This book provides an in-depth exploration of the evolution of the match official. It presents a comparative analysis of elite Association Football referees in England, Spain and Italy as well as offering insights into the involvement of UEFA and FIFA in referee training.
"Always central to the development of football, referees have not been well served in scholarly treatments of the game. This book puts that right by offering an important and timely assessment of the training, management and assessment of referees at the highest levels of elite soccer in Europe. Its cross-cultural focus delivers fresh insights. Based on sound scholarship and an understanding of the range of problems facing twenty-first century refereeing, this is a thorough and up-to-date analysis. It will interest anyone studying sport as well as football fans more generally." -Matthew Taylor, Professor of History, International Centre for Sports History and Culture, De Montfort University, UK
