Salzburg football struggles to find enough referees

Referee shortages are affecting football matches across Salzburg, including the state leagues, ORF reports. Some games have gone ahead with only one official or without an appointed referee.

At a second-division North league match between USV Plainfeld and USV Lamprechtshausen on 18 October, only one referee was present, although three are normally assigned. The game was important for Lamprechtshausen, which was competing for the league lead. That same day, a match between SG Tennengau and USC Eugendorf in the Salzburg women’s league had no official referee; a member of the visiting club stepped in.

Markus Tiefgraber, head of the Salzburg Referees’ Association, said officials sometimes referee as many as four matches in a weekend, covering about 40 kilometres on the pitch. The association is trying to appoint referees to every game, he said, but the workload is challenging.

The association cites several reasons for the shortage, including the way referees are treated, the time commitment and low expense payments. Depending on the league, fixed fees range from 23 to 100 euros for head referees and from 19 to 50 euros for assistants.

To lower the average age of referees, currently over 40, and attract more young people, the association has shortened its training course to one weekend. It also wants refereeing to become more financially attractive and says clubs must help recruit and retain officials. Tiefgraber said football grounds need to become fairer environments, with less pressure from spectators and team benches.

Werner Wagener, sports director of SG Tennengau, said he did not believe clubs were responsible for the shortage, arguing that it was for the referees’ association to address. His club already needed enough staff for its girls’ football programme, he said, and refereeing was a separate activity.

Ergin Ustaoglu, a referee from Mattighofen, described the role as challenging but rewarding. He said officials must make decisions quickly and communicate them clearly, adding that it was a source of pride when the decisions were right.