Question Number: 14300

Character, Attitude and Control 10/28/2006

RE: Other

Henry Orford of Ottawa, Ontario Canada asks...

I find in a lot of the games I do, there is no marked technical area. With that said, I constantly find coach's walking up to the touch line and it usually bothers me most when I am an assistant referee and I end up asking them several times to step back. How do I enforce coach's to stay in their undefined technical area step by step?
cheers
Henry

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Have a talk with them BEFORE the game about your expectations. Tell them that you realize soccer is an emotional game and that you still expect them to stay in their area. Perhaps mark it off for them or place an object where they cannot cross.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Henry after begging for him to stand away from the touchline you have an outstanding opportunity to jerk the coach around, take it because given the same chance you're fair game to him.

If the ball is near the touchline in his attacking end his guys are on the attack, flag for a stoppage. Indicate a throw-in against his side. When the referee looks at you with "that look" just say "Looked out to me boss but I couldn't really see, the coach is constantly in the way". Oh, yeah if his opponents take it over the touchline and back into play that was impossible to see for the same reason.

Sorry coach, missed that one, you blocked my view again. And on and on until he gets the message or comes all unpuckered and the referee sends him home early. Either way life just became something to smile at. [no you can't really do that stuff, -- or can you?]

There is always the running as hard as possible keeping up with play and accidentally bumping into him, BTW apologise for this one BEFORE you do it...

Bottom line is teaching the coach it is far more important that you have an unobstructed view of the touchline than it is for him to improve his vantage point a metre or two. Oops, almost forgot -- would the ball be in play or out of play if it were in the space the coach occupies? If in play then he is on the field of play without the referee's permission isn't he?

Regards,