Liverpool Rugby Referees

The link below takes you to the 69min session on

1. Dealing with Capts and Players
2. Misconduct /Discent
3. 3F Tool - Flag it, Frame It, Follow It Through
4. Harrassment
5. THINK Tool
6. 2xYellow Cards vs RC - Issues, impact, action
7. Whats a 5.12 and How Liverpool Refs will work with clubs around excellence in 19.4.9
8. Victim Impact Statements
9. 3 Real (Redacted) Case Studies
10. Welfare Policy
11. RAG Monitoring
12. Safeguarding Obligations and measures within Liverpool Refs remit
13. 2025-26 Focus Areas - ie Referee Liaison
14. Liverpool Refs Working with clubs to mentor and coach for better outcomes

https://youtu.be/IDd97jFA3jE

https://youtu.be/IDd97jFA3jE

Note the link is to access the session that been recorded. You CAN NOT access the video unless you follow the above link.

Notes below for Issues over Harrassment and Myth Busting

Harrassment

Let's talk about something that unfortunately affects many of us in officiating - harassment. Whether it comes from players, coaches, or spectators, harassment has real psychological impacts that we need to understand and address.

When you experience harassment, your brain naturally goes through certain responses - and it's important to know these are completely normal human reactions.

First, self-doubt kicks in. You might find yourself questioning your decisions, wondering if you did something wrong, or even if you somehow 'deserved' what happened. This is your mind trying to make sense of an unacceptable situation.

Then blame gets misplaced. Instead of recognising the other person's behaviour as completely out of line, we often internalise it - thinking we failed somehow. But here's the truth: their behavior is not a reflection of your performance.

Finally, silence feels safer. You might hesitate to report incidents or seek support because you're worried you're the problem. You're not.

The feelings you experience - being uncomfortable, irritated, disrespected, anxious, threatened, or humiliated - these are all natural responses to unwanted behaviour.

Remember this: You are NOT the problem. The person engaging in harassment is the problem.

Our job is to manage these situations professionally, not to accept being a victim. You have the right to officiate without harassment, and there are systems in place to support you when it happens.

Liverpool Refs wont accept this from clubs, players, coaches, spectators or others – on the pitch , prior to game, during, after - in person on social media - verbally, in writing....etc.

100% ZERO Tolerance. We will take steps to protect you, we can't and won't sanction (That’s CB and RFU)clubs but we will take measures to ensure you are protected and feel safe.
 
Myth Busting

I want to address something directly - and this might make some people uncomfortable, but it needs to be said. Aimed at all people involved with rugby…

If you believe that 'bad refs get abused' - that somehow a referee's performance justifies poor treatment - then you're part of the problem, not the solution.

2024-25 Season – club admitted appalling behaviour but then said it would not have happened if the referee had been better….100% not acceptable. Bans in region of 10-20ish weeks were issued by the CB and we are grateful for this air cover…

Let me be crystal clear: Respect is non-negotiable, regardless of who is holding the whistle. You don’t get to harass or bully a person because of them being who they are…include all protected characteristics…and hurtful stuff about body image etc. ZERO Tolerance.

There is no 'performance clause' in respect. A referee's standard of officiating does not determine your obligation to behave appropriately; you don’t get to harass them because you have decided they are not good. Your conduct isn't dependent on their decisions - it's dependent on your character. Mothers around the globe, “if you don’t have anything nice to say, say nothing”

Rugby's values are unconditional. Respect isn't something a referee has to earn through perfect performance - it's given because that referee enables our game to happen. Whether they're having their best day or their worst, they deserve basic human dignity.

Here's what we need to remember: mistakes are part of sport. Players make them, coaches make them, and yes, referees make them too. But abuse has never fixed a mistake - it only makes everything worse.

Referees give a scrum for a knock on, they don’t then call the player names and harass then belittle their skills and make them feel uncomfortable…

Often, blaming the referee masks deeper issues. Poor discipline, frustration, bad team decisions - these usually start within the team, the club, or personal struggles that have nothing to do with the person in the middle who turns up as a volunteer to a club and is then make to feel small/bad/the problem.

And let's be honest about something else - abuse is not feedback. If a referee is genuinely struggling, then support and development help. Shouting and victimising them doesn't.

The standard we walk past is the standard we accept. So when you see referee abuse, speak up. Because silence makes you complicit.

Our referees deserve better, and our game demands better.

Now, I know some of you might be thinking - and maybe you've even been told by other referees - that 'only bad refs get abused.' Let me destroy that myth right now.

This is one of the most damaging lies in officiating, and it needs to stop.

First, elite referees get abused constantly. International referees, professional officials at the highest levels - they face torrents of abuse every single game. Are we saying they're all 'bad refs'? Of course not. Its seen refs at this level walk away and many other eefs say it was a significant part of their lives just dealing with this lie….

Second, this belief is victim-blaming at its worst. It's like saying 'only bad drivers get road rage directed at them' or 'only bad teachers get difficult parents.' It's nonsense, and it's harmful. STOP IT.

What actually happens is this: when people are frustrated, disappointed, or angry about the game, they target the most visible authority figure....the referee. It doesn't matter if you've had a perfect game or made every call correctly. You're the lightning rod for their emotions.

And here's the really insidious part; when we tell ourselves 'only bad refs get abused', we're setting up a trap. Every time someone treats us poorly, we start questioning ourselves: 'Maybe I am a bad ref. Maybe I deserved that.' No. You didn't.

OK you might not have had a perfect game, you might need to open yourself up to some further learning, you might need to look in the mirror and say “Im prob at the right grade as Im not as good as I think”…it works both ways….but you are not the reason others are showing dissent..thats their BIG issue and you need to learn how to nip it in the bud. Liverpool Refs have your back and we wont judge or blame you.

This toxic mindset that "only bad refs get abused" keeps referees isolated, stops them from reporting abuse, and makes them accept treatment they should never tolerate. Lets turn the page and stop saying “Only bad refs get abused”

So let's be clear: Good referees get abused. Great referees get abused. Perfect referees...if they existed, would get abused. Because abuse is about the abuser's character, not your/the refs performance.

Stop accepting the lie. Start supporting each other instead.