18 wonderful & bizarre refereeing moments

Being a referee is, quite frankly, a thankless task. It’s bad enough in the lower leagues where cameras aren’t tracking your every decision and replaying it over and over again on top of being sworn at, physically threatened and generally being treated with total contempt. Here we compile some of the weirdest referee moments caught on camera.

1. This referee somehow scores a goal from corner. He’s offside but it won’t matter, it’s a pure finish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GG-LcimUqw

2. Unbelievable video this, a Spanish ref absolutely NAILS Canales.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ve65wo5N0u0

3. Lee Mason is deceptively quick for a portly man and here uses his pace to devastating effect as he trips up two players.

4. In a bizzare turn of events, this ref decides to give his yellow card to the fourth official and only use the red one in a bad-tempered affair.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xTAui5ToSu0

5. Some of you may have seen this before, this referee punches a player in the face (by accident?) and then has to run for cover as the whole bench clears to fight him. The pace is quite impressive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=c_sI5ano6b4

6. Lee Probert dishes out the red card after being caught between Gary Caldwell and Steve Sidwell

http://youtu.be/4urL1JvGUB8

7. Spanish referee Velasco Carballo’s whole 2011/12 season was utter utter madness. Dishing out 17 red cards and 161 yellow cards in 26 matches.

8. One from the vaults. As an experiment from the FA, David Elleray wears a microphone while officiating George Graham’s Arsenal against Millwall. The problem was that nobody told the Arsenal players…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=G4ruNosLNOE

9. “There is a big storm in the city”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vyb6jbVkaKU

10. Moyes refuses to shake Lee Mason’s hand. Keep reaching Lee…

11. A classic: Di Canio pushes over Paul Alcock. The sad truth of this incident is that Alcock tried to save his fall and actually quite severely injured his spine in the process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3AMnRO-v9kY

12. This female lineswoman is a real inspiration. She’s clearly getting sexist and other forms of abuse hurled at her but she doesn’t budge, not an inch.

13. Here’s a compilation of some lighter refereeing moments, the music is quite something.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=q22ZBnzmEe4

14. We’re not sure if Luisao means this but he steams into a decision and knocks the ref clean out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pMJsFdvytWY

15. Craig Bellamy is known for being fairly cheeky. Here he pours water on referee Lee Probert, must have been warm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GT3LcU-zBac

16. This coach has clearly seen enough and decides to take the referee’s cards and just tear them up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1CzYfsgRrgY

17. Referee punches player in the face, kicks him when he gets up then sends four players off. Not much more you can say really.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lZ01AAdNR7I

18. Gary Roberts pulls down Russell Penn’s shorts right in front of referee during Chesterfield vs Cheltenham, is this a yellow?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fvboZ0oMs1Q