Question Number: 17930

Law 6 - Assistant Referee 11/16/2007

RE: Adult

Iris of Tel Aviv, Israel asks...

I am looking for a manufacturer of referee soccer flags with an alert or buzzer. From what I know there is such a lag for the sidelines referee and he can signal with the flag to referee in the field about something he saw. Do you know manufacturers of such flags?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Search for "beeper flags", which is what they are commonly called. I've seen them in catalogs, but cannot recall which manufacturer. You might check with the company where you buy your ref uniforms.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Iris unless you are in a stadium environment where the noise is so great that the referee finds it impossible to hear the cries of his assistant you don't really "need" beeper flags. Reason?

Expense is first and foremost! You think the price of gasoline, benzin, essence gasolina, petrol is high, just wait until you price these.

Second is what I call beep syndrome! A referee who uses this artificial aid to make herself aware of an assistant's signal will be at a loss if the batteries quit, a receiver packs in, a transmitter gives it up, a switch doesn't or all of the other failure modes inserting technology into something just looking at the linesman gets you.

Third and easiest to correct is you not seeing the linesman's signal when you look. It is because the assistant has already moved it when you weren't looking and you miss the unmoving image in the fray OR she hasn't decided there is an offence to signal quite yet and that is the last time you look that way. The other mechanic causing a referee to miss a signal is when play approaches the assistant and the referee decides her presence is needed there -- play reverses to the referee's side of the park and now the referee finds her back to the linesman. Digging out of this hole is difficult because the referee must constantly look at six o'clock and then return attention to play. Sometimes this is not possible due to intensity of the play in front of you and when the play again reverses and you turn there the linesman is with the flag raised drying her deodorant and you have no clue how long she's been there... This is really the only time a beep can really help things for a referee. Trouble is the assistant goes crazy with the button at other times and you don't have a moment of silence to consider how well you're doing on the day.

If you have a large amount of discretionary income and already have the Bugatti Veron on order go ahead and get some beeper flags. If you're like the rest of us, under paid with bills arriving daily using low tech flags and paying attention more is better.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Better to work on the eye contact with your ARs then rely on beeper flags. Notice they are miked now at the elite level . A level of expertise and expence that hardly is required at the grassroots. Work on mechanics and proceedures, hone those before stepping into the arena of technology. Just my opinion.
Cheers