English Speaking exam – Example draft 2023 – Written by student who achieved a
distinction.
Subject – Speaking against the constant abuse of referees in football (specifically in the premier
league).
Intro – Today I will be talking about the rising abuse of refereeing officials, particularly in
football. Referees and other officials are now a vital part of the beautiful game. Without
them, football games would descend into utter chaos, as there would be no one to enforce
the rules. We must also remember that these officials are only human. They are not aliens
with super vision, nor machines that are made without error. Therefore, we ALL must treat
them in a respectful manner, but this respect has faded over recent years. This brings me
onto my next point about VAR…
Paragraph 1 (VAR) – Ever since the controversial introduction of VAR in 2018, the
harassment of referees and persistent ‘bullying’ has soared. This modern technology has
allowed referees to closer inspect illegal actions, such as red cards, handballs and offsides.
However, the more often than not bizarre outcome of these checks frequently leave fans of
the beautiful game questioning whether this ‘game-changing technology’ actually affects the
game in a negative way, ruining the atmosphere and passion during a match. Furthermore,
these checks that seem to last for eternity create a window of opportunity for the critics to
bully the officials. Recently, there has been a huge controversy due to a decision in the
Crystal Palace V Everton FA cup tie, which saw Everton’s number 9 sent off after what
seemed a perfectly fine challenge. Even fans and players of the opposing team were left
stunned after the referee was called to the screen and replayed the tackle in slow-motion
over 14 times. Now although many pundits and supporters deemed the incident as incorrect
and unfair, the abuse the referee received in the aftermath of the game, both verbally and
through social media was disgraceful and should not be tolerated in this era or in any era to
come. This leads me onto my next point about how the exploitation of ‘innocent’ referees
affect the youth and our view on the game.
Paragraph 2 – Around 32% of referees have reported physical abuse (punched, spat at,
headbutted, etc.) and 39% a decrease in mental health. This abuse is being televised
globally, and young children are being more frequently exposed to it. They see their idols
acting in this atrocious way, and some seem to think it is alright and is the right way to act on
the pitch. Sadly, this is causing a rise in hostility during grass roots football matches (from
both children and parents). Unfortunately, this behaviour is too much for the officials to
handle and often the ‘bullies’ will escape without punishment. This abuse starts on the
world stage (Professional matches) but eventually spreads to grass-root kick abouts.
Paragraph 3 – As a football fan, I can understand, empathise and relate to the frustrating
feeling when a professional official makes the ‘wrong’ decision. They are trained for years
and years, including preparation for almost every scenario, yet too many calls are going
wrong. Now why is this? Personally, I believe referees are not getting enough support to
mentally cope with the pressure. Having 10 – 100,000 people shouting at/towards you for a
distinction.
Subject – Speaking against the constant abuse of referees in football (specifically in the premier
league).
Intro – Today I will be talking about the rising abuse of refereeing officials, particularly in
football. Referees and other officials are now a vital part of the beautiful game. Without
them, football games would descend into utter chaos, as there would be no one to enforce
the rules. We must also remember that these officials are only human. They are not aliens
with super vision, nor machines that are made without error. Therefore, we ALL must treat
them in a respectful manner, but this respect has faded over recent years. This brings me
onto my next point about VAR…
Paragraph 1 (VAR) – Ever since the controversial introduction of VAR in 2018, the
harassment of referees and persistent ‘bullying’ has soared. This modern technology has
allowed referees to closer inspect illegal actions, such as red cards, handballs and offsides.
However, the more often than not bizarre outcome of these checks frequently leave fans of
the beautiful game questioning whether this ‘game-changing technology’ actually affects the
game in a negative way, ruining the atmosphere and passion during a match. Furthermore,
these checks that seem to last for eternity create a window of opportunity for the critics to
bully the officials. Recently, there has been a huge controversy due to a decision in the
Crystal Palace V Everton FA cup tie, which saw Everton’s number 9 sent off after what
seemed a perfectly fine challenge. Even fans and players of the opposing team were left
stunned after the referee was called to the screen and replayed the tackle in slow-motion
over 14 times. Now although many pundits and supporters deemed the incident as incorrect
and unfair, the abuse the referee received in the aftermath of the game, both verbally and
through social media was disgraceful and should not be tolerated in this era or in any era to
come. This leads me onto my next point about how the exploitation of ‘innocent’ referees
affect the youth and our view on the game.
Paragraph 2 – Around 32% of referees have reported physical abuse (punched, spat at,
headbutted, etc.) and 39% a decrease in mental health. This abuse is being televised
globally, and young children are being more frequently exposed to it. They see their idols
acting in this atrocious way, and some seem to think it is alright and is the right way to act on
the pitch. Sadly, this is causing a rise in hostility during grass roots football matches (from
both children and parents). Unfortunately, this behaviour is too much for the officials to
handle and often the ‘bullies’ will escape without punishment. This abuse starts on the
world stage (Professional matches) but eventually spreads to grass-root kick abouts.
Paragraph 3 – As a football fan, I can understand, empathise and relate to the frustrating
feeling when a professional official makes the ‘wrong’ decision. They are trained for years
and years, including preparation for almost every scenario, yet too many calls are going
wrong. Now why is this? Personally, I believe referees are not getting enough support to
mentally cope with the pressure. Having 10 – 100,000 people shouting at/towards you for a
