Refereeing Magazine - Vol 05 - Dec 07

REFEREEINGJoint Publication of The FA and The RA

FA LearningThe Football Association25 Soho SquareLondonW1D 4FA

Telephone:+44 (0)20 7745 4545Facsimile:+44 (0)20 7745 4546FA Learning Hotline:0870 8500424Email:[email protected]:www.TheFA.com/FALearning

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Dealing with Mass

ConfrontationHOWARD WEBB

Protecting the Image

of the GameMIKE RILEY

Respect BRIAN BARWICK

3

CONTENTSCONTRIBUTERS

Martin Atkinson

Neale Barry

Brian Barwick

Ian Blanchard

Chris Checketts

David Elleray

Darren England

Dean Mohareb

Paul Mullen

Alan Poulain

Mike Riley

Steve Swallow

Howard Webb

REFEREEING VOLUME 05

09MASS CONFRONTATION

14SPEED TOREFEREE

26PROTECTINGOUR GAME

The FA Disciplinary Department Paul Mullen 05

Dealing with Mass Confrontation Howard Webb 06

Laws of the Game Neale Barry 10

Proactive refereeing Martin Atkinson 12

Speed to referee Steve Swallow 14

Managing the Game Ian Blanchard 18

A coaching qualification can help Darren England 21

your refereeing

Protecting the image of the Game Mike Riley 26

Chief Executive’s view Brian Barwick 30

Progress report Chris Checketts 34

Biggest video referee decision David Elleray 36

in sporting history

Referees’s academy send two to Dallas Dean Mohareb 40

RAE News Alan Poulain 42

Recruitment and retention Ian Blanchard 44

5REFEREEING VOLUME 05

Recent comments from Brian Barwick

on a number of voluntary initiatives

to be piloted at grassroots and youth

competition levels, which aim to create

a better environment for match officials

and players, have also focused

attention on the disciplinary processes.

The Disciplinary Department of The FA,

and I am sure all match officials, will

welcome all attempts to improve conduct.

The Football Association Disciplinary

Department is responsible for managing

and administering the disciplinary procedures

from clubs from the Premier League to Step

four of the National League System (Northern

Premier, Southern and Isthmian Leagues).

Responsibilities include processing cautions

and dismissals, managing the disciplinary

database, and the administration of Regulatory

Commissions, Appeal Boards and County

FA appeals including those for wrongful

dismissal and mistaken identity.

Match officials at all levels play a vital role

in all aspects of Disciplinary procedures

especially those undertaken ‘post match’.

At the top of the game this might include

submitting caution and misconduct reports

forms verbally via the Press Association, and

at County level it might be to attend and

provide evidence at Regulatory Commissions.

The department works extremely closely

with The FA Referees Department. We work

together to monitor constantly and review

procedures to ensure that match officials are

complying with processes and requirements

in a timely and effective manner, as well as

taking feedback from match officials on how

systems can be improved.

It is essential that match officials complete

caution and misconduct reports forms

accurately, using agreed terminology so that

reports can be processed promptly and

accurately. The timing of submissions is

critical, especially those from PGMO and Panel

Officials officiating from the Premier League to

the Football Conference National Division,

who are subject to time-critical appeals for

wrongful dismissal and mistaken identity.

It is imperative that when reporting

misconduct, forms are submitted to the

correct Association for processing. Failure to

do so can cause significant delays to the

disciplinary process. The FA Disciplinary

Department still receives many submissions

from match officials who should have

submitted them to the respective County FA’s

for processing. Therefore, it is essential that

when officiating in a match, especially FA

Competitions, match officials are aware of

where to send both participating teams’

misconduct reports.

Finally, we recognise the commitment you

make to attend a Disciplinary and Regulatory

Commission to act as witness to, for example,

an extraordinary incident. This can be

somewhat of a challenging experience for

some, but we would remind all match officials

that once you have given your evidence your

role in the process is complete. Any decisions

are out of your hands and one should not

dwell on the outcome.

The FA Disciplinary Department greatly

appreciates the professionalism, dedication

and diligence that match officials show in their

work which as you know is far from finished at

the final whistle! By doing so, you help us to

provide an accurate and efficient service to

the many players, clubs, administrators and

media who rely on The FA’s Disciplinary

Department to maintain and uphold the

integrity of our disciplinary procedures.

Paul joined The Football Association in

May 2002 and is the Head of Governance

Projects, where he manages strategically

planned projects on behalf of the Director

of Governance and Head of Football

Administration. For the past six months,

he has been the Acting Disciplinary

Manager at The FA. Paul was an apprentice

footballer at Sheffield Wednesday before

a playing career which included spells at

Farsley Celtic, Hanwell Town and

Prestwood. Paul also acted as Club

Secretary for 3 years whilst at Prestwood

PAUL MULLEN

THE FADISCIPLINARYDEPARTMENT

“AIM TO CREATE A BETTERENVIRONMENT FOR MATCHOFFICIALS AND PLAYERS”


The match finished shortly afterwards and

following the presentation of our mementos,

I left the field of play bitterly disappointed

that the match had erupted into mass

confrontation. For a domestic cup final under

my stewardship to end in such controversy

took the shine off things but I have learned

over many years that referees have a job to

do and have to show courage. The support

we received afterwards from members of the

refereeing family really was appreciated and

confirmed that we had had no choice other

than to take the action we did.

However, there was more to come as we had

to ensure that the reports were completed

correctly and, as it turned out, there was also

a disciplinary hearing to attend. I will deal with

those next time but hope that this article has

given some insight into how I dealt with what

was probably the most publicised mass

confrontation of the season.

To be appointed to a major domestic Cup

Final is every referee's dream and words

can hardly do justice to the thrill I felt

when I received the call notifying me of

my appointment to referee the 2006-07

Carling Cup Final. I was excited at the

prospect of refereeing a high-profile

match between two giants of the English

game, Arsenal and Chelsea, at the

impressive Millennium Stadium in Cardiff

and pleased that I would be working with

an excellent team: Dave Babski, Darren

Cann, Lee Probert and Gavin Ward.

Cup Finals can often fall short of pre-match

hype but nothing could be further from the

truth with The Carling Cup Final 2007! The

match was excellent, with Arsenal's new

young talent giving a strong, established

Chelsea side a real run for their money. The

game was played at a fast pace and although

I occasionally had to impose my authority with

a quiet word, public rebuke or yellow card,

the match was played in a good spirit with no

undertones of unpleasantness. As such, the

incident which occurred in the 90th minute

really did take me by surprise.

As we entered the last minute of regular time,

Chelsea were leading 2-1 and Arsenal were

desperately pushing for an equaliser. Kolo

Toure had the ball at his feet in a central

position several metres into the Chelsea half.

Chelsea’s Jon Obe Mikel was tugging at Toure's

shirt as Toure looked to offload the ball towards

Eboue on the right flank. Arsenal were looking

to keep the play moving and I waited

momentarily to see if an advantage could be

on. My assessment of the players' mood at that

point gave me the confidence to do so.

However, the resulting pass fell short of Eboue

but as I blew the whistle Toure reacted angrily

out of disappointment and frustration. Being a

big guy, I tried to intervene quickly between

the warring factions as hands were thrown

towards faces. I hoped to deter others from

joining the fray. No such luck! In a flash, several

other players arrived, some to protect their

team-mates, others to pull team-mates away.

My key priority was my personal safety – even

big guys can be inadvertently knocked to the

floor! I faced a mass confrontation so took up

a position to observe the melee as accurately

as possible whilst also ensuring that I didn't

'lose' the two instigators, Toure and Mikel.

The best starting point for disciplinary action

after a mass confrontation is to identify the

instigators - usually the player who commits

the initial offence and the one who reacts to it.

In fact, The FA expects that in instances of

mass confrontation, two yellow cards is a

minimum requirement.

