Question Number: 15282

Mechanics 4/25/2007

RE: competive High School

Terri of Christiansburg, Virginia USA asks...

After a call by the ref is called is the player aloud to ask (not rudely or meanly) the ref why the call was made? Only if the player truly does not understand why the play was called? Thanks.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Hi Terri. No easy answer to this and depends on the referee. I'm not opposed to a quick "what did I do?" as long as nothing else follows. Whenever I whistle a foul, I try to verbally or with gestures indicate what I saw. 99% of the time, the player knows full well what he or she did and asking the referee usually starts one on a path they'd rather not travel.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

By high school, don't the players pretty much know what happened out there? And if they don't, NFHS has provided all those signals for the ref to show just what he is calling. You mean the players don't know the signals?

If a player is truly confused, I will attempt to answer an honest question, if I have time. When I didn't have time, I've even told a player, "I'll get back to you."

Unfortunately, all too often, an "honest question" becomes a springboard for dissent. "Ref, what was the call?" "You tripped the player." "No, I didn't trip him, he .... " Sigh. Makes you think of the old adage, no good deed goes unpunished.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

In most cases you aren't going to get an answer. Sometimes you'll get a caution. What I would try is talk with the referee before the match and ask for help because you're new to the game. That might help.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Terri,
In a reasonable game played in a reasonable manner a reasonable player question could be answered by a reasonable referee or so we can hope! It is a matter of content, tone and time!

I coach and play and referee.
I feel I have at least an understanding of the requirements of each as opposed to the wants of each.

A coach requires tactical, a player requires direction and a referee requires co-operation but ALL require respect. The difficulty is in the emotional state of competition what often is a passion fueled response taints the simple into the more complex. Attitude and character reflect the tolerance level any of us will have for each other or any given situation.

I kind of liken a request for information by a coach or player to a referee in the same vien as if the referee asks the player, why did you miss that shot or a coach, why do you play a 4,4, 2? The skill or tactical appreciation it is not really our concern.
Then add the comment dripping with sarcasm or unconcealed disgust and it becomes even less enchanting.

As a coach I instruct my captains to politely request at the match beginning if they have the referee's permission to ask a question if it is appropriate and well timed. Often the referee is happy to accommodate provided the answer he gives is NOT disputed or argued. It is not a debating society on the pitch. The referee makes a decision, even if we disagree we must agree to disagree and move on. The referee will not enjoy a second guessing of what he sees in an obvious situation once he makes a decision. He says blue ball and you see the ball roll out off a blue toe to ask why is it not a red ball serves what pupose? Either he did not see that blue touch or he is cheating for the other team. The point is if your perception is a disagreement in he hates us and likes them or he called what he saw but he did not see it as I did the enjoyment level has less odds of an unfavorable outcome!

A referee realizes that his needs are not the same in a match as a player coach or fan who desire a favorable outcome and will be highly emotional in the competitive spirit. It is WHY a referee has selective hearing and allows some low level dissent pass unchallenged. The more voracious or abusive or personalized comments must be challenged but at times even they are not met with the full force of what the law could do but rather reflect the referee's ability to manage a game without the exact letter of law and still retain the functioning spirit of why those laws are in place.

During a fast paced u-18 match I had a quick counter attack and my AR signaled offside at the midline I missed looking over and called a foul for a trip that was border line excessive certainly reckless. I realized I had made a mistake by not looking over to my AR, if I had seen the flag the foul would not have occurred. The restart INDFK just shy of the midline for offside.

Now in the aftermath of looking and confirming with my AR there was an offside in his opinion, I certainly was not of that same opinion if as a single official we are going with the foul but it was the AR's priority to make that call and I trusted him so we go with offside . The attacking coach was distraught, because he did not believe there was an offside because I had not called it initially, his player was hurt and they were losing by one goal.

SO he is visibly upset and says something to the effect it was a BS call. Rather than warn him or toss him. I simply said It was my error in not looking over at my AR the offside occurred first thus the foul is not a foul but misconduct. The distraction created an angry retort from the other coach that I was cautioning the player for the misconduct of the trip because the other coach complained not understanding that misconduct remains even if no foul is present.

So we have coaches upset primarily due to my incompetence which I accept so the venting is permitted even though I ask then to be calm, and then tell them enough is enough. I restarted play because if I warn them or try to continue to engage in a verbal explanation the game will suffer because we are likely to all get frustrated and then tossing coaches or watching the players feed off the coaches anger only makes the match more difficult. So in this case my dissent line in the sand was a curved one inwards to me because I accept some responsibility for having created this situation.

Low level dissent is an indicator at times of the emotional undercurrent and should not be discarded as meaningless certainly do not listen too hard for an excuse to find trouble just be aware trouble could be brewing and to try and head it off!
Cheers