Question Number: 13008

Character, Attitude and Control 6/11/2006

RE: Competitive Tournament Under 15

Linda Kelly of Eagle River , AK USA asks...

U14 boys tournament game with a 0-0 score. About 17 minutes into the 2nd (35-minute) half, players from one team started asking me how much time left in the game. After initially giving the time, and additional players asking me at every stoppage of play for time left, I was responding that I wasn't their timekeeper & to ask their coach. After several minutes of this I called the team captain over and told him to instruct his teammates not to talk to me about time. He rude response earned him a caution for dissent (the 3rd yellow for this team for dissent), and it stopped the questions by his teammates. Will coaches really use this type of tactic as a distraction to referees? There were other things going on like their coach complaining loudly about every offside call against his team, and his players asking for 10-yards to be paced off everytime. Incidentally this team did score for a 1-0 win in the extra minute I had decided to allow, for wasting time by their team. If they were on the attack right at 35 minutes, should I have promptly stopped the game? The win didn't seem fair since they were doing all the stalling.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Wow! A lot happening here. The laws of the game say that time must be added for all time lost. Thus you were correct in allowing the goal. It does not matter which particular team caused for the wasting of time. Next, you were incorrect with your response that you are not the time keeper. One of your duties as a referee is to keep the time. This is a responsibility of yours. You also must make allowance for all time lost and the laws tell us that that time is at the discretion of the referee. Now, dealing with the players that continue to ask you for the time is another story. Personally, I never announce how much time is left during dynamic play. If a player asks me while ball is in play, I will either ignore or say wait until next stoppage and I'll tell you. Then at that stoppage, I would announce loudly that there is x amount of minutes left. If players continuously ask you for time during play, you could either ignore and soon they will get the drift or tell the captain that any further requests will result in a caution for unsporting behavior. I am sure my colleagues will offer helpful suggestions as well As Always,

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

I don't agree with the caution for the captain, you kind of baited him, right? Of course that doesn't give him the right to dissent but you started the talking.

Time is your responsibility, knowing it -- the telling of it, not really. First time fine, second time fine third time I just hold out my watch and continue what I was doing.

Asking for the 10 yards to be stepped off every time, if they are the defenders and ask they find at least 10 yards nearer 15-20, they don't ask again. If attackers and the opponents are retreating I won't intervene, if the opponents are abusing the Law I deal with it.

The coach carping at every offside decision is intolerable, those are not tactical instructions and he must understand that he WILL cease his dissent or he will leave early. One warning and off he goes. DO NOT tolerate it, it is not his right, part of the game nor part of his job.

Last thing I'll say; is there anything you did to "ask" for this treatment? Not the last; when was the last time an assessor had a look at you? Have you any bad habits that irritate coaches and players? Sometimes, very seldom, but -sometimes- abuse suffered by referees is their own fault. That's something we can easily correct and assessors tell us how to do that. Oh yeah, one more last thing -- if the coach is doing or saying things that'll get his lights punched out in a bar then he needs to spend more time there, starting now.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Why would a coach use this as a tactic? If it's convenient what harm is there in telling the time? If you don't want to take your eyes off play, just ignore them or tell them "later". If they are taking a free kick they're allowed to ask for the 10 yards every time and it's not time wasting. If they are the defenders they have no right to form a wall and you can discourage this real quickly by telling the kicking team they don't have to wait to take their kick. If you allow a coach to act like a jerk, his players will often follow his example. All that said, I'm wondering why you chose to fight this battle? I mean to say, what's the big deal with players asking how much time is left? It's a trifling thing and I doubt I'd fret much about it. If that's the worst thing the players are doing, you should be happy. You decide when the game is over. As soon as the ball crossed the halfway line, blow the whistle.