Toure and Mikel’s actions were compounded

by the size and unsightly manner of the fracas

they had caused (even occupants of the

technical area were involved) and I decided at

a very early stage that two red cards for the

instigators was the only suitable punishment.

Toure was well known to me but I was less

familiar with Mikel and had no view of his

number. To ensure he didn't 'disappear' into

the crowd of players, I grabbed his shirt and

guided him away to where I could observe the

confrontation – this is not something I would

recommend but my actions illustrate how

referees think on their feet on such occasions

and sometimes do unexpected things.

It was reassuring to see that my colleagues

had followed my pre-match instructions and

had left their touchline positions to adopt the

viewing positions outlined in my pre-match

instructions: the assistant nearest to the

incident looking, together with myself, for the

initial instigators whilst the other assistant

looked for players coming into the melee from

distance to become unnecessarily involved.

I have been taught that management of mass

confrontations can be enhanced by strong use

of the whistle and I adopted this approach,

hoping that my whistle would have the same

effect as a police car siren might have on a

group of youths fighting in the street.

The confrontation eventually subsided and I

then isolated Toure and Mikel before

HOWARD WEBB

DEALING WITH MASSCONFRONTATION

“BEING A BIGGUY, I TRIEDTO INTERVENEQUICKLY”

FACTS

HOWARD WEBB

Age

36

History

Promoted to National List

Referee 2001

Promoted to Select Group

Referee 2003

Promoted to FIFA Referee

2006

Highlights

2001 FIFA World U20

Finals in Canada – Referee

Community Shield 2005-

Referee

dismissing them one at a time, pausing

between the two red cards to ensure that

there was no chance of hostility between the

two players as they left the field of play. I then

asked my two assistants if they had witnessed

any red card offences and Darren informed

me of an act of violent conduct by Emmanuel

Adebayor. As I had not witnessed the incident

myself, I needed information to 'sell' the

decision to the players and asked Darren to

outline the nature of the violence – he said a

punch was thrown and I showed Adebayor

the red card. He responded angrily, refusing

to leave the field of play. When he queried

what it was he was supposed to have done, I

used Darren’s information and told him it was

for throwing a punch and that his refusal to

leave the field of play would only result in

bigger disciplinary problems. He continued to

protest but eventually left the field of play.

The final piece in the jigsaw was to ask my

team if yellow cards were needed. This may

seem minor after three red cards but I had a

job to do and Dave informed me that Frank

Lampard and Cesc Fabregas deserved cautions

for their aggressive but not violent involvement.


2007 CARLING CUP FINAL

Howard Webb steps in between Arsenal and

Chelsea players as they clash in the 90th minute

of the Carling Cup Final. The altercation had

been sparked by a shirt pull by Jon Obi Mikel on

Kolo Toure. Mikel and Toure were later sent off

for their part in the mass confrontation.


QUESTION 1An assistant referee draws your attention to an incident

by an attacking player who makes a two-fingered signal

to him having just been penalised for an offside offence.

Do you:

a. Ignore the incident because you feel it will spoil an otherwise

good game?

b. Send off the offender for using offensive or insulting or

abusive language and/or gesture?

c. Speak firmly to the player but allow him to remain on the

field of play?

d. Caution the offender for showing dissent?

QUESTION 2When a player takes a goal kick, it strikes the referee

whilst still in the penalty area and continues into play.

What action is taken?

a. No action is taken.

b. The goal kick is retaken.

c. An indirect free kick is taken from the place where the ball

struck the referee.

d. A dropped ball is taken from the place where the ball struck

the referee.

QUESTION 3You have awarded a goal kick when you see two attackers

standing close to their opponents’ penalty area strike one

another in the face. What do you do?

a. Send both off for violent conduct; show both the red card

and award a direct free kick to the opposing team from

where the incident took place.

b. Send both off for violent conduct; show the red card and

restart play with a goal kick.

c. Caution both for unsporting behaviour; show the yellow card

and restart play with a goal kick.

d. Send both off for violent conduct; show the red card and

restart play with a dropped ball from where the incident

took place.

QUESTION 4A goalkeeper takes a direct free kick out towards the

corner flag. As he tries to play the ball across the penalty

area it goes into his own team’s goal. What action is taken?

a. The free kick is retaken.

b. A corner kick is awarded.

c. A goal is awarded.

d. A goal kick is awarded.

NEALE BARRY

LAWSOF THEGAME

ANSWERS

Q1 - B, Q2 - A, Q3 - B, Q4 - B


Management and proactive skills are

valuable assets for today’s referees at all

levels. Poor management can cause

problems which may escalate and

threaten match control if not addressed

swiftly. We often hear the phrase "use

common sense" directed at match officials

and although this is not within the Laws

of the Game, we certainly can manage

some situations with good communication

and a proactive approach.

The 'ceremonial' free kick, corner and penalty

kicks are all areas where we can save ourselves

problems by taking control at an early stage. At

a ceremonial free kick a strong confident "wait

for the whistle please” and later a “stand still,

don't encroach" may prevent cautionable

offences occurring, especially if accompanied

by body language which gives a positive image

of a confident referee.

Holding and blocking in the penalty area

before corners and attacking free kicks is

common within our game. We need to take

precautions and tackle the potential problem

areas before the kick is taken by giving an

early warning to the players concerned. This

will send out a clear message and then if

misconduct occurs there can be no surprise to

anyone when an offence is detected and acted

MARTIN ATKINSON

PROACTIVEREFEREEING“WE MUST PROTECT THE IMAGE OF THEGAME AND THIS IS WHY WE DO THE JOBAND TAKE SO MUCH ENJOYMENT FROMOUR LOVE OF THE GAME.”

upon by the referee. Demonstrating that we

have tried to manage a situation means that if

we then take disciplinary action no one should

be surprised and it should be the players and

not the referee who is criticised.

There are many other examples of

preventative refereeing. A penalty kick

situation is an ideal time to tell the goalkeeper

briefly to stay on the goal line and not to move

forward. The players around the edge of the

penalty area can be reminded that they must

not encroach before the ball has been kicked.

Again as this can be seen and heard there can

be little complaint should a retake be required.

Some forms of disagreement can be dealt

with in a number of ways, from the quiet word

to a public rebuke making everyone aware that

this won't be tolerated and stronger action will

follow. This does not though allow acceptance

of a show of dissent that undermines authority

and a caution must follow.

After the quiet and formal word the main

weapon in the referee’s armoury is the caution.

It should send out a clear message to the

offending player, the teams, and the viewing

public. It should be used to maintain control,

not in an attempt to regain control. Bo

Karlsson, a member of the UEFA Referees

Committee, often wisely says: “Using a card is

like using a gun. You only have so many bullets

and you have to be careful who you shoot."

Strong refereeing does not always mean lots

of cards – personality and presence can have a

major impact on the game and an awareness of

the changing phases of a game assists in this

process. The start of each half often signals a

team’s intentions and their added

determination to impress. Raising our profile

as the mood of the game changes, working

harder with the players and using the skills I

have mentioned during the potential problem

periods of the game are keys to successful

control and management.

One area of the game that does not require

management, but firm action is violence and

serious foul play. Tackles which are brutal must

be recognised and dealt with strongly. These

challenges endanger the safety of an opponent

and clearly risk serious injury to a player. The

airborne challenge when the player has no

chance of playing the ball without causing

harm to an opponent must be deemed as a

red card offence and everyone expects this

disciplinary action to follow.

We must protect the image of the game and

this is why we do the job and take so much

enjoyment from our love of the game.


How many of us, when training to referee,

go out, twice, three times a week and run

at a constant pace, for an extended period

of time? If this applies to you (and it does

to many of us!), then you need to ask

yourself, ‘Am I really preparing myself

to referee?’

