Unsung heroes: Unpacking the thankless job of being a top Chinese referee

"Picture this: you're strolling down the street, minding your own business, when out of nowhere, complete strangers saunter up to you. They start pointing at your nose and spewing a string of curses in your direction, and to top it all off, they toss water bottles at you. How would you handle such a situation? Could you possibly tolerate such behavior?"

These were the poignant questions posed by Xu Jiren, vice president of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), during a football workshop on a balmy morning. With his rhetorical query, he sought to shed light on the harsh treatment that referees often live through. As I sat there, fully engaged in his words, I couldn't help but grapple with yet another perplexing enigma: why would anyone willingly choose to become a referee, particularly in China?

With over 200 million football fans, often "keyboard warriors," dissecting your every decision, it is a role that invites incessant scrutiny, opprobrium and rarely any commendation. On the pitch, these whistle-blowers are routinely greeted with jeers, insults and even threats. Many of them have chilling tales of overzealous spectators hurling bottles or other objects their way, feeling isolated and powerless in colossal stadiums teeming with tens of thousands of paying customers.

The relentless demands placed on referees extend far beyond China. The world of football, with its colossal size and insatiable greed, simply cannot settle for anything less than flawlessly precise decisions. From every corner of the globe, a fresh onslaught of discontent emerges each week, fueled by allegations of inaccuracies, inconsistencies and ineptitude.

Fans, players and coaches all clamor for refereeing judgments that not only are error-free but also align with their team's interests. However, it's worth noting that this misconception or limited understanding of the referee's role seems to be distinctly pronounced within Chinese football.

"Football not only tests the abilities of referees, but also the overall competence and awareness of everyone involved in the football industry within a country. This encompasses our players, coaches, referees, fans and even the parents of children who play the game," FIFA referee Fu Ming told CGTN.

As one of the best in the business, Fu has experienced firsthand the intense pressure and scrutiny that comes with officiating high-profile matches in major tournaments, including the World Cup qualifiers, AFC Champions League, and Asian Cup final. He possesses an intimate knowledge of the realities faced by Chinese officials at the highest echelons of the game.

"Let me provide an example," Fu continued. "In a Chinese Super League (CSL) match, I once made a critical decision that was deemed wrong by all the fans, teams, players and pundits. However, in the context of international matches, that very same decision would have been deemed acceptable. Why do we have such a vast disparity in perception? The root cause lies in the asymmetry of information."

"I have attended numerous training sessions organized by FIFA and AFC, where I've gained insight into the latest refereeing rules and guidance from the sport's governing body. Unfortunately, this information is scarcely known domestically, and even some experts in the field remain unaware of it. It's this lack of understanding that gives rise to misconceptions, misunderstandings and even conspiracy theories."

Football refereeing is one of the most challenging jobs in sports. The latest statistics reveal that, on average, the ball remains in play for approximately 55 minutes during a CSL match, and a referee is tasked with making around 220 decisions throughout the game. That's equivalent to a decision every 15 seconds. To truly illustrate the difficulty of their role, Beijing Football Association organized an interactive session at the workshop. It involved the analysis and discussion of 20 contentious incidents from various football matches, all from the perspective of the referee. 

Fu, alongside CFA refereeing experts Huang Yejun and Huo Weiming, were present to provide insight into the behind-the-scenes work undertaken by referees. After each clip was played repeatedly, the attendees would gather at their tables to debate whether they believed it was a foul, deserving of a yellow or red card, a free kick, a penalty, or simply nothing at all.

Confusion and indecision prevailed. Consensus among the participants was consistently elusive. It didn't take long to grasp the cold reality that these officials must swiftly respond to such incidents and make judgments in a fraction of the time they were afforded in the comfortable confines of this meeting room, without the luxury of multiple replays.

"It's not as straightforward as it may appear, is it?" beamed Huang, his gaze sweeping across the diverse group of crew who sat, embarrassed, before him, highlighting the unexpectedly high number of errors that can be made despite their best intentions.

"I actually go through similar video tests at least three times a week," Fu revealed afterwards. "I have become so familiar with these video clips that I can anticipate what will happen next and how the referee should make the call within just a few seconds of the clip playing. This level of familiarity, however, merely scratches the surface of my preparation."

"Being a referee is a profession that requires constant learning and continuous examinations. For every match we officiate, there is a match supervisor like Huang who evaluates and scores our performance. These scores determine whether we will have the opportunity to officiate the next match and if there is a possibility of being downgraded at the end of the year. International-level referees in football need to undergo assessments by FIFA every year. It is not a lifetime appointment but rather depends on your current level of proficiency."

For all the myriad hazards that accompany this occupation, Fu remains undeterred and brimming with unwavering self-assurance. "I can proudly say that Chinese referees have reached the pinnacle of Asian standards, as exemplified by our involvement in the 2022 Asian Cup final," proclaimed the 41-year-old.

"But to strive for the highest level on the world stage, it requires not only our individual efforts but also the collective determination of everyone involved in Chinese football. We must make every effort to provide our top-level referees with better platforms to officiate the world's finest matches and expose them to the most advanced football concepts."

"By bringing back this knowledge and sharing it with everyone, we can enhance the overall understanding of the sport in our country. Only then will people realize that certain actions are not handball, certain plays are not offside, and certain actions do not impede the goalkeeper. It is through this collective effort that our nation's comprehension of the game will experience a significant boost, enabling Chinese referees to go further and achieve greater heights of success."

"In any given field, it's not just a matter of being sufficiently skilled," added Huang, who never hesitates to share his characteristic philosophical musings. "It also hinges upon finding an environment that nurtures your growth. Are there individuals willing to give you opportunities? Are there people who are willing to be tolerant of the mistakes you make in your work, allowing you to learn and providing you with continued chances? Only when these conditions are met can one truly aspire to be the best in their respective field."

"The same holds true for referees. If we are provided with ample opportunities and a supportive platform, I have complete confidence that Chinese referees have the potential to become the best in the world. There is absolutely no doubt about it."

Delving back into the enigma of why anyone would willingly choose to be a referee, bearing the weight of endless stress, abuse and pressure, all without the obvious perks enjoyed by public figures – the financial rewards, the adoration, the lucrative sponsorship deals – Fu chimed in, "I recognize the immense hard work that refereeing demands, both physically and mentally exhausting. But we remain committed to this profession because we genuinely love and care about football. It's as simple as that."