Question Number: 13306

Character, Attitude and Control 7/10/2006

RE: Comp Under 17

Paul justison of Oakland, California USA asks...

This comment is in response to your answers to my question 13279.

First, thank you for your replies and a great site.

Second, I understand your desire to support fellow referees and to comply with the law that states that the decison of the ref is final. But, I believe you are missing a great educational opportunity and that I thought was the first purpose of the site. Virtually anyone interested in this site is also watching the world cup and is discussing various decisions. If a reputable site such as yours won't participate in that discussion, you leave the field to the TV commentators and journalists who don't seem to be competent or objective.

I think it would be wise to discuss the controversial calls. Certainly it would need to be done in a respectful way, but I believe it could be done. Perhaps, by discussing what the ref would have seen to make such and such a call. Or for example, on the Onyewu penalty call, the TV announcers kept saying that Onyewus hands were out from his body, so he wasn't pushing. You could add intelligently to that by commenting how many pushes are not from the hands, but from the body, or thigh, or hip.

At any rate, thanks for a great site. But I think you are missing a great educational opportunity.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Paul, you and I are from the same area, CalNorth. We both know that, nearly the only education for referees in the area, is this site and two others. Dr. Robert Evans is writing for the Oakland Tribune and there he discusses what he saw. He is also at For The Integrity Of Soccer [use a search engine]. I know for a fact that less than 5% of the referees in District VI attend in-service training. I know this!

I am am assessor and have seen what the referees assigned the tournament have done for The Game. I am not skilled enough to converse at the level of those referees and WILL not attempt to, though I saw some things I would have offered advice to correct. Up until the 20th June I heard what the announcers were doing for The Game. I chose to come here and watch on Austrian TV [ORF 1] because of what the American announcers were doing for The Game. I hope what I think is going to happen does not, though I fear it will. The people watching and listening to those expert opinions will think they know it all, and know it all better than they did last season. They will offer suggestions to every referee that does things correctly and they will do it because the announcers got it wrong when they said most of what they said.

I am an instructor and know what needs to be done with regard to referee training in CalNorth. What needs to be done is flat out REQUIRE proof of training when re-registering any license below the National Level. I know this will not happen because it takes courage to do that and that is absent in our area. We can discuss most anything but what we do is attempt to correct deficiencies in knowledge with respect to the Laws of the Game.

Our expertise is open for all to see, as is Dr. Evans'. We do not hide behind monikers and spout forth drivel as I've heard other "Chat" sites do. I wouldn't know about the others because I don't waste time and effort with folks trying to sound expert about The Game. Ask me a question and you'll get an answer in about three days, it may be laced with sarcasm, but the answer will be there and it will will withstand scrutiny at the highest levels of The Game. If it doesn't each of the panelists will correct an error as soon as it is discovered.

I am a referee, Emeritus having retired my Grade 05, who doesn't work any more because I've had it up to here with getting yelled at by unknowing spectators. I have been required to defend my opinions regarding facts connected with play in front of the CYSA president because parents could not understand why I enforced the Laws of the Game. I will not correct/discuss/second guess a referee's decisions regarding what he sees, especially when he is 4 pay grades above me. My job is teach referees and assess their performance and for the most part referees in CalNorth really don't care to advance beyond mediocre skills. Some have not even reached that level of excellence. I can come to your area and teach, I used to -- but because the other instructors complained that someone else was getting their assignments I can't do it officially any more. [think political correctness]

You're right, this is a tool than can be used. There is a whole educational system that is supposed to do what we do. This site and Dr. Evans' site[s] have been saying there are training deficiencies within our country/area to no avail. How about sending them a letter and asking why folks have to come to this website for the straight skinny instead of the people empowered with the responsibility?

OK, I vented. I feel better now -- but it ain't gonna change things. The powers that be need to get off their backsides.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

I echo every word the referee Fleischer said. I painfully listen to some of the comments by the American announcers and cringe. The soccer community here in WI is literally 99.9% ignorant of the laws of soccer. Parents and coaches know very little about the laws. I was refereeing a game and I did not call an accidental handball. I was then told by the coach to read the rule book. How can I respond to something like that? The commentors spew their garbage and us poor referees are stuck taking abuse. Just look at the referee in the U.S./Italy game. Was in the near perfect position for each of his calls. Probably ran more than any player did out there. Called 3 red cards that just about any other referee in the U.S. would have missed. Then some commentor who has probably never refereed a game in his life accuses him of ruining the game. Now literally 99.999999999% of Americans think he is a terrible referee. Unbelievable! It has gotten so bad here where they are having coaches evaluate the referees in high school matches here in WI. Literally, the coach evaluates the referee and decides the referees fate when it comes to state tournament games. How rediculous is that? First off, most coaches know little about refereeing and even if they do, they are totally bias. If our high school state association here WIAA had any common sense, they would realize that no coach can give a referee a fair evaluation and 99.9% of coaches simply do NOT KNOW THE LAWS. The state high school association here in WI only forces referees to take a take home test and most of the test is on their little ticky tacky rules that mean very little to the spirit of the game. Not suprising as this state association also gave a player only a 1 game suspension when he head budded yes physically head budded a referee. And of course the coach was mad at that referee so he got no more centers after that? What can we do?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Paul,
we thank you for your comments. They make a good sound case for a reasoned approach of how we COULD consider responding. Personally I eagerly look forward to someone such as yourself who steps forward to make a valid point. You might consider that as volunteers our time is limited and although our efforts sincere we do not dissect other referees on opinions concerning facts of play from a TV camera.

I mentioned ESSE and his PK award in 98 as I made that error of saying," Man that was a weak cal!"l when in fact it was not it was a PERFECT call seen by the man with integrity. Now to seek WHY a referee made a call MANY of our answers deal effectively with the what ifs?

I have refereed thousands of matches and to my satisfaction I have never cheated, definately missed calls, thought I saw things that perhaps were not and created controversy my failing to act appropriately but my honour and committment to the principles of a game have not wavered!. As an official I always tried to be FAIR, knowledgable and I will defend the WC referees for doing an incredible job under intense scutiny and with a knife hanging over their heads ready to fall and disembowl them at a moment's notice should a controversial decision be taken or missed.

In your question you simply asked about the PK awarded to Ghana. The fact the referee SAW something we are speculating WHAT that is. Could be the larger USA man used his body to lean onto the smaller Ghana man and push him down and that was what the referee saw? Possibly, but only the official who makes the call knows what he saw or thought he saw or lied to get some money. THAT fact I leave to their consience and whatever moral quandries those who have CHOICES decide to make!

Did you SEE the missed PK NOT awarded to France because the first PK was awarded to the same French player? Shall we speculate that the referee was evening things up because the first PK might have appeared weak? I absolutely hate challenging the integrity of an offical even as I recognize that there are those referees who STAIN the game in scandal. For whatever it is worth BOTH those incidents were a LOCK on a PK ! Why only was one awarded? I have to believe it is because a referee with integrity sees what he sees even if we see it different. Can I assess his position? Perhaps if he had gotten wider and deeper to the opposing corner from his AR he might have SEEN it different?. But we need to factor in all things when we assess a referee's performance. MOST of all we need to WATCH him and his response to developing play. The TV screen does NOT effectively do that! IT follows the ball and the referee is on occassion in the frame!No referee is EVER perfect but I can live with imperfections since we tend to be very irritated with perfect people . It maybe the reason referees are notoriously finger pointed for blame since we do get most decisions correct! LOL ;o)
Cheers