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TWO-THIRDS OF referees leave within two years due to the scale of abuse they receive, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has said.
The Oireachtas sports committee heard “stark” evidence from representatives from Ireland’s largest sporting organisations about the level of abuse that referees often face.
Politicians heard that referees have been physically attacked, intimidated and threatened as part of their work at games across the country.
Gerard Perry, chair of the FAI referee committee, told the committee: “Retention of referees remains an issue and the escalating abuse of match officials does not help in this regard.”
“Anecdotally we lose 66% of new referees within the first two years of them completing the referee beginner’s course. Exit interviews inform us that ‘referee abuse’ is the main reason for them stopping.”
That figure came amid a broader discussion at the committee about the abuse of referees across GAA, rugby and football.
Perry told the committee that refereeing numbers in the organisation fell from 1,400 to 1,200 between 2015 and 2020.
Those figures, he said, have now improved.
“At the start of 2021 we had 1,211 registered referees and that figure has already grown to 1,430 referees today after 581 recruits to the online course.”
Representatives of other sporting organisations and referee groups acknowledged abuse remains a problem, with the prevalence of anonymous commentary on social media partially blamed.
Tom Ryan, director-general of the GAA, pointed to a wider culture that sees the abuse of referees as permissible.
“The real job for us, and it is a difficult one, is about the culture that surrounds the entire game,” he told the committee.
He said the organisation has 3,000 referees and match officials across football and hurling.
“There is a pervading climate among those who watch and report on our games, and more significantly those anonymous commentators on discussion forums and social media, to persistently pass judgment.”
Donal Smyth, the national match officials manager at the GAA, said he knows of “top referees” who have recently endured “awful abuse”.
“When the top referees are getting it, what is happening under-age?”
Dudley Phillips, the head of referees at the IRFU, told the committee: “Unfortunately, abuse of match officials is on the rise, and while rugby has a good reputation for respecting our officials, we are not immune and must continue to take the matter extremely seriously.”
He said abuse is not a regular occurrence at rugby games.
“Sport is one area impacted by what seems to be an increase in abuse in society in general,” he told the committee.
“One only has to look at any of the many social media posts that arise from sport week in, week out to see evidence of this.”
Phillips told the committee that 27 reported cases of abuse have been investigated by the IRFU in the last year, out of 3,500 games at all levels.
Sean Slattery, vice-president of the Irish Soccer Referees Society, spoke about threats of violence against referees.
He said that in 99% of cases, referees are alone at venues.
He told politicians: “The effects of this type of behaviour can be very demoralising for the referee, and when this becomes a regular event, a lot of them decide enough is enough, and they say to themselves that they don’t need this in their lives, and retire from the game.
“Even worse is when assaults occur.
“In Dublin there have been three in the last two months.”
He complained that when cases are reported to gardai, it often takes a significant period of time for any follow-up.
“Maybe the state could help by encouraging a more urgent response from gardai when such assaults, or threats of assault, are reported,” he suggested.
Under-reporting was acknowledged as an issue by all those who appeared before the committee, with all organisations stressing they encourage referees and match officials to make detailed reports of abuse.
Smyth said that at ordinary club games, GAA referees often do not report abuse.
Phillips added: “Referees might say what’s the point. That’s a big worry for me across all sports, if referees have that view.”
Members of the committee were unanimous in their condemnation of abuse and attacks against referees.
Alan Dillon, a Fine Gael TD and former Mayo GAA captain, said: “I have seen first hand the importance sport plays in our lives.”
He said referees “deserve the utmost respect in carrying out their duties”.
Sinn Fein TD Chris Andrews said: “The idea of a 12-month suspension isn’t enough. If someone assaults a referee in a game, there should be a lifetime ban in the sport. It is not acceptable.
“You are not just assaulting a referee, you’re putting everyone off participating in that sport.
“Without real enforcement of sanctions, it’s just going to continue and we’re going to have incidents happening.
“The club has to face a sanction if a referee is abused.”
Perry told the TD there might be legal issues with lifetime bans, but for more complex offences people can be banned for a minimum of three years.
He said there was a recent case where a 40-year ban was handed down.
“There is an opportunity to fine clubs,” he added. “And the association has recently re-formed a welfare group for referees, which is addressing the whole area that you have touched on in relation to punishing clubs more severely.”
Committee chairwoman and Fianna Fail TD Niamh Smyth asked the representatives whether abuse was preventing women becoming referees.
All organisations said they wanted to boost the numbers of female referees and they did not believe abuse was the main deterrent.
Perry said there are around 40-50 female referees in the FAI, out of around 1,500 in total.
He admitted it was “quite low”.
“Female referees are viewed exactly the same way as male referees, except some of the stereotyping around gender, the language often is something stereotypical you would have heard in the past,” he said about the abuse they receive.
“Whether that’s a blockage, I don’t think so. I think it’s to do with the small numbers and us using and finding a way to attract using good role models.”
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This problem starts at the top. It’s a common occurrence to see a professional footballer screaming obscenities at referees. Even now with VAR making decisions. Until that starts being punished, kids will do the same.
