How and when do I submit my match report?

Law 5 (2026/27): the referee keeps a record of the match and gives the appropriate authorities a match report, including disciplinary action and any other incidents before, during or after the match.

SAFA Competitions Uniform Rule 31.5: referees must submit a full and detailed report on each game to SAFA's CEO or the designated SAFA official within 48 hours of the match.

Include:

• every caution and sending-off, and any team official ordered off
• any objection to a player that was endorsed on the team sheet before kick-off
• late arrival, walkovers and abandonments
• crowd or team misbehaviour, and any abuse of match officials

Why it matters:

• Facts in match officials' reports are presumed to be accurate at disciplinary hearings, though they can be disproved (Uniform Rule 23.8; Disciplinary Code art. 99). Where officials' reports conflict and can't be reconciled, the referee's version prevails.
• Match officials are obliged to report infringements that come to their notice (Disciplinary Code art. 109).
• The other match officials must report serious misconduct that happened out of your view, and tell you they are doing so (Law 6).