Why Football Is Running Out Of Referees

[@astrochild1575]

This is one aspect where rugby absolutely puts football to shame.

[@andyelgrand0]

The reson for that is that referees are not as corrupt. The problem is that people who apoint referees are so very corrupt that those they choose to officiate important matches are most likely than not asked to be biased to the club with the bigger wallets. No such thing as a vendetta, just instructions from your boss sometimes. And this is why no microphones will ever be found on referrees that can be broadcast and why VAR is still controlled by referees rather than AI.

[@kunalgub]

@@andyelgrand0 this is the exact bullshit that Alfie is referring to. Did you watch the video?

[@BrianStorm742]

@@andyelgrand0 omg I can't believe you watched the video and are still spouting such dangerous bullshit.

[@andyelgrand0]

@@kunalgub to the contrary, he is saying referees are referees. And if your employer is FIFA or the FA or even EUFA then what do you think is the most likely candidate to rise up and make the big bucks? There are no official stats for referees errors and I have seen referees been so biassed in certain matches for the team I support and in some against the team I support both in such obvious ways that make it sickening... Money attracts rats, it's not a football thing... It's a life thing. And whilst it's nice to think people are good and sometimes it's not malice but just incompetence that leads to errors... It's also just as true that money will attract corruption. And unless VAR is used the right way (i.e. with a machine to detect errors rather than people to cover up errors) then it will perpetuate the way football is being poisoned ... Or are you someone who believes FIFA or the EUFA are good and morally sound organizations???

[@maxdecimus13]

The difference in rugby (both codes) is the affect dissent can have on the team. Shouting at the referee can cost your team possession or territory, which is much more damaging than in football. On the terraces it's little different. In Union maybe, but then that is more to do with class than anything inherent. In League, a working class sport, it's just as bad among fans if not worse IMO.

[@BrianStorm742]

In the Netherlands, the KNVB allows referees to give interviews after matches to explain themselves if they want to. I don't think they're allowed to explicitly discredit the laws of the game, but they can definitely imply it. FIFA isn't happy about this, but higher transparency does sometimes serve to take some heat off cotroversial situations. It also humanises them more. It's probably just a coincidence, but the most commonly disliked Eredivisie ref is the one who always refuses to do interviews. Not saying he deserves the abuse of course. My point is FIFA are preventing referees from showing their human side by shielding them from publicity.

[@pierfrancescocosta6336]

I think the FIGC (here in Italy) has just implemented a similar measure, too! I don't know how much pressure will actually get taken off referees this way, but it's still a start in the fight against a very toxic fan culture... 😅

[@Pseudoluky]

In Argentina we also are seeing more referees in the media Wich helps a bit but the media still loves to spread hate on every doubtfully card or decision mad by them. I hope FIFA endorses a similar idea to that dutch system.

[@JimiCanRead]

I wonder if Dutch referees are leaving the game at a lower rate than Alfie mentioned for the uk, would be an interesting comparison

[@marcuspoosz2190]

same in Norway. Most of the refs after the games does interviews and explains their decision and why they did this and that. VAR hasn't been introduced yet in the league, but its coming the next season.

[@johnnym3071]

I do like that in the Eredivisie, might not agree sometimes, but can at least see their view point and understand where they're coming from Also just the small thing of admitting a mistake during their interview goes a long way Sometimes though when they chose not to answer questions like Gözübüyük in the Feyenoord- PSV match last season, it can lead to frustration

[@sargejr51]

I was a referee when I was sixteen years old, officiating a game against two u19 teams, and at the end of the match I had to sprint to my car and lock myself in it since I was getting surrounded and pelted with all kinds of things. I was traumatized from that and never considered officiating again. I still think about that sometimes.

[@andyelgrand0]

Wait... You were driving at 16?

[@choughed3072]

@@andyelgrand0 some countries you can drive at 16.

[@bricktop.]

16? Bro was running away on a skateboard.

[@andyelgrand0]

@@choughed3072 awesome!

[@bababababababa6124]

Lmfao what did you do to piss them off like that 😭😂😂be honest 😂

[@Referee001uk]

I was a referee in Scotland for about 10 years, had to stop due to work issues, but I noticed that what the kids saw on the telly, they copied on the pitch. I would always be surrounded by players for every decision I made because that’s what they saw on the telly. If I gave a foul then they would be screaming for a card because that’s what they saw on the telly. The list goes on. I would love to get back into it because I enjoyed it and was ranked in the top 5 Scottish referee’s at youth level, just a pity work gets in the way

[@samrabey89]

Hmmmm Wayne Rooney comes to mind....if a player sprints over and starts fing and jeffing red card for foul and abusive language... Premier league referees do nothing....

[@flak509]

Very true, just like when I was a kid playing football half the team had their collar pulled up like Cantona. Behavior is copied in the same way.

[@hi-ls6lt]

@@samrabey89 I’m pretty sure in other sports it ain’t tolerated

[@samrabey89]

@@hi-ls6lt it certainly isn't but most other sports started with respect ....football didnt

[@constablekennedy7705]

You are lucky they Never saw a Referee on the receiving end of the Stone Cold Stunner Fella ……. 💀. 👀

[@andrewgrange8327]

As someone who constantly makes the wrong call when watching a football match, I think I have a lot of sympathy for refs making mistakes. I went to a game saw a tackle that I didn’t think was a foul and on replay thought it was one of the most obvious fouls I have ever seen. So I think I might not be fit to referee that’s for sure.

[@fanofeverything]

Thank you for this great video. Referee abuse has gotten insane, especially by couch potatoes that only see the referee's mistake in the seventh replay.

[@falana449]

Except that referees themselves are allowed to watch as many replays as they like and still get it wrong.

[@iantaylor7988]

@@falana449 Yes, and for some reason european football hates VAR, so they don't want to use it. God forbid the correct call is made, even if it means a pause in the action.

[@brandonharris9769]

@@iantaylor7988 unfortunately the refs in the var room in the prem are constantly making mistakes.

