I am the man who stands in front of 22 players, 6 coaches, many substitutes and countless spectators. I must make decisions, sometimes tough, sometimes easy. You expect me to be perfect, I must always be right, and even when I’m right, somehow I’m wrong. Whatever I do, half of you dislike me, half of you question me, half of you blame me. I have to be in top shape, and must keep up with the game despite any pain I feel. I have to know 17 laws by heart, this knowledge which people think I don’t have. When I make a decision you dislike, I am sure to hear about it, when I make a decision you like, you either mutter a sarcastic comment or nothing at all! You can say anything to me, and the worst thing that can happen is you get sent off and a subsequent suspension, but what you said can never be unsaid I still heard what you said, and felt however it made me feel, but, if I say anything you feel to be offensive or even dislike not only do you escalate the situation, but you lie and make whatever I said worse than it was. Then you inform my boss about what happened where I get a phone call requesting an explanation. So who am I? I’m just a guy. Behind the whistle, behind my badge, behind my yellow shirt, I’m just a man, a man who accepted to referee your soccer game, on my own time. You don’t know what happened to me that day, you don’t know what I’ve been through, all you know is that I’m standing on this soccer field, whistle in hand, “deciding” whether you win or lose this game. Would you take this crap at work? I didn’t think so. Then why do I have to?
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the man in yellow 
I agree with everything except the part about deciding who wins and who loses. I’m there to make sure the game is played within the laws of the game, not who wins or loses.
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I didn’t mean the actually deciding, that’s what I put it in quotes, players sometimes act as though we decide who wins or loses, that’s why I put it there. Thank you for your comment!
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He’s saying that from a spectator’s point of view, saying that “all you know (referring to the spectators) is that I’m standing…”
Of course the Referee doesn’t decide the outcome of a match, the players decide that by the actions they take with regard to the Laws of the Game
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I am the “person” in yellow, as I’m not a man… 🙂
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or “woman” in yellow aha thanks for the comment :). Kinda hard to find a name that suits everyone that also sounds good
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