Any training is better than none, but it is

always important to consider the activity for

which you are training and the physical

demands that it makes on you. One particular

aspect that is often neglected by referees is

speed training. Although refereeing is seen

by many as an endurance activity, there will

be occasions during any game when a referee

is called upon to show a good sprint in

order to gain a credible position from which

to make a decision. If you are acting as an

Assistant Referee, the need to sprint will be

even more frequent. Therefore, it is vitally

important that we pay attention to speed

within our training programme.

When planning your speed training you need

to remember:

• Effort – Speed training should always be

done at maximum effort. Therefore, you

should never be exhausted when you start

a sprint.

• Intensity – Ten seconds per sprint as an

absolute maximum. The average sprint in a

game is two-five seconds. Therefore, there is

no point in training by running the 100 metres.

• Volume – You should conduct a small

number of drills (four-eight), with rest periods

in between. We have already said that you

should never feel any exhaustion when you

start a sprint. As a general rule, you should

allow a recovery time of one:ten between each

sprint. i.e. If you work for ten seconds, you

recover for 100 seconds.

Here are a few examples of speed sessions

that you could use in your training:

SPEED & AGILTY EXERCISE

Figure of eight sprints

• Utilising the penalty area, start at A

• Sprint the outlined course arriving back at A

•Try to focus on not cutting the angles as

sharp as possible on your turns, getting a firm

foot plant, the head in the right direction, and

first two – three step explosion

•Quality acceleration, deceleration, change of

direction and accelerate away again – not

running wide around the corner

• Walk very slowly across the goal-line to B

•Start your next sprint from B around two

minutes after you started your first sprint (or

after your heart rate has returned to 60-65%

of your maximum heart rate)

•Sprint again along the course outlined

arriving back at B. Now walk slowly across

the goal-line back to A

•Repeat this for a total of four-eight sprints

(depending on your fitness level)

STEVE SWALLOW

SPEED TOREFEREE

A B


SPEED EXERCISE

• 2x 30m, 2x 40m, 2x 50m sprints

•Perform each sprint maximally. Your HR

should be back to 60 – 65% HR max prior

to each individual sprint. A very, very slow

walk back to the start is usually a good way

of determining your recovery time in

between sprints.

“AM I REALLYPREPARING MYSELFTO REFEREE?”

SPEED & AGILITY TRAINING

•Place several sticks (or cones) on the floor

and space them out at varying intervals of

three – seven feet apart

• Accelerate 15 metres from the start

• On reaching the first stick/cone step over it

•Continue with a measured stride length and

frequency as dictated by the distance in

between the sticks/cones

• Decelerate slowly after reaching the last stick

• Repeat x four

REMEMBER

•A warm down is even more vital than normal

after a speed session. If you fail to warm

down properly, you will almost certainly

encounter significant muscle soreness.

•Focus on your technique. Get somebody to

watch you and tell you whether your running

style is efficient.

In summary, we are always looking for that

little bit extra to improve our game. Improving

your ability to sprint will help your refereeing

and will go a long way to improving the

accuracy of your decision-making, thus

benefiting your control.


You blow the final whistle, the conclusion of

another successful game. But, of course, your

management skills must remain at an all-time

high. Why? Well, this final article considers

the management skills required after the

conclusion of the game.

The first thing that usually happens after you

have blown the final whistle is that players

converge on you, hopefully to offer you

congratulations or to praise you on a job well

done. It’s important that you remain calm,

confident and display a positive attitude, no

matter what. A good shake of a player’s hand,

accompanied by eye contact and a short

comment such as “Well done”, “Unlucky” or

“Great goal” if appropriate, go a long way to

show that you have true feeling for and an

understanding of the game.

Of course, some players may be annoyed

with a decision that changed the outcome of

the game. In this case don’t say anything to

inflame the situation – remain calm, observe,

listen and keep your distance. I don’t think

it’s useful to enter into a protracted dialogue

at this stage; it’s simply a matter of

maintaining self control. The same can be

said for managers who obviously want to

have their say.

Managing the Team

When operating as a team, with neutral

assistant referees, it is important that in your

pre-match instructions you ask your assistants

to join you at the final whistle. When walking

off continue to observe and listen to what is

happening around you. In the confines of your

changing room offer congratulations to the rest

of your team and explain that after showering

and changing you will offer some feedback on

their performance as well as obtaining details

of any misconduct.

It is important that as the match referee you

have kept a true and accurate record of all

incidents during the game. This includes

goals scored, cautions, sendings off, any

other misconduct and any extraordinary

incidents… such as a crossbar breaking,

serious injury to a player or floodlight failure.

Confirmation of all misconduct details with

your team is essential. Gaining an

understanding and confirmation of whether it

was a tripping offence, dissent or violent

conduct is so important. As the referee you

are required to submit reports to the

appropriate authority within 48 hours of the

game, not including Sundays. I shall offer

more information on report-writing later in

this article.

Feedback

When working in a team of three, you as the

referee must take a positive lead and after the

game is over, in the confines of your dressing

room, with no one else present, offer feedback

to your assistants on their performance. This

should be honest and balanced; offering good

points and any development points. An

example might be:

Referee “I have to congratulate you on your

positioning today, you were always well

positioned to see offside situations, throw-ins

and offences in front of you. I think a lot of this

is down to your good fitness level.”

Assistant Referee “I train a lot”

Referee “Can I ask you to consider just one

point? I felt on 2 occasions you were a bit

quick with your flag for offside situations.

One where the ball was clearly going towards

the goalkeeper and another where I don’t

think you saw the defender to your far side

who was keeping everyone onside. Give

yourself time, even count 1, 2, 3 which gives

you time to analyse what is happening,

whether the player is interfering with play or

an opponent or gaining an advantage and

more importantly, it allows you to make a

credible and correct decision.”

Every game provides you, whether as referee

or assistant referee, with a chance to develop

your skills as a match official. In addition, it

provides you with an opportunity to learn from

the experience of taking charge of a game.

When working in a team of three, as the match

referee you are the leader and manager of the

team and you owe it to your assistants to

provide them with high quality feedback. Let’s

face it, they aspire to be in your position and

want advice, help and guidance from you on

how to get there.

Hospitality

When invited to have a drink by the home

club, if facilities exist, you have to decide

whether to accept politely or decline.

Generally speaking, I always think it is good

manners to accept any hospitality offered.

This allows you to continue to be an important

part of the game. If asked to talk about the

game, be mindful of questions relating to

misconduct. What you say innocently may be

taken out of context and come back to haunt

you at a disciplinary hearing. It is best to avoid

any discussion of player misconduct.

IAN BLANCHARD

MANAGING THEGAME


Reporting on the game

The advent of the multi-caution report form

has made life a lot easier for the referee, but

I cannot stress enough the importance of

making sure all sending off reports are

completed accurately and in time.

At some point soon after the match it is

important that you review all major incidents

that led to you issuing a red or yellow card.

Have your match record card in front of you

and re-live incidents as they occurred in the

game. Think back to the 31st minute when

Blue 5 committed a high two-footed lunging

tackle for which he was sent off. Ask yourself

where this incident occurred on the field of

play. How, far away were you? Did you have a

clear view of the incident? Were the offending

player’s feet both off the ground? Did he have

control of his body? What was the point of

contact between the offender and the

opponent? Where was the ball? What action

did you take and why?

This last question is important and the Laws of

the Game offer you clues as to what you

should record in your report. If you send a

player off for a two-footed, high, obviously

dangerous challenge then say so. In this case

excessive force was used that would endanger

an opponent and a player was sent off for

Serious Foul Play.

The whole essence of managing this important

aspect of a referee’s responsibility is to relay an

accurate picture of an incident to someone

who was not there. Before submitting your

reports read them through carefully and ask

yourself – is this accurate and does it make

sense?

“HOW DID IRESPOND TOTHE PRESSURESOF THE GAME?”

Reflection

All good referees reflect after a game and

analyse their performance. This need not be a

scientific analysis but simply, by posing

yourself some key questions, you can learn so

much about yourself as a referee.

“How did I get on with the players?

