Question Number: 35955

Character, Attitude and Control 6/29/2025

RE: Competitive - league Under 14

Frank Bromfield of Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal South Africa asks...

This question is a follow up to question 35949

Hi there.
Thank you very much for the speedy return concerning my questions.
Its absolutely such a big honor to have received such professional answers from professional referee's
Now I can advise the other referee's from the other school as last year socking calls were made during some matches.
Let me give you an example which cost my girls to loose the semi-finals.
The other team were attacking and with a pass to another attacker one of my girls
challenged her. The ball went out and a spectator kick the ball back in field and the ref let play continue. After explaining to him that it should have been a ually the matter was resolve and I went to the soccer chairman telling him that, that ref should not be allowed to ref the rest of the season and it was agreed upon.
Once again thank you for professional answers. I have clear understanding now.
Kind regards
Frank Bromfield

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Frank,
Thanks for your kind words.
We’re simply a network of volunteer referees who love the game.

One thing to remember about football, particularly at the youth level, often the referees are learning as much as the players & coaches are. Don't forget, at every level, mistakes happen. Even at the World Cup level with VAR and goal-line technology, with multiple camera angles controversial calls still slip through.

Here’s the core of what you need to know:

Ball completely crosses the Outer field boundary lines into touch → restart with a throw-in, goal kick or corner kick, depending on who touched it last. Think of every touchline and goal line as a 5-inch wall of water rising straight up from the pitch. IF -any- part of the ball is the slightest bit wet, the ball remains in active play. It must be completely dry outside the field to warrant a stoppage.

In the case of a ball exiting the field -into touch- and having a Spectator boots the ball back in = outside-agent interference. The restart still follows the Laws of the Game you not permit the game to continue, there is no playing on. This is the reason why you don't want spectators close to those five-inch Perimeter Boundary line , spectators can indeed appear to have kept the ball in play or affect play unfairly even unintentionally.

What the referee sees is what matters. If they’re screened or distracted, they make the call based on their perspective: even if everyone else thinks differently. Pitch side dissent and abuse only drives refs away. Constructive feedback, documented by video or written note, helps associations coach and mentor officials. If you ever spot a pattern of errors, turn your observations over to your local referee committee. They use your input for targeted training, mentorship programs and assessments to help referees grow. Below is kind of a feedback form that you may want to adapt for your local association.

Referee Feedback Form
Your Name: ____________________ Role (Coach/Manager/Other): ____________________ Team: ____________________ vs. ____________________ Date: ____ / ____ / 20__ Kick-off: ____ :____ Venue: ____________________
Referee Details
Referee Name or ID #: ____________________ Arrival on time: □ Yes □ No Proper uniform: □ Yes □ No
Performance Ratings
Rate each area 1 (Poor) – 5 (Excellent)
Category   1   2   3   4   5
Positioning & Fitness   □   □   □   □   □
Decision Consistency   □   □   □   □   □
Use of Advantage Rule   □   □   □   □   □
Game Control/Authority   □   □   □   □   □
Communication (calls, signals)   □   □   □   □   □
Discipline
•   Yellow Cards (your team / opponent): ____ / ____
•   Red Cards (your team / opponent): ____ / ____
Open-Ended Feedback
What the referee did well: > e.g. “Good positioning in transition,” “clear signals on restarts.”
Areas for improvement: > e.g. “Be firmer with dissent,” “use whistle more promptly.”
General comments: > e.g. “Overall fair, but struggled with time-keeping.”
Thank you for your feedback! Please submit this form to your Club Referee Coordinator within 48 hours.

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Frank
As always we are here to provide law answers, help and advice.
As my colleague Referee Dawson points out that many referee at lower levels of the game are learning. There are others that have not progressed due to either a lack of desire to do do and a few that do not have the required competencies and acuity to progress
In my association we have a No Ref No Game initiative. Referees, just like players and coaches, are part of the game.
Everyone is doing their best and mistakes will be made.so we all have to respect the decisions of the referee. Enjoying the game is the goal for everyone, this includes the referee.
Now my focus is not on the obvious error by the referee you mention as because for whatever reason it happened.
I have played the game at a decent level, coached teams and for the last 30 years have been involved in refereeing. I can safely say that a referee never caused a game to be lost that I was involved in.
Every game is a mix of successful and unsuccessful play execution. There are forced errors and unforced ones. Of good substitutions and bad ones. Of great game tactics and not so great. Missed chances and poor defending. The best players and coaches take immediate responsibility for the winning and losing of games. Coaches take responsibility for their decisions. Referees are judged to have good and bad games, but they don’t cause a team to lose.

Of course, there will always be emotion in sport. And yes, sometimes a decision feels unjust. I hated games that had no edge, that were not competitive. Yet there is a limit to ensure that it does not boil over in whatever fashion be it match control, abuse etc.
Everyone involved shares the responsibility of protecting the game’s integrity.

Referees are not above criticism. But they are human. And if we do not act to protect them, we will just not lose referees or for that matter not have enough yet we will also lose the spirit of the game itself.

I was at a game yesterday and there was an offside goal missed by the referee. The conceding team won anyway as they were the better side. It was a mistake by an inexperienced referee starting out.
I recall a particular game where in the last few minutes I awarded a corner kick which was contested. I was confident of the call which is why I gave it. A goal was scored from the corner by a totally unmarked attacker. The conceding team was of the view that I caused them to lose the game and complained bitterly after the final whistle. No consideration of the teams poor defending, two missed goals on one on one with the goalkeeper, one attempt at goal from 6 yards blazed over the bar, the poor marking from the corner. I could go on.

I remember chatting to a former referee who told me that in his opinion my team that I was playing with lost a particular final years ago due to a poor decision by the referee on the day. The former referee was an assistant in the game. I told him we lost because we failed to play well on the day and that we failed to reach our potential , failed to take our chances and lost 1-0. It had nothing to with the referee or any decision that was made.