Referees are incompetent. They are ruining the game.

Their rigid enforcement of the laws disrupts the flow of play. They are inconsistent and should display more common sense.

These are typical of rebukes directed at officials during and after matches, so let's look at a few instances where players are spoiling the game and making life impossible for the man in the middle.

A throw-in is a regular occurrence and simply a means of re-starting play after the ball has gone out of bounds. Yet many throw-ins are contested with spurious claims of who touched the ball last and hence who is entitled to reintroduce the ball into play. Similarly players will claim a foul throw for a perfectly acceptable throw-in just to regain possession of the ball.

Some players enjoy a bit of banter with their opponents during the game but sometimes this goes beyond friendly rapport. There are those who try to put opposition players off their game by intimidation, even using racist or homophobic remarks, having identified a suitable candidate.

Arguments often occur between team-mates when things are not going well. Someone will be blamed for an error in defence and a slagging match develops. These can be quite heated and often need damping down by the referee.

The policy of putting the ball out of play when a player is injured is common practice in park football. Everyone accepts that it is better to be safe than sorry.

Restarting the game after such an incident is fraught with danger for the referee. A request that the ball be returned uncontested to the team who last had possession is usually complied with, but still there are the diehards who cannot see the logic of this sporting gesture.

The professional game has seen instances where this unwritten rule has backfired on the referee and yet there really should not be a problem at all if all parties accept it was right to put the ball out and therefore correct to return it to the team who put it there.

Putting a name on the ball is another area where there appears to be some misconceptions. Say "clear it", "line it" or "lay it" and there isn't a problem, but say "leave it" and all hell breaks loose.

The referee comes under fire and is asked to penalise the player who dared utter the words. Well, here is one referee who will not give a free-kick for this supposed offence unless I thought an opposing player had been hoodwinked by the call or that an unfair advantage had occurred.

The spirit of the game is an integral part of football. It is important referees sometimes use it to override the written laws. Referees have to judge for themselves exactly what contravenes the spirit of the game. This will be based on the referee's own experience and conception on how football should be played.

The referee's role is to apply the laws in a flexible way and to be the mediator in player disputes. The laws are not a strict edict to be followed to the letter, they are more a recognised framework to be used along with common sense - providing a controlled environment for two teams to enjoy a match.

Common sense ensures that an element of natural justice prevails, the game must be allowed to flow with the minimum number of interruptions, without the referee losing control.

If referees blew their whistles every time a law was infringed the game would have died as an enjoyable spectacle years ago. Good referees are mindful of balancing the spirit of the game against keeping control of 22 players.

Every game is different and players, managers, even spectators will need to adjust to the referees interpretations as to how he wishes to control the game.