Question Number: 13403

Character, Attitude and Control 7/25/2006

RE: Competitive Adult

Sancho of Montreal, QC Canada asks...

Hi AskTheRef members!

Here's something that frustrates me and I know a lot of refs have experienced.

In some situations, before I can even move my whistle to my lips or signal "no foul, play on" - in other words, before I have a reasonable time in which to make a decision and announce it - players or coaches already seem to have already cried out their own judgement about whatever just happened. The reason, of course, is that they don't actually have to think about the call: it can only be in their own favor, so they don't need to take that extra second required to make an objective decision.


At that point, if I call it the way the player has said, I look like I'm being influenced, and if I call it opposite to what they said, I look like I missed something! I may know I'm correct, but it nevertheless diminishes the respect everyone on the field has for me as a referee, and in the worst case this can lead to other things escalating later in the game.

One particular example of this that happens a lot: when a ball passes out in touch, especially right in front of one of the benches, the coach or a benched player will say "ok guys, that's ours". Most of the time they're right and it's very obvious who put it out of play, in which case it doesn't bother me that they say this. Sometimes, though, they'll say it on very marginal calls thinking that this will get them the ball, or say it on calls both officials nearby (CR and AR) know for sure isn't theirs. Again, it becomes a no-win situation for the refs: if you call it same as the team that cried out, you look influencable, and if you call it wrong, it casts doubt on your decision - in both cases, it diminishes your authority as a referee and can lead to other things escalating later if someone thinks they were "wronged" on the call.

Can anything at all be done about this? It seems like unsporting behavior to me (give a yellow card, remind them that you not them are making the calls). Yet sometimes it seems minor or unintentional - it's human nature, after all, to react to something we see or think we see (referees, though, have to be fast but not impulsive, or they'd make wrong calls). Also, once the call is made or not made, the players rarely make a big deal about it or dissent - but the damage to your authority as a referee is still done. Any advice on how to deal with this?

Thanks for your time, and keep up the great work!

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

You seem to be unsure of yourself and that's what's causing problems. No matter what your call is, you need to sell it. There have been times where everyone on the field saw something that I saw differently. I make my call forcefully and that's the end of it. It irritates me to no end when a coach has his players call for the ball on every throw-in. This is unacceptable and you tell the coach that and you tell the coach you will caution the next player that does it. Bottom line you sure of a call, you call it. What the rest of the folks think doesn't matter.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Coaches are permitted to give tactical instructions to their players, ONLY. Remind them of that. Remind them that giving you instructions is not acting responsibly and that if they do not act responsibly the match will continue without them.

You are responsible for the match, not them. Do not allow them to yell the first time, that yelling may be something as simple as "Hey Ref, Sub".

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

The important thing here is to sell your calls. The referee and the AR need to work together to make each other look better. AR's and referees need to mirror signals. AR should always make eye contact with referee before signaling for throw ins and goal kicks and corners.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Sancho ,
all one can do as a referee is call what you see, do it with integrity, work on the mechanics, fitness, positioning and experience to apply the knowledge of what you know to what you see!

Certain situations will create certain tensions or conditioned reflex responses. A ball striking the arm of a player and you get the immediate cry of "handball", and incredible looks of disbelief when you determine it was not deliberate and make no call but COULD add to the cry
"NOT deliberate PLAY!!!"

A player goes down after falling over the leg of a good tackle that gets the ball cleanly and you hear a cry "Ref, he/I was tripped!"
add to that cry,
Nothing there , great tackle, play!!!

A ball goes into touch, your AR is screened and you get a shoulder shrug as eyes meet, you have doubts was it red or blue, but blue team goes to get it and the red turns away use the body language IF you can . If you are sure blue had the last touch, If you MUST make a decision! Do it with authority, do it quickly " Red ball!"

I must confess that my gut is generally sending signals all the time and I tend to make decisions only if I am sure the decision is required. I keep the whistle away from the mouth and If I bring up the whistle I will blow it 99 times out of a 100. I might signal advantage as well but I have realised that only if the verbal extras by the players or coaches are affecting MY confidence do I feel required to intervene.
"NO chirping! Play!"

I tend to find your statement not to my liking although I get where you are coming from!
"The reason, of course, is that they don't actually have to think about the call: it can only be in their own favor, so they don't need to take that extra second required to make an objective decision"
I make very quick decisions on whether play is fair or foul and use the whistle as a tool to send a message quite often in how fast, hard or long I blow it. Still you have a valid point in the trivial or doubtful interactions sometimes what we are considering as non effecting create impressions where others will digress. I find by being close to and anticipating play, I increase my effectiveness in the zone of "selling proximity!" Good foul recognition leads to quick responses and better decisions.

Useful comments, well in, nothing there, get on with it, off the ankles, arms down, hands off, I am right here watching, let the shirt go, who's up for it!

Proper use of advantage and quick action when ACTION is required.

Seek to allow attacking football at every opportunity, while we are obligated make a decision yes or no it is the players/coaches who create the situations and their choices to interact have consequences. While some dissent and interaction will feed to us the messages to reign in or allow them to run free be sure isolate and draw out those who NEED to be disciplined Slow a match to a crawl IF the players require you to do so.

You can engage players or coaches in occasional banter. I use humour and a ready smile to combat most of my difficulties. That does not preclude a stand up, eyes front glare and a no nonsense disposition when needed! While we can admit an honest mistake and change a decision I do not suggest making it a habit of making mistakes. Being honest though is always a good habit!!

You are not PERFECT, few are, but you could ALWAYS choose to be FAIR! I use a simple philosophy, "Care but never worry!" as the basis of decision making. I make better decisions by understanding that the passion, emotion and competitive nature of the game is part of the experience but only in the temperature of a match.

If you are correctly positioned, show obvious effort and concern, thoroughly understand and apply the laws, posses a backbone and use the intelligence that you obviously have to apply law 18 to the rest of the laws players will respect what they witness in the long haul even if they might grumble in the short term.
Cheers