The Ref Stop

FA report on Attacks on Referees

lincs22

lincs22

Supply League Observer
Staff member
Observer/Tutor
BBC report

Again, we have the appalling statistics on referee assaults. Some league are calling off fixtures, other people are calling for longer bans and higher fines. What the answer is, I don't know.

One thought at grassroots, is that ever player thinks he is Messi or Ronaldo (and fouled accordingly), and they think every referee is of the standing of Oliver or Webb.

Part of the education for players is that you are not getting the best referees on the local park on a Saturday or Sunday, like you are not getting the best players. But how we educate the players that "they are at a sh1t standard of football, so they don't get the best referees". If they want M Oliver to referee their match, they need to shell out £8,000 for the match fee.

Without a change in the players behaviour, we are always going to struggle with retention. Or do we sacrifice some leagues never to have referees, so there can be groups of 3 working together.

I don't know, but continue as we are isn't getting any better.
 
The Ref Stop
lincs22 said:
If they want M Oliver to referee their match, they need to shell out £8,000 for the match fee.
Click to expand...
I'd be careful with this statement, because apart from anything else, shelling out £8,000 to have MO turn up seems like exactly the kind of thing some Youtube clubs would jump at the opportunity to do if it was offered!

I'd also dispute that it would actually make much of a difference. I've done a few matches recently with an ex-football league referee who's stepped back down to L5. He probably gets a bit more respect from the benches than your average ref as they know his background, but the players couldn't care less - if he gives a decision they don't like, they'll react just the same.

Personality, aura, reputation, "match control" - to the wrong player, none of this matters next to getting the decision they think is correct.
 
I applaud the Merseyside Youth Football League and any other leagues cancelling fixtures to send a clear message to all that abuse of officials cannot be tolerated.

Far too many players & club representatives feel entitled to openly undermine and abuse referees, treating them as a verbal punching bag (or worse).

Time that we had a hard protocol in place across football that any query over a decision during a match needs to come via the captain, no one else, and no argument with the referee following their explanation. The example needs to be set from the top of the game otherwise there is no likelihood of improving things further down.

Furthermore I would empower fourth officials (and senior ARs where no fourth official present) to issue sanctions directly to technical area occupants. This will help deal with more of these incidents without having to significantly interrupt the play every time.
 
CaptainsPlease said:
I applaud the Merseyside Youth Football League and any other leagues cancelling fixtures to send a clear message to all that abuse of officials cannot be tolerated.

Far too many players & club representatives feel entitled to openly undermine and abuse referees, treating them as a verbal punching bag (or worse).

Time that we had a hard protocol in place across football that any query over a decision during a match needs to come via the captain, no one else, and no argument with the referee following their explanation. The example needs to be set from the top of the game otherwise there is no likelihood of improving things further down.

Furthermore I would empower fourth officials (and senior ARs where no fourth official present) to issue sanctions directly to technical area occupants. This will help deal with more of these incidents without having to significantly interrupt the play every time.
Click to expand...

I have long suggested the 4th can sanction the tech area.
Looks horrendous the referee coming over to do something the 4th can do

it also would deprive the coach of what they crave, the attention,
 
Wow. In a PL season, 38 games, that is 10 per game week.
Absolutely shocking statistics.
Think that works out at about a 1 in 2800 chance of being assaulted! 😬
 
Off the back of this TalkSPORT interviewed the CEO of RefSupport UK today. His view was that the FA have no incentive to stop assaults on referees as they make £8 million a year in fines from it. I immediately opened calculator on my PC at hearing that, if those figures are correct that would make each player was fined in excess of £21,000. Somehow I don't think that was the case. I suspect he meant £8 million a year in fines in total, but if was saying the FA had no incentive he should have just mentioned the income from referee assault / serious abuse fines, which would be more like £50,000.
 
Quick question if you do ever get assaulted what is the protocol? Call police or?
I feel like this is a question I just shouldn't have to ask but.
 
QUOTE="CaptainsPlease, post: 220843, member: 704"]
The RA has a good page here worth saving for reference https://www.the-ra.org/news/guidance-regarding-assaults-on-match-officials
[/QUOTE]
A really useful article. Key nowadays is to ensure that you obtain contact details for witnesses, including those with camera phone images/video, and the names and shirt numbers of players involved.
In many years of refereeing I only had a couple of threatened assaults on me and one where my CAR was physically assaulted after the game. That case went to Crown Court, and my evidence was immediately before lunch. The judge asked me to stay in the witness box, sent the jury and others out for lunch, and then asked me to explain the offside law, as he had never understood it!
 
RustyRef said:
Off the back of this TalkSPORT interviewed the CEO of RefSupport UK today. His view was that the FA have no incentive to stop assaults on referees as they make £8 million a year in fines from it. I immediately opened calculator on my PC at hearing that, if those figures are correct that would make each player was fined in excess of £21,000. Somehow I don't think that was the case. I suspect he meant £8 million a year in fines in total, but if was saying the FA had no incentive he should have just mentioned the income from referee assault / serious abuse fines, which would be more like £50,000.
Click to expand...
It's quite the opposite actually - there is no fine for an assault on a match official charge.
 
ChasObserverRefDeveloper said:
QUOTE="CaptainsPlease, post: 220843, member: 704"]
The RA has a good page here worth saving for reference https://www.the-ra.org/news/guidance-regarding-assaults-on-match-officials
Click to expand...
A really useful article. Key nowadays is to ensure that you obtain contact details for witnesses, including those with camera phone images/video, and the names and shirt numbers of players involved.
In many years of refereeing I only had a couple of threatened assaults on me and one where my CAR was physically assaulted after the game. That case went to Crown Court, and my evidence was immediately before lunch. The judge asked me to stay in the witness box, sent the jury and others out for lunch, and then asked me to explain the offside law, as he had never understood it!
[/QUOTE]

I was questioned on the respect campaign when I went to court over an ABH charge.

honestly not a pleasant experience overall though with the defence barrister trying to get a rise out of me accusing me of making the fact that I'd seen the punch (it was clear as day, middle of the pitch), colluding with the opposition to agree our stories (the teams manager rang me later that evening to check I was reporting the red, of course i was)

shockingly the accused got off, broke the guys jaw in 3 places, blood everywhere, was hideous and can still remember the noise the punch made
 
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