This article is about football, and in that, not very exceptional. However, the focus is on the referee, a relatively invisible figure, on the pitch as well as in sports sciences. By focusing on the referees’ social background and their interest in football, by taking a departure in formal and discretionary powers, and by discussing rules and norms, this article will shed light on the referee and his complicated position and career. The reasoning has a general interest, regardless of the fact that the empirical material depends on a study of Swedish referees.