The FA have produced a factsheet for referees to raise awareness of colour blindness within grass roots football.
It provides education and guidance on making football more accessible. Colour blindness (colour vision deficiency, CVD) is one of the world’s most common inherited conditions and affects 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women. Statistically, one player in every male squad is colour blind.
Understandably, the greatest problem for referees/match officials arising during matches is ensuring that everyone, including the players themselves, can distinguish between the kit colours of:
- The outfield players;
- Outfield players and goalkeeper(s);
- Outfield players and fellow match officials
In addition, for colour-blind referees/match officials, players, coaches/management and spectators these additional problems can also arise:
- Players’ kit ‘disappearing’ against the colour of the pitch;
- Following the ball against the pitch/spectators;
- Being able to distinguish between kit/the ball/the pitch/spectators in different types of lighting, e.g. moving from shade to sunlight, or against floodlighting.