Without them, not a single soccer game could take place. And yet we would love to always compete without them: our referees.

Our communication and language with and about them? Disrespectful and in need of improvement!

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“Son of a Whore” & “Softened Pack”

In recent weeks, the men's Bundesliga has once again made more headlines with disrespect and insults towards the impartial.

We should all ask ourselves how we see the role of referees.

According to the definition, it is the Game directors. We often pretend to be game destroyers.

In doing so, we set completely different standards for referees than for “us” players, coaches and fans. If the players make a mistake, we cheer them up with a pat on the shoulder. Our faiplay idea even goes so far that we cheer up or comfort our opponents from time to time. The pictures of Oliver Kahn and Santiago Cañizares after the penalty shoot-out in the 2001 CL final at San Siro are legendary to this day.

Who remembers a similar gesture towards referees? Probably no one, it doesn't happen that often.

And in doing so, our impartial people should actually earn us the utmost respect. Because one thing is certain. Regardless of whether in the Bundesliga in front of 80,000 under floodlights or in the district class on ashes: In soccer, referees need nerves like wire ropes and lots of self-confidence.

This is the only way they can deal with the constant complaints from players, coaches and viewers about unpopular decisions and all the other sayings, comments and small provocations.

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When words become actions

However, the problem with such behavior is much more serious than it seems at first glance. The transition between constructive criticism, verbal derailments, serious threats or even physical violence seems to have been fluid for some time. To everyone's dismay, we hear in the media again and again about brutal physical attacks on volunteer impartial people.

Sascha Stegemann — himself a Bundesliga referee — recently wanted to attest to German soccer “no general problem of respect,” but was of the opinion that “We are talking about individual cases. ”

However, the statistics speak for themselves: In the 2021/22 season, 5582 incidents, including 3544 acts of violence, such as acts of violence or threats, and 2389 discrimination against referees reported to the DFB. The number of unreported cases is likely to be significantly higher. In addition, the referees have 911 amateur games completely aborted.

As an excuse, we hear the same sentence over and over again: “It happened out of emotion.”

The problem: when we verbally cross red lines in the men's Bundesliga out of emotion, we push the limits of what can be said and done in amateur soccer. Because “role model” is not always just a positive dynamic.

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Interview with referee Rebekka Redinger

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Rebekka Redinger, a passionate referee, has also heard every insult in her 15-year career. But that's not all: She was beaten unconscious during an indoor tournament.

The perpetrator — initially suspended “for life” — is now allowed to play again.

Because here, too, the whole thing happened “just out of emotion”...

In our series 42 Questions, we talked to her for a long time about “being a referee” and its beautiful sides, but also about the issue of violence against impartial people.