Community Guidelines

Last updated: 5 July 2026 | ABN 95 855 172 370 The Ref is built on fair, honest, and respectful discussion. These guidelines exist to keep it that way for everyone. The Fair Call Rule Debate the idea. Not the person. You can disagree with an opinion as forcefully as you like — but the moment you attack the person holding it, you've lost the argument and broken the rules. What We Stand For Honesty — say what you actually think. Fairness — give every argument a fair hearing. Respect — treat people like human beings even when you disagree. Accountability — own your opinions and acknowledge when you're wrong. Knowledge — well-reasoned opinions backed by facts are valued here. What We Encourage Strong opinions backed by reasoning or evidence. Respectful disagreement — push back hard but keep it about the argument. Original analysis and unique perspectives. Constructive criticism of teams, coaches, and administrators. Acknowledging a good point even when you fundamentally disagree. Humour — banter is encouraged, abuse is not. What We Do Not Allow Harassment and abuse: personal attacks, targeting individuals repeatedly, coordinated pile-ons, threats of any kind, or doxxing. Discrimination and hate speech: racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, religious discrimination, or vilification based on any protected characteristic. Zero tolerance. This applies to comments about athletes and public figures as much as other users. Defamation: do not publish false statements of fact about identifiable individuals. Opinion is protected — but it must be clearly presented as opinion based on true facts. Misinformation: do not present false information as fact, fabricate quotes, or spread unverified rumours as confirmed. Spam and self-promotion: no spam, repetitive content, unsolicited advertising, or off-topic links. Illegal content: no content illegal under Australian law, no promotion of illegal gambling or match-fixing, no copyright infringement. Article Submission Standards We want your voice. A good article for The Ref has a clear point of view, is original content, is at least 200 words, is sports-related, and makes factual claims that are accurate. Our editorial team may edit for clarity, grammar, and length. We will not change the substance of your argument without your agreement. If we reject your submission we will tell you why. AI-assisted articles are accepted provided they are disclosed at submission, the ideas are genuinely yours, and the article meets our quality standards. Undisclosed AI-generated content will be removed. Moderation Consequences depend on severity: Warning for minor first offences. Temporary suspension (7–30 days) for repeated minor offences or a single serious breach. Permanent ban for extreme content — threats, racial abuse, doxxing, defamation. We will always tell you what guideline you breached. Appeals Email editor@theref.com.au within 14 days with your username, the content in question, and why you believe the decision was wrong. We respond within 7 days. Permanent bans for extreme content are not subject to appeal. Contact Editorial and moderation: editor@theref.com.au | Response time: within 24 hours for moderation matters.