Question Number: 15029

Mechanics 3/23/2007

RE: Varsity Boys - District Final High School

Young Ref of Austin, TX USA asks...

Level: Varsity Boys
Time: 60th Minute
Current Score: Red-1 and Black-0

In the 60th Minute, a shot is taken by the Black Team that is obtained by a Defender standing on the goal line and kicked back out to the 18. The ball goes back in for another shot and this time comes off another Defender to the 6. The ball goes back in more time and when the ball was about to cross the goal line when a defender laying on the ground stops the ball with his hand. I blow the whistle, show him the red card, and must now deal with a very upset defense who will now have to deal with a penalty kick and playing a man down. The players have no accepted my explanation of the red card and are as ok about it as possible.

All the players are ready for the PK and as I bring the whistle to my mouth I hear my name being called out. I stop and look to see my AR trying to get my attention. He tells me that the ball had entered the goal after the first shot on goal. This means that my red card and PK go away since the ball was out of play when it crossed the goal line in the first place. But the defense is not upset because the get to play with 11 again and the attackers are not upset because the still get a goal.

The problem here is that the AR did not use the proper mechanic for the ball entering and leaving the goal. And now as a referee I have deal with that outcome.

The question is, as National Referees (former and current), what would you do?

Obviously you need to do the right thing, but is there any way to make this look less sloppy?

Answer provided by Referee Debbie Hoelscher

First I applaud your desire to see that things are done correctly! Kudos to you. Second: the only way for this to be less sloppy is if your AR had the same integrity! But, recovering from that, you might consider making eye contact with your AR after you blow the whistle to stop play. There's a lot of bodies there and things that can go on that more than just your eyes will catch -- especially once you've shown a red card! Your AR is right there, looking into the mess as well. Use that resource. Even if he didn't use the correct mechanics, it's possible his/her body language would tell you something's not right. Use the stoppage to sort it out between you. So -- 1) blow your whistle for what you believe to be a foul --fine. 2) Make sure no one's gonna get up swinging. 3) Look over to your AR, they may have information for you -- just because they don't bring it to your attention, doesn't mean they don't have info. 4) Keep your eyes on the players -- don't turn your back to them when you walk over t0 have your discussion with the AR. 5) make your next decision based on the input from your AR. 6) restart play accordingly. If everyone still comes unglued over the whole thing, tell them that in comparison, even a sloppy goal is still a goal...so even a sloppy right decision is still a right decision!

Good luck,

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Everything is fine, you are concentrating on play and know exactly what has happened from your perspective. You see a defender deliberately handle the ball. fine. You stop play, fine. You know a player has to be sent off, fine.

Now comes where things get all bollixed up. I'd be willing to bet out came the red card and up it went! There was no fire to put out so this procedure is suspect. The Laws of the Game are specific, you send-off and show the red card. High school is nebulous, their rules say disqualified (red card), this leads referees into getting out the card and discussing things later. There seems no time to think.

Referees need time to think in times of stress. Firstly to get their sierra together and secondly to find out if any other match official knows more about the subject than they do!!! If I was your linesman you would have heard me bellow your name and when you looked I would be standing on the goal line with my flag raised in the hand away from the goal line. (restart is in that direction). When you blew the whistle I follow the procedure for a goal has been scored. Did your assistant do that? I think not. If you do not hear me and do not look to me and see my flag raised AND you send-off a player for denying a goal after one has been seen to be clearly scored by me; you can expect to feel me tap you on the shoulder and then get an ear full of "new" information that you may act on as you wish.

There are times assistant referees must insist rather than assist. Those times are:

When the referee has cautioned or sent-off the wrong player;

When the referee has cautioned the same player twice and not sent him off;

When the ball is no longer in play because it has crossed a field boundary.

Your prematch instructions MUST inform your assistants to NEVER allow you to restart play if one of those things has happened. Does it?

Ref Hoelscher has given you good things to work on, I offer this: get out your notebook first, write first and talk to the player while you're writing. Position yourself so you can see most of the other players AND the lead assistant referee. Before you show the card make sure he agrees with you, a nod is all that's necessary. If his finger motions you to carry your sorry arse to him he knows more than you do, you might consider checking with him before showing the card. Life gets much easier that way. Then young ref you can live to be an old curmudgeon...

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

It is good to get the decision correct albeit the journey was not as good! Mechanics and procedures are refined to prevent problems that have surfaced in the past.

The AR perhaps was unaware how to signal a ball in and out of goal but as referee your description of how you proceeded to render a decision has defects as well, that if not made could have caught the AR's mistake before it gained momentum. As a series of checks and balances the central theme is one of communication. The finger of blame is a weak one as any lapse is a group responsibility find a solution, fix the problem!

Pregame my ARs are instructed if you see me making an ass of myself you stop me or I will be looking for yours! You call my name. throw a boot at my head, whatever, if it is wrong to that degree we need to fix it and while we can make it easy to communicate, if we make it a HABIT! If I blow it, I want to know it! Practice looking at and using your ARs, ALL the time: thumbs up, arm tap, palm up hand wave, finger crook, chest front pocket, back short pocket, head nods and shakes, body position taken, flag signals, talk directly just bloody communicate, too many referees vastly under-use ARs who get bored and discouraged from being part of a team in name only!

The best single piece of advice in all our posts is TAKE your time! That is right relax the game will not continue until YOU are ready . The need to rush to restart so the players can not become unglued or take away an advantage is tempered with the need to get the decisions correct! Or perhaps I should reword it HOPEFULLY correct?

My colleague Ref Hoelscher points out the NEED to look over at EVERY stoppage to your AR and get or give a signal are we on the same page here?

My colleague Ref Fleischer points out the mechanics of showing a card come after the player is actually booked for the offence.

FANTASTIC advice none better as both these allow you TIME to sort things out. You can add time, you can choose to let time run, you are keeper of time. The whistle to stop play for a perceived infraction deals with a stoppage where time to restart and how to restart is time to consult with your team and make sure time is not wasted . Players have a right to their 90 minutes and the time we have to do our job does not have to affect theirs.

POST game you and crew should be dissecting this down to make sloppy go away?

Ball goes in the goal and out WHAT are the procedures for the AR to do if HE knows but the referee CAN NOT?

Eye contact where was it?

Caution or send offs a booking allows us time to consider reflect and accept new information if we get eye contact! Which leads to dialogue and I saw this, you saw that? Hmmmm!

The Blackburn-Westham match had a huge gaff and even with the assist if the information is incorrect, sloppy is the least of your worries!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPN-F04DFeI&NR

In your situation the two teams accepted your logic and got on with the match proving that some times sloppy is far better than snotty, snitty, sullen or outright wrong!

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

I'm not a National but you did the right thing regardless how sloppy it looks. You are a team of referees. The most important thing is to get it right, which you did. You state the AR did not follow procedure. Did you look in his direction earlier? I know we are all guilty of not watching our ARs closely. He did the right thing by stopping you before the ball was put into play. Kudos to him for doing that and kudos to you for doing the right thing even though it may have not looked as neat as it should have. Next game, go over with your ARs what you expect of them and make sure they are clear as to proper mechanics.