About — Arbitrater

Holding referees accountable —
one decision at a time.

Arbitrater was built on a simple belief: fans deserve a structured, data-driven way to have their say on the decisions that shape the game they love.

Join Arbitrater — it's free

Our mission

Football is decided by moments. A penalty given. A red card shown. A goal allowed to stand. These moments ignite debate, divide opinion, and — too often — go unaccounted for. Broadcasters offer curated narratives. Social media offers chaos. Neither offers structure.

Arbitrater exists to change that. We give every football fan a real-time voice on significant refereeing decisions, aggregating those opinions into meaningful, transparent fan-sentiment data.

This isn't about abuse or personal attacks — it's about structured, respectful debate. And it's powered entirely by you.

How it works

Decisions are detected

Our system monitors live matches in real time, identifying significant referee decisions as they happen — penalties, red cards, VAR calls and more.

You vote

Each decision is put to the crowd. You decide: correct call or wrong call? Voting stays open for seven days so everyone gets their say, even after the final whistle.

Referees are rated

Every vote feeds into a referee's fan approval rating. Over time, this creates an aggregated view of community sentiment based on the votes Arbitrater receives.

Our rating methodology

A sophisticated, weighted approval system

Not all decisions are created equal. A penalty given or withheld carries far greater significance than a routine free kick on the halfway line. Our proprietary rating system accounts for this — weighting each decision according to its potential impact on the outcome of the match.

Beyond weighting, our methodology considers the volume of votes a decision receives, the timing within a match, and the broader context of each fixture. The precise formula is our own — developed to turn fan votes into a clear, consistent community sentiment score.

Arbitrater ratings are fan-generated opinion metrics only. They are not official findings, factual determinations or professional assessments of any referee, official, player, club or governing body.

What we stand for

Accountability

Refereeing decisions shape the game. Arbitrater gives fans a structured place to record and compare their opinions on those calls.

Inclusivity

Every fan's opinion counts equally, regardless of which team they support or where in the world they're watching from.

Transparency

Our ratings and statistics are based on fan-generated activity. They reflect community sentiment, not official conclusions.

Respect

Arbitrater encourages criticism and debate within reasonable boundaries. Abuse, harassment and personal attacks are not welcome.

Frequently asked questions

Who can vote?

Anyone with an Arbitrater account. Signing up is free and takes less than a minute. We require accounts to vote in order to maintain the integrity of our data.

Can I vote after the match?

Yes. Voting on each decision stays open for seven days after the match ends, so you can catch up at your own pace. Post-match votes carry the same weight as live votes.

How are decisions identified?

We use a combination of automated real-time monitoring and editorial oversight to identify genuine, significant decisions and put them to a vote.

Which leagues and competitions are covered?

We currently cover the Premier League. We plan to expand to other major leagues and competitions as the platform grows.

Is Arbitrater affiliated with any football organisation?

No. Arbitrater is a completely independent fan opinion platform. We are not affiliated with the Premier League, UEFA, FIFA, PGMOL or any other football association or governing body.

How do I earn points?

You earn points for taking part on Arbitrater, including voting on decisions, creating forum posts, replying to discussions, receiving upvotes and contributing to live match chat.

How do I contact Arbitrater?

You can reach us via our contact page. We read every message and aim to respond within 48 hours.

Ready to have your say?

Free to join. No subscription. Just your opinion.