Referees in football need nerves of steel and a lot of self-confidence: constant complaints from players, coaches and spectators about unpopular decisions are the order of the day.
The boundaries between constructive criticism, verbal lapses, serious threats or even physical violence now seem to be blurred.
Time and again, we read about brutal attacks on volunteer referees in the media. To everyone's horror.
The statistics also speak a clear language: According to official figures from the German Football Association, there is a tendency for attacks on referees to increase slightly - from 2,866 to 2,906 in the pre-Corona season 2018/19. However, if you consider that almost 50,000 fewer matches were played in this period, a small difference becomes a tangible trend.
Rebekka Redinger, a referee with a passion, has also had to listen to every insult in her 15-year career. But not only that: during an indoor tournament she was beaten unconscious.
The perpetrator - initially banned for "life" - has since been allowed to play again.
In our series 42 Questions, we talked to her at length about "being a referee" and its beautiful sides, but also about the topic of violence against referees.
"For me, football is magic, fascination, passion and total dedication".
Hello Rebekka, how did you actually get into football?
Back then, SV Wacker Burghausen was still playing in the second Bundesliga, I just went with a friend and from then on I was gripped - by the atmosphere, by the sport.
After that, everything developed further.
What does football mean to you?
For me, football is magic, fascination, passion and total devotion.
Why did you actually become a referee and not play yourself?
(laughs) That's easy to answer: As far as handling the ball is concerned, I am completely talentless.
Describe football in one word:
Versatile
What does "being a referee" mean to you?
It's a great opportunity for me to actively participate in this sport, which I love so much, and to help shape something.
What should football definitely not be?
It should definitely not be a place where I go at the weekend to let out my aggression that has been building up all week and where I leave my good manners and decency at the ticket office.
If you could choose again, would you become a referee again?
Yes, definitely!
Why?
Because I firmly believe that refereeing has had a positive impact on my life and personal development - something I would definitely not want to miss.
"I don't want my children to watch me "
What did your family actually say about this decision?
To be honest, my parents didn't really know what it meant to be a football referee. Neither of them has much to do with football.
For my mum, however, it was clear very quickly after the first few games that she would not continue to watch the games because she could hardly deal with negative comments and hostility towards me.
Basically, however, my entire family supports my passion. My husband is a footballer himself, so we can learn a lot from each other and give each other tips.
But I don't want my children to be on the pitch with me later when I'm in charge of a game. After all, you don't know beforehand whether they'll end up next to a spectator who might not be able to control himself. I want to spare my children that.
Does your family sometimes fear for you?
No, not really. Sometimes it's more a lack of understanding why you have to sacrifice your weekend for it.
Since when have you been a referee and in which leagues are you active?
I passed my referee exam in 2006.
After that, I refereed in the men's district league for a few years.
In the meantime, I am mainly an observer in the Landesliga, but also in the youth area as a contact person for the next generation of referees.
"I remember sleepless nights and critical looks"
What was your first experience as a referee like?
(laughs) It feels like ages ago.
I remember incredible nervousness and sleepless nights, but also a lot of support from the referee group and, of course, many critical looks:
"Can that girl do that already?" or "What is she doing?"
Some people have often spoken of the "women's bonus". But on the football pitch, as a young referee, you are definitely not given anything - regardless of whether you are a female or a male referee.
How do you prepare for a match?
When the assignment comes, the first thing you do is look at the standings. Over the years, you know the teams, how they are and which key players there are.
Of course, you also look at the card statistics and then it starts anyway.
The most important thing, however, is that I always try to approach the matter with as little bias as possible.
Do you have "rituals" before or during the game?
No, no rituals directly.
Before the game, I just generally make sure I have my things with me. If I were to stand on the pitch without a yellow card or whistle because the stuff is in the dressing room, it would be suboptimal.
During the game, I try to take a step back and give the game space - that way I stay focused and can react to the important events of the game.
"I try not to take myself too seriously".
How would you describe yourself as a referee on the pitch?
Difficult. I think it depends on the form of the day.
On the one hand, I try not to take myself too seriously on the pitch, and on the other hand, I let my skills and abilities speak for me.
Basically, I always hope that the respect I show the players will also be shown to me.
However, if things heat up, better not mess with me.
Do you have the feeling that you have always been taken seriously?
No. Certainly not, but that's okay. I myself don't always take every word deadly seriously.
Do you have referee role models?
That's difficult to answer. Of course, I can learn from the approaches of other referees. However, it is also very important for me to remain authentic on the pitch and to develop my own leadership style.
On the whole, I am more impressed by referees who dare to say something.
How do you and your referee colleagues keep fit?
(smiles) As far as physical fitness in refereeing is concerned, I'm not exactly the prime example.
Nevertheless, it has to be said that fitness training in refereeing is done very professionally and extensively. Many follow training plans, nutrition plans and go to the gym.
They also work a lot on mental strength and body language.
How do you manage to let insults and negative comments from spectators, coaches or players bounce off you?
As with everyone, it depends on my mood.
In general, you have to say that football is all about emotions. Sometimes something just slips out. That's fine - as long as it stays within reason.
But if it gets too extreme, then you have to be clear. So far, that has usually worked very well.
"The worst are sexualised comments".
What were the worst insults?
In my 15 years as a referee, I have been called all kinds of things. Insults, however, are not such a problem for me.
What I find unbearable are sexualised comments. For example, when you come to the pitch and ask for the dressing room and then you get a "I can help you change" or a "Do you need help taking a shower?