[@branthall1787]

@@iantaylor7988 So why was Mitrovic's dive v Liverpool given as a penalty when VAR showed the referee was wrong? Why weren't Chelsea given a penalty vs Tottenham when VAR showed a player was ragged to the ground by his hair?

[@insanityrabbit2406]

@@falana449 in the Netherlands we have this nice and clear rule (for fouls) that a referes can only be called to the screen when he's made a 'gross mistake' (Basically meaning not giving red cards, where there should've been, or denying scored goals that were accepted before. But when he's called to the screen for one of those mistakes, he's still allowed to judge an action before that mistake. For example (happened to us) on of our players made a hand ball, and got floored after that. VAR called the ref to the screen for the foul, as they believed that was a red card, but the ref gave away a free kick against us for the hand bal. Now while this was a fair decision, as far as I understand (in the Netherlands) the VAR couldn't have called the referee back for the hand bal, but the ref can judge on those images. Again, the decision was fair, as Bakayoko played the ball with his hand, but it seems strange to me you can use the VAR to judge on actions you can't use the VAR for.

[@seanjones2524]

I guess it's like asking a 16-year-old "would you like to work in an industry where you have little-to-no options of movement, where other people earn a week that you earn in a year, and where you are publically abused and criticised week in, week out and have very little opportunity to defend yourself?" and expecting them to say yes.

[@connorlynndan2415]

This is extremely false. At least in the United States, I make more in a weekend then I ever would for a $20hr job a week. Unless you are really screwing up and bad - the abuse is minimal if not nonexistent. You can quickly move up as a referee if you're good at what you do and know who to talk to.

[@seanjones2524]

@@connorlynndan2415 In the US...

[@martinrees9756]

Another great video Alfie. Both thought provoking and timely. It seems the solution to the problem actually rests with us a football fans but unfortunately we do not have enough common sense to solve it ourselves. Hopefully your video helps in changing the conversation.

[@kunalgub]

I think the solution is more with managers getting some responsibility about blaming officials, big clubs helping grassroots match referees be protected and well compensated and the culture of football twitter toxicity dying off

[@JimTheFly]

This video just reminded me of the reason why I stopped officiating. I wasn't involved in soccer but in baseball, and had to umpire a few games in our league in a different division. The sheer abuse I got from coaches and parents for making the calls based upon what I saw while having to cover extra area because we didn't have enough umpires (ironically) was enough to make me never wish to officiate again. The thing is, this was in just a local league, and this was over 20 years ago. The way that people have gotten with officials in the time since has just gotten worse, IMO, and I feel for most officials because they're just trying to do what they can and usually doing a good job, but getting 98% right and 2% wrong means you've gotten about 5% too much wrong for many people.

[@J_Jayyyy]

This opened my eyes a lot to the treatment of referees. I’m definitely going to to keep this in mind when I play and definitely try and keep it respectful especially with teammates and fans I see at my games

[@ROL4NDpkmnguide]

I remember when I worked for a local lower league club. In the summer they played a game against an affiliate club and the referee didn’t show up. They gave me a stopwatch and a whistle and told me to referee. All went well for the first half, until one of the players started shouting racial abuse to another and they started scrapping. I was like 21, I blew for half time, gave the stopwatch to my boss and went home. Doubt anyone would want to do such a profession when this is their first experience

[@gandalfgreyhame3425]

Not a bad decision. Stop the game, make everybody go home, unable to continue because of two idiots fighting each other. Their team mates will be the most unhappy with them that they can't finish the match.

[@Bigboy-tm1rz]

I'm a referee in the US on track to go pro and their are many things covered that happen here as well. 1. Covid caused a lot of referees to retire due to their age and people realizing living life is better then abuse. I'm 22 in my state theirs only about 8 people around my age group refereeing. Most referees are made up of older individuals or young referees who stop after highschool. Not many stay around. My state is back to pre covid numbers but I know states like Minnesota are still down at least 1400 referees. 2. Pay is not the best. For a U-19 center I make 55 to 75 depending on the tournament. For highschool varsity center it's 85. For NPSL, MLS Next, and other semi pro levels Centering is around 150 to 250. But to get to the higher level better paying games you have to get a lot experience and play a lot of politics. 3. Is traveling. US is huge and sometimes to referee a highschool game you are expected to drive 4 hours there then back on a Tuesday during a work week. That makes it hard to keep keep job and you lose income from that job. To go to big tournaments to advance as a referee I have to travel to California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, and Illinois to name a few. All of that I have to pay out of pocket and will lose money on the trip. 4. Parents and kids. They're all awful your kid isn't going pro shut up and enjoy it. These are the main reasons why people quit and do not stick around. I have my own problems with individuals incharge but my goal is to referee international games and I'm not letting anything slow me down. If anyone has questions then fell free to ask me.

[@CaptainPriceAndGaz06]

parents are the absolute worst at some games. one way to show your young child to disrespect referees is by screaming at them during a u6 AYSO soccer game

[@jackphillips6742]

Based. I think many leagues need to just pay refeerees better. MLS refereeing is comparable to a full time job that requires a bachelors. Plus any job that requires no criminality and high ethical conduct should get bonuses.

[@jackphillips6742]

As a coach I've had to ref high school and lower league games if there was no ref available. I got plenty of salty parents and players, and it just doesn't interest me. good on you though.

[@dvdv8197]

Reason 4! 😂😂😂😂

[@fadedtimes]

I agree with covid reasons. South / Central Texas are still down just over 1,000 refs. I don't have evidence on other reasons, but changing to USSF online training and required background checks removed a lot of referees who were not legal workers and/or residents of the US. Teenager referees are often verbally abused by players, parents, and coaches.

[@KindredBrujah]

There's nothing quite like being the only person in the stand saying: "Well, that was definitely a penalty," whilst the remainder of the crowd is roaring: "THAT'S NEVER A PENALTY!!"

