We’ve been playing in a Leisure Leagues 5-a-side league for a few months now and the standard of refereeing and player safety has been extremely concerning.There have been serious injuries happening almost every week and the referees appear to have little control over the games. In several matches they’ve barely watched key incidents and often seem unaware of what has actually happened on the pitch.One player in our league suffered a snapped ankle in three places and the referee didn’t even see the incident. Situations like that make you question how closely the games are being monitored.When players raise concerns or ask referees to deal with dangerous play, the response often seems to be immediate bookings or sending players off. It feels like any complaint is treated as dissent rather than being taken seriously. On top of that, fines are issued for being sent off, and there are warnings about debt collectors if those fines aren’t paid, which doesn’t feel fair when the underlying issue is poor officiating and safety concerns.I have personally contacted the organisers multiple times about the standard of refereeing and the lack of protection for players, but nothing appears to change.In our most recent game, a player jumped on my back and forced my head towards the ground during the fall. The referee didn’t intervene and instead sent me off when I asked him to deal with the incident.At the end of the day this is supposed to be a recreational league where people come to enjoy football, but player safety should be the priority. Until the refereeing standards and handling of dangerous play improve, I wouldn’t recommend this league.
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