The Impossible Job: The Unbelievable World of Soccer Referees

by William Ralston

A game-changing exploration of the figure that soccer fans all over the world love to the referee.

Booed by crowds, sworn at by players, spit on by fans. . . . Welcome to the world of the referee. In this immersive and deeply reported book, journalist William Ralston spends a season with match officials at every level—from weekend games in public parks to the English Premier League to the World Cup—to uncover the full, unvarnished truth of what it’s like to be a referee, how they enforce the rules of the game, and what this essential but impossible job demands.

With extraordinary access and extensive interviews with some of the leading officials in the world, Ralston shines a light on the intense selection process, the brutal training regimens, and the mounting pressures that come with moving up the ladder. He immerses himself in the lives of referees on match days and at home, even donning stripes and a whistle himself to experience first-hand the speed and scrutiny required for every call. Through era-defining games, Ralston investigates the increasing influence of VAR technology, the way referees judge fouls, and how they adjust their refereeing style based on the temperament of the game and learn to trust their intuition in high-pressure moments. And he begins to understand why anyone would choose a job that seems truly insane.

Written with the passion of a die-hard fan and the rigor of a seasoned journalist, The Impossible Job pulls back the curtain on the high-stakes world of the most popular sport on the planet and invites fans to see the humanity of these dedicated keepers of soccer’s spirit.

Genres: Sports

Kindle Edition

Expected publication January 5, 2027

Reviews

[Maddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Might be the most interesting book I've read all year. Definitely my favorite sports book of the year. I've recently been getting more into soccer (Serbian-American cultural victory) and this book was helpful/informative on multiple levels. First for a deeper understanding of the actual rules, structure, and flow of the game. As an American, stoppage time is a baffling concept to me and the chapter on that was very interesting for a look into how it's actually calculated and added up and some of the struggles getting it right. Second, the way that referees have such an impact on the game was fascinating. I did not realize they had such a high level of autonomy when deciding fouls/yellow/red cards, or when to stop play vs. let it continue, which leads to them having a massive impact on the strategy/temperament of the game. Much more so than baseball or football I think. To see the perspective of an actual referee through all those interviews and learn more about their decision making and why they made the choices they made was unique and gave me much more understanding of really how the game works. The last chapter about the World Cup championship might have been my favorite. Going through a game in that level of detail and discussing all the little points that can make or break the flow/outcome of a game was really, really cool and served to tie up the whole book really well. One thing that might have been cool would have been interviewing players about how the referees can keep or lose control of the players/game, but I can see potential conflict of interest issues there. But overall really interesting book especially from an American perspective and will definitely allow me to have a greater appreciation of the sport as I am watching more games. 10/10 enjoyed this.

Thank you to Netgalley and W.W. Norton & Company for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion