Question Number: 27075

Law 5 - The Referee 12/18/2012

RE: grassroots football Under 18

karen pinnington of runcorn, cheshire Uk asks...

I am a secretary of a large jnr football club our youth team u18 have had the same referee for 3 games on the run we had a player booked and suspended for a tackle which the ref stated did not touch the player, got the ball but he deemed it a foul, the ref in question each game was not consistent in his referee, allowing some players to swear and booking others, the manager and players wanted the next game to be video'd as you cannot appeal a refs decision without video evidence anymore, one of our players got fouled it was a nasty tackle but the ref didnt blow at the end of the game the manager returned the flag and asked his why he let the foul go he was told i didnt see it and it was half time anyway the player in question had to come off the pitch and is now on crutches for 6wks with severe ligament damage, when the manager said he was not happy with his response and had video'd the game as he was very inconstent with the way he referee's the ref was not happy told him he was reporting him to the fa as we were not allowed to video games when i explained to him we were allowed he told me he was going to report the manager which he has done for improper conduct because he questioned him about the foul we were at the game and he did see the foul as nothing else was going on the manager feels this is unfair?
thank you karen

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Karen
Everyone sits on their own hilltop with a unique perspective of the world. Each one of us has , quite literally, a 'point of view' that no one else shares. I have yet to meet anyone who believes that the way they see the world is wrong. We all believe our experiences of the world to be true. There can be a different viewpoint /perspective /opinion, equally valid, neither right nor wrong. In football it is no different. I have spoken so many times about this and that the referee has one view of the game.
So if we look at the points made I would make the following comments from my perspective
1. It is not necessary to make contact for a foul to be awarded and for a player to be cautioned. If there is a reckless attempt to win the ball and the player misses the opponent (thankfully) the referee can and should take action.
2. The use of foul language on its own is no longer part of the Laws of the Game. It was removed from the Laws in 1997. So a player could swear and in itself might not be a caution unless it was something more such as dissent or unsporting behaviour.
3. Of course referees miss incidents. Mark Halsey is an excellent referee yet he managed along with his assistants to miss a head butt in the Stoke v Everton game. So it is possible that the referee missed the foul challenge.
4. Using video evidence is not an appropriate way to deal with this situation and anyway it can only be used to appeal a dismissal. It cannot be used for assessment purposes. The proper way is for a club to complain formally in writing to the local referee assignor who will then consult in the appropriate way so that a referee assessor will be appointed to view the referee and his performances. In addition at underage there are Child Protection guidelines regarding the use of photos and video which is what the referee may have been referring to.
5. Confronting a referee after the game is not appropriate. It can end up as misconduct and the incident being reported to the League. If a club has a gripe then deal with it through the proper channels. Yes we might not agree with decisions or that the referee has not performed well but creating a confrontation on the field of play is not going to change that. The game is over and nothing is going to change the result or any decision made.
6. What has not been helpful here is getting the same referee for 3 games. From experience that is not a good idea as 'baggage' can be carried over from the previous game. The decision to appoint is not one for the referee but for the referee assignor in the League.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Beauty, and the performance of a referee, is in the eyes of the beholder.

That said, having the same referee 3 games in a row is usually a bad idea. I remember when this happened to me a few years back. Before the game, the coach came up to me and said 'I hope you've learned the rules by now.' Probably not the smartest thing he could have done. My reply was equally stupid:'There aren't any rules in soccer coach. What LAWS do you think you understand better than I do?' I should have simply said nothing instead of escalating the situation. When the coach replied 'handball and offsides' I again could have remained silent but instead said 'There's no such thing as a handball coach and there's no 's' on the end of offside. You want to explain these things to me it'll have to wait until after the game.'

I walked away thinking, what was I thinking? Sure enough, within 10 minutes he was screaming 'handball' and 'offside'. I finally did something smart and went over to him and apologized for my remarks before the game and if he would be good enough to stop yelling at me, I'd spend as much time with him as he wanted after the game going over whatever he wanted until he was happy. He calmed down and we actually had a good chat after the game.

My point? You may have a legitimate gripe but you need to go through the proper channels starting with the assignor. If something like this happens again, avoid any confrontation as it will only make things worse