[@albertmiller2electricbooga897]

that brazil story is insane people need to chill out man

[@petesmart1983]

Sadly South American football is the home of violence espically in Brasil and Argentina which in the past fans have been shot and massive riot's arnt uncommon

[@lukepierce7731]

I was one of a few referees who was selected to get as far as the football league because the group I was in was just that good as officials. To date, only one, Tim Robinson, made the SG2 list, a number retired because of careers or stopped because of the abuse. One of the biggest issues with referee progression, especially in the English game, is not being able to progress because your face doesn't fit. To put it this way, when clubs at a senior level are horrified that you don't get promoted to referee at their standard (and "just" on the line) whereas other referees who shouldn't be near a subbeteo pitch are either retained or promoted further up, it gives you an extent of the actual problem.

[@embraceforever1988]

I used to be a ref in West Yorkshire, the amount of kids who were getting fast tracked with zero or very limited experience to semi pro football was staggering. I had a promotion seminar ran by a 19 year old with 3 years experience who was about to ref in the National League

[@TheFranchiseCA]

Absolutely. Referee administration has to change. It's a club in many places.

[@caesar-dynastysports]

We have a saying in the United States that's something to the effect of: "If you don't want the referee deciding the game, take the decision out of his hands." So, if you think the referee is biased against your team... maybe your team should obliterate their opponents so that one missed/not given penalty call doesn't matter.

[@andrewmurphy8384]

And how does this work in a match between two evenly matched teams?

[@constablekennedy7705]

Agreed Bro 💯

[@captainprivate3768]

@@andrewmurphy8384 It doesn't. It's pointing you towards focusing on playing well rather than impotently feeling aggrieved.

[@mafiousbj]

In Argentina we say that referees are usually frustrated football players who couldn´t reach pro levels....so either there are more football players now that can earn a living playing football and don´t need to become referees, or people have decided that being shouted at by 22 players and an entire stadium every weekend is not worth it and have moved to other career paths ^^ And honestly personal referee vendettas against clubs are probably non existent, save rare cases. What actually exists is match fixing and bribes. Keep referees badly paid in a sport where players earn millions and this will keep happening.

[@Eibarwoman]

There's also problems of having to suck up to those who are grading you to advance higher as a ref seemingly endemic to almost all countries and the increased number of jobs in football that pay as well or better than a referee with none of the abuse.

[@constablekennedy7705]

Exactly Bro

[@mafiousbj]

@@Eibarwoman indeed, I don't see why anyone would pick abuse over same pay elsewhere in the same sport, specially today with mental health care being so talked about.

[@martinheskins496]

An excellent report. I admit I have been critical of some of your videos, but this one hit the nail on the head. As an ex referee myself I can attest to the abuse that is received in nearly every match and the fact that teenage referee's just give up because it is not worth the hassle, especially when they are abused on Monday at school by the players on the teams they refereed. I took the view that if I was abused by both teams I had had a good match as it showed I had been fair to both teams and consistent. In my view the worse teams are the ethnic based teams, something that is common here in Australia. If a team primarily made up of Greeks is playing a team primarily made of Italians it is inevitable that the sh**t will hit the fan at some point in the game. I could give many examples of bad behaviour but I will leave at that. Thanks for this video and your support of referees.

[@rabiekhali8351]

To be honest this video deserve more attention and praise. It details everything very well. I started refereeing because i always found it interesting and i still do it out of passion. But i also noticed that the amount of hate that the we get each game is getting bigger and bigger. I voiced my concerns to the association but they just told me to ignore it. I'm still at Junior level but the parents are the worst to deal with, and since their kids see that they start acting up too.

[@guessundheit6494]

You should tell those in charge NO FANS at kids' games. As I pointed out in my main comment, many under-12 hockey leagues in Canada have banned parents from watching games at rinkside to prevent them from abusing officials or players. It does a lot to change attitudes among parents. Granted, that's harder with football on an open field, but it's worth considering.

[@jasperredican4987]

I refereed for a few games when I was a teenager. I liked it, it was a fun new way to look at the game, and a chance to make some money while being involved in the sport I love. On my 5th game, I was still not qualified to be a middle ref, just a linesman, but the other 2 refs didn’t show up for an important club playoff match so I had to take the hot seat even though I played with some of the kids I was refereeing for a different club. I obviously had a stinker because I had no help, and I ended up needing to cancel the game early due to coach, player, and parent abuse. To reiterate, I was in high school, the only ref on the field, and without very much previous experience. I quit and haven’t refereed since.

[@jameshall9654]

I refereed a lot of kids games from u14s to u9s when I was in my late teens to early 20s. There are a lot of idiots at kids games that do nobody including their own kids any favours. My one takeaway from it all was communication, I used to speak to managers and parents before the game to explain my limitations (I can't see everything, I'm basically volunteering because it's super low money) and my expectations of how I referee the game (what I will penalise, I liked a physical contest that was fair but would penalise fouls that were intentional or dangerous). I would discuss those expectations with both sets of players as well so when we kicked off it was clear to everyone how this game could play out. I think more could be done from the top to communicate the expectations and limitations to fans and managers at the beginning of the season. It's not the answer to solve it all because so much money rides on these games alone you will always have issues - but more visibility and accountability would help. Rugby Union matches are a combined effort of the two teams and the referee, expectations are often clear and it's up to the teams to make the best of those expectations to compete and put on a show + be a safe as possible in a dangerous game. I thought Taylor was poor for the Chelsea game and the Arsenal game before it, but because theres no transparency I cannot fully assess him as I don't know the full criteria and limitations he was working with for both games

[@gandalfgreyhame3425]

Anthony's Taylor's limitations for his matches in general are that he's brain dead. For the Chelsea matches, he's also getting paid off by the Chelsea opponent to throw the match while continuing to be brain dead.

[@Elite3kampioen]

As a red from the Netherlands i could take the "abuse" It was low on my side. I just stopped because you had to suck up to people who are grading you to advance to a higher level. And that is why so many new ref quit in The Netherlands.

[@adamlennard1828]

I do believe no referee goes into a game wanting to make mistakes. They can only give what they think they see. Sometimes we can question what they think they’ve seen.

