Keith Hackett

Keith Hackett is a former football referee, who began refereeing in local leagues in the Sheffield, South Yorkshire area in the 1960s and went on to officiate Olympic and European Championship matches in the 1980s and Premier League football matches in the 1990s. Keith is counted amongst the top 100 referees of all time and is a former head of the Professional Game Match Officials, which manages the refereeing across all Premier League and Football League matches.

Keith started writing for caughtoffside in 2021.

Keith Hackett column: Slow-motion VAR replays at Euro 2020 are unfair and Marcus Danielson red card was harsh example
The way that foul challenges are being reviewed in the VAR process at Euro 2020 is something that I’m becoming very concerned...
Keith Hackett column: Anthony Taylor among best refs at Euro 2020 but English officials need PGMOL action to avoid another season of VAR farce
We have all witnessed some top class officiating in this tournament and UEFA’s Head of Refereeing Roberto Rossetti, a former FIFA Italian...
Keith Hackett column: Four new referees will be promoted to the Premier League and I’m particularly impressed by Jarred Gillett
Throughout last season I expressed concerns about the falling standards in the quality of officiating in the English Premier League. To some...
Keith Hackett column: English refs on form at Euro 2020 and it is great to see divers are not conning anyone
It’s completely refreshing to see that the refereeing standards in the main during Euro 2020 have been terrific.   Indeed, what a...
Keith Hackett column: Euro 2020 referees impressive despite bizarre offside calls
The opening ceremony of Euro 2020 brought back memories for me of standing in the middle of the field of play in...
Keith Hackett column: Expect penalties galore at Euro 2020 after refs are briefed to punish pushing and holding inside the box
At a recent gathering of the 18 referee and 22 VAR officials that will take part in Euro 2020, they were left...
Keith Hackett column: Champions League final referee Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz was my MOTM in Man City vs Chelsea
Very few referees are given the opportunity to referee the Champions League final, and this year was special given that the game...
Keith Hackett column: This has been the worst season of officiating in the Premier League
The 2020/21 season which, due to the pandemic, was unique in how games were delivered to the fans, hopefully will never be...
Keith Hackett column: VAR has been a disaster from the day that the Premier League introduced it
I’m often asked my opinion on the subject of Video Assistant Referee (VAR). Well, it’s been a disaster from the day that...
Keith Hackett column: New accidental handball laws don’t go far enough… I’d like to see it scrapped as an offence altogether
I have had major concerns about the handball law throughout this season. It has caused inconsistent decision making due to the IFAB...