Question Number: 21658

Character, Attitude and Control 7/16/2009

RE: Under 16

Dave of Des Moines, IA US asks...

This question is a follow up to question 21642

Great Q&A and video!
I enjoyed your deep insight of all of the subltle factors involved with making a split second decision.
Was I the only one who tensed up at the very end of the video knowing that whatever call you as a ref made was going to be met with fans vocally expressing their disagreement.
My question deals with some of the sublties of making calls in such situations.
If is is a no call, do you ever make any kind of gesture to indicate that you saw the play but judged it as 50/50 or no foul? I sometimes make a sort of 'safe' signal like in baseball but have wondered if it is good form.
Or if a keeper barely grazes the ball as it goes into touch I may swipe my hands together to show that I saw it was deflected before calling for a corner kick.
I'm not trying to add additional signals outside of the LOTG or attract any more attention to myslef as a ref but I find it helps with selling decissions.
Of course accomodating the fans is rather low on my priority list!
Maybe we're too used to watching the miked refs on Monday Night Football.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

You will see professional referees making some signals to better communicate with the players on occasion. In the video here, if the referee determined there was nothing to be called, she might simply motion the players to get up - effectively communicating there was nothing there.

Or, the scissoring of the hands to indicate no foul or no goal is relatively common as well. Another is the pointing to the various spots to indicate the prior offenses resulting in the current caution for PI. The two hands indicating throw instead of kick is another, as is the touching of the hand or arm to indicate a deliberately handled ball, and there are a few more.

None of these detract from the game, as long as they are clear in meaning, necessary for communication with the players (meaning they are not always necessary, and thus shouldn't be used unless needed), do not slow up play or confuse anyone and are brief. As for signals meant for the edification of the coaches and fans - mostly wasted effort, although not always. The first priority is always communication with the ARs and with the players - if the coaches and fans get something from it, great.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Some years ago FIFA said that they encourage anything to aid communication between the referee and players/spectators, referring to these 'unofficial' signals.

Some of the signals above - touching a hand or leg to indicate a deflection, or touching the hands to indicate a foul for deliberately handling the ball, can go a long way towards informing the players of your reason for a particular decision thus can help a lot in selling your decision.

In regards to your specific question of letting players know about 'no' in a close call, I find that some communication can be helpful as it lets the players know you've seen it, whereas no response from the referee can sometimes leave the players wondering if the ref has seen it at all. Sometimes just a simple 'no' can suffice, but a 'scissored' hands can help when it's a more critical decision, such as a clash in the penalty area.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The notion of unapproved signals has received a mixed response from FIFA. With the 2008 Interpretations and Guidelines, FIFA has again warned that body language is useful for match control, but not to explain decisions. USSF recently reminded its referees that the absence of a whistle tells the players that the referee has determined that there was no foul.

IMO, there are times when it is very helpful for the referee to let players know that the referee saw what they saw. 'Not deliberate' to a cry of 'hand ball' or 'good tackle' to a complaint when the player is tripped by the ball can assist in match control. There are also gestures that the referee can use to indicate that the referee saw a deflection or push the players did not. The key is to use these when necessary for match control, not just to explain a decision.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

While I understand that what USSF says is obvious, it's not obvious to the players. Often if there's no whistle, players think you missed something. Just as we call advantage if we see a foul that we are NOT going to call, I find it useful to say in a fairly loud voice 'no foul' or 'not deliberate' or 'keep playing' or whatever pops into my head at the time that will tell the players, and coaches, that, yes, I saw what you saw and. no, I don't agree with you.