Dispute Over Referee Ranking and Allegations of Misconduct

Lisa Benn served as a referee during the 2022 Women’s European Championship. Recently, Howard Webb, the chief referee of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), addressed allegations made by Benn regarding her removal from the FIFA international officials list after she complained about inappropriate conduct by a coach.

At 34 years old, Benn claimed that during a VAR training tournament in March 2023, she was grabbed by Steve Child, a former Premier League assistant referee, who allegedly threatened her, stating, “your card has been marked.” After lodging her grievance with PGMOL, Benn’s ranking dropped from fifth to sixth in the nominations submitted to FIFA.

In a tribunal hearing, Webb clarified that the adjustment in Benn’s ranking was due to her performance relative to other referees, not as a consequence of her complaint. He indicated that FIFA accepts only five referees on their women’s game list but stated that PGMOL had sought to nominate a sixth due to the growth of women’s football.

Webb noted, “Unfortunately, highly regrettably, it wasn’t… compared to the other officials in this ranking, she was correctly placed sixth, based on the performance factors listed and the holistic view we’ve gone through.” He emphasized the competitive nature of the field and the necessity to rank officials accordingly.

Benn also reported feeling intimidated by Child during a training camp in August 2023, an incident she subsequently shared with Bibi Steinhaus-Webb, who was the head of women’s referees at PGMOL at the time. Following this, Benn learned in December that she had not been selected for FIFA’s list.

During the tribunal, Benn’s legal representative, Carla Fischer, suggested that the lower ranking stemmed from her second complaint regarding unwanted remarks made by a male coach to another female referee. Webb rebuffed this assertion, reiterating that the ranking was performance-based.

In an October meeting, Benn expressed concerns about a culture of fear among officials regarding the reporting of grievances. Webb acknowledged this sentiment and reiterated the importance of fostering an environment where officials can communicate openly.

When discussing the significance of the FIFA list for referees, Webb remarked, “They treasure this badge, they really, really do,” reinforcing the belief that a sixth position on the list was plausible given the expanding women’s game. The tribunal proceedings are ongoing.