[@barbarian92]

Exactly. Not football, but back in high school I reffed roller hockey, and I had a few decisions that looking back, I might have called differently. There was only so much I can see, especially in the heat of the moment, and I had to tell everybody that I'm not omnipotent.

[@constablekennedy7705]

The ones that get Paid Off would beg to differ ….

[@jasongroves6224]

Unless their name is Anthony Taylor

[@FluppiLP]

It is one of the reasons why I have come to find football pathetic. Honestly, the only way to fix it is to let referees be harsh. Any player approaching the referee aggressively, yellow card. Any screaming complaint, yellow card, any sign of disrespect, yellow card. Literally make it impossible for anyone to disrespect the referee. If necessary only let the captain of the team talk to the referee. Everyone else that talks, yellow card. I think that is the only thing that can save the situation. And while we are at it: Dives should be reviewed after the game. If it is deemed by the TV footage that the player dove or overacted or held a body part that wasn't even hit in the first place, make them pause a game or two. They will learn.

[@maxdecimus13]

Attitude change has to come from the top. Any dissent to a referee should be a yellow card simple. There'd be a couple of weeks of chaos but players would soon learn. I teach and kids absolutely follow the example of the top players. Even if I'm reffing a playground game, the kids will try and crowd round and shout back against decisions.

[@deriobamba]

Agreed. And I thought the “law” was that only the Captain of the team could address the officials. They had tried to enforce that a few years ago in the EPL if I remember correctly, but stopped for some reason. Start giving yellow cards liberally and consistently after advising clubs and after a few weeks the message will be received. Unfortunate that it has to come to this but here we are

[@guessundheit6494]

Along with No Arguing, it needs mandatory explanations if the coach wants one. In hockey, ONLY the captain on the ice or the coach can initiate conversation with the referee, and ask why the call was made. Anyone else who tries can be given a penalty. It heavily reduces talking back and abuse.

[@YourCanadianGuide]

In high school games in the "state" of Ontario, at least at the lowest levels, if the ref doesn't show up or none are available, it's not uncommon for one of the coaches to step in. This has been going on for many, many years.

[@BALHAM69]

i do agree with your points Alfie, referees need more help in general and sometimes lines person can make mistakes too Specially in matches without the use of V A R Like you said it’s never good for any Level of football that the match cannot be played because of the Lack of referees Referees like to manage the game. The cost of refereeing course is one that could be a reason for Lack of new referees Good start for your team Hull city in the League

[@customar.services]

I refereed to a very good semi pro standard, 4500+ fans, including professional behind closed doors matches and I refereed International youth matches. I got assaulted during one game headbutt and the FA wanted to brush it under the carpet because it was the counties "show teams". An FA representative told me not to make a fuss about it if I wanted to have a career in refereeing as I would probably have to go back their. From that day on I lost the love for football. No longer a referee I only watch MOTD. I wouldn't wish that job on my worst enemy.

[@markvargus6519]

The problem is based on a combination of poor pay, poor morale, and a very poor system of both enforcing good sportsmanship from players and eliminating referees who are frankly no longer in good shape and bring the overall quality of the officiating down. The poor pay is the first and largest problem. It becomes harder and harder to obtain new referees when most have to be recruited from the amateur league ranks where they aren't paid and basically have to agree to volunteer for a while. From the start you need to find a way to encourage people to consider doing it. The poor morale is part of the abuse referees receive. Some of that is due to the way the game has developed. Adding television has made it easier to see how poor many referees are at keeping up with the game. Watch where the referee is after almost any long pass. Probably 70% of the time he's too far away from the ball to make any real determination of what's happening. 20 years ago that wouldn't be noticed, but now with television camera's being able to see what's happening and show it to everyone watching almost live, the fans realize how bad the referees are. This just brings down the morale of all referees because as a group they get condemned for the failures of a few. And the poor sportsmanship is a huge issue. Honestly, referees should be allowed to immediately card any non-captain who indicates any dispute with an official. One thing that Rugby does well is that a referee can immediately sin bin someone who argues with him. Officials in football don't have that power, and the FA is horrible about defending most of its referees. (and then defends referees who make obvious errors, which only increases the problem of the poor morale and hatred towards the referees.) Its not easy to fix. Honestly, one that would help would be to increase the number of on field officials so that you can keep someone closer to the play. But you'd have to make very clear who has the right to make the call. Basketbrawl has degenerated in the NBA despite having 3 officials on a smaller field than a soccer pitch because officials who have a poor angle on a play will still make a call based on the flight of the ball or by someone flopping rather than allow the official who has the best view to make the call on that play. Its not easy to fix.

[@domapusic]

Growing up watching low level league matches over here in the Balkans, I was always amazed that they can find any living soul anywhere on the planet who is willing to be a football ref.

[@DanB.0]

I love how you could bring an objective point of view here, so much, to even show how it would be possible the bias is on the other end of the table. And you explained every step of the way

[@gts1300]

You know referrees are "unpopular" when the only one who's universally liked and fondly remembered is none other than Pierluigi Collina

[@Mlaargaar]

I definitely wouldn't say that with an Everton fan around, they still think he was bribed to throw the game off in the CL🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@sheikhrobbie466]

Thoughts on having referees have mic’d up like in rugby games? People at home would be able to hear them discussing decisions with VAR and it would probably also prevent players going up to them and swearing at them if they know everyone can hear what they say. I know it couldnt be applied in exactly the same way, but i wouldnt mind seeing it implemented to some capacity

[@electronix259]

I like it, but there is no way FIFA or whichever governing body would ever allow it. I don't know why but they really, really don't like transparency

[@keithhosannah3022]

@@electronix259Language on a professional soccer pitch is nasty and would need to be heavily censored.. It would be funny though to hear everyone navigate the different language barriers in an international match.

[@DrZaius3141]

@@keithhosannah3022 But at the same time, it would allow refs to counteract aggressive players. Yes, the laws of the game state that using "offensive language" is a red-card-offense. I'm absolutely certain that this law isn't enforced all the time - but with audio evidence there would be no way around it. And if players start being more respectful towards refs, the fans would inevitably follow.

