We have been focusing on the wrong things for a long time. There is no sense in the mass hysteria directed at the referees; every single weekend they are blamed for everything, Helsingin Sanomat columnist Tim Sparv writes.
Last on December 11, the situation in Turkey got out of hand. The referee had once again condemned the situation as a loss for the same team, and its owner could no longer sit still. He ran onto the field, punched the referee and roared:
“I will kill you.”
Regardless of the sport, the work of a judge is anything but easy these days. The tempo of the matches is increasing, and due to the speed, it is difficult for the referee to keep up with the situation, for example in changes of situation when the team moves from attack to defense or vice versa. From an outsider's perspective, certain (new) rules also seem to confuse not only supporters but also judges.
The worst however, has a toxic attitude towards judges. They are always scapegoats for everyone nowadays. They are constantly criticized and ridiculed – sometimes I wonder how they can handle all the abuse they hear.
Team owners, players, coaches, supporters and parents of juniors around the world should look in the mirror.
Many have lost their temper over a referee's wrong decision, but few have the courage to admit that they are part of the biggest problem in sports: disrespecting referees.
The see every week.
Players pretend to be injured to gain an advantage for their team. Players shout, curse and gesture at the referees to put pressure on them.
Coaches also blame bad refereeing decisions for the loss, and team owners spread fake news about a referee conspiracy against their team. Commentators and pundits use most of the screen time to talk about referee mistakes, and the match itself remains a side story.
We have been focusing on the wrong things for a long time. There is no sense in the mass hysteria directed at the referees; every single weekend they get blamed for everything. We have normalized behavior that puts referees in a dangerous and unsustainable position.
Confrontation is pointless and stupid. Referees are an important and valuable part of sports, and it would be healthy to increase the teamwork between its key players. In Finland, we read about young judges who barely have time to start their careers before they quit because adults can't keep their emotions in check. Let's get more owners, coaches and parents to take a referee course. Maybe it would help them understand the work of judges better.
Even for flashes of light is. In Finland, interest in the work of a judge is relatively high. There are clearly people who feel a real passion for the profession and the sport.
History was made in England in December. A men's Premier League match was refereed by a woman for the first time, and just a couple of days later another match in the same league was refereed by a black referee – the first time in 15 years. Better late than never, but maybe something gratifying happened last fall.
Despite the glimmers of light, the problem has not disappeared anywhere. We must create a safe working environment for judges. We adults must take our responsibility and act as role models. If someone crosses the line of appropriate behavior, we have to tell them off. We have to support the judges and show them respect.
It is worth remembering that no match is played without referees. There may be some interest in refereeing at this point, but how long will it last? Who wants to be a judge if the job description includes insults, threats and violence?
Finnish translation: Laura Jänisniemi
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