REFS NEED LOVE TOO
David Gerson
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About This Podcast
An honest perspective from the 3rd team on the pitch... the referees. Through humor, analysis and education, we are slowly changing how people view referees and officials in all sports. We care and have a love for the game as much as any player or coach. Sometimes even more. Youth soccer (proper football) is a multi-billion $ industry in the US. Tremendous money is spent on players, competitions, travel etc., but almost nothing spent on developing the next generation of referees. I hope that this Podcast inspires, educates and humanizes the next generation of referees for their own development and appreciation from the players, coaches and spectators they need to work alongside.
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Recent Episodes
We Need Better Systems To Support Officials with Huck Sorock of REFR Sports
Send us Fan MailThe World Cup is almost here, and my life is about to get loud in the best way: I’m heading to seven matches with FIFA and TikTok as a Creator Correspondent, with access that changes…
Coach Challenges And Video Review In College Soccer with John Collins, NCAA Head of Officiating
Send us Fan MailCollege soccer is about to change in ways that will hit everyone on match day: referees, coaches, players, and the people in the stands wondering why the game has stopped again. After…
World Cup Concerns on the "For Ref's Sake!" Podcast
Send us Fan MailThe strangest part about refereeing is that everyone sees you, but almost nobody knows you. This week David was a guest on the "For Ref's Sake" podcast. We talk about how I went from…
You Can Build A Referee Program That Kids Want To Join with Carlos Ledesma
Send us Fan MailThe fastest way to lose a new referee is to certify them online and then throw them into the deep end on a busy weekend. We start with a few big updates from my world, including our…
Update! Bouncing Back After A Mistake
Send us Fan MailA single referee mistake can hijack your confidence for days, especially when it happens in a high school playoff match with a crowd watching. I share a raw update on a procedural…
Integrity Over Ego: Why I Took a Goal Off the Board
Send us Fan MailA playoff match can feel perfect for 50 minutes and then unravel in 10 seconds. That’s what happened to me in Georgia, and I’m not proud of it. I’m sharing the full, raw story of a…
Brand New at 42 with Holly Jimenez - It's Never Too Late To Be Great!
Send us Fan MailThe hardest part of picking up a whistle as an adult isn’t learning the signals, it’s walking onto the field while everyone assumes you’ve done this forever. Holly Jimenez knows that…
What Elite FIFA Officials Can Teach Grassroots Referees with Jan Aravirtra, Referee Academy
Send us Fan MailThe fastest way to level up as a soccer referee is not learning one more obscure law, it is learning how to handle people when the match te. I’m joined by Jan Aravitra, a former FIFA…
Premier League Referee Scott Ledger on Longevity, Learning and Love of the Game
Send us Fan MailA soldier-turned-official sets a six-year goal to reach the Premier League—and makes it! Then he does an even rarer thing: he stays for over 15 years! We sit down with Scott Ledger, a…
How Hard Work And Endless Learning Built A 500-Game Premier League Career with Scott Ledger
Send a textA soldier-turned-official sets a six-year goal to reach the Premier League—and makes it! Then he does an even rarer thing: he stays for over 15 years! We sit down with Scott Ledger, a 500+…
Respect The Call, Change The Game with Kari Seitz, VP of Referees for US Soccer
Send us Fan MailAbusive sidelines don’t fix bad calls—and they’re driving referees out of the game. We sat down with U.S. Soccer’s Vice President of Referees, Kari Seitz, to break down how “Respect…
Inside Video Review with Greg Barkey, Head of VAR for PRO
Send us Fan MailEver wonder what “clear and obvious” actually means when the stakes are high and the clock is running? We bring you a rare, candid look inside MLS video review with Greg Barkey, the…
Inside Sunday League with Eric Edge from "Behind The Whistle"
Send us Fan MailEver wonder what a referee actually says to defuse tenssions—or how it feels to make a split-second call with no assistants and 22 players demanding an answer? We sit down with Eric…
Authority Without Anger: The Quiet Power Of A Calm Referee With Alex Perez
Send us Fan MailThis week, we have a true full-circle moment on the show. After listening to our recent episode with Kevin Klinger on referee mindset, Regional Referee Alex Perez sent in an…
The Mental Game: Building Better Referees with Kevin Klinger
Send us Fan MailPressure doesn’t just come from the scoreboard—it lives in your head and your chest when the crowd roars and a coach questions your integrity. We sit down with Kevin Klinger, Director…
From Grief To Growth: A Referee’s Year Of Loss, Reinvention, And Impact
Send us Fan MailA year can include joy and pain without destroying you. In 2025, I said goodbye to my dad—the person I called on every big news story, new tech breakthrough, or small family win—and…
From Shortage To Solution: Reimagining Education For Officials with Kyle Armstrong of RefReps
Send us Fan MailEver tried to judge a play from six feet off the ground with bodies flying past and zero replays? That’s where referees live, and it’s nothing like the view from the stands. We sit…
Howard Webb’s Lessons And Dealing With Negative Self-Talk
Send us Fan MailBig games don’t get easier; you get better at carrying them. Ahead of my first State Cup final, I open up about nerves, preparation, and the quiet work that turns pressure into focus:…
Saving Grassroots Soccer Through Referee Support with The Referee Advocates
Send us Fan MailWe sat down with Daneen Gonçalves, founder and chief visionary officer of The Referee Advocates, to unpack a simple idea with massive impact: treat referees like an integral and…
From Haters To Hardware: Making Better Buzzer Flags For All Referees
Send us Fan MailTired of holding your flag up for Offside, while the whole sideline screams “REF!”? We go straight at the problem and bring on engineer and referee Sam Rall, the creator of RareBit…
Frequently Asked Questions
REFS NEED LOVE TOO has published 109 episodes since August 2022, covering topics in Business, Marketing.
REFS NEED LOVE TOO is currently highly active with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 37m.
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