[@TheFranchiseCA]

It would interfere with their ability to be frank with one another about what they are seeing.

[@christopherreynolds9254]

Great video to bring some balance to the referees debate

[@michaelay4900]

Day 4: 7 best seasons of players after they came out of retirement (Maximum one inclusion of each player)

[@justtheon5903]

Does Messi count

[@sh3tpostsgamertime204]

@@justtheon5903 no

[@Sinisterss]

Again, I believe that you should definitely rephrase this to '7 Best players who came out of retirement' and then Alfie can base it off of the seasons which they had after their return, rather than exclusively having 1 season per player as I think most people enjoy the player based 7s over the season based 7s

[@sh3tpostsgamertime204]

@@Sinisterss didnt need that many words

[@michaelay4900]

@@Sinisterss ok will do that tmr thx

[@jakemartin1993]

Glad you made a video on this. The FA rely on people like myself who start refereeing at 14, got the bug for it and now can’t stop. I get atleast 20 people contact me to referee theee matches every week because there’s so few of us.

[@garymaidman625]

In Australia, we are having the same issue. It doesn't help that in the league where I'm from the initial outlay per season is ridiculous. Not only do they have to pay $250 but they also have to buy 3 referees kits per season, black, red and blue. To add to the ludicrosity of the rules of the league, goalkeepers can only wear either a green or orange jersey so they don't clash with referees. There is something wrong at grassroots level, it's concerning that it seems to be happening everywhere.

[@psychedminds95]

With the appointment of Benni McCarthy at Manchester United, it got me wondering why are there so few coaches in Europe from Africa while there are so many players. Despite teams being highly diverse, the coaching staff always seems to be largely European in general with a few exceptions. Could you maybe make a video exploring why the influx of African (South American and Asian as well) players to European leagues has not resulted in the same happening with coaches and other footballing staff.

[@sh3tpostsgamertime204]

Racism, must be racism

[@daarom3472]

There are many reasons (racism being one of them). If we look at the standard profile of (successful) coaches, they're usually midfielders who relied on subtle technique / positioning / passing rather than physique / raw skill. Most coaches also generally are from the country they're coaching in, apart from the top top jobs. So, most coaches in the Netherlands were born there, most coaches in Italy are Italians. They're supposed to understand and live within the local context of the club to some degree and carry way more responsibility than say a right winger who just has to get past his man and cross. Then there is also the player academy side of things. European players from a young age enter an academy and are trained there for their entire youth. They can later translate this experience toward their own coaching career. This is happening more and more with African player as well, but that's only a recent phenomenon and most of these players haven't retired yet from football. Then there is the coaching academy side of things, whereby for instance ex-internationals from the Dutch national squad get preferential treatment, significantly shortening their coaching academy time. After they're done, they often get a chance to coach the youth teams of their respective clubs before relatively early being moved toward head coach (just this last decade we had Frank de Boer, Philip Cocu, van Bronckhorst, van Nistelrooy etc. coaching top 3 teams in the Netherlands).

[@stantory1822]

It must be racism,for you people everything is racist now,so it must be racism.

[@daarom3472]

@@stantory1822 who are "you people"?

[@sh3tpostsgamertime204]

@@stantory1822 i made the funny joke first, banned

[@mzy12]

I always thought about this because I always think “Who’d be a referee?” If you like football and are fit enough, then why not just play? As a referee you get abuse from both sides, whether you make the correct decision or not. Of course players get abused, but you have the backing of your support, a referee doesn’t have that. Mentally it must be very difficult and part of me doesn’t understand why they do it. However, recently I heard an interview about a referee discussing how many opportunities he has had to officiate at a high level and be amongst top players in big stadiums, because if he was just a player he said he would just be an amateur playing at a low level. So I kind of understand, but I couldn’t be a referee. I couldn’t take that much abuse without giving it back and people would get under my skin. At least you have your teammates and supporters to back you up if you are a player. I think the football society has told us not to respect referees over the years. In football you can be very physical and very verbal without many consequences. We need to respect referees more, but still be able to question their decisions.

[@iirovaltonen4258]

It would be funny to watch referees just walk out and not do their job for a month.

[@keithhosannah3022]

Loved all the points exposed in this video. Especially the point where referees really care about their own career advancement rather than the final result. If anything, I would believe that referees at the highest levels compete against each other for the top assignments. I just think that there aren't enough fans who know about the technical aspects or even the Laws of the Game. I wish more professional players would go into refereeing rather than coaching. This may foster more empathy for referees and encourage even more people to get into officiating.

[@DrZaius3141]

It all starts with the players. The more a ref gets swarmed and argued with, the more that criticism and aggressiveness gets normalized. It's easy to imagine that less aggressive players would lead to less aggressive fans. Too bad so many players are kind of used to arguing and at times even insulting refs.

[@rejectwokeness1314]

Most based opinion on this matter. Being a referee and a player myself, I totally feel it. Thanks for making this video on this topic, if only fans and players alike are a fraction as rational as you

[@keithhosannah3022]

One problem is high profile players prefer coaching rather than refereeing.

[@rejectwokeness1314]

@@keithhosannah3022 high profile players have lots of ways of making money. Just appearing in events or commentary will make them much more than refereeing. And why would abusers want to be abused knowing what they themselves did during their playing days?

[@CaptainPriceAndGaz06]

a huge problem i’ve noticed in youth sports is that too many parents do not raise their kids correctly. if you’re a young child playing a game and you see your mom and dad screaming and barking at the referees about your sunday game playing for the kentwood sharks you’re gonna learn that behaviour is the correct way to treat the officials.

[@mitchelfoster4409]

I reffed one game. When I was 13 a grown man told me he was going to beat me up in the parking lot. I stopped after that.

[@bri1085]

I blame Fergie's Man Utd and their culture around abusing and crowding the ref.

