The Impossible Job

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