How to write a football match report

One of the functions of the central referee after the end of a football match is to write the match report. This is a very important document for both the football body and the refereeing association, due to its importance. The ability to write a good and accurate report are the hallmarks of a competent match official.

What constitutes a standard conformity report?

kick-off time
The actual start time of the match must be clearly defined including the duration of the match. Extra time given at the end of each halves including the date of the match shall also be included in the match report.

Team name
Soccer is usually played between two teams with their own groups of players and officials. The match report usually contains the name of both the home team and the away team. The home team’s name usually comes first.

The name of the match venue
The name of the place where the game was played must be written in the report. Matches are usually played in the stadium except where other facilities are used such as school pitches and training grounds in hotels and organisations. Anyway, the name of the place is absolutely essential. The behavior of fans and officials at match venues was also included in the writing.

The name and position of the match officials
There are usually four match officials in a regular football match. They are: the central referee, assistant referee 1, assistant referee 2 and the fourth official. Each of these officials has a column appended to their names, association, designation, and signature. The name of the match commissioner must be entered in your writing.

Substitutions, alerts and expulsions
All substitutions made by both teams must be recorded in the match report. Warnings and expulsions issued to any team must also be recorded. Remember to clearly state the offense the player committed for which he was cautioned or sent off as stated in the Laws of the Game.

The difference between the latter and the latter lies in the recording of the incident that led to the warning and expulsion issued. When such incidents are documented, consultations are made with the other match officials to ensure that the reports are as accurate as possible.

Weather and stadium conditions
Weather conditions can lead to the cancellation of the match especially when the weather is inclement. A live description of the stadium and weather conditions must be included in the report.

goals scored
The number of goals scored and the name and jersey numbers of the player who scored the goal must be well documented. The final score between both teams and the eventual winner will also be included in writing.

The full report is normally given to the football body responsible for organizing the game either by post or email. The standard period for submitting such a write-up is usually 48 hours after the match. It is important to note that all incidents that occurred off the field of play must also be recorded, especially in the case of intimidation by team officials against match officials. At the end of the report, your name, referee association and signature must be appended to the report.