[@Shandakai]

You didn't cover the Chelsea vs Taylor issue as well as you could have. Goes a lot further than Sunday's match.

[@liams4411]

Nigel Pearson was bang on last night by the way. The standard is absolutely shocking, especially in the EFL

[@caesar-dynastysports]

Being terrible at your job doesn't justify receiving death threats lol.

[@nero5564]

@@caesar-dynastysports i don’t think that was implied mate

[@liams4411]

@@caesar-dynastysports Can you point to the part of my quote where I said a referee deserved a death threat? Thanks

[@petesmart1983]

Shame he's one of biggest wankers in football

[@deriobamba]

The saddest thing to see is a manager complaining about the refs. NP just doesn’t like the modern game, and if so should just leave it and take up refereeing. Not many people will miss him

[@charliemahoneycfc4215]

its not that we don't want Antony Taylor to ref our games after that one game but a many terrible decisions that Taylor has made which has cost us many games including two fa cup finals

[@deriobamba]

I’m honestly not trying to be snarky here. (I don’t follow every in and out) What decisions cost thFA cup finals?

[@charliemahoneycfc4215]

@@deriobamba Alexis Sanchez handball control for goal/Ramsey offside dummy Fa cup final 16/17 and Kova second yellow after getting the ball/getting fouled by xhaxa

[@deriobamba]

@@charliemahoneycfc4215 👍🏼

[@deriobamba]

@@charliemahoneycfc4215 I see what you are arguing about, but the offside dummy non-call I saw a few times a year pre-VAR. I could not find a _clear_ view to see if Sanchez handled the ball. The 2nd Kova yellow was _maybe_ harsh in of itself-but it was definitely a foul, stretching to reach the ball (can’t see how you think Xhaka fouled him. It’s the typically clumsy type of foul he makes a lot of times during the season (ironically similar to Xhaka!) I’ve seen him get away without cards by writhing around BTW. Worse there was no reason to foul there.

[@charliemahoneycfc4215]

@@deriobamba how is it definitely a foul when he gets the ball and not the man

[@32678knowle]

I was recently at a play off game in the Isthmian league, there was a strong tackle which was probably a foul but the ref waved play on. An away supporter stood next to me started yelling "oi ref you're a c***" non stop for the next minute. I turned to him and said seriously the ref is a human being and there's no need for that abuse. The bloke gave me a funny look, walked away to a different side of the pitch and was much quieter. I think we all need to help one another to listen to what comes out of our mouths sometimes.

[@toraqi8225]

Fantastic video, the way referees are treated by players, coaches and fans and the amount of abuse and hatred they have to stomach for providing an essential service to the sport is inhumane. At our amateur club there are literally no referees and players of other teams have to ref the games, people who usually have little to no experience or even training and only do it because they have to. Suffice to say the standard of refereeing is not very high and it only leads to more irritations on the pitch (even though our own teams know the situation and are usually a bit calmer). Refereeing is also just immensely difficult. You have to judge situations after seeing them once at full speed and one angle which can be deceiving, mistakes are made all too easily. Nobody deserves the disgusting treatment Taylor got over the weekend just for making a mistake which VAR should have corrected anyway, and the sad thing is that it is probably only slightly worse than what he receives after every game. On top of that referees will almost never get credit when they actually do well, I can't imagine why anyone would ever want to be a professional referee. Secretly I hope this becomes a crisis and forces football to re-evaluate the position of the referee in the sport.

[@keithhosannah3022]

Unfortunately people would just say we must have more referees on the pitch and have more people evaluate VAR decisions but all that would do is provide more people to argue against. There needs to be a attitude change in how we treat referees.

[@flak509]

The hockey case where Thomas Junta beat referee Micheal Costin to death also comes to mind. Zero tolerance policy to start on TV to stop the actions of the major managers, because it is a cultural change within the game. Start at the top to set the tone.

[@larsdodenhoffer5211]

I remember attending a match in the Holstein Stadion in Kiel in the 3. Liga a few Years ago. I'm a firm supporter (not the most avid tho) of Holstein Kiel and when one of our lads on the pitch recieved a yellow for a obviously way to serious foul I dared to mumble something like "He had it coming". Countless heads turned towards me either shaking said heads, playing it down, downright insulting me or simply asking me wether or not I would be just as stupid as the ref who had the insanity to make that call. Sure, ref didn get hurt in the process but it showed me, how delusional many MANY fans are - and dont even get me started with stuff I heared from friends at youth team or low leauge matches (At least no one was killed I guess...).

[@FisherAthleticFan]

Once had to give a kid a straight red in under 11 match, (last man, clear on goal) the parents jumped up shouting and the kid was crying, parents begging me to change it to a yellow. Sorry but regardless of age it’s still a red

[@ivoluijendijk5529]

That however/Hoever pun is reaching Freddy Adu level of brilliance 🙂

[@jamierees9810]

You know what mate!? I've been sooooo impressed for you forever. I live in Canada the FACT you called Ontario a STATE boiled every Canadians blood. War of 1812 People died to Never be called a state. We are Canadian LIVE in provinces!!

[@antlereddruid8359]

also the general age rule in some countries. Manuel Gräfe was forced to retire at 47 despite being the best german referee for years.

[@depekthegreat359]

Nowadays,there are far too many controversies mainly in England and Premier League the example where,the good respective referees have chosen not to be working in this occupations due to ongoing pressure on them to even make a correct decision due to either some players trying to pressure them to make a decision which at times would be wrong or even with the use of the VAR in the league,those referees in the technical room tend to give many wrong decisions,good friends!!!

[@thomasmahoney4991]

Absolutely nail on Alfie, I would not change a word of this. My opinion is that in the same way that there are a plethora of reasons why referees are abused, there are just as many barriers towards it changing for the better. There are so many great points made here but I think one of the very best is when you say that referees are law enforcers - so many people either don't understand or forget this. I would also say that Sky only exacerbate the problem by highlighting mistakes, and reposting them with clickbaity titles, with no condemnation at all of the disgusting ways the players treat referees. The incredible lack of understanding that pundits have of the laws of the game reinforces this issue

[@keithhosannah3022]

If the Premier League actually had mics on the pitch, everyone would hear the stick referees, assistant referees and 4th officials get on a weekly basis and it would not look good.

