Respecting referees? An analysis of abuse, support, retention and policy

The focus of this chapter is to examine the main sociological reasons behind the significant decrease in the retention of referees in some sports across the world. After providing a brief history on the importance of referees to the emergence of regulated sport from the nineteenth century, the chapter examines some policy changes that have been introduced to try and rectify declining referee numbers, most notably through my own research following the implementation of the Respect Campaign in English football in 2008. The chapter then covers two of the most regular themes in research concerning sports referees, namely the verbal and physical abuse they still receive as well as the need for greater support mechanisms and more consistently applied punishments for any offending individual or club. A conclusion is then offered to draw on the key issues and summarise the current state of play moving forwards.