“How did I manage key incidents?

“What was my positioning like at set pieces?

“How did I respond to the pressures of

the game?

“How was my level of fitness?

“How did I apply the Laws of the Game?

By looking back you begin to compile a

dossier of your strengths as a referee. It may

be that you are a good manager of players, a

great communicator, but why do you keep

missing challenges that cause you problems?.

Are you too far away from incidents? Do, you

adopt a poor angle or is it a question of not

being fit enough?. So… by questioning

yourself you should be able to identify not

only your strengths but areas that need

working on. Then it’s a case of doing

something about it. If it’s an improvement in

fitness that is required then organise a training

regime; get yourself down to the local football

field and start training.

How you manage the game before, during and

after a match has tremendous impact on the

game itself. We have looked at how to prepare

for the big occasion, how to handle and

manage players during the game and finally

what you can gain from every match you are

involved in.

Refereeing a game is so much more than

knowing the Laws and applying them. The

management of the game… before, during

and after it… is where the very good referees

shine out from the good referees. It doesn’t

take more effort, just more thought and

application.

I trust this series of articles will assist you in

Managing YOUR Game.

Ian Blanchard


I have no doubt that my coaching

qualifications (and what they have taught me

about the game) are a considerable help to me

in my refereeing and were partly instrumental

in helping me gain promotion to Level Three

at the end of season 2006-07. I hope that this

article will illustrate the benefits of acquiring a

coaching background and the advantages it

brings to your performance as a referee.

Understanding of key terms

During a game you will often hear

players/coaches shout terms like “in the

channel”, “round the corner” and “turn them

around”. These commonly-used terms may

mean nothing and, on one level, that does not

matter but if you do understand such

instructions it can considerably aid your

positioning and anticipation of what the next

phase of the game is likely to be. Following a

coaching course broadens your knowledge of

coaching terms and can help you greatly. For

example, if a coach shouts to the full-back to

play the ball ‘into the channel’ you will know

that the ball will probably be played down into

the wing area. Knowing this, you should then

position yourself near this area. This may be

crucial in identifying offences which, as we

all know, if missed can lead to a whole host of

problems that may affect your control of

the match.

Understanding systems of play

Nobody expects a referee to know the finer

points of the sweeper system, for example, but

having some knowledge of the different

systems teams may use will improve your

refereeing performance. For example, at the

start of the game you notice that the team’s

strikers are quite small and quick. From this

observation it would be sensible to predict that

a lot of the service these two strikers receive

would be at their feet and not in the air.

Knowing this as a referee you would be more

alert on challenges from behind and maybe

late challenges on strikers after they have

released the ball. Conversely, two tall forwards

may suggest a lot of long, high balls so that

when the ball is played to their goalkeeper you

may need to make an early start on your

movement upfield to be able to reach the

‘dropping zone’ more swiftly.

Different formations may alter a referee’s

positional strategy. For example, if a team is

playing in a 4-4-2 diamond formation then they

have a narrow midfield, which may affect your

movement. This diamond formation will mean

that the play is more likely to come through

the middle of the field and there is little width

to their play. Consequently, your diagonal may

need to become narrower to be close to the

action, but not so narrow that you become

tangled with players in a crowded midfield. In

contrast, a team which is playing 3-5-2 may

want to utilise the width so you will need to

adopt a wider patrol path. Having the coaching

knowledge to recognise these formations can

be of great positional benefit.

How many times have you heard people

say “referees have never played the

game” or “referees don’t understand the

game”? There is a view in football that

referees are remote from the game and

make mistakes because they do not

understand the game. That may not be

totally fair but certainly a better

understanding of the playing side of the

game can help referees.

I played a lot of football as a youngster and

when I began coaching at Barnsley FC’s

academy I took The FA Level Two coaching

qualification. In 2006, I gained the FA Level

Three (UEFA B Licence) qualification. I also

studied coaching and refereeing as part of my

degree in Sports and Recreation

Development.

DARREN ENGLAND

A COACHING QUALIFICATIONCAN HELP YOUR REFEREEING

“KNOWLEDGEOF DIFFERENTSYSTEMS TEAMSMAY USE WILLIMPROVE YOURREFEREEINGPERFORMANCE”


Understanding specific tactics

Tactics for particular match situations may

range from who takes the corners to variations

in marking (zone-marking or man-marking). A

simple thing like whether a corner is going to

be in-swinging or out-swinging may affect

where your optimum position is likely to be.

For example, if an out-swinging corner was

being taken then you may need to adopt a

position further away from the goal-line

towards the outskirts of the penalty area as the

ball will be moving away from goal.

Playing an advantage or giving a free

kick may be dependent on your knowledge of

who has been going up for attacking set-

pieces. Have the two big centre-backs been

going up? Have they already scored from an

attacking set piece? So when a foul is

committed in an area where an unopposed

cross can be delivered is it more advantageous

to the team to have the free-kick rather than

play an advantage? All these questions can be

more effectively answered to the benefit of the

game (and your performance) if you have

some coaching knowledge.

Awareness of other tactics such as

wasting time and/or pressurising the

opponents can also benefit your control. These

types of tactics are unsporting and involve a

sense of gamesmanship which can tarnish the

reputation of the beautiful game. For example,

a team may be losing 2-0 and they then score

in the last 10 minutes of the game. Then they

would be rushing to get the ball back to the

kick-off for the game to resume. However, the

team who are winning will now try to hold the

ball and this is where a possible confrontation

may develop. With a coaching background you

may be more attuned to the likelihood of this

happening and would move nearer to the goal

area to avoid or minimise any confrontation.

I find that coaching and refereeing

complement each other. When I am refereeing

I understand what the players are trying to do

and can even sympathise more with the

coaches. More importantly, when I am

coaching I sympathise more with referees and

try to pass this on to other coaches. Having a

coaching background has helped my

positioning considerably. It also has helped me

to communicate with the players on a level

they understand and on reflection my player

management has improved. I have no doubt

that taking coaching qualifications not only

improves your refereeing performance but can

also help you gain more respect from players

and coaches.

Darren England is a Level 3 referee and a

Football Development Officer for Barnsley

FC’s ‘Football in the Community’ scheme.

He is also a UEFA ‘B’ Licensed Coach.

“HAVING A COACHINGBACKGROUND HAS HELPED MYPOSITIONING CONSIDERABLY”


MIKE RILEY

PROTECTING THE IMAGE OF THE GAME

equate to the euphoria throughout Italy as

their team triumphed in a World Cup Final of

amazing drama and excitement? Attendances

in the Premier League and Football League last

season increased by over 15%; Wembley

Stadium now provides one of the greatest

sporting theatres; and then there are Lionel

Messi’s wonder goals. The evidence of these

and countless other images testify to the

excitement, passion and emotion of the game

that we love.

The image of the game may well be

under threat but such is its power to engage,

entertain and enthuse millions of committed

fans, that it is undoubtedly worth our collective

efforts to protect it. The question for us, as

match officials, is how best can we work with

the players and coaches to ensure that their

passion and commitment is channelled to the

benefit of the game?

There are many areas in which referees

and assistants work to promote the spectacle

of football. However, there are three key

challenges we face as match officials which

threaten the integrity of the match and, if

unchecked, tarnish the image of the game.

Simulation can result in the deceiver

triumphing. Whilst it is encouraging that there

“THE BEAUTY OF THEGAME DERIVES FROMTHE SKILFUL PLAYERSWHO EXCITE ANDENTERTAIN”

Reading some of the more lurid

newspaper headlines over the last year

you could be forgiven for coming to

the view that the image of the game

was tarnished beyond repair and the

“beautiful game” was no longer worthy

of the sobriquet and, in turn, that it is

not really worth protecting.

