Question Number: 18076

Law 5 - The Referee 12/6/2007

RE: select and ref. level 8 Adult

Jay Ramey of Sacramento, CA USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 18061

Thank you to Mr. Fleischer, Mr. Voshol, and Mr. Contarino for their candid answers.

In looking through the referee profiles, uniformly everyone is highly qualified. Thank you for being a part of this site. It really helps.

I think we need help from more experienced refs on a continual basis. In referencing this lack of control of a game and the issues tracking through this write up, I think we have missed a few points.

First, Soccer is by far the most popular youth sport in the United States. Its growth is rapid. As such there has been a need for a tremendous amount of volunteers. From coaches, to board members and referees (even though they are paid, it is not much), the need is growing exponentially. When I speak with referees that are at grades higher than me or more experienced they usually are adults, they are not the typical teenager. There is a maturity level with adults to control a game that is not present in teenagers. Also, the referees on this site, I would hazard a guess, usually only referee higher level games where the players are of more equal competition with better coaches. When we start to look at the Select (level 3) and Recreational (level 4) teams, there is a wide disparity in talent.

Is training needed for referees, yes! It is a must in my opinion. But how do we ask busy professionals that are volunteering their time to spend two or three weekends for additional training. I think a lot of this goes to how we pay our more tenured referees and how we evaluate our referees.

As Mr. Fleischer states, I am ?in fact disagreeing with Law 5?. And in some sense I am. The laws were written to control the highest level of professional games. We are dealing with children. Children who have different training levels, different coaches and different abilities – this is the game of soccer. But with the power the referee has ?The decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play are final.? gives the referee a degree of control that must be utilized with ?good judgment.? When we deal with children versus adults or class one players, a whole new subset of issues come in to play. The emotional maturity, the physical maturity, parents who have never played the game all must now be brought into account. For example, there is a level of play and physicality assumed at the college level, but is the same level allowed at the u14Girls recreational level. The laws of the game say yes.

There is a huge fall off of kids returning to play soccer after the U10/U12 age groups. This has been an on going discussion for some time. Parents do not understand the game and its physical aspects, players also do not understand the physicality of the game at the lower levels. With the power of the referee, they also are responsible to make the game enjoyable for the players and call a fair game. That leads to training and the vicious circle continues.

Soccer is also the only main game in the United States where spectators are allowed to be with in mere feet of the game. Football is separated by the team and usually a track, basketball is separated by the team, the bench and usually the coach. Baseball has a dugout and a lot of space on a field. Soccer has parents within 3 feet of the game -- which should also be controlled.

But, when we look at the referee, the main organizations have maintained an air of infallibility, instead of admitting their mistakes. The referee organizations do not insist upon training programs for referees (as stated earlier it would require work from these organizations or local boards). Pay structures must be looked at for more tenured referees and the tools of the trade (red and yellow cards) must be used.

In the league I am associated with, we did not have one red card all year 5000 kids and no red cards. At our recreational levels we had only 5 yellow cards. I have heard other referees state, I did not want to give her a red card, because this is only recreational play, or let them play because they are only young girls. The control of the game starts and ends with the referee and the manner in which he/she handles them selves. When a referee (trained or not trained) has not called the game fair regarding the laws of the game (not creating a fair environment), then the referee has not upheld their fiduciary duty. We must recognize that trained coaches (level e/d and above) also recognize how a game is being called and teach their players to play to the referee.

Mr. Fleischer states ?the younger a player, the sooner the referee stops things.? This is good judgment, but when a referee does not exercise their fiduciary duty, then it is ?good judgment? to allow the ?trained? coach the flexibility to protect his players. In the previous question, the coach mentioned one of his players became so frustrated, he ?football tackled? a player (in my opinion a red card) and there were no consequences, then the coach has a fiduciary responsibility to pull his team.

Our growing need for quality referees is no longer a small issue in our leagues and tournaments. It is through sites like this that ?how to?s? are able to be discussed. I would like to see more coaches and referees insist upon more and greater training. I became a referee last year (not a good one, but I am learning) because I recognized a great need. I would hope that the organizations in soccer would look at the laws and realize they are fluid. ?The decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play are final? is a great idea, it dismisses a lot of problems. But when a referee refuses to make decisions regarding the facts connected with play, then what happens --- a player gets ?football tackled.?

We as people devoted to this great game, must quit making excuses for poor behavior, poor refereeing, bad administration, obstinate or obnoxious coaches. We are here for the kids, to ensure their safety first, and create an environment where they can learn: team work, self discipline, self respect, goal setting, physical fitness and overcoming adversity. Until we as leagues, clubs and coaches have a pool of well trained candidates (like colleges, professional, and high level cup games have since our league has to beg and borrow referees to fill games) to referee games, then it is beholding to the soccer organizations to support the coaches in their decisions to the same level referees are supported. And we must be willing to ask coaches not to come back and not to schedule referees that have poor attitudes and performance.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Hello again Jay and thank you for getting back to us. There's basically nothing I disagree with except your statement about the Laws being written for upper level players. They were written for everyone and by enforcing them we make the game safe for the players. How we ENFORCE them will change with skill level but not the Laws themselves. Unlike my fellow panelists I have been doing a lot more lower level youth games recently due to old age and deteriorating knees. I'd like to think I bring a decent level of expertise to the youngsters and I know for a fact most of them find me stodgy in my insistence of actually following the Laws, especially law 3. 5000 kids and no red cards? Must be some REALLY good kids!! But from what you and others have described, there's no real refereeing going on in your area and it's NOT for lack of trying by those that could help, like Chuck. At a local level here, I used to run a 4 hour clinic for free along with 2 other experienced referees for the newer refs. We'd get teams to help us and actually simulate game conditions and go over why we call what we do. Unfortunately, this course and the mentoring we used to do have gone by the wayside and it's not due to lack of interest on my part but the Legaue seemingly doesn't want to be bothered. We are blessed with an excellent assignor and she will go out of her way to ensure referees are doing what they are supposed to do but she's only one person and I know she often is beating her head against the wall. Bottom line is safety and if you as a coach feel the referee is so poor as to endanger the safety of your players, then I say pull your team off the field. It's sad conditions are so deplorable in your area and kids cannot have a safe place to play.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Just a couple of things, first Excellent thoughts in the letter, second a referee not making a decision regarding something he sees is a fact connected with play and therefore final.

As I said on the phone Friday Football was codified to allow consistency in competition amongst schoolboys. The Game is and always has been there to allow youngsters to have an outlet for youthful exuberance, teach team play and instill a healthy respect for the Law. When referees don't or can't administer the match in accordance with the Law we hurt those playing the match. When referees allow themselves to be berated by adults on the touchlines we teach the youngsters competing in the match that the authority figure [the referee] is not to be respected and this carries over in to day to day life. Not Good!!

I offered you my services and those of the panel of "experts" to assist in training your referees, coaches and parents. I meant it! I have no problem taking instructor fees from instructors who are not being used as instructors. As far as Football goes, without learning there can be no excellence in match officials, coaches and competitors. This is fixable so long as learning is desired by the person attending the training. We make mistakes as we learn, let's not make the mistake of not realizing the mistake and correcting it.

Regards,