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English referee Darren Drysdale faced Alan Judge of Ipswich Town during a heated confrontation on Portman Road.
An English referee was charged with misconduct by the Football Association on Wednesday for angrily confronting a player during a third-division game.
Darren Drysdale apologized for seemingly butting heads with Ipswich midfielder Alan Judge in a showdown near the end of Tuesday’s game (Wednesday NZT) before another player took him away.
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“I fully understand that it is important for us as referees to maintain our composure throughout the game and to always interact with the players in a professional manner,” Drysdale said in a statement from England’s refereeing body.
Drysdale has until March 4 to respond to the FA charge.
“I’m sorry I didn’t do that last night and I can only apologize to Alan and Ipswich Town.”
The Football Association has said it is investigating the incident. The match between Ipswich and Northampton ended in a 0-0 draw.
Judge had been protesting after being penalized by Drysdale for diving.
These clashes are rare in English football, where there are around 30,000 active referees.
The FA has heightened concerns about player or coach assaults on umpires and the administration is seeking approval from the governing body board to extend the maximum 10-year ban to life.
Clive Rose / AP
Premier League referee Mike Dean received death threats after wrongly showing West Ham’s Tomas Soucek a red card.
Premier League referee Mike Dean contacted police last week after receiving death threats via social media messages on family accounts.
“Many of our new umpires, I would say the majority, will be active on some form of social media,” FA national umpire director Farai Hallam said Wednesday.
“We see it on any day, it requires a support network around you. As a referee, that’s invaluable. “
