What to record before you leave the ground
The report is written afterwards, but it is built at the ground. Within a few minutes of the final whistle, while you can still picture it, write down the following. A notebook, your match card or a note on your phone is fine.
- The minute and which half, with added time if it applies.
- The player: full name, shirt number and team. Check them against the team sheet or match card.
- What you saw: the action, in order, in a few short lines.
- What you heard: the exact words, who said them and who they were aimed at.
- Where you were: your position and distance, and whether anything blocked your view.
- What you did: the card, the restart, and how the player left.
- What happened next: injury, treatment, reaction from other players or spectators, and who else was there to see it.
If you log your matches in penalty.app, add these notes to the match while it is fresh. The Apple Watch app on the Pro plan lets you log a card at the moment you show it, with the team, shirt number and offence code, so you start with the details already recorded.
Describe what you saw and heard
The County FA was not there. Your report is the account it has, so write it for a reader who needs the facts and nothing else. Four habits help.
- Write in the order it happened. Start with the minute and finish with what happened after the card.
- Use the first person and plain words. “I saw”, “I heard”, “I showed”.
- Say what you saw, not what you think it meant. Describe the action and let the facts show the offence.
- Name the offence by its Law 12 description. For example, serious foul play, violent conduct, or offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures.
If you are unsure which offence fits, check Law 12 before you write. Our Laws of the Game quiz with answers includes scenarios on serious foul play and denying a goal-scoring opportunity, with the sanction for each.
Three worked examples, annotated
These three incidents are invented, so no real match, club or player is described. Each one shows a weak version and a stronger version, then what changed. Use them to see the shape of a good report, and never copy a sentence into your own. Your report must describe only what you saw and heard.
A sending-off for serious foul play
Law 12: serious foul play
Fictional example. 63rd minute, Riverside Rovers number 8 and a Hillside Town player contest a loose ball near the touchline. You send off number 8 for a two-footed challenge.
Weak wording
Their number 8 went in like a madman and tried to break the lad’s leg. Clear red card.
Stronger wording
In the 63rd minute, Riverside Rovers number 8 challenged a Hillside Town player near the left touchline. He left the ground with both feet, studs showing, and made contact with the opponent’s shin with force after the ball had gone. I stopped play and sent him off for serious foul play. The opponent received treatment and continued playing. I was about 12 metres away with a clear view.
What makes the second one better
- Describe the action, not your opinion of it. “Both feet, studs showing, contact with the shin” is a fact. “Like a madman” is not.
- Give the minute, the team, the number and your distance and view. They show the County FA how well placed you were.
- Say what happened next: treatment, whether the player continued, and how the player left.
A sending-off for offensive, insulting or abusive language
Law 12: offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures
Fictional example. 71st minute. You award a free kick against Hillside Town number 5. He walks towards you and swears at you.
Weak wording
Number 5 gave me loads of abuse about the decision so I sent him off.
Stronger wording
In the 71st minute I awarded a free kick against Hillside Town number 5 for a foul on an opponent. He walked to within three metres of me and said, loudly and directly to me, “You f****** cheat.” Players from both teams were close enough to hear. I showed him a red card for offensive, insulting or abusive language. He left the field without further comment.
What makes the second one better
- Quote the exact words, as spoken. “Abuse” tells the reader nothing. Write down the words as you heard them.
- Say who the words were aimed at and who could hear them. Distance and volume matter.
- Do not guess at tone or motive. “He was clearly drunk” belongs only in a report if you saw something that supports it, and then you describe that.
A sending-off for violent conduct away from the ball
Law 12: violent conduct
Fictional example. 78th minute. The ball is at the other end. Riverside Rovers number 4 swings an arm at an opponent in the penalty area. You see it clearly because you stayed close to the play and kept the area in view.
Weak wording
He lashed out at a player off the ball. Obvious violent conduct. Sent off.