Headlines of endemic corruption in

major footballing nations, investigations into

possible financial irregularities in player

transfers; off-field indiscretions by players; a

match in the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign

abandoned as a spectator attacked the

referee. It is against this background that a

national newspaper launched its campaign

against “the game that ate itself”, criticising

what it perceived to be a collective greed and

a lack of integrity that were undermining the

foundations of the sport. The implications

seemed clear: with the foundations crumbling

and new traumas uncovered almost daily, it is

not the image of the game that was under

attack but its very survival.

And yet, whilst this evidence seems

compelling, how do we rationalise this image

with the sense of anticipation as kick-off

approaches for our next game? How does it


To protect the image of the game we

must retain our authority, dignity and the

respect for the role of referee as arbiter. If we

allow dissent to go unchallenged, our

authority is eroded and our ability to manage

those who challenge us is weakened and the

spirit of the game suffers. There are many

strategies that are effective in combating

dissent as Ian Blanchard’s series on Managing

the Game illustrated. Each of us needs to

establish the tolerance level that allows us to

maintain our dignity and successfully manage

the players and having established that

benchmark we should act to discourage those

who seek to confront us. As good

communicators we can manage those who

disagree with a decision. However, when a

player elects to increase a private

conversation into a very public disagreement

then we must protect our authority.

If we fail to respond to these challenges

dissent can quickly lead to attempts to

intimidate the referee. It is far easier to prevent

intimidation by dealing with dissent than it is to

respond to the challenges posed by players

crowding and harassing the match officials. The

image of the game is best served by the referee

ensuring that their safety is never jeopardised.

Confrontation between players can also

threaten the image of the game. The passion

of the players is one of football’s great

attractions. However, unchecked, that same

passion can lead to a deterioration in behaviour

that challenges match control. The alert referee

will recognise the signs that the tension is

increasing. As a situation arises the alert

referee will attempt to intervene to prevent

escalation. Identifying and isolating the initial

offenders may prevent others from joining the

fray. On occasions the passion is such that the

conflict is immediate. The referee must then

remain composed, observant and in control.

In the 90th minute of the 2007 Carling

Cup Final Howard Webb and his team

responded superbly to the threat to their

match control caused by player confrontation.

They remained calm, identified and punished

the offenders and retained total control of a

volatile incident. They brought an explosive

incident to a successful conclusion and

protected the image of the game.

Brutal play

The final challenge in our quest to protect the

image of the game is the recognition and

punishment of brutal play. We must ensure

that skilful players are allowed to flourish

without their skills being unfairly impeded.

Very often it is the intensity of the opponent’s

challenge that indicates the intention to do

harm. The tackle from behind made at pace

with little chance of playing the ball without

kicking the opponent. Jumping towards an

opponent at speed with an arm flailing

dangerously towards the head. When making

challenges players have a responsibility for

their opponent’s safety. Choosing not to

exercise that responsibility risks serious injury

and should be punished strongly with the red

card for violent conduct or serious foul play.

Imagine the consequences for the game

if Zidane’s violent actions in the World Cup

Final had gone unpunished. By responding with

the correct action Horatio Elizondo restored the

integrity of the game and ensured that, in the

most important match in world football, the

referee team played their part in protecting the

image of the game. Working with the players

and coaches to ensure that their passion and

commitment is channelled to the benefit of the

game is not an easy task. And at times mislead

by the negative headlines we may be forgiven

for believing that it is simply not worth the

effort, that the image of the game is not worth

protecting.

But in responding to these challenges we

should be driven by the desire to be a part of

the spirit of football. It is a spirit that unites

communities, fosters friendships and captures

the emotions of millions.

In 1999 the city of Chisinau, Moldova

probably the poorest country in Europe, turned

off the power to the city so that there was

sufficient power to light the stadium where FC

Zimbru were to play a match in the Preliminary

Round of the UEFA Cup. The citizens were

proud to do so because Zimbru were

representing their country. For them the spirit

of the game was worth it.

In 2006 the players from Brighouse and

Normanton, all aged under 12 years old,

collapsed to the pitch after giving their all in

100 minutes of great football in the County

Cup Final. The victors were elated, the losers

despairing. They had experienced the joy of

playing the game and, as they applauded each

other from the field, they showed the power of

the spirit of the game.

There is a reason why we all work so

hard to protect the image of the game. Its spirit

is powerful, infectious and will captivate those

who embrace it. We should remember that

over the last 140 years football has earned its

sobriquet. It really is a beautiful game and we,

as referees, should be proud of our role in

protecting its image

is increasing condemnation for such unsporting

acts, witness the recent punishment for Saulius

Mikoliunas of Lithuania for deceiving the

referee in their Euro 2008 match against

Scotland. Referees need to remain vigilant and

have a clear strategy to ensure that the cheats

do not prosper.

Confrontation in its many forms presents

an unedifying and highly visible image of the

game in conflict. What is the role of the

referee and assistant in preventing

confrontation and, if unsuccessful, in dealing

with its ramifications?

The beauty of the game derives from the

skilful players who excite and entertain. As

referees we cannot allow brutal play to go

undetected or unpunished. In 1966 Pele was

kicked out of the World Cup and the game as

a whole suffered. We are fortunate that the

modern game supports strong action against

offenders. We need to ensure that our actions

protect the skilful players and protect the

image of the game.

Let us consider our role as match officials

in combating the three key threats to the

image of the game; simulation, confrontation

and brutal play.

Simulation

Simulation, perhaps, poses the greatest

challenge to the referee. The speed of the

game is such that the slightest contact

between players can easily result in players

crashing to the ground. Detecting this contact,

often in a crowded penalty area, is

problematic. Determining whether it was the

attacker or defender who initiated the contact

calls for the wisdom of Solomon. The pressure

on the referee to get the big decision right is

intensified by the knowledge that, very often,

the award of a penalty kick can determine the

outcome of the game.

To combat this threat the referee must

consider strategies for positioning, recognition

of the offence and for punishing the deceivers.

The aim of successful positioning is

obvious. We always strive to be in the right

place at the right time to give the right

decision. To achieve this the referee must

consider the A, C, B of positioning.

Paramount to effective positioning is

maintaining the best viewing Angle. Research

illustrates that an angle of 45 degrees to an

incident affords the best position to make the

correct judgement. It may come as a surprise to

note that an unobscured viewing angle is more

important than being close to the incident.

So only when the correct viewing angle

has been obtained should the referee position

themselves to be close to the incident. Close

does not require the referee to be stood

alongside the players. The referee should aim

to have a view that enables them to absorb all

the visual clues relating to an incident. If we

are too close we narrow our field of vision. For

example, from only two metres can you really

watch the feet of the tackler and any challenge

made with body, hands and arms? If we are

too distant we are unable to focus sufficiently

on the challenge. Research suggests that the

optimum viewing distance from a challenge is

15-20m.

With the angle and closeness secured,

the referee, or those fortunate to work with

assistants, should then work to keep the Ball

between the referee and the active assistant.

This triangulation maximises the team viewing

angle and increases the chance of the team

making the right decision.

As football is a fluid game it requires a

fluid response from the referee if the right

position is to be obtained. Slavish adherence to

the traditional diagonal will not always provide

the best angle or take us to 15m from the

challenge. Our challenge is to continually

evaluate our current position, whilst predicting

and preparing for the next phase of play. Good

anticipation allied to a good level of fitness

maximises the potential to be in the right place

to make the right call.

Good recognition requires an

understanding of a player’s motives and

awareness of the visual clues in each incident.

For example, there is an obvious incentive for

a losing team to attempt to win a decision

near the end of the game; we need to be

mentally prepared for the situation if it arises.

Similarly, the movement of the ball after a

challenge often gives clues about the degree

of contact, if any, made by the defender. We

need to analyse the key decisions in each

game, learn from them and then incorporate

those lessons into our recognition strategies

for the next match.

With good positioning and good

recognition we maximise our ability to make

the right decision. Having done so we must

then take the correct action to punish those

who have attempted to deceive us. There are a

range of options available to the referee. These

include ignoring the minor appeal, the quiet

word, a public admonishment, through to the

issuing of a yellow card or even a second

yellow card.

