Georgia Ball on what it takes to be a top-level official
Upfront - A Women's Football Podcast
Stak Production
4.8 • 1.8K Ratings
🗓️ 16 February 2024
⏱️ 38 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Rachel’s back with a bonus episode, where she’s joined by WSL assistant referee, Georgia Ball!
As an assistant referee in the WSL and a Championship referee, Georgia is part of the next generation of women at the forefront of the changing landscape across the women’s game. She chats to us about how officiating has changed as the game grows, dealing with the pressures and scrutiny that comes with that growth, and how many top refs still have to balance their commitments with working other jobs. It's a fascinating conversation with someone right at the heart of the game at the very highest level!
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome back to Up Front. I'm Rachel O'Sullivan. Today we welcome a referee onto the pod for the very first time. |
| 0:14.0 | Georgia Ball is an assistant referee in the WSL and a referee in the championship. |
| 0:19.0 | She also ran the line for last year's FA Cup final and last month she was made a FIFA qualified referee making her eligible |
| 0:25.7 | for international fixtures and major tournaments. Georgia is also |
| 0:29.1 | involved in breaking barriers which is all about sending referees out into the community and inspiring the next generation. |
| 0:35.0 | She's been there and done it, so from online abuse to how decisions are made on the pitch, |
| 0:40.0 | we're going to find out what it really takes to be a top-level referee in the women's game. |
| 0:47.0 | But, welcome to up front Georgia. Thank you so much for joining us. I'm so excited to have you on the pod. |
| 1:00.0 | No, thank you for having me. I'm happy to be here. |
| 1:04.0 | I'm going to start with the age-old question. |
| 1:06.8 | Who would want to be a referee? I want to know what made you want to be a referee. |
| 1:11.0 | Yeah, so, I mean, originally I won won't lie it was for a bit of pocket money. |
| 1:15.6 | I was 14 my family love football I used to play football albeit badly and |
| 1:22.1 | before taking up refereeing. |
| 1:25.0 | And it's one of those things, and it's one of those questions where you think, |
| 1:27.6 | I don't really know the answer. |
| 1:29.8 | You almost, you fall into it. I got into it and then I just loved being involved back in the |
| 1:36.2 | game and the life skills you kind of get from it as well. Obviously being 14 and quite a small person at the time, the confidence and stuff that you get |
| 1:48.5 | from Wrecking that you can kind of take into life, which as a female in sport is is a difficult environment to be in at times |
| 1:56.6 | and and to kind of get that confidence through refing was great and then it's one of those things that you just |
| 2:02.2 | you just fall into and then you can't fall out of and you just because you just learn to love it and |
| 2:06.7 | Obviously with the game now like growing like the games that have been involved in and and now I'm involved in like professional football which like I say I played and I was never going to play professional football |
... |
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