Question Number: 18170

Mechanics 12/23/2007

RE: Rec and Indoor Adult

Bradd Waggoner of Allen, Texas USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 18120

I have a view on the "Let them play" and the "Blow everything that does not look right". [18120] As a referee, I started out as the former and sure enough, rough play was something I dealt with, a lot.
Until I got tired of it.
After a few seasons, I was moved up to the U14 age group (and High school young men for Indoor matches) and learned that players at this age seem to think a Football match should resemble a bar fight. I quickly learned to blow my whistle for what I was seeing and keep the game under control. After a time I found that I had developed a reputation as one who would no longer allow rough play in my matches. (Physical, yes! rough, no!) A nice reputation to have!! Of course, I have no doubt that I used the whistle a bit too much. A visit from a local assessor corrected that, although I still blow at times when perhaps, I could let it go.
I agree that a new referee should tend towards calling anything he or she thinks is "funny". It's much better for a new referee to learn when NOT to stop the proceedings than to convince them to call more fouls. (It was hard on me to learn, after a year of letting things go, to call the match tighter)
I can hear those out there now, "Referee, let us play!!" and I agree. Calling a match is a learned skill. I did have to learn that not EVERYTHING I was seeing was bad and should be called. A good rule of thumb, for me anyway, is when BOTH coaches are telling me that I am calling a bit tight, I probably am and I need to take steps to calm down with my whistle. Talking to players who did something close to a foul or a "Trifling" foul is also very effective. For example, "I bet you are glad that the push on the shoulder you gave him didn't work. (Opposing player spun away and dribbled up field) That would have been the 3rd foul I called on you this half. Three is a bit much in a half." got nice results.
I tell some of the younger referees that I have 5 year old whistles and contrary to popular belief, they do not wear out from use.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

The reason I wrote what I did is because it is far easier to stop blowing than to begin to blow. On a referee's first matches he is likely to see less than ten percent of the foul play. Blow the whistle and take a break from all that running about. Soon enough the referee will begin to have better foul recognition and when that happens he will have to judge what kind of stuff the players are OK with and what they want stopped. A referee who doesn't blow the whistle because he thinks letting them play is what they want will only find himself tending to miniature mayhem instead of getting things the way the players desire on the day.

You found out how difficult it is to develop a way to intervene when things degrade to an American football bump and crunch kind of a match. It is far easier to stop that before it becomes "the way we're going to play today". The new referee must learn how to blow the whistle, he can't do that by not blowing the whistle.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

I agree with Mr. Fleischer. If you do not call the foul play and misconduct, then you will get every referees nightmare...an out of control game. General rule of thumb is - it is easier to start with the game in control and gradually back off than to let it get out of control and then try to get it back in control.