Referees in the J.League are facing a crisis. There is no end to the number of cases of people who post slanderous or threatening comments about referees on SNS out of spite for a loss of their supporting team, causing anxiety not only to the referees but also to their families.

Taking advantage of anonymity, these people are attacking others while hiding in a safe place. It is truly sad that such despicable acts are taking place in Japan these days.

The referees are being exposed not only on the internet, but also in real life. Even in matches outside of the J.League, we see coaches and parents lashing out at the referees on a regular basis.

I heard a story about one youth match, in which the coach of the losing team (who was a coach of an academy team of a J.League club) lashed out at the referee shouting, “Your decision is going to decide my contract!” I wonder if such coach is qualified to coach the children who will be leading our future.

I've seen a coach walking up to the referee, saying, “I feel sorry for the players who have practiced so hard only to put up with your poor officiating.” By making such complaint, I wonder if that coach was trying to show the players how much she care about them.

It is not uncommon for parents watching the match to make harsh comments at the referee. Even without proper knowledge of the Laws of the Game, they would lash out saying things like, “That wasn’t offside!” every time they face an unfavourable decision.

In a survey, most of the referees answered that they had had such unpleasant experiences. One female referee wrote in an official post-match referee’s report that she was going to quit refereeing after being verbally abused by a male coach during the match.

There is something that I would like these people who are offensive against referees to know. It is a story of how the referee came to be in the game of association football.

In 1863, when The Football Association was born and the game started, there were no referees. Back then, football was considered a “gentlemen's game,” so it was assumed that there would be no intentional fouls. When a foul was committed, the captains of the respective teams would take action, such as having the player sent off.

Eventually, one person from each team would be assigned with the role of the “umpire,” and those people would make the decisions. However, there would be times when the two umpires do not agree with each other. In such situation, they would pick out a spectator from the crowd who seems to have the most insight of the game and ask, “Which decision is correct?”

This was the beginning of the referee. The person receiving the inquiry was a gentleman in this era, so naturally he would be wearing a black frock coat with a stick in his hand. This is said to be the reason why the referee's uniforms are traditionally black. Eventually, this person would walk onto the pitch and make all the decisions. The word “referee” means “the person who receives the inquiry.”

As you can see, the referees are doing you a favour in order for you to play the game. So, although you may be unhappy with their decisions at times, you must respect and oblige to their decisions.

When the J.League first started, there were so many objections and outbursts against the referees that I once wrote, “They should go on a strike.” Back then, all referees were amateurs, so they weren’t dependent on the earnings from these matches. If they wanted to, they could just avoid the trouble and just officiate children’s matches.

Football cannot be played without a referee. Without the kick-off whistle, even Lionel MESSI cannot score a goal. Players, coaches, fans, parents and everyone involved in football must understand what referees are and accept their decisions with gratitude.

Written by OSUMI Yoshiyuki (Football Journalist)

*This article was originally posted on the Japan Football Association Newsletter, “JFAnews,” August 2021 edition.

Japan Football Association Newsletter “JFAnews”

The Japan Football Association Newsletter “JFAnews” contains all the information on the Japan National Team, and all the events hosted by the JFA. Tournament results and team information throughout the nation are also available. The official monthly magazine is a must read for coaches, referees, and all members of the football family.

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