Stronger wording
In the 78th minute, with the ball about 30 metres away, Riverside Rovers number 4 swung his right forearm into the face of a Hillside Town player in the penalty area. There was no challenge for the ball. The opponent fell to the ground holding his face. I stopped play and sent number 4 off for violent conduct. Several players gathered around, and I asked both captains to calm their teams. Number 4 left the field. The opponent was treated and did not continue.
What makes the second one better
- Explain why it was not a challenge for the ball: where the ball was, and what you saw. That separates violent conduct from a foul.
- Describe the contact (which part of the body, which part of the opponent) and the result. Stay with what you saw, not what you think was intended.
- Record what happened afterwards: crowd of players, how you restored order, and whether the match finished. If you abandoned the match, that is a separate report.
Common wording mistakes to avoid
A report is only as useful as it is clear. These are the mistakes that weaken one.
Opinion in place of fact
“Aggressive”, “reckless”, “disgraceful” and “thug” are conclusions. Write the action that made you reach them.
Hearsay
“A spectator said that…” is not something you saw or heard yourself. If you decide to include it, make clear it is what you were told, and by whom.
Leaving out the exact words
A report that says only “abusive language” gives the County FA nothing to work with. Record the words, in the order spoken, and who said them.
Wrong or missing identification
Check the name, number, club and team against your team sheet or match card before you submit. A wrong number can attach the report to the wrong player.
Writing it days later from memory
The detail you will want has gone by then. Make notes before you leave the ground, and write the report as soon after the match as you can.
Mixing two incidents
If a sending-off led to a second incident, report them separately and in order, so each one is clear on its own.
Check the deadline, submit and keep a copy
Reports go to your County FA, and the County FA sets how quickly it needs them and how it takes them. We do not quote a deadline here because it can differ by county and competition. Look in your County FA's referee guidance, or ask your referee secretary, before your first match so you know the answer when you need it. Then submit as soon as you can after the match.
- Read it back against your notes. Check the name, number, minute and the exact words.
- Submit it the way your County FA asks.
- Keep a copy, with your notes. You may be asked about the incident later, and a saved copy lets you answer from what you wrote on the day.
Build the text in penalty.app, then check it yourself
The misconduct report generator is on the free plan. You enter the minute, player, team, offence type, any exact words and a factual description, and it builds the report text. Read it, correct anything that does not match what you saw, then copy it into your County FA submission. Each report is saved in your history, so you keep a copy with the rest of your season.
See how misconduct reports work →FAQ
- What is a referee misconduct report?
- It is your written account of a sending-off or other serious incident in a match you refereed, sent to the County FA so it can decide what to do. It records the facts: who, when, what you saw and heard, and what you did.
- Which incidents need a report?
- A sending-off is the usual reason to write one. Your County FA and your competition rules say what else they want reported, so check their referee guidance. If a match is abandoned, that needs its own report.
- How long should a misconduct report be?
- As long as it needs to be, and no longer. A clear report is usually a short paragraph of facts: minute, who, what you saw or heard, what you did and what happened next.
- Should I include exact words?
- Yes, when the offence involved words. Quote them as you heard them, and say who they were directed at. Follow your County FA’s instructions on how to present offensive language.
- Can penalty.app write the report for me?
- It helps you build the text from the details you enter: minute, player, team, offence type, exact words and a factual description. You read it, change it so it matches what you actually saw, and then copy it into your County FA submission. You remain responsible for what is submitted.
- Where do I find the deadline and the submission route?
- From your County FA. This guide does not give you a deadline, because it can differ by county and competition. Check your County FA’s referee guidance, and submit as soon after the match as you can.
Related guides
Misconduct reports in penalty.app →
The generator, the saved history and how it fits your season.
Laws of the Game quiz with answers →
Ten scenarios with the decision, restart and sanction.
Laws of the Game 2026/27: what changed →
The changes grassroots referees need to know this season.
The Apple Watch app for referees →
Log cards and match events on your wrist, then review them afterwards.