Positioning, recognition and punishment

are all strategies that assist in the detection and

eradication of simulation in our matches.

Having employed them, adapted them to suit

the way we each referee, we must then have

the courage to take the action that we believe

to be correct. If we can be in the right place at

the right time and then have the courage to

make the decision we believe to be right we

can prevent the deceiver from triumphing and

the image of the game will benefit.

Confrontation

Confrontation presents a different type of

threat to the game. By its very nature it is

public and attracts unwelcome attention.

Dissent, intimidation and player conflict

undermine the integrity of the game.

“WITH GOODPOSITIONING ANDGOOD RECOGNITIONWE MAXIMISE OURABILITY TO MAKE THERIGHT DECISION”


This is something of a personal priority for

me and it seems to have struck a chord across

the game.

As the Governing Body, The FA has a

responsibility to the long-term health and

development of the game. We need to ensure

that children and adults continue to want to

play it, referee it, coach it and enjoy it. We

cannot take our position as the nation’s

number one sport for granted.

We are getting a very clear message from the

grassroots game: that the behaviour of players

towards referees, and the general behaviour of

parents, spectators and coaches on the

sidelines, must be improved. In putting

together The FA 2008-12 National Game

Strategy, our vision for grassroots football, we

went out to collect the views and concerns of

those involved at that level.

Of the 11,000 respondents, 80% said The FA’s

number one priority should be tackling abuse

towards referees. The feedback also revealed

that 70% of referees felt that general behaviour

is getting worse. We know that every day,

referees are walking away from the game fed-

up of the abuse and intimidation they suffer

every week. That is unacceptable: referees do

a difficult job honestly and to the best of their

ability, and deserve respect whatever their

level. Ironically, we also know that the number

one issue for players is to have a referee for

every game, so it seems to me that players

could help themselves a bit.

In addition, 73% of respondents wanted The

FA to tackle the abuse of players by parents

and spectators as well as coaches. Children

and youngsters should be able to enjoy the

game in a positive environment, not have to

put up with over-competitive parents shouting

at them for the whole game. We are losing

disillusioned youngsters who have many

options to choose from to occupy their time –

sporting or otherwise.

Football is a passionate game but we do have

to address that passion when it crosses the

line. An aggressive, win-at-all-costs climate is

not only unpleasant to play in; it’s also

detrimental to a child or young person’s

development on and off the pitch.

Taking no action is not an option, so what

are we doing?

We have put in place a pilot scheme, with

‘Respect’ as a working title. That means

respect towards fellow players and referees,

and by parents and coaches to their children.

The scheme will be run in a cross-section

of the grassroots game, incorporating adult

and youth leagues in eight County FAs:

Middlesex, Cheshire, Gloucestershire,

Cambridgeshire, Berkshire and

Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, East

Riding and Staffordshire. We have deliberately

chosen areas of the country where behaviour

initiatives of this kind have not been run in

this way before, allowing us to better gauge

their impact.

The first stage will be to monitor existing levels

of behaviour in those leagues. We will then

introduce a package of measures which work

together: roped-off areas for parents and

spectators; signed codes of conduct for players,

parents, coaches and referees with clear

sanctions for breaking these codes; and only

allowing the captain to speak to the referee.

We may learn that some things work and

others do not and that will inform us what we

do next. We have also consulted with leagues

in Lancashire, Oxfordshire and Surrey, who,

“I RECENTLY REVEALED DETAILS OF PLANS TO TRY

AND HELP IMPROVE BEHAVIOUR THROUGHOUT ENGLISH

FOOTBALL, AND HAVE BEEN HUGELY ENCOURAGED

BY THE RESPONSE”

stakeholders. It has been gratifying to hear

Arsene Wenger publicly support the captain-

only initiative.

There has been some comment that we were

wrong to start at the bottom rather than the

top. I don’t believe we have: this is the starting

line, not the finishing line. What we have done

is set the wheels in motion and start a debate,

taking a strategic, long-term approach to

improve matters at the level of football that

most people play – the grassroots game.

Of course behaviour at the elite end has an

impact further down the football pyramid.

Players in professional football have

responsibilities as role models, and it is

undeniable that just as their skills on a

Saturday are copied on a Sunday, so some of

their less attractive behaviour is also reflected

on parks and pitches. We are conscious of that

and we are not ignoring it.

However, it is misleading to blame the

professional game for all of grassroots football’s

problems. I just don’t buy that argument.

It’s much more complex than that.

This is not a personal crusade, far from it.

We all have a shared responsibility to do

something about this issue and it will take a

joint commitment to make a real impact.

like others have already trialled various

initiatives to address behaviour.

The Respect pilot is part of a wider commitment

to supporting referees and young players.

We are investing significant financial resources

towards Referee Development Officers and

County Welfare Officers, and are exploring

other general ways to impact on behaviour

change, understanding research on possible

other disciplinary measures for consistent poor

behaviour on and off the pitch. This research

will involve representatives from County FAs,

players, referees and coaches.

We are also reviewing our online Soccer Parent

course and ensuring that we include clear

educational messages about negative and

abusive parental behaviour, and how this

impacts on children and young people.

While our initial focus will be on standards of

behaviour in the National Game, ultimately

improving behaviour has to be a whole-game

commitment. The second phase of any

campaign will be to involve and seek the help

of our colleagues in the professional game.

When I presented our plans to The FA Council

in early November, the reaction of the

professional game representatives was

extremely positive. Moving forward we will

speak to leagues, LMA, PFA and other key

BRIAN BARWICK


THE RIGHT WAY

Teams from the Camden Sunday Football League

playing on Hackney Marshes demonstrate

respect for the game and each other.


One of the exciting challenges of the role

of the RDO is to capture, nurture and

maintain the enthusiasm of the youngsters

who enrol onto courses to qualify as

referees. The popularity of refereeing

amongst teenagers is extremely high and

this bodes well for the future providing

that we can keep them involved and

enthused. We would like to have every

match in the country controlled by a

qualified referee and if we can properly

look after those coming into refereeing

this target, which is some way off at the

moment, may become a reality within a

few years.

One of the biggest criticisms levelled at my

own County FA (Bedfordshire) during my

early days in the job was that we didn't

support referees in their early matches. To be

fair, it is very difficult - in my first six months

we had 100 new referees qualify and to

support them all with mentors is a difficult

task. I am fortunate that I have a number of

willing volunteers to do this and we now have

a better system than we used to, although it is

far from perfect. Part of my job, I believe, is to

try to bring about a change in attitude in

referees. A number of times I have come

across referees or parents who were critical of

the lack of support offered to a referee after a

difficult game but you can guess the response

when I asked "Did they report it?” The help is

there, especially in the counties with full time

RDOs, but we are not mind readers!

Much of a RDO’s time is inevitably put into

recruitment, retention and training initiatives

but there is also a lot more to the job than just

those key issues. In Bedfordshire we have

restructured our School of Excellence, with

great assistance from Dean Mohareb in

Cheshire, and expanded from ten to 28

referees each of whom have a mentor and

referees matches with Luton Town FC. The

opportunities are exciting and two of our most

promising young referees, Alex Buckley and

Lewis Fowler, recently travelled to Cheshire to

referee matches with their Academy and next

May we will be refereeing as a group at

CHRIS CHECKETTS

PROGRESS REPORT

place. The broad grin from the referee and the

delighted reaction of his mum really made my

day. The young lad in question had battled

with a number of personal issues and both he

and his mum were delighted that he had

overcome them all to achieve something

worthwhile and be recognised as one of the

most promising referees in the county.

Football and refereeing can offer the most

fantastic rewards that money simply cannot

buy but is only with the hard work of so many

volunteers in assessing, mentoring, instructing

and many other roles that this can be

achieved. It is right that counties are taking

refereeing issues more seriously and it is only

right that full-time staff support referees.

