Question Number: 18440

Law 6 - Assistant Referee 2/27/2008

RE: Competive Under 13

Peter of Stockton, CA USA asks...

I was AR ref at an under 12 boys competative game. During the game I was watching two players (on different teams) that were marking each other. Things were getting a little heated between them, and so I called over the center ref and informed her that the two of them needed a word and a close watch.

Shortly after this, the two players were both running down the touchline towards me. They were challenging for the ball, and there was a little shoving back and forth going on, but not some thing that I thought was worth stopping the game for.

The ball was crossed to another player waiting in the center, because of the history between the two players, I kept my eyes on them for longer than perhaps I should have - as a result, a goal was scored, there was a cry "off sides", and I did not see what had happened. The center ref looked to me for confirmation and all I could do was shrug my shoulders because I was distracted by the other two players. The center ref did not see any off sides from her position, so goal allowed.

Now no one made a big thing of this after the allowed goal, but what should have been my correct action? If there is a possibility of "hostile actions", should this be one's focus, or should I have ignored the two players and followed the ball?

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

The primary focus of the assistant referee is offside. I think you learned your lesson. In this case you should have kept your eye on the offside situation FIRST, and then kept your eye on the miscreants SECOND.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Exactly, you are responsible for the ball in and out of play and who restarts play and offside, in that order. Two more steps down the list in Law 6 we find call the referee's attention to misconduct or any other incident he has not seen.

When the ball is in the center of the park offside is THE primary concern, as the ball nears the touchline divide your attention dependent on how close to the touchline the ball is and the number of players challenging for it. No worries when the ball is near the goal line because that is usually the offside line and you will be at the last but one defender or the ball which ever is nearest the goal line, even if you must sprint to get there.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Hi Peter. Live and learn. Your primary responsibilities are offside and ball in and out and by whom. You simply tried to do too much and didn't fulfill your prime responsibilities in that you missed a goal and a possible offside

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

First off as AR it is a primary duty to watch the offside it is also your responsibility for safety and reporting these things to your referee. Once the centre referee was informed there were issues with the two players we are back to refocusing on the offside. The referee should be keeping the eye out as game management is her bailiwick. The referee requires you to do your job to free up her to do hers. As referee if I trust my AR I do not go looking for offside, far too busy looking elsewhere at other things. Mind you I might see something given my position at a particular moment in time but if my AR raises a flag for offside 99.9% I stop play and award an offside. Shared responsibility spreads our focus over the whole field not necessarily 3 sets of eyes look at the exact same thing. We see the field in its entirety because we know where and what each other will be concentrating on and the area of responsibility on the field as spelled out in the pregame .
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Debbie Hoelscher

I would only be repeating my colleagues' answers regarding what your priority is. Bottom line, you allowed your concentration to linger too long in one spot. That's a killer whether you are an AR or the Referee. As the AR, when there is attacking play, you need to constantly be watching that 2nd to last opponent and "checking in" everywhere else (e.g.the touchline for ball out of play and who last touched it, possible foul play between opponents, etc.). When there is not as much pressure, and there is more room between the attacking forward at the top and the last but one opponent, you can "cheat" a little by "checking in" with that top attacker, and keep an eye on play down the line. Once play turns into an attacking play, you have to go back to your prime directive -- the last but one and offside. I would also like to suggest to you, that instead of directing your comments to your center (as insightful as they were), you may try next time to directly address the to players ? loudly enough to peek the Referee?s attention, make eye contact with your Referee and point out the two players to her/him. Now you can "release" them to the center referee, and continue with your priority position...the offside infringement. As the players come down the touchline towards you, you can "remind" them that you are watching by saying something to them, such as, "play the ball," or "don't foul him" or something like that. The players will hear you and usually respond accordingly. I've done this with grown men, and it's amazing to see them relax just enough to continue to play with gusto, without fouling their opponent. Again, talking to the player(s), eliminates your need to be right there, reminds them that the center referee isn't the only one out there with eyes, and also allows you to continue to move along your position to stay with the last but one player and the ball....In order to achieve this with the greatest degree of success, you must be facing the field (aka, side-stepping) so that you can be watching the players out of your peripheral vision and maintaining greater focus straight out with the offside positioning. If you are running down the touch facing the goal line, or back-pedaling, you will not be able to see everything you need to. Hopefully the center referee will have picked up enough cues from your initial talking to them, to take up watching them. You need to release that to your center referee. If she misses it, that's her missed call, not necessarily yours -- especially on an attacking play where an offside might be in question.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 18540