text: Intermediate 
  Why do it? The elite football referees of the future smile when you ask them this question. This season, criticism of referees has increased so much that some former referees have started to complain about standards. That is quite significant because, when you talk to referees, it is obvious that supporting each other through thick and thin is fundamental.
  So why do they do it? Why spend hundreds of hours driving up and down the country? Why enforce rules, some of which inevitably upset people? Why try to climb the ladder until you get the chance to make decisions on television in front of millions of people who scrutinize you and your ability helped by many different camera angles and slow-motion replays?
  You might get an answer from the face of Lee Swabey moments after he blows the final whistle of a 21 win for Grimsby over Woking, a match at level 5 of the English league system. He gets what all referees hope for every time they referee a match. Twenty-two handshakes, he explains afterwards, proudly. Symbolically, a full set of handshakes, plus a well done from both managers, represents maximum satisfaction. The buzz, as he calls it, of a game that passes smoothly, is something he loves. I wouldnt spend so much time away from my family if this didnt mean the world to me.
  Swabey is one of a group of referees that is highly regarded by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL). So he knew he was being watched at that match. PGMOLs chief, Mike Riley, was in attendance, along with his colleague Steve Dunn, watching every significant move the officials make.
  A few weeks earlier, Riley, Dunn and another former referee, Peter Jones, made their way to another level-5 match to watch another young referee  John Brooks. I hope to have the opportunity to get promoted to the Premier League and officiate some of the top games in this country, Brooks says.
  Unfortunately, all the PGMOL delegation saw was the way Brooks handled the difficult situation of cancelling the match because of a frozen pitch. It is all part of the experience Brooks needs to acquire before he is trusted with more important games, the different problems that need dealing with  often, clubs are very reluctant to have a late postponement, particularly when they have to pay all the staff who have come but will not receive any gate money.
  Brooks phoned his coach for advice and made the difficult but correct decision. A little later, the football club secretary arrived with envelopes to pay the officials for their time  the match fee at level 5 is 95 so it is clear that these men do not do it for the money.
  Brooks, like Swabey, has clear ambitions to progress. He knows that dealing with disappointments is a big part of that. How does he feel watching football on TV when a referee gets vilified? Erm  not great, he admits. I do sometimes wish people understood the time and effort we put in. It is very easy to criticize a decision but we do everything to try to get these decisions right. In certain situations, you are going to be unpopular but, if you are uncomfortable with that, you are probably in the wrong job.
  The former referees agree that the backup, education and tools that todays referees have is very different from what they experienced in their own days. Riley, as a young referee, bought himself books on psychology and nutrition as there was no information on offer to him at all.
  Contrast this with Brooks, who has a coach he can call. They consult weekly, discuss how his games have gone, study footage of key decisions and work out how to improve. He also has the support of a sports psychologist, Liam Slack, for regular guidance and an exercise regime to help him handle the 11km he runs during a game.
  Brooks says psychology is vital in his development. One of the things we have talked about is forgetting decisions and moving on, he explains. There may be a big decision to make in the first 30 seconds of the game. Once you have made that, you need to stay focused for the next 89 minutes and not be wondering whether that was correct or worrying about that decision. Liam has taught us some techniques for forgetting that decision. Working with the sports psychologist is really important for mental toughness.
  On the subject of technology, the three former referees are unanimous in their support of it. We are all in favour of anything that makes the referees job better and makes them more effective on the pitch, says Riley. Minimizing mistakes is the aim. After all, a bad decision can stick with you for a while. The rest of your life, adds Jones with a chuckle.