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The Impossible Job

The Truly Unbelievable World of Football Referees

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The Impossible Job

著者: William Ralston
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Brought to you by Penguin.

Booed by crowds.
Sworn at by players.
Spat on from the stands.
Threatened.
Accused.
Targeted.

Welcome to the world of football refereeing.

We’ve all seen referees in football games, but very few of us really know what they go through both on the pitch and once the final whistle goes.

In this eye-opening and jaw-dropping new book, journalist William Ralston interviews referees at all levels of the game – from amateur Sunday leagues right up to the bright lights of the Premier League’s top flight, Champions League clashes and even World Cups – to get the full, unvarnished truth of this essential but impossible job.

With unrivalled access to UEFA, FIFA, and PGMO — the body responsible for Premier League referees — Ralston uncovers the intense selection process, the brutal physical and psychological training regimes they have to go through, and the pressures that intensify as officials rise through the game.

He immersed himself in the lives of leading referees in Europe’s five major leagues — Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1, and of course the Premier League — on match days and at home, and even trained as a referee himself to experience the pressures first hand.
Through a vast range of memorable games and a era-defining moments, he looks at the increasing influence of VAR, the escalating demands of the game, the way referees judge fouls, the art of getting a game right, and the consequences of getting it wrong. And he finally begins to understand why anyone would choose a job that – with its sacrifices, pressures, perils, and even death threats – seems truly insane.
Revealing a side of the game you have never seen before, The Impossible Job is the first book to fully explore the truly unbelievable world of refereeing. You’ll never watch a game the same way again.

© William Ralston 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

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批評家のレビュー

William Ralston reveals the reality of refereeing. Ritually abused and remorselessly undermined by the VAR system, referees still know what they’re doing. (Michael Calvin, author of THE NOWHERE MEN)
At last a book on the referees that does justice to their incredible and irreplaceable contribution to football. In contrast to the dimwitted caricatures that dominate fan cultures, William Ralston’s impossible job - by turns sharp empathetic and funny - captures elite referee’s humanity, integrity and talents. It is hard after reading this book not to see referees, not to see referees who facet impossible and contradictory demands of the game, as the heroes of the spectacle. (David Goldblatt, author of THE BALL IS ROUND)
Refereeing is not about being liked, but about being trusted and trust is hard to earn, easy to lose. This book understands that. (Slavko Vincic)
Loving football from the perspective of someone who enforces the rules gives you a different way of seeing the game. This book captures the complexity of an often criticised role and the emotional weight referees carry. It shows the human being behind the referee – their emotions, his fears, and joys. (Marco Guida)
An important and deeply human portrait of referees — crucial in a football culture increasingly shaped by suspicion and conspiracy theories. (Carlos Clos Gómez)
Meticulously researched and superbly written, this book takes you behind the scenes like never before. A must for all football fans. (Darren Cann)
The Impossible Job delves deep into the emotional rollercoaster that is refereeing, revealing the demands and challenges faced by referees at all levels like never before. (Anthony Taylor)
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