any sort of dissent and for a few weeks it'll be carnage but then they'll learn. If not then start docking points.

No simple answers but it can't be just grassroots tackling it. it must start with the professional game.

I still remember in a meeting when I operated at semi professional level why language was tolerated in the PL & EFL and the response was it's a workplace!!! Well I'm sure most workplaces wouldn't tolerate their managers being treated as our referees are.

Oh yes, the old 'industrial langauge' argument that the FA used when, as a league secretary quite a number of years ago, I queried the directive that officials had to clamp down on swearing in grassroots football. This was probably around 2005 when I heard Trevor Brooking on the radio clearly stating that it would be impossible to clamp down at the top level because it was their workplace. He  stated that the problem had to be sorted at grassroots level and this would then improve the professional game. Officials were instructed to give a red card for anyone swearing on the field and for a short time it was mayhem in quite a number of leagues in the north east.
During this time, there was no improvement at all in the professional game and I clearly remember Wayne Rooney coming out with a real mouthful at a referee which could be seen by all watching and several clubs in my league queried why nothing had been done when they had players being fined and suspended for swearing at a team mate! I did not have, and still do not have, any answers.

A really interesting thread and lots of the above is spot on.

The FA is the one ultimately to blame. A few TShirts / posters / ‘respect’ handshakes / adverts are just transparent token gestures. Ultimately money and, most of all league points, count at the top level.

No new laws are needed; the existing ones simply need enforcing! If PL refs simply cautioned every single player, without exception, who runs at them / surrounds them / gets in their face after a decision / follows them to the VAR screen to have their say,  players would soon stop doing it, as it would be in their interest to do so and avoid suspensions. Football would ultimately benefit - less childish arguing with the ref and more football. At the moment, it’s in their interest not to avoid it - if they feel they can influence decisions, they’ll obviously carry on. That’s why managers coach to ‘get it the ref’s ear’ for fear of missing out of the other team are doing it.

The benches are a mess - for all the specific offences highlighted when cards for coaches were introduced recently, they’re very rarely enforced other than when something really flares up.

If the FA want to actually stop something, they could do it. Take the annoying intimidation of a penalty taker (particularly at a key point, eg. a last minute winner), even when the decision is obviously correct. Players are coached to surround, jostle, argue, scuff the penalty spot, refuse to leave the area - all in an effort to unsportingly delay/ put off the kicker. Just enforce the law on delaying restart / dissent / unsporting behaviour  - PK given, all defenders must leave the penalty area straight away or face mandatory sanction.

Referees at pro /semi pro level know that ‘managing the game’ is key. This is just another name for ignoring things to save club marks or seeming ‘controversial’. They are coached to turn a blind eye to offences - why correctly caution 3 for dissent when you can ‘avoid’ it. You’ve only got so many matches in the marking season to earn marks for promotion, why stand out by actually doing the correct thing?

At local level, FA keep going on about the sin bin as if it’s some magic solution. Dissent is just as bad, but just leads to a sin bin instead; it hasn’t solved it.

The ‘workplace’ argument is also widespread at the FA / referee coaching and completely ridiculous. Most professions/workplaces have codes of conduct, and if you’re a professional being paid millions, you can learn to control yourself like others have to.