Referees in Sydney's south will be directed to wear body cameras while on the field after a serious assault at a soccer game left one man in hospital with a broken jaw.
Referees from the Bankstown District Amateur Football Association (BDAFA) which covers 19 clubs, have been told they will need to wear the cameras on a trial basis from today.
In a board directive, the BDAFA said the decision to wear the cameras at Men's Premier League games was in direct response to an incident last weekend which left a referee seriously injured.
Adam Abdallah, 25, has been accused of assaulting 45-year-old referee Khodr Yaghi at Padstow Oval after a match between the Greenacre Eagles and the Padstow Hornets on Friday night.
Mr Abdallah has been charged with wounding a person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and affray and was refused bail this week at Bankstown Local Court.
"The board convened to review our regulations to increase referee safety, well-being and increase participation and spectator satisfaction," an internal BDAFA memo said.
"The measures are strong, and the board will continue to review other changes and communicate them when finalised.
"Before the game, at half-time and at full-time, some coaches and managers consider it their right to question or worse, argue or abuse referees about their decisions during a game.
"Although many coaches and managers are respectful, and the request is genuine, this interaction allows for potential abuse (or) arguing."
Abuse 'a real issue'
President of the Canterbury Referees Association Rodrigo Martins said his league, which neighbours the BDAFA, has lost 75 referees in the last year.
"Referee abuse is certainly a real issue in our game. It's a blight on our game," Mr Martins said.
"Too often we see the abuse of referees or people that abuse referees get slaps on the wrist or they might have one-week suspensions. We'd like to see three, four, five, six weeks of suspensions."
Mr Martins said that while body cam usage was a step in the right direction it won't fix the issue of abuse.
"I think it's a very expensive proposition," he said.
"I'd like to believe that through better education, from the grassroots and also from Football NSW, we can hopefully shift the mindset of players and coaches and managers to show more respect towards the referee."
Similar grassroots leagues in England have rolled out wearable video cameras during matches, in an attempt to reduce the levels of abuse referees face.
The English trial, which started in February this year, was the first of its kind in the world.
At the time the grassroots league governing body Football Association (FA) chief executive Mark Bullingham said the decision was made after community feedback.
In 2022, the FA banned 380 players and coaches for attacking or threatening referees and match officials.
Soccer teams across Sydney are planning to hold a guard of honour for referees of matches this weekend.
"It is important that we continue to reinforce the message to our players of all ages that referees are human, they are doing their best," Marrickville FC president Bill Drossos said in a message to members this week.
Football NSW said in a statement that referees would receive a 30-second round of applause before matches this weekend.
"Football NSW will be requesting all FNSW Clubs to participate in a pre-match symbol of solidarity with, and in respect for, referees by performing a 30-second round of applause prior to kick-off," the statement said.
"This should include both teams standing around the centre circle together with referees positioned on the halfway line intersect."
Fellow referee welcomes the new measure
Hasan Algalele has been a referee with BDAFA for a year, and also coaches with Bass Hill Rangers Football Club.
He told ABC News that unfortunately, violence and harassment can come with the territory when it comes to soccer.
"I do think it's part and parcel of the game in a way as well because it is a very passionate game," he said.
"It is quite sad, but I have seen a bit of a rise in verbal abuse and dissent so unfortunately that happens."
He sees the decision to trial body cameras in the sport as a step in the right direction.
"It's a great, great deterrent to stop a lot of players approaching refs, and from now on it's not going to be a 'he said, she said thing'," said Mr Algalele.
"There's going to be evidence to back what the ref saw."
However, he believes open conversations will prevent another incident like what Mr Yaghi experienced.
"Educate the players that we are also part of the game," he added.
"We're not against you... we're all a community, we're all trying to have fun and that's what is most important."
