Question Number: 12734

Character, Attitude and Control 5/5/2006

RE: 8 Under 18

Ryan Clark of Midland, Michigan USA asks...

I have recently been told by my supervisor that I need to be more "strict" and take control.

I have been reffing for 6 years and I now feel that I can have control of games pretty easy. I think the fouls that are seen are judgement calls (pushing, elbowing). What can I do to improve?

Or is this just a difference of opinion?

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

No 2 referees call the game the same way. Also, all referees have different strategies when it comes to managing and controlling the game. Control and management are critical parts of refereeing. Often times injuries can be prevented by the referee calling a push or hold prior to the injury. I have seen it happen where the referee lets a little push go and then all of a sudden the pushed player retaliates and a brutal foul and injury occur as a result. The brutal foul could have been prevented simply the referee calling the first little push or hold. Staying close to play throughout the duration of the match as well as setting the tone early can be helpful in controlling the game. No doubt that players will test you and flirt with your line of acceptable/unacceptable play during the game. If they see that you are not calling something, they will continue to try and get away with it. I am a high school teacher and my saying has always been "give the kids an inch and they will take a mile." In my opinion, this is the truth when it comes to refereeing soccer as well. Make sure to have a plan in mind. Poor planning always results in poor performance. Set a plan prior to the game. Talk with your AR's. What will you call? How will you set the tone early? What types of fouls will you card. Game experience will automatically help you with this as you will gain more of a sense as to acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Also, sit down and observe MLS referees or other top level referees while watching soccer on TV. I do this all the time. Observe the fouls that they call and how they take control of their players.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Match control is a personal thing. Things I like to offer in dealing with a referee who seems too lax are, do you like an elbow in the face, your ankles constantly hacked, a tug on your jersey, a wee push out from under a header? Mostly, no one likes those things so you can ask the lax referee why he allows them on his matches.

He'll say they are trivial. And that's cool -- you counter with "trivial to who?" He will start getting defensive and say they are just trivial, push harder and ask if he saw the expression of acceptance on the face of the player trivially fouled... If he didn't his positioning is bad, he dug that hole himself. Let him keep digging and sooner or later the question will come to how do I fix it!

That's where I want a referee. The answer is in setting the tone you call the first one and make a huge deal out of it, and for the first 7-10 minutes you are showing the players you have stellar foul recognition. When you're doing that you are learning what the players, themselves, think is fair (you don't call that anymore) and foul (keep calling that). Once the figure out you can recognise fouls and learn what they accept you relax your iron fist and trust them to play within established limits.

Now, you have a point where you are satisfied things are fine and the players know exactly what that point is because you have taken the time to show them. If things get slightly out of hand a stern word reminds them. If it gets messy a whistle and stern word snap it back together. Further out of hand a few bookings and it is all square. Note: we trust then to play nicely after each "Get Your Butts Back Here" episode. The whole idea is keep the reins just a bit snug but not snug enough to let them feel both of your feet on their backs. It is a delicate balance and requires more skill than all but about 5 percent of the world's referees can muster -- feel a challenge laid down?

I disagree with Ref Muellers advice to watch what MLS referees call because they have to allow for the entertainment value of a match, they need spectators to pay for a seat and the league takes a dim view of a loss in revenue. So they don't call all that much. You are refereeing on a ground that is slippery with testosterone and a firm hand is needed or you'll never establish that nebulous thing called fair play. When watching the guys at the top of the heap, you need to figure out what clues he used to get where he did when the whistle goes because he is 10-15 tards from play at that time. If you can't sort that out, I can offer some suggestions there too.

Regards,