Hard-hitting article about referee (8)
I believe the answer is:
thumping
'hard-hitting' is the definition.
Both the definition and answer are adjectives. Maybe there's an association between them I don't understand?
'article about referee' is the wordplay.
'article' becomes 'thing' (both can mean an object).
'about' is an insertion indicator.
'referee' becomes 'ump' (I've seen this in another clue).
'thing' enclosing 'ump' is 'THUMPING'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for thumping that I've seen before include "Huge -- bashing" , "(Of defeat) huge" .)