[@chrisclee6693]

We all have unconscious biases. And most of us either identify and adapt or just ignore them. Same holds true with referees.

[@anamitrasikdar9115]

Please Make a video about the peril that the Indian National Football Team is in. Their board AIFF has been suspended by FIFA and India is going to miss out on a lot of opportunities at the worst possible time if the decision is not reversed quickly.

[@MasterGordon5115]

What Supreme Court did was a dumb decision tho. Although Praful Patel leaving is a plus?

[@anamitrasikdar9115]

@@MasterGordon5115 A Fresh Board of Directors with a President has to be appointed as soon as possible.

[@MasterGordon5115]

@@anamitrasikdar9115 I think it's happening. Apparently Baichung Bhutia is standing for the AIFF Presidency. We'll see how it goes. I think it'll be solved within a month or two

[@anamitrasikdar9115]

@@MasterGordon5115 Will It save the Women's U-17 WC from being stripped off from India ?

[@MasterGordon5115]

@@anamitrasikdar9115 If this is all sorted out by October then yes it'll be saved

[@MrBananaGiraffe1111]

I play Sunday league in Ontario Canada, and this year has been terrible for refereeing. A lot of games we’ve had brand new refs who were very obviously not that experienced.

[@joemorgan9573]

Can you do a story about Middlesbrough’s near Liquadation, to the European Final and Carling Cup!

[@MikeRyan-vd1qw]

Michael Lewis did a podcast series called ‘Against the Rules’ a couple of years ago. He contends that despite referees being the best they have ever been with all their support and technology, public perception of them is at an all-time low. That's not just in sport, but in all areas of life where people "referee" such as, for example, the regulators of the financial system.

[@MCMickG]

Tranmere with another mention in a HITC sevens video, we are massive

[@axe8466]

so this is why anthony taylor is still a ref

[@silvanafernandes8875]

And Paul Tierney

[@eugenelow4705]

I’m a former match official in my country’s professional league, I would like to thank you for this very well articulated and balanced video. Would like to particularly echo your point on social media causing additional stress to referees across all levels. Social media has the ability for an incident to go viral quickly even before the referees step back into their dressing room. Worst still, it could be caused by fans having a wrong/outdated interpretation of the laws of the game or if the main broadcast camera having a different angle of view from the referees. Similar to athletes, I think referees at this day needs greater mental health support across all levels of the game. At the end of the day, the beautiful game requires a human touch and it cannot be officiated by robots. No ref, no game.

[@jackphillips6742]

Outdated rules that stick in fans brains really is where a lot of their anger comes from.

[@MultiGoldone]

I am a referee, former collegiate athlete, high school coach, special forces operator and manager of multi-billion dollar company, and I will tell you that refereeing is one of, not the most stressful thing I've ever done. All around the world, its usually the people who have never done or even come close to performing at the level a certain task or profession that complain the most about how the other guy is so bad.

[@jhaych]

I have no idea why people get so worked up at Sunday league level etc, you aren't a professional or getting paid to play, it's purely for fun.

[@OfficialFingazMC]

That episode of 'Inside no 9' comes to mind.

[@futchyboy8018]

Hull’s first game against Bristol City was defo on Hull’s side

[@denoodler5002]

The laws of the game should just be followed to the letter but it rarely seem to be done in England

[@jimbob-robob]

I've done some sunday league type refereeing on the day as informal linesman to help the official ref...it sucks. From being eyeballed maliciously to being deliberately tripped by touchline spectators, and threatened to be followed to the car park it's a thankless task...

[@Scott-hu3np]

I thought the trend that was going forward was that refereeing would be automated. That’s the impression I got from players, pundits and fans. I didn’t think it could work because the laws of the game are written to be interpreted subjectively by referees. But it seems like in the next few years. The shortage of referees is just gonna get worse and worse, until it hits the highest level and those who have the power are actually affected by it

[@glencurtis6052]

Surely this is an age thing, when I was 18 I would spout all of the stuff you have discussed here. Now in my 40's I very rarely get worked up over a dodgy looking decision and more often than not point out the decisions we get given that we probably shouldn't have

[@KingOfTheCapybaras]

some people just dont mature

[@Etom.]

We’re having a similar situation here in the states with American football and basketball especially at youth levels. Nobody wants to take the abuse.

[@JoshAston23]

Hopefully the introduction of VAR (and the eventual filtering down of this to championship, league 1, league 2) will help referees to feel more confident making decisions, and hopefully players will stop arguing as much knowing that any major decisions are being rewatched several times

[@Tonishog]

I play both football and rugby and it’s very interesting to see the way players treat the referee on the pitch, even with players who play both and how they behave depending on what they’re playing

[@shadow9134]

I honestly feel that demoting referees is just disrespecting the lower leagues. The hierarchy just sees the 2 highest levels and doesn't see the lower leagues. Maybe I'm just biased because I'm a Bristol Rovers fan.

[@86kickass]

Dude it’s because good referees don’t want to ref poor quality players in a ref I had reffing poor players

[@shadow9134]

@@86kickass That's not the point.

[@insanityrabbit2406]

We have one of those 'game managing' referees in the Netherlands. When he first spoke about it, he seemed to get a lot of support. He liked letting the game flow as much as possible and did so for the love of the game, or so he said. The result was (and is, but to a lesser extent) exactly what you said in your video: an extreme lack of consistency, which has made him more hated then loved. As to the solution, I don't think the FAs are doing enough. I don't remember what cup it was (EC, WC or CL), where either our team(s) (be it national or club) wasn't present, or wasn't performing. At some point it became clear that Bjorn Kuipers was seen as one the refs that could actually make the final, and for a few weeks, he became our national pride. The hype died down immediately after it became clear he wouldn't be refereeing the final, and the KNVB never capitalized on the (short lived) hype. I'm no marketing expert, so I'm not sure what they could've done, but it has always felt like a missed opportunity to me.