However, they cannot do this without the very

many excellent volunteers we have in the

country. I would urge all of you in football to

keep up your good work and know that your

contribution is valued and it is only through

your hard work that we can make a difference

to people’s lives through football.

Butlins’ tournaments. This is all part of the

retention drive and once people feel valued

for the job they do they are more likely to

stick with it when they encounter a

challenging game.

On top of that we have strengthened links

with schools and colleges and expanded our

training programme to incorporate into courses

for club referees and those involved in mini

soccer. Combine all of this with the IST

sessions for existing referees, Referee

Committee and School of Excellence meetings,

meetings with the FA Regional Manager,

liaising with the local newspapers, maintaining

contacts with RAs, supporting referees with

report writing and where necessary,

attendance at Disciplinary Commissions on top

of the daily correspondence and phone calls

then the lot of a RDO is a busy one!

The rewards can be fantastic. Following the

interview process for our School of Excellence

I called round one young referee’s house on

my way home one evening to offer him a

“WE CAN MAKEA DIFFERENCETO PEOPLE’SLIVES THROUGHFOOTBALL”


There are many lessons about the role

of technology and attitudes to refereeing

decisions that football can learn from

this incident.

Technology:

To my mind this incident decreased the

attractiveness of video referees in football for a

number of reasons:

• Reaching the decision took over three

minutes. Even in rugby where they are used

to lengthy stoppages for scrums, line outs

and penalty or conversion kicks this seemed

excessive. In football, with its almost non-

stop ebb and flow, such a delay would be

intolerable

• This was a black and white decision of fact

(did his foot touch the line or not?) and yet

there is still debate about the decision. In

football whilst decisions like ‘did the ball

cross the line?’ are black and white many

are subjective: interfering with play when

offside, tackle worthy of red or yellow card

etc… Subjective decisions do not commend

themselves to third party, sterile viewing

• Perhaps most worrying were Dickinson’s

post-match comments “How I wish there

was freeze frame but with the language

barrier between me and the French TV

producers I was not able to get frame by

frame pictures…so I had to make the

decision in real time.” If the technology does

not work in the World Cup Final what hope

is there for routine matches?

• As with cricket, the replays were shown to

the crowd who could make their own

decision; they could also be seen by the

players. Whilst cricket and rugby fans and

players are generally accepting of referees’

decisions I can not imagine football

spectators and players accepting such a

decision (when they have seen it on the

screen) with the equanimity which was

evident in Paris that Saturday evening.

Arguing with the referee, charging at the

TMO’s viewing box, fighting between rival

fans would be real dangers.

No, for me, the World Cup Final confirmed

that we should forget about technology for

decision-making in football, except for judging

whether the ball fully crossed over the line for

a goal. Allow the human element to remain.

DAVID ELLERAY

BIGGEST VIDEOREFEREE DECISIONIN SPORTINGHISTORY

“I’VEACCEPTEDIT ANDMOVEDON”

When Australian referee Stuart Dickinson sat

in the Television Match Official’s box studying

footage of Mark Cueto’s ‘try’ he was probably

unaware that he was about to make the

biggest video refereeing decision in the history

of sport. The delay of well over three minutes,

whilst the 39 year old ex-policeman watched

and re-watched the footage, seemed like an

eternity but he eventually told Irish match

referee Alain Rolland that Cueto’s foot had

made contact with the touchline and he was ‘in

touch’ and so ‘no try’. With that decision

England’s hopes of retaining the rugby World

Cup faded and a remarkable tournament,

almost devoid of complaints about referees

(apart from the ungracious Australians), ended

in controversy which raged for several days. To

be fair to Dickinson, whichever way he had

decided would have been controversial as it

was a ’touch and go’ decision.


Respect

For those of us involved in football the most

important lesson we can learn from the rugby

World Cup, and especially the final, was the

almost total acceptance of referees’ decisions

by players, managers, coaches and fans and,

interestingly, the media. Imagine the storm of

protest that Alain Rolland and Stuart Dickinson

would have faced had the same decision been

made in the football World Cup Final (or even

The FA Cup Final). We only need think back to

the appalling treatment of Urs Meier

(disallowing an England goal in Euro 2004) or

Anders Frisk (after Barcelona v Chelsea) in

matches of less significance than a Word Cup

Final to have some idea of how our media and

fans would have reacted. It does not really

bear thinking about.

The dignity shown by the English players and

coaching staff, and the impressively high level

of respect for refereeing in rugby are a

powerful lesson to all who are involved with

the round ball. Football can learn a lot from the

following comments:

Brian Ashton, England coach, philosophically

remarked “I saw it on the monitor like

everyone else. I’ve accepted it and moved on.

There’s nothing more you can do about it.”

Paul Sackey, England wing “I was right next to

Cuets when he touched down….on another

day we’ll get the decision our way, so we just

have to accept it and move on.”

Until football begins to show the same respect

to its mach officials then we will continue to

battle to preserve the image of the game and

recruit and retain enough officials to cover

every game in the country.

As well as players, managers and

administrators, the media have a role to play.

Can there have been anything more

hypocritical than Andy Gray appearing on TV

to commend rugby for the respect it gives its

referees and demand that football does the

same? Here is a man who has done more to

undermine match officials in the PL than any

other pundit, with the possible exception of

Alan Green and Alan Parry. If Andy Gray spent

more time explaining how difficult it is to

referee and showed the same level of

sympathy and understanding we saw and

heard from the rugby media during the rugby

World Cup then football would have a greater

chance of putting itself in order.

Yes, it was a fascinating tournament, all the

more so for the lessons football can learn from

England’s remarkable resurgence and an

extraordinary few minutes.

“ON ANOTHER DAYWE’LL GET THEDECISION OUR WAY”


In 2006, Cheshire County FA sent two

Academy officials to the 2007 Dallas Cup

Tournament, which is considered to be

the most competitive international youth

soccer tournament in the world. Alan

Clayton and Michael Evans were

Cheshire’s first representatives at the

tournament and they worked alongside

FIFA and National List officials from

across the globe. During their two week

stay in Dallas, they both independently

acknowledge that the experience was

excellent and they now believe they are

“better referees”.

The Dallas Cup "Referee Family" is considered

by many to be the world’s best for a youth

tournament. World Class referees from around

the world, some of whom are FIFA referees

with past World Cup appointments, take part

in the tournament. Since Alan and Michael’s

return from Dallas, many officials have

benefited from their experiences via the

training presentations the two officials have

delivered at various associations and at the

Referees’ Academy.

All Academy members have been given the

opportunity to apply to become Cheshire’s

representatives at the 2008 tournament. Six

were interviewed by the Officers of the CCFA

Referees’ Committee and Dallas Cup Staff

Member George McCaffrey, who has helped

secure the annual invitation. The candidates

had to deliver a 10-minute presentation and

answer a series of questions about how they

thought the Dallas Cup experience would

benefit their careers and refereeing in general

in Cheshire. Academy officials are encouraged

to ‘give something back’,

Academy members were all given the

opportunity to become instructors, assessors

or coaches when they are at an appropriate

stage in their development. This is another

example of how the Academy wants to

support and assist refereeing throughout

Cheshire. The Academy writes to every RA

district offering the chance of having the

Dallas Cup representatives deliver a themed

training topic based on their experience in

America. The aim of this is that as many

officials as possible to benefit from the Dallas

Cup, not just the two members who have

been selected to attend.

The lucky two who have been selected to

attend the Dallas Cup in 2008 are Stuart

Eckley and Louie Barnett. Stuart has been a

member of the Academy since 2005 and is

looking forward to developing his refereeing

whilst in Dallas.

“I hope that the experience I gain will benefit

both me personally and the CCFA as a whole”

Louie was invited in to the Academy in June

2006 and was attracted to applying by the

immense reputation that the tournament has.

