Question Number: 16551

Character, Attitude and Control 9/5/2007

RE: Competitive Adult

Phil of Chicago, Illinois USA asks...

Obviously refereeing the game, you've most all played a good deal as well; and if you competed in enough games, you probably have received at least one yellow card yourselves during that stretch, as just through luck it becomes inevitable.

Can you discuss how you felt when on the receiving end of such discipline, and how that might have effected the way you approch players as referees as you book them and so forth.

For example, does it help you understand and deal with the players in a better and effective manner when you are both a victim and administrator of discipline? And, how does that affect your actions in administering the same?

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Great question. Our number one responsibility as referees is to manage player safetly and after that, comes giving both teams a fair game. If a cautiion is deserving, then the referee needs to administer it. I was not much of a player myself as I was cut from my high school team and too timid to play select soccer as a younger kid. I can honestly say that I have never received a yellow card in my career as a player. As a referee I look for several things before issuing a caution. First - is it mandated by the laws. Second - Do I need to caution for game control purposes, and other questions such as does the not guilty team rather have a opportunity for a quick kick. A caution only serves its purpose if done at the appropriate time for a well deserved situation.

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

A "victim of dicilpine"... Quite an interesting way to describe it. Some may say they were the person "deserving to receive dicipline." Just an observation from someone studying graduate level communications.

I played soccer from the time I was a young fellow. Then in middle school I was a striker/keeper. In HS I played 1 year as the JV goalkeeper and 3 years as the starting goalkeeper for the Varsity team. Then I tried to walk on in college and I was cut, so I played intramurals and I currently play sunday morning amateurs in a non-affiliated league. (I never ref where I play!)

As a player I've been cautioned 3 times.

1. My first one was in Club soccer. I was playing in the field as a striker. An opponent went to take a throw-in and I stood 8 yards away from the thrower. As he threw the ball in I jumped in the air in case he threw it low so I could try to win it. The referee stopped the game and showed me a yellow card. As a referee I knew what he was thinking, that I was trying to distract the thrower. But that is not what I was trying to do. I remember feeling cheated - though it didn't change how I played, because I always played cleanly and never ever argued with referees (who have a USSF badge). I was a little bummed, but no big deal it was my only yellow of the year.

2. I was doing a college co-op at McGuire AFB in NJ as a media specialist working for a contractor of the Air Force. The Comm Squad had a soccer team and I joined it and I played as the keeper. They used the awful 2 man system.
In any case, I was perticularly upset with one referee who I didn't think was doing a very good job. However, while my teammates complained to him, I stayed silent. That is until he called me for carrying the ball over the top of the penalty area while I was punting the ball. I've always thought a keeper should receive a warning to let them know they're close to a foul, but I think this guy had been upset by my teammates so he was in a bit of a "gotchya" mode. Anyway, now I was somewhat disgruntled, but still didn't say anything, until he awarded an indirect free kick for my handling offense. Now any referee worth his salt ought to know that this is not punished with an indirect free kick, but instead a direct free kick. Well, I started yelling out loud to the ref (who was about 35 yards away) that it was a direct free kick. He insisted that it wasn't, I then insisted that I was correct. He told me "that's enough!" So, I said "Fine, but he's making the wrong call." (To my teammates, but outloud so he could hear it.) I was then cautioned for dissent! I deserved it for arguing like that, but I was correct and it was not an issue of judgment. After the match he came up to me and told me I was right, apologized and said he was glad nothing like a goal came from it... But he never did take back that yellow card. :)

3. I was playing indoor at college intramurals. I went up to catch a ball that was floating into my box. As I went up and toward the ball, an attacker jumped away from the ball and lowered his shoulder straight into my chest. It hurt a lot. I immediately reacted without thinking and pushed the player with two hands, while standing in my own penalty area and I accused him of taking a cheap shot. The referee came running in and gave me a yellow card and gave them a penalty kick. I was kind of upset at the time and I asked them why they didn't call a foul - they said the player is entitled to jump for the ball too. Deep down I knew they were right to caution me for the push, I was probably lucky to escape a red for that. But I just stopped thinking clearly (which I've seen players do a lot!).

In the end I saved the penalty and we won the game and went on to win the league title. BUT at halftime one of the refs came up to me and told me that I should have kept a cooler head, and then said "we were going to call a foul against that guy but then you had to go an push him right after." Of course, a properly trained referee knows that in that situation you would call the foul and not give the penalty, but still yellow card me. So I think he was feeding me BS, because he should have called the foul if that is what he thought happened.

In the end, the reason I keep playing (beside the joy I get from playing) is to keep it in my mind how it is to be a player, and how it feels to take a foul and to remember what its like to think like a player. That keeps your head in the game and gives you a better perspective. As far as the cautions - I don't receive many because I try to follow the laws as a player the best I can.

I hope these stories answer the ? a little.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

The few times I was booked or sent-off during a match were as a result of the referee believing I had what was necessary at the time. There was no conversation in either direction about any subject, just a wave of the card or the referees notebook.

I view being booked is a learning experience for a player during the match, especially if he wants to remain on the field. So if there's going to be learning there must be a teacher and a student. I get to be the teacher and the player gets to be the student. I will make sure the player knows why his name is going in my book. I want him to know! That way he knows how to prevent getting to be a student again! Before he sees the card, in most cases, he will be told what he did, where he did it and to whom he did it, he will be asked if he clearly understands what he did and if he understands doing it again will get him an early bath. Only then will the process be completed with the showing of a card.

With the sending-off is not always possible to go through the learning process because of the severity of what he has done. Most of the time a sent-off player knows what he did, to whom he did it, why he did it, and all the other learning stuff. We're sending him off because we don't want anyone else to do what he did! He is an example of what that kind of behaviour will bring; not CAN, but WILL bring. Usually when this guy is gone the match is better for it. Sometimes there is a chance to talk with a player you're about to send-off. These are rare happenings but when they do it is well worth your time. Here we want to have him understand where he has placed us. He has to go under the Law. We can ask he take his punishment as a man and learn from it, I do this when I have the chance!

In the end the referee must instill in the disciplined player that HE has begged to be punished and we are only doing what he wants. Granted this is a snide way to look at it but a long time ago I learned leadership is the art and science of influencing human behaviour. How we tell someone what he has done wrong is called tact, I learned what that was a long time ago, too. Tact is the ability to someone to go to hell and make him him feel happy he's on the way...

Regards,

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 16581