Alleged attack that left Sydney football referee with broken jaw may deter volunteers, associations say

Multiple Sydney referee associations, which supply volunteers and paid referees to local leagues, hope the attack on Khodr Yaghi will be a wake-up call that forces leagues to introduce tougher player suspensions and bans. Photograph: Screengrab

Local referee associations have warned that an alleged violent attack at a suburban football match in Sydney may exacerbate a long-term shortage of volunteers, amid calls for stronger punishments to eliminate abuse.

A 25-year-old man has been charged over the alleged attack at an amateur game in Padstow, which was condemned as “disgusting and cowardly” by the state’s sports minister.