@Rocky: Yep, and managers attacking them on sky sports after games. The ref has always been seen as the villain in football. Monkey see; monkey do.
@Rocky: There’s a rule that diving is a yellow card offence. Rarely used. Looking for an opposing player to be booked is a bookable offence. Never used. So no point being in new rules when refs won’t use the ones that are in. And I’m in agreement with you. It does start with the professionals. If a player seems Neymare rolling around at the slightest tip then there going to do it. And Pundits and managers are equally to blame.
@Rocky: nail on the head. Same to some extent with GAA. Then on a rugby pitch you’ve the opposite. No surprise the kids playing each sport (and their parents/coaches) follow suit with what they see on the TV.
@Pseud O’Nym: it happens in rugby too, especially at underage.
@Pseud O’Nym: Yeah. Shame rugby players didn’t behave a bit better when they’re not playing the game.
@Vonvonic: what are talking about, Soccer & GAA are 10 time worse than rugby players, bad eggs in every walk of life can’t just single out one discipline
Any team’s or their supporters who abuse a referee should be blacklisted for future games until they get their house in order.
I’ve never understood why the ref’s in football are so weak and nor hand out yellows followed by reds for any player hurling abuse. It would only take a weekend in the likes of the “Premiership” before teams copped on. And now that all the ref’s have a mic, they should follow the rugby and have it televised, no hiding when everyone at home can hear the foul language.
Who would be a ref. Even when there right there wrong. Take GAA for example. Most players sent off in semi finals have there red card overturned no matter what they dis to receive the red. If a ref sends off a player too early (again for no matter what) there seen yo have ruined the game. And then GAA wonder why they cant recruit refs.
@Cormac Flanagan: and then when a referee makes a decision, the GAA omertha kicks in and they never back then. E.g. James Owens, Conor Lane, hung out to dry by the authorities this year for their decision.
The standard in the Airtricity League is absolutely shocking!
@Ciaran McCann: here is an idea, you become a ref and we will see how you get on
Christ above. Soft world were living in these days.. put them to work in a call centre for 6 months first after that the abuse on a pitch will be a dream
@Diarmuid O Brien: such a pi#ss poor comment.
@Paul Gorry: As opposed to your wonderful input on this story, he’s not wrong either, Retail staff, call centre workers and Bar staff know all about getting abuse and I can tell you it’s a hell ooff lot worse than referees get.
Some of the refereeing mistakes seen, you wouldn’t see in an under 12s game, the problem is that they aren’t experienced enough to ref in big matches and they don’t have the technology to help them (Goaline technology, Video Ref, etc)
@Paul Gorry: lol..sorry your offended by such a light hearted comment..you should join the referees who claim to be abused too..counseling might be needed. Ill try to remember your feelings for future comments
@Adam J: how often do workers in those sectors face returning to their car after finishing to discover tyres slashed, windows smashed, cases where the individual is locked into their workplace (changing room), or even bundled into the boot of a vehicle, as a form of revenge for decisions made, cases of physical assault, or cases where your family is contacted and threats made against your family? For those who think I’m exaggerating, I spent 8 years as a soccer ref in the mid to late 90s in Dublin and either had these happen to myself, or to my colleagues.
As for the technology you mention, don’t see much of that in about 95% of matches played, particularly at schools level or the junior/intermediate leagues.
@Diarmuid O Brien: i mean they are being abused and they aren’t paid enough to take that kind of abuse. You should give it a try. Let’s see how long you would last
@Diarmuid O Brien: A call center? Jesus, have we got to the stage where call center work is considered tough? Bless.
Give them all cattle prods, you’ll see their tenure increase and abuse go in the opposite direction
Not like the old days when they left because they needed glasses…
A by-product of the culture of corruption within the FAI?
@Eddie O’Neill: Yep the FAI are responsible for dimwitted !mbeciles who think it’s acceptable direct vile abuse at another human being. Go back to sleep and stops fishing for likes with buzz words
@Phil Redmond: You’re missing my point. My point was that the governing body has not addressed this long running problem, they can issue bans/fines/sanctions to players, staff, fans for incidences of referee abuse. They have a large part to play in addressing this. If there is no consequences for these actions then you are always going to get the imbeciles, that you referred to, that are too stoopid to work out what is the correct way to deal with their base emotions.
@Eddie O’Neill: Fair enough but maybe next time say that. You’re original comment implies it’s the FAI’s fault it’s happening in the first place which obviously isn’t the case. This is a problem with the culture of football as a whole and it happens in plenty of countries not just here. Yes FAI could be doing more to fight it but so could everyone else. Clubs need to take action as well instead of waiting for the FAI to hold their hand. The refs at underage level as well get awful abuse especially from parents. Clubs need to clamp down on that. Ban little Johnny from playing football if daddy can’t keep his mouth shut and you’ll see a change in behaviour quick enough
Well if they keep putting up the wrong posts, well
At least they have a fall back plan, from what I can gather they’re all expert wank3rs
@Hugh Morris: very mature
@D. Memery: I didn’t come up with the phrase…
Because they’re shyte
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