May I curse a referee? Swear words and consequences

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Behavioral Psychology
• Game Management

Background:

• Soccer (football) referees must enforce Law 12, which mandates a red card for player misconduct involving swear words.
• Player verbal abuse presents a challenge to consistent referee decision-making and game management.
• Previous research has not fully explored how referees' responses vary based on the nature of verbal offenses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether male and female soccer referees apply Law 12 consistently when faced with player verbal abuse.
• To determine the influence of swear word content and referee experience on the decision to issue disciplinary actions.

Main Methods:

• 113 soccer referees were surveyed on their responses to 28 categorized swear words.
• Response options included red card, yellow/blue card, admonition, or no reaction.
• Data analysis examined the relationship between swear word category, referee qualification/experience, and disciplinary action.

Main Results:

• Approximately 55.7% of referees indicated they would issue a red card for swear words.
• Referee response was significantly influenced by the insulting content of the swear word, not their qualification or experience.
• Law 12 was applied in only about half of the scenarios, contingent on the severity of the verbal offense.

Conclusions:

• Soccer referees exhibit inconsistency in enforcing rules against player verbal abuse.
• The perceived severity of an insult is a primary factor in a referee's decision-making process.
• Findings highlight the need for improved training and clearer guidelines for referees in managing player misconduct.