Question Number: 17316

Law 3 - Number of Players 10/14/2007

RE: competetive Under 11

robbie of boise, id usa asks...

Greetings; quick question. Technically, outside the referee's assistants and fourth official, is the captain the only person allowed to address the referee? What are the coach's options for addressing the referee during a match?
thanks for your time and response.
CHeers ~ Robbie

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Robbie,
Very few during the match!
Actually a captain has no special authority to question a referee. Neither does the coach or any player. The referee as a neutral official decides how he will manage a game which could include directing input a captains way but accepting input from a captain or coach is a dicey thing with referees as dissent and escalation of conflict are more not less likely to develop.

If you review our answers over the years you might observe we often refer to a referee as a **match condition** much like the weather or pitch surface. If it is a wet cold day and the ball barely rolls over the too tall grass or a nice balmy sun drenched day with a slight cool breeze can not ripple the short cropped field where the ball rolls as if on a putting green. When the ball bounces off the referee or bounces off a goal post or crossbar or corner flag as such is part of the playing surface we keep playing.
In other words you adapt to what the game gives you and prepare to be sunburned or frost bit unless you adequately prepare.

I will point out as a referee and as a coach and player I can be in each shoe and know the fit is better when reasonable discourse can flourish. I will address the captains and ensure their cooperation by accepting some input at the times of my choosing and convenience.
I am of the opinion the referee and coach could be on the same side in educating the youth to the game. But only the character of each could make a possibility into a reality.

We could after a match accept a kindly worded query from a coach but generally passion, emotion and the inability by most to agree to disagree those queries tend not be worded in a manner that one will respond favorably to!

There is no time for debate in an ongoing match and if the referee is making a mistake in misapplication of the laws or failing to address foul recognition satisfactorily as a coach you need to remember the dissent and abuse portion of the laws are difficult to avoid when you feel you must address the referee.

Egos aside no referee enjoys looking foolish and some can accept that ooops my bad and change something before it was too late but the ARs /4th are supposed to be there in that capacity. Coaches set an example to the kids of respect and reasonable behavior while dispensing tactical information from within the technical area. The odd referee will endure or even instigate some exchanges. As referees we are not totally insensitive to a moment of passionate anguish and could display selective hearing.

It is crucial though that a exchange of ideas and explanations occur in training seminars between referees, coaches, players, parents and fans. Coaches could record and report referee actions through appropriate league avenues as monitoring assessing will show trends that could be identified and corrected or useful information accepted readily from a mentor is retained where a coach's rant regardless of right or wrong is shut out!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Captains' roles are not defined by the Laws of the Game. Basically, the captains are responsible to the referee for their team but have no rights or privileges. An intelligent referee will keep the captains informed and use them to help manage a game, since a captain's duties include seeing that the referee's decisions are respected by his team and to counsel with a teammate who is having trouble. His duties also include informing the referee of which players, if any, will be removed during reduce to equate for kicks from the penalty mark, and also to represent his team at the coin toss(es). Team officials, on the other hand, are not to be addressing the referee during the game at all. Any communications from team personnel, which of course includes a coach, should be only to their players to convey tactical information and encouragement. Irresponsible behavior (in the opinion of the referee) will get the coach warned or dismissed from the game.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Most of us if approached in a calm and respectful manner are happy to discuss things at the half or after the match.