Question Number: 22434

Character, Attitude and Control 11/4/2009

RE: Select Under 19

Erik of Arlington, TX USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 22367

Some of your responses to my question were not nice. :-(

Today, instead of working on my English assignment in class, I spent over an hour reading all of your super secret referee documents on the referee link from the ussoccer.com web page. There was quite a bit of interesting information under the Laws of the Game section, including a document titled 'Cautions and Cautionable Offenses'. :-)

Though, now I feel that I am in a much better postion to cite actual rules next time I have to argue with a referee.

One thing I find objectionable is what they are telling you on how you call offside. If a player that is offside makes an attempt to play the ball, even though they make no contact with the ball, that should be called offsides all the time. That act WILL cause a goalkeeper or other defenders to behave differently in anticipation of the ball being played.

Seems like the ones teaching the rules have no clue and never played the game. Might as well get rid of the offside rule, as they would rather have games 6-5 instead of 1-0. If you want high scoring, go play basketball. I much prefer a 1-0 game. 6-5 is a game with very poor defense.

Look for US Soccer Positon Paper, March 25, 2009 on youtube.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

I'm glad you were able to review some of the resources available from US Soccer Federation and FIFA, but I'm sorry to hear where you chose to do it. Consider taking a referee class (or a USSF coaching class), and you'll learn even more.

The March 25, 2009 offside memorandum raised a number of questions, but the people involved in writing it have been involved at very highest levels of the game. It will make defenders work harder, and offside traps less effective.

Good luck with your post season.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Erik, dear, arguing with referees is bound to get you carded - the color will depend on the volume and tone of the argument. Reading the Laws and their interpretations will make you a more savvy player - but savvy players use the Laws to their advantage, not to argue with referees. As a ref, I'm willing to listen if you have a point - if all you are doing is whining or trying to brow beat me into seeing your way, I can and will test you for color blindness.

Unfortunately, we referees can't choose which parts of the Laws we want to enforce and which we don't. If FIFA and USSF tell us the Laws are to be administered in a particular way, then we must do it that way, whether we agree or not, or like it or not.

The offside Law is meant to help keep the game fair and exciting. A player who is camped out off his side is no use to his team, because he can't perform. However, his offside position may change with the next touch of the ball, or an onside player may get to the ball first, and FIFA has been oh so VERY clear that we are NOT to raise the flag unless we are 100% certain the player in an offside position (it isn't an offense to be in an offside position, you know?) has become involved in play in one of the three possible ways. Position + Involvement = Offside. And, as with all the Laws, it is the referee's opinion, assisted by his AR who is most often in the best position to tell, whether the player has become involved or not. The higher the level of play, the more overt the participation must become to be called - no iffy calls allowed.

Keep up your studies - they can't hurt, and may actually help you. Heavens, you might even come over to the dark side - we do make decent dollars in many areas for our time and expertise.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

As one of my local ref colleagues once said when his refereeing skills were criticized: 'You think that was bad? I can be much worse.'

I'm glad you found some interesting reading material. (And if they were all super-secret, you wouldn't have found them so easily online. Although the USSF site can be a challenge to navigate at times.) I hope in your reading you paid attention to the parts about dissent, aka arguing with a referee.

Regarding offside, this came from the very top, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the group that writes the Laws. Several years ago they issued a new Decision 2 to Law 11; that decision has since been incorporated into the Interpretations and Guidelines section of the Laws of the Game. Don't blame referees for this; there are 8 votes on the IFAB: 1 each from the Football Associations of England, Scotland, Wales and (Northern) Ireland, plus 4 votes from FIFA.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Unkind, as in meaning mean? Perhaps, but unethical behaviour tends to set our radar on alert. Offside is not based on what defenders think only by the actions of the offside player. The OLD terminology used to say 'seeks to gain an advantage. The reason they dropped the word 'seeking' is it common practise to seek to gain an advantage that is what competition is about so in effect it was not possible to make that work! You need to grasp that offside is a defender's friend only if they grasp that they must still PLAY the whistle!

As a player you must concentrate on knowing the laws to make better tactical decisions. Arguing with a referee is a most unwise tactical decision and unless you are a highly skilled manipulator such a dissent tactic will only aggravate the tensions and cloudy the outcome. Coupled with your belief that fouling opponents as a tactical ploy and trying to send hard messages. I suspect you will add to your card count in the future!

As for having no clue, those that participate in the IFAB and the FIFA committees are all former players, coaches and long aficionados of the game so get a grip as to the ridiculousness of outlandish statements such as, "have no clue and never played the game!" It is the politics of universal soccer that create most issues as power and money and CONTROL are dominating issues. Those that make the laws enjoy their privileged positions in as much as those who toil in the every day matches simply love the simplicity of the game. We do what we do for no money, any special considerations, any benefits except sharing our experience and ideals! We hope to have a positive impact on those who take the time such as you have to inquire about an issue or direct a reasoned intelligent question or observation. Take a course, referee and see the overall picture with the idea of becoming better at what you do by knowing the job and the responsibilities of the others who participate.

Learn how to tackle and how to stay on your feet. Learn how to exploit space and take it away from your opponent! Become one with the ball and as an attacker you may find that scoring more than an occasional goal is rewarding. Football is a game, your safety is more important to a neutral referee than the score. A referee has no need of a result, does not get the same emotional let down at defeat or experience the same exultation at victory. We look over each match and examine what we could have done better or reaffirm what we did right. We try to let players play and for their skill to shine if it is there! In your case a poor attitude and tough tackling will only shine red or yellow!

Just to clarify a bit! If a player or a coach or a concerned parent who come to the site and spout off what we in our opinion think rubbish or myth or solely to vent I still respect those who have the courage to say what they think and why they do so even if I am 100% in complete disagreement. I do try to refrain from using profanity and ridicule but obtuse behaviour and relevant sarcasm are character traits some use to make a point! Those that referee effectively have a very tough exterior and we forget how easily ego and attitude are damaged by negative comments, where we learn very early on to know what and when to listen and when to ignore and are strengthened in resolve knowing the laws

Cheers