[@tompotter8854]

I used to referee junior football here in Aus and the abuse from parents was ridiculous was 14 at the time put me off for life

[@AccidentallyDecent]

As someone who is a referee myself I both agree with this video but and find myself more often agreeing with the calls of the officials than before I became one but will still from time to time being like how was/wasn’t that a call. Doesn’t matter the level I’m watching or if I’m cheering for the team tho. When you learn what you’re looking for it is easier to understand a call but also easier to realize when something was missed

[@danieleatwell7757]

My dad used to referee but he gave it up because he said it was a thankless job.

[@rajs4719]

So true. If you have a bad game you're absolutely villified but if you have a good game no one says anything

[@Mobile_Legends_tutorial]

So happy to be the 67th like on this video.. Thank you HITC Seven!!

[@hieubuiminh4739]

As much as referees are only human, surely they have to be held more accountable for making wrong decisions, since it's their job after all. Like an interview on why some controversial decisions was given.

[@lolumo]

That parallel is true and deep

[@tomzknight7412]

All that would be is just a public shaming. Football fans won't listen to the interview and think "oh, they have a point", they'll just use it to further attack them.

[@hieubuiminh4739]

@@tomzknight7412 yeah football fans do be like that. But players are interviewed all the time, why isn't refs held in that terms of standard. For sure the game needs more refs and better pay/mental health compensation for them the poor people. But if you try to tackle that issue, surely you'd want a higher quality of refs as well (I am looking at you Anthony Taylor)

[@tomzknight7412]

@@hieubuiminh4739 Players tend to be interviewed for good reasons such as being named man of the match. No player is forced to come out to talk to the media, it's by choice if they decide to. De Gea wasn't forced to be interviewed the other day, he chose to do it. Big difference to someone being forced into it. I get your points but I do think we'll never have higher quality of refs whilst cheating is seen to just be part of football now.

[@makkunn5929]

Exactly, the "bias" thing almost doesn't exist in refereeing , because every referee wants to do his best in every game in order to maintain his status or even go higher and officiate bigger games ,earn more etc, so any mistake at any game is just a human mistake and not a bias to a certain team by any means

[@heidetermeg427]

My man Alfie even nailed a "The Purge" movie reference in the intro to a football video lol. Can't ever hate on the writing on this channel.

[@TheDanoftheshire]

I refereed as a young teenager. I quit after a parent came up and stood over me, calling me every name under the son, telling me i destroyed his kids year because his kids team lost. It's just not worth it.

[@pm9666]

Heard a story about that overrated Pep Guardiola confronting a referee in the tunnel, and the referee handed him the football Law book and asked him if he knew how to read. 😆

[@kieronparr3403]

Very timely

[@yassersalem7992]

I hope Anthony Taylor is gone from Premier League. He is not even Championship level

[@silvanafernandes8875]

Paul Tierney too

[@lfcyeezus]

In the us, we often have to wait almost an hour after the game is supposed to start because it's so hard to get referees. I'm in the process of getting my license now, and it takes like 10 hours so it's super simple but no one wants to do this

[@venturafrappaolo7557]

the grassroots of officials is the problem. 10 years ago when I trained, earnings was only £30 a game for youth games, which means dealing with "cheeky kids" and overly-invested parents who think they can do your job. I didn't even bother as I got a weekend job giving £10 p/h, no uniform costs, less costs getting about,etc. refs at grassroots need better pay.

[@GARYBLONDER]

Who'd be a ref?? Another great intelligent, balanced and reasoned vid. I have no doubt that only when the ref shortage gets critical will anything be done.

[@jebgordon6608]

Having been an official in the past the abuse is much higher than people believe. I did youth level and had to deal with parents following me from the grounds and screaming about a fix. For the record, the league supported the red card and I still say we were lucky to not have had a kid with broken leg that morning.

[@Stephen_Platt]

I agree to an extent that referees need protection but equally the standard needs to improve. I play in a local 5-a-side league. One of the worst offenders for abusing referees is a lad who actually referees at the venue himself and thinks as a result he should get every decision his way when he plays. There’s also a referee who has literally paused games to listen to voice notes on WhatsApp, as well as ignoring a blatant handball by one of my opponents on the ground that “you’ve lost anyway”. I agree that referees shouldn’t be abused, but equally some of them deserve the abuse they get. Edit: Players need to stop playacting too. The referee of Wigan vs Preston on the opening day got pelters from us (Preston) for sending Ched Evans off because the Wigan player straight up started break dancing to try and sell the foul (seriously, watch how he reacts to the tackle, he gave Klinsmann a run for his money) and so we lost it when he showed the red card. On watching the replay, it turns out Evans 2 footed the lad in the chest (both players slid in). Red card all day, but we were certain he’d been stitched up by Curtis Tilt’s playacting.

[@unlockedaccount]

no one deserves abuse

[@gerryparker1390]

My hate on Refs was cured by being one for a different type of football game for a couple of years. In the end I hated doing it, but I learned a lot. Everyone makes mistakes.

[@thelastgreataudit8112]

For a year or so as a teenager I reffed kids games on days I didn't play myself. I learned how much I did not want to do that. I also stopped giving refs shit as a player.

[@tarik6990]

There's a lot of incompetent referees now compared to 15-20 years ago ironically enough despite technology having evolved so much to help them.

[@deriobamba]

Based on what? Could it be that the game is much faster now with far better athletes?

[@tarik6990]

@@deriobamba Faster yes but far better athletes, not necessarily. A lot of football fans who have been around for quite a while will agree that football was at its best level from the mid 1990s to about 2011 and that's been declining ever since.

[@theamericanbrotha]

Excellent video. In America we just had a grown man shoot and kill a referee at a YOUTH American football game. And there's parents fighting with refs at youth basketball games. My uncles ref American football and basketball for high schools and they get TONS of abuse. People really need to chill out and realize it's just a game.