“I applied to go to the Dallas Cup because it is

an opportunity I wanted to seize. It's one of

the best youth tournaments in the world and

not many people get a chance to referee in it,

let alone have a lot of it funded for by their

County FA”

Dean Mohareb is 24 years old and since

January 2005 has been the Academy

Director of Cheshire County FA. He is

also a Level 2 referee, officiating on the

Blue Square Premier and Football League,

amongst other competitions. Finally, Dean

is a member of the North West Area

Training Team, an FA tutor and FA

Licensed Instructor.

DEAN MOHAREB

REFEREES’ACADEMYSEND TWOTO DALLAS

“I HOPE THAT THEEXPERIENCE I GAIN WILLBENEFIT BOTH MEPERSONALLY AND THECCFA AS A WHOLE”


ALAN POULAIN

RAE NEWS

1Do you believe you are the oldest orthe youngest refereeing member ofthe Referees Association?

2We are currently searching ourrecords for the oldest member whohas refereed The FA Cup Final

3Any historic and interestingphotographs from members?

form and we recommend early completion to

avoid the disappointment of missing this

prestigious event.

We have some extremely important requests

to enable us to celebrate the Centenary of our

Association. Do you believe you are the oldest

or the youngest refereeing member of the

Referees Association? We are currently

searching our records for the oldest member

who has refereed The FA Cup Final, and we

need urgently any historic and interesting

photographs from members. Are you able to

help? If so, please contact Arthur Smith at

Coventry Head Office.

From our varied membership, we are seeking

sponsorship from companies who would like to

get involved in this once in a lifetime event. Do

you know of anyone who may like to sponsor

and who will be acknowledged in the brochure

for their contribution? We have already had

commitments from one member who will

sponsor the entertainment, whilst another

company will sponsor the stewards’ polo shirts,

suitably printed. We are looking for a company

to sponsor the RA Centenary dinner gifts, the

centenary coin and the wines. All donations

will be gratefully received and acknowledged.

It is extremely important that you book

early; places will be limited and will fill

up very quickly. You will not have another

opportunity to celebrate 100 years of

the Referees Association.

Alan Poulain

Chairman, Referees Association of England

The Referees Association Centenary

Conference 1908 -2008 will be held in the

newly refurbished Renaissance Hotel in

Solihull on the weekend of 4th and 5th July

2008. A superb format is being arranged with

the finale being the Gala centenary dinner,

where we are planning for 500 guests to

attend. Already confirmed as our guest of

Honour is Geoff Thompson, Chairman of

The Football Association and also a UEFA

and FIFA Vice-President. Another guest,

Jose Maria Garcia Aranda, Head of Refereeing

at FIFA, has accepted a verbal invitation to

attend. Invitations to notable other guests

have gone out to all from past and present

football and refereeing eras. We are also

delighted to announce that, subject to last-

minute changes, Pierluigi Collina will attend

the gala dinner and give one of the speeches.

The evening promises to be a celebration of

all that the Referees Association stands for

and will have an optional Black Tie dress code

which will lend a sense of occasion to the

event. Formal presentations will be made

during the dinner to all officials of domestic

Cup Finals and the Community Shield and we

are organising guest speakers. These will be

confirmed in the Conference programme.

During the day leading up to the dinner will be

held the Centenary Conference, which over

the past three years has grown in stature and

this year promises to be no exception. The

conference will be opened by David Elleray,

who will introduce Steve Smith from the world

of Athletics and in particular the High Jump,

Steve is a renowned speaker with a reputation

for getting everyone involved. He will give a

presentation entitled ‘Raising the Bar’ and this

will set the scene for the learning workshops

that follow. There are 8 workshops, all will be

interactive and be given by invited

representatives from the PGMOL officials

group. Details of the programme will be

available early in the New Year with a booking


Mindful of the problems all counties, and

indeed all countries, face recruiting and

retaining referees the FA Referees Committee

has established a Task Force under David

Elleray’s chairmanship to look into this

important area of the game.

The Task Force’s first meeting saw the

members respond to David’s challenge to be

bold and positive in their thoughts (‘blue sky’

or ‘out of the box’ thinking in modern jargon!).

We are very keen to do something concrete

and to take advantage of a number of timely

other initiatives not least the introduction of

Referee Development Officers and the Brian

Barwick led ‘respect’ campaign.

The Task Force would really like to hear from

anyone who has a possible solution, strategy,

change or idea which might help recruit more

officials and help keep more of those we

already have. The more radical idea, the better!

There are already a number of excellent

initiatives which are working well

There is the “P” (Priority) Scheme in Cornwall

which when appointing referees gives priority

to games involving teams with a good record

of behaviour ahead of teams with a poor

disciplinary record. The Kershaw league in

Cambridgeshire has adopted a 10-point Code

of Conduct for all involved in their league

which is rigidly adhered to.

Another scheme is the Cheshire County FA’s

‘SAFE WHISTLING’ AWARD. This award

recognises leagues that insist on good conduct

from their member clubs, players, team officials

and spectators and therefore, provide a safe

and enjoyable environment for Match Officials.

Participating clubs receive:

• A certificate of recognition from the

Cheshire County FA

• Posters for the league to distribute to clubs

to display on match days stating that the

League has received the award and only

good conduct will be tolerated.

• Recognition within Cheshire County

Newsletter, and on the Cheshire FA website.

• One free place on a Cheshire FA

Referees Course.

Other Benefits include:

• Match Officials choosing to officiate for an

award-winning League rather than one that

has not received the award. This means that

all of the League’s matches are likely to be

controlled by a registered referee.

• Fewer complaints from residents about

inappropriate language when using

Council pitches.

• Past players choosing to take up refereeing

after witnessing positive attitudes towards

match officials.

• A smaller drop out rate from players

progressing from junior football to open age

football because of the improved

atmosphere at matches.

The FA’s Chief Executive, Brian Barwick,

is determined to eradicate poor and

unacceptable behaviour from football.

A number of County FAs have been engaged

in putting together a behaviour initiative which

will be piloted in January 2008. This initiative

centres on roped off pitches, codes of

conduct and a scheme where “Only the

Captain can talk to the referee” under the

banner of “Respect”.

The results will be reviewed during the

second half of this season, with the potential

of a national campaign being in place for the

start of season 2008-09. Please send all

thoughts, ideas and suggestions to the

Task Force c/o Ian Blanchard, Head of

National Referee Development, The FA,

25 Soho Square, London W1D 4FA or

e mail me at [email protected]

Ian Blanchard

Head of National Referee Development

IAN BLANCHARD

RECRUITMENTAND RETENTION

“LET’S HOPE THAT THIS AND MANY OTHERINITIATIVES WILL HELP US RETAIN ANDRECRUIT MANY MORE REFEREES.”

‘Refereeing’ is the official joint magazine of The Football Association and the Referees’ Association

Editorial Team: Ian Blanchard, Aaron Cue, Cassandra Rees, Ed Stone, Neale Barry, Emma Wands, Arthur Smith, David Elleray, Alan Poulain and Julian Carosi.

Acknowledgements: The contents of “Refereeing” are copyright of The Football Association. No articles, features or any aspects can be reproduced or photocopied without written permission of The Football Association.

The views expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of The Football Association.

Published by: FA Learning, 25 Soho Square, London, W1D 4FA

Website: www.TheFA.com/Refereeing

Email: [email protected]

The FA Crest is a registered trade mark of The Football Association © The Football Association 2004

REFEREEING – a magazine for referees by referees

Refereeing is a magazine which we would like referees of every level, from Sunday football through to International, to enjoy and find informative.

If there is something which you have read in this edition or there issomething you would like to see in the future, then let us know!

You can do this by emailing the Refereeing team at [email protected]

You can also find all the latest news from the world of refereeing by visiting www.TheFA.com/Refereeing

Documents

Refereeing Magazine - Vol 05 - Dec 07