Especially as a referee, you are just in an extremely stupid situation.
There was a very bad, formative experience for you. Would you like to tell us about it?
I wouldn't necessarily say formative, but it was definitely bad.
I was whistling at an indoor tournament and there were tumultuous scenes. I even had to give a sending-off, after which the game actually calmed down again.
Suddenly a player walked past behind me and, for whatever reason, felt the need to kick me in the back. Naturally, he was shown the red card. Then all his fuses blew.
He grabbed me by my ponytail and pulled me up completely - that's where my memory of the whole thing actually stops.
What happened to the player?
The player was banned for life. Unfortunately, we learned a few years later that in reality that doesn't really mean a whole footballer's life in the Bavarian Football Association.
Why did you continue after that?
At the time, I asked myself whether I had done anything that led to this situation. I was able to answer that quite quickly with a clear no and so this question didn't even arise.
Refereeing was simply too important in my life at that time for me to give it up.
"In the meantime, I have become involved in the field of violence prevention".
How do you feel now when you think back to that day?
It's a long time ago now and I've come to the end of it.
Nevertheless, something has changed for me: I am now very involved in the field of violence prevention in football.
What conclusions did you draw from that?
That you can never see certain things and that you can't see inside a person.
It's also clear to me since then that you can't expect everything to always be normal and peaceful. That is unfortunately the case.
How can you explain that it happened at all?
I think finding an explanation for it would also be looking for a justification. And I don't think there should be any such thing in this case.
Emotions are totally okay. You are also allowed to get angry on the pitch. But when it comes to inflicting physical violence on someone, there is not an inch of room for manoeuvre.
Do you think that would have happened to you as a man?
Probably not in this form. A man of the same size with a ponytail would have made it much more difficult for the attacker to lift him up completely.
But seriously: there are also enough examples of violent acts against male colleagues.
"Acts of violence are perceived to be more than less"
Do you think something like that can still happen today?
Yes, definitely. As you can see in the media again and again, acts of violence against referees are becoming more rather than less.
What do you think has to happen to prevent such things from happening in the future?
You will never be able to prevent it completely, but there are probably also factors in society as a whole that play a role.
Where mutual respect and decency still count for something and where rules are observed, something like this doesn't happen - quite simply.
If people accept each other on the pitch and it is clear to everyone that the referee is part of the game, it will no longer happen in the future.
Why do you think there is violence against referees at all?
It happens quickly in football that people want to find a bogeyman. In case of doubt, the referee might also be the one who makes the game-deciding wrong decision, whereas the wrong pass doesn't matter quite as much.
All the anger is then often unloaded on the referee. You quickly find yourself alone and an easy victim in this case.
Are you sometimes afraid on the pitch yourself?
No! With fear at my back, I couldn't be active at all.
I'm afraid of making a wrong decision. That's always unpleasant and of course I try to avoid it as much as possible.
But I'm not afraid of someone ticking me off or doing physical violence to me.
"I have already whistled barefoot"
What has been your best experience as a referee so far?
There have been many wonderful experiences in my refereeing career so far. The best for me were the exchange training camps at the Salzburg Football Association.
It was really professionally organised and was just as much for young support referees as for experienced Fifa referees.
During the day, we worked hard, analysed and trained. In the evening, everyone sat around the table. There was no fear of contact and some connections and friendships were formed that have lasted until today.
What was the funniest event of your refereeing career so far?
By far the most bizarre thing was when I was watching a young colleague and he was unable to referee after a few minutes due to injury.
Since there was no other referee who could have taken over the game, I then refereed the match. Barefoot, because his shoes didn't fit me.
How do you continue your training?
At the moment, video analysis is the main thing on the programme. The association provides us with a lot of material for this.
It is helpful that many amateur sports fields now have a camera. You can quickly get an idea of how you look on the field and improve your body language or positional play if necessary.
What role models do you have?
I am impressed by people who stand up for others and who sometimes swim against the tide. Straightforward types who rebel against conventions and simply tell the truth.
Do you think you are a role model yourself?
On the whole, I don't think so.
I do think that, especially in the referee group, people know that you can talk to me and that I'm happy to help.
I don't know if that necessarily makes me a role model.
"You must never be discouraged".
What would you like to pass on to young referees?
You should never get discouraged. It is certainly not always easy to be a referee, but there are also many good situations.
It also helps you develop as a person.
What positive experiences have you had?
Thanks to refereeing, many friendships and connections have been made in my life. There are running meetings, we meet at the courses or do things together in private.
Since it is time-consuming to referee at a higher level, we spend a lot of time together. This results in unique experiences that weld us together.
Has anyone ever said "Hey, great that you became a referee" before or after the game?
That actually happens from time to time.
There are people who are actually impressed that you dare to do that as a woman or generally agree to referee a football match despite all the imponderables.
Why is it worth becoming a referee?
You learn an incredible amount about people and about yourself. You get a different demeanour and learn to assert yourself.
And especially as a young person, thanks to the small compensation, you can maybe afford an extra drink when celebrating. That's not bad either.
"I have learned to assert myself"
What have you learned from being a referee?
I have learnt that it is always important to stay true to yourself and not pretend.
Can there ever be football without male or female referees?
That's a bold thesis.
It can certainly work for teams that already have no problem with refereeing decisions, especially in critical situations.
However, teams that already have a problem with refereeing will also have a problem.
Thank you very much for the interview!
More articles from the 42 Questions series can be found here.
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