Referee administrator Tony Crush still remembers the first time he was physically assaulted while officiating a soccer match. The reality, however, is that the younger age games often lead to the most referee abuse. “It’s the younger ages that are the biggest problem,” veteran referee and Minnesota state referee administrator Paula Hildman told the Guardian. He didn’t do anything more, but I didn’t ref after that.”Incidents of verbal abuse and physical intimidation like this one drive many young referees out of the game. While there are many possible explanations for the rise in referee abuse, there are just as many potential solutions.

Source: The Guardian April 16, 2018 07:52 UTC