Question Number: 35921

Other 5/29/2025

RE: Local Adult

Benjamin of Danielskuil , South Africa asks...

What happens when a referee is involved in a fight with a fan or bystander and he as the referee starts the fight due to smack talk from the fan or bystander and later the fight escalate so that one teams officials got involve to try and stop the fight. Note game did not finished

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Benjamin,
I can tell you that what happens is nothing good. Any match results might be compromised whether or not this happened before after or during the game that referee is likely not going to be having a good time explaining his actions to the League or Association disciplinary committee.

Violence has no place on the soccer pitch. If a referee is being harassed by either players, coach or fans. The official should terminate the match and go home. Player safety, game safety, match safety, your safety!

In hotly contested matches referees are often advised to get off the field and out of sight quickly. So that individuals that are frustrated don't decide to pick a fight or cause confrontation. Player safety, game safety, match safety, your safety!

A referee with integrity calls what he calls, sees what he sees. You certainly shouldn't seek out and decide to beat up dissenting viewers. You certainly can protect yourself from attack doing what's necessary but jumping up into the fan area and beating the crap out of somebody who says , "If You had another eye you'd be a cyclops!" Hinting at the fact that the only two that you had weren't working very well. You could be very well charged with assault and experience jail time yourself . Player safety, game safety, match safety, your safety!

If the dissent off or on the pitch, escalates, turns into abuse becomes hateful, spiraling the match into chaos! Abandon the match, get out of there quickly if there are not security personal able to quell disturbances. Player safety, game safety, match safety, your safety!

The referee might request the coaches , players managers parents or if there's league officials there if they could assist in keeping their fans or individuals off the pitch under control but that technically is not their job. As to coming to your aid as a referee if you actually take on fans well good luck with that as they could be charged as well? It just sounds like a lot of troubles coming down the pike as the league officials will be forced to arrive at some sort of disciplinary decision at some point. Fines, suspensions or outright banishment. Honestly I see no reasonable situation where a referee would charge into the bleachers to take on an unruly fan. Player safety, game safety, match safety, your safety!

Certainly advise everyone what you're doing and why. Although they probably have some idea if it's gone to that point. You're there to have fun, referee a neutral game you're not there to be an MMA contestant. The referee should document all relevant information in the incident report. The soccer league or association disciplinary committee will likely be interviewing everybody involved In the incident, sourcing any information including videos or eyewitnesses never mind what the police or judicial system might have to say. Player safety, game safety, match safety, your safety!

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Benjamin
It is not a refereeing question yet rather a disciplinary matter for the League and referee authority.
The matter will be fully investigated with probably most likely a disciplinary hearing where a panel will hear from everyone involved in the incident and decide accordingly.
The panel will also like to hear from independent witnesses who may be able to describe the actual event without bias. Those witnesses could be a league official, a referee observer and maybe anyone not connected with the clubs or the referee such as say a police officer, a steward . Video evidence could also play a part.

If it were proven that the referee started the violent conduct that referee would be reported to the referee authority and most likely would be suspended with the period of suspension depending on the actual offence and its severity.
Be aware that referees are not above the Law and referees are subject to discipline in the same way as players are.

I recall a referee in France getting suspended for six months after kicking out at a player during a game.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C42N54l5sfM&pp=0gcJCdgAo7VqN5tD

Following the suspension he retired as a referee

In your example the League would make a determination on the outcome of the match which could be to allow the result to stand or order a full replay or play out the remaining time.