Film Review: “The Game” Gives an Inside Look Into Match Day as a Soccer Referee That Will Leave You Wanting More

Pure adrenalin, nerves skyrocketing, the crowd chanting. It’s only 17 minutes long, but the short-film documentary The Game will have you wish it was either longer, or shorter, depending on how you can handle the pressure of being a referee in the Swiss Super League.

We start off with a look at the beginning of game day. With fans in the stands, we see Fedayi San’s father and son take their seats in anticipation of the game. Back in the locker rooms, we are introduced to Fedayi who we will be following during the game, the other refs, and stadium security as they go through their own rituals of listening to music and getting prepped while you hear the chants of the crowd in the background that would give you goosebumps for days.

The pressure comes early and often for Fedayi and us viewers when the game starts. Constantly running to the ball, we see how quickly and accurately referees must be when it comes to calls on the field. Fedayi is given bits of information through his earpiece from watchers above as we race from one end to another to help him in making decisions. The camera angles during the match make you feel like you’re right there, with every cut and sprint to the ball making you a part of the story.

When a foul is called, we see the first signs of influence given by players on both teams, arguing that it was or wasn’t, with details also coming in through Fedayi’s earpiece to give him more knowledge on the play he may not have seen to confirm his call.

As the game continues, a yellow card is given to a player that seems controversial. We later run by a play that Fedyai starts to have second opinions about but the moment is gone and we have to live with the call made. All of this happens while we see his family, commentary teams, and others discuss the play arguing both sides of the decision.

The Game finishes as quickly as it started but the amount of respect you gain for referees will stick with you long after the final whistle. It’s a fantastic dive into the amount of pressure they face in a soccer match. As a fan, my only wish is that we got more in-depth, but the length should allow anyone and everyone to enjoy this look into the job and give you a chance to finally breathe when it’s over.

You can watch The Game right now streaming exclusively on ESPN+.

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