The Impossible Job: The Truly Unbelievable World of Football Referees

We watch referees every week. But almost none of us understand what the job really demands.

In this meticulously reported book, William Ralston goes deep inside football's most exposed role, speaking to officials from Sunday league pitches to World Cups to show what it takes to officiate at the highest level.

With rare access to UEFA, FIFA, and PGMO, he embeds with referees across Europe’s five major leagues - Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1, and the Premier League - following them through training camps, assessment rooms, and matchdays, where a single call can define a career. He also learns to referee himself, experiencing first-hand the speed and scrutiny that come with every call.

Through defining matches and controversial decisions, he examines the influence of VAR, how referees judge fouls, and the excruciatingly fine margins between control and chaos.

An unprecedented look inside refereeing, The Impossible Job will change the way you watch football forever.

William Ralston
is a freelance writer living in London. His work has appeared in the Financial Times, GQ, the Guardian, Vanity Fair, and Wired, among other publications. He won the Best Sportswriting award at the 2023 British Journalism Awards.