Question Number: 33406

Other 5/31/2019

RE: select Adult

gary of nashua, nh usa asks...

How common is verbal abuse to referees? Are leagues suspending players and coaches for more than one game for these red card offenses. I have dealt with it maybe 2 times in m 9 year career but on social media it seems like an epidemic.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Gary
All opinions are relative. I know many referees who get constantly berated and abused verbally and every year there at least 2/3 physical assaults in our area alone, thankfully none too serious just a push or a shoulder. My own personal experience is different and I cannot recall the last time I sent off a player for being offensive, insulting and abusive towards me. I would be in the small minority as mentioned by Referee Grove.
I personally treat players / coaches with respect both on and off the field and I set out a fair minded respectful stall that obviously results in that respect being reciprocated. Do not get me wrong I still have plenty of difficulties in certain games yet none that I have been unable to manage effectively with appropriate people skills. I have had player give out during a game to later apologise to me. In a recent game a player came to the referee changing room to apologise to me for his dissent outburst. It was accepted in the spirit it was given. Not sure why he did it as it was of little concern to me.
Also over many years I have built a rapport with players / clubs. Rapport is the ability to relate to others in a way that creates trust and understanding. Having played the game I can easily relate to the players point of view and get them to understand mine. The players also see a consistency in my refereeing with not the slightest hint of bias even towards players who can be disrespectful. That does not go unnoticed and even the obtuse player recognises that.
I would say in you case that twice in nine years is also an extremely positive outcome and no doubt reflects well on your ability as a referee and a people manager in games.
Generally when I hear some accounts of these unpleasant abuses there can be a failure to control the situations by not allowing them to escalate in the first place or the referee has adopted an aggressive demeanor in dealing with certain simple situations or has not shown any empathy with the players / coaches or the players feel that the referee will not take the appropriate action and act accordingly.
I would say that it has increased despite the efforts of Leagues to take strong disciplinary actions and for associations to introduce respect programmes. It is probably reflective of society in general where there is less respect for authority and little fear or concern for the consequences of behaving badly.
Our association has increased the minimum sanctions that Leagues are obliged to administer for offence committed against match officials. Offensive, insulting and abusive gestures and language now carries a minimum three game ban with an additional sanction if it continues after being sent off while unwanted physical touching of a match official is 12 games and assualt carries a minimum of 12 months ban with an aggressive assault carries a minimum of 36 months. We will see if the increased deterrent has the desired effect.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Gary,
Partly to do with those who are invested in the club culture and having input into how the association itself mandates behavior but verbal abuse is far too common my friend. Still as my colleagues & I can acknowledge, we respect your own experience for it aligns with our own. The fact we give respect to get it, willing to discus things and offer support, not take adversarial attitudes. You should take some pride in knowing you have less problems than most, as it reflects your approach as much as their acceptance!

Interestingly when there is conflict between officials & players I would say the players get far greater punishment then the coaches unless the coach is a consist threat to match stability over a long period. Its based on who is showing up on the radar? If an association is getting various reports where the same players, coaches or teams are having abuse issues or is a referee appearing to have these issues independent of the other officials within the league? Investigation, monitoring, assessments are supposed to evaluate performances BUT are they being conducted regularly & fairly?

Many people seem to forget that the soccer pitch reflects the lifestyle conditions that exist within the world & at home. We talk a lot about many things, like respect, fair play and integrity but unfortunately these are but words . Words without truth or action have compromised the mindsets of billions of people unable to let go of their preconceived notions, faiths or beliefs to have a simple observation

The ability to agree to disagree and move on!

The discourse we are seeing sweeping the world in political & nationalist frameworks have splintered not only the right and left but destroyed the centrist thinking into almost malevolent opposites, where one side is the evil side except both are convinced it is not them. I observed that tweets are the most malevolent form of hatred-in social consciousness. Watching platforms like Facebook and avenues of social media like Google & YouTube becoming as manipulated & as prejudice as the news media. The contingent of agitators that seems to stir up the masses into a frothy screeching memes. Be they government and military hackers from the far east or west or the far right wing nut or chaotic social justice warrior on the left. These are the common enemy of rational thought.

I am an occasional bus driver. I hear the wisdom and beauty in youth within their innocent bubble not yet destroyed by the world order yet within the same group I listen to the bullying, the foul language and disrespect as the kids antagonize the other, picking away at the character flaws of one another until tears are formed and you can see the anger in the posture & faces of those not laughing. Wondering at point does it promote suicide or a revenge attack in the future? When you try to intervene and stop the dreadful behavior, the readiness to lie and deflect blame is exactly the mirror I see on the adult political spectrum where anything truthful is hidden behind the obstructionist of idiocy.

The respect on the pitch is one reflected in the value of the community, the country or nation has for authority in ANY form. I would say people are FAR TOO WILLING to voice an opinion on subjects they know almost nothing about yet remain deadly silent on the crushing social effects this obtuse behavior reflects. NO referee is perfect yet some are very good at maintaining order on the pitch due to their character and approach as much as their knowledge. EFFORT, AWARENESS, ANTICIPATION players can sense if you are going through the motions, they need reassurance that you are as committed to the game as they are! DISSENT and anger at a missed call or a perceived missed call is EXACTLY the same in the mindset of the one holding onto the rage. A good referee will appease that anger in one of several ways, be it with humor & a ready smile, no nonsense direct intervention of a stern countenance, or causal indifference of a furrowed brow. It has as much to do with the character of an authoritarian individual as it does with the thoughts held by the protagonist looking for a semblance of justice.

No one has every answer or can correct every wrong yet if you have a smile, you have faith in your integrity, you are willing to give an effort to be the best referee you are capable of, your confidence can radiate off those not yet blinded by self obsession and you may find not only the abuse is lifted but praise can follow!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Gary,
According to an article published in the Daily Telegraph, a UK newspaper in 2016, research showed that 94 per cent of football referees at 'grass-roots' level had experienced verbal abuse and nearly one in five had been the victims of a physical attack. Of those, 22% said they received abuse every match, 38% said every couple of matches, 30% a couple of times a season and 4% every few years. Only 6% of referees said they had never received any abuse.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/03/22/football-unites-to-fight-growing-menace-of-abuse-against-referee/

Other articles I was able to find on the subject point out that this is not only a problem in England. For example, a study on referee abuse in France and the Netherlands published in April 2019 shows that:

''verbal abuse was a frequent occurrence, and that incidents of physical abuse were also evident, indicating a culture of abuse towards referees in both countries.''

So I think we can say that unfortunately, abuse of referees - especially at grass-roots levels is very widespread.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 33433