Question Number: 28752

Mechanics 9/20/2014

RE: AYSO Under 15

Ross of Pasadena, CA USA asks...

In my son's U14 game several players on the opposing team started shouting (quite loudly) out the 'referee's calls'. e.g. OUT, HANDBALL, and if their player fell for whatever reason 'HE PUSHED HIM', 'HE KICKED HIM' etc etc
Initially this was just odd or a little annoying, until it started to affect the center refs actual calls. e.g. the opponents HANDBALL shout that led to a penalty kick when the ball hit the player in the upper arm while their hand was at their side at the side of the penalty area (with the ball moving away from the goal). Or when the opponent call 'HE KICKED HIM' after 2 players both kicked the ball at the same time -- in this case the center ref, who was well positioned, checked with the AR on the far side of the field to see if they saw anything and then called the play back for a Foul (even after play had already continued).
Are players allowed to call the game for the ref? How should the ref have dealt with this when it first started? (of course it only got worse once it started to affect their ref calls).
I am also a ref and want to know how to handle this situation if it happens in one of my games.
Thnx Take care

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

As a referee, you know that shouts by parents and coaches won't affect a referee's decision. The problem is that while the referee is waiting to see if advantage should be allowed, spectators may read that as indecision or worse. You can help the parents by explaining that referees will often wait and see if an advantage can be awarded. A quick whistle is rarely what the players or the game need.

A wise referee will listen to the players because they will give valuable clues as to what is considering trifling. It they are comfortable with mutual shirt pulling, for example, the referee might only call a holding foul when one player is disadvantaged. If they are upset at any shirt pulling, the referee may tighten up the game.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Ross,
seriously as a referee you know players are not allowed to make the calls. That is your job as a neutral official with assistance from your ARS and a 4th official if available. You wield enormous power that can be misused, under used or over used with equal disregard to what the situation requires.

Free speech being what it is, an intelligent referee differentiates between the usual assortment of bickering buffoons and the preaching choir of rambling, rumbling know it all's and wannabe referees.

Legitimate dissent that contains actual instinctive insightful remarks that grieve unfair or restrictive play by those watching or playing provide useful feedback for a referee to gauge if he is seeing the game or merely watching it! Big difference as the angles of view by those that surround the pitch do catch things you might not.

Each referee has their own version of "Fingerspitzengefhl" the tingling in your extremities that directs you towards exercising good judgment or common sense. Your own character, personality and demeanour in how to do this effectively, be it silent & stern/ laughing & joking /deliberate & calculated! Communicate with the players, let them know you are watching, seeing and confirming they are ok with what you are allowing and they are taking. Listen objectively, legitimate dissent in the players voicing or showing displeasure tells you something! That said stamp out the 3 P dissent from coaches or players if the comments are personal public and persistent!

As my colleague Ref Wickham adroitly points out we can dismiss or allow some transgressions if the Foul Recognition ( the ability to tell fair from foul )and Foul Tolerance (the ability to ignore foul as fair) is within reasonable levels of players expectations and the referee's acceptance to recognize it as trifling and or doubtful. The application of advantage is tricky as the 2nd guessers will likely be screaming, as you try to to marginalize the impact of the foul, by allowing an attack to proceed, or a shot to be taken. Use the appropriate hand gestures and call out PLAY ON! once you have applied the advantage.

Each referee sets the bar or standard of acceptable feedback based on his or her strength of character, their present level of comprehension and understanding of the laws of the game. One can fully recognize the frustration of coaches, players, parents, fans witnessing the game management techniques of a center referee who, in their opinion or ( is it now considered a fact? ;o) is having a less than perfect game! Unrealistic expectations by those who look upon any referee officiating a soccer match as if we are to be perfect and yet steadily get better.

You will find in any soccer venue there will be varying levels of competence and skill displayed among ALL those who participate from the good or bad leagues and associations right down to the players, coaches, parents, other referees, spectators and fans alike.

'In the opinion of the referee', the much chanted mantra of our profession is an essential ingredient in the profile of a competent referee but will also form the basis for a less competent one as well!

Comments that reflect a referee's integrity and abilities are not always unjustified, whether they are appropriate or not is another matter. We must consider the source and type of comments if we are sincere in raising the standards of officiating but they should be presented in a format that is helpful to the league to deal with.

I use a great deal of humour to deflect rising emotions and useless chatter . In the middle of a rant just say , Hey number 9 blue are you coming to my house for Christmas dinner? You get a wtf?? look or a strangled reply of what are you smoking ref? Well you complain so much I assumed you were related to my mother in law and would there at the table?

Just be wary of stepping outside your comfort zone to engage in a verbal exchange some people are very good at it ! If we are to learn anything at all in our short time on this planet, we have to start hearing the right people, and tuning the wrong people out

When I ask an AR to concentrate on two crucial aspects of the LOTG I specify offside, 2nd last defender and Law 5 the referee to NOT let me screw up!

Yet the MOST important 2 items in the MATCH are
SAFETY of the players!
FUN for the players!

A referees knowledge, attitude and effort is DIRECTLY proportional to these 2 aspects of the match.

I will leave you with EEK


EFFORT
There is a reason why there is a physical aspect to being a referee :-) You can not call what you do not see. Players, coaches, parents, fans and pundits can possibly get over a mistake but they will destroy you with dissent if you if you fail to show heart and are so far away from play you have to whistle all the time to be heard!
ENJOY
Smile, not like a grinning idiot, but as one who appreciates that life is a gift, and that knowing laughter is the gift of life!
KNOW
the LOTG not just by reading them but by recognizing when they have been broken on the field of play. Know who did it! what to do with it, where to go to do it, when to do it and why you did it!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Ross
Referee are constantly berated that they listen to shouts / appeals and being influenced when making a decision. I hear this all the time even when the appeal is 100% correct and I'm not influenced.
Also communication between player and also with officials is part of the game. Now IMO there can be a fine line between appeals, unsporting calls and dissent. I personally have no problem with a team making appeals for say offside, fouls etc. I Ignore all of those shouts and make my own decision. I may make the call or simply shout ''Nothing there''. If the appeal continues then that gets into the dissent arena and I have to make a decision on that.
I also take a dim view of unsporting calls when some players just look for everything even when its 100% wrong. In those situations I will speak to the player about making blatantly wrong appeals or I might give the player a stern look. Some player just laugh and say ""Worth the try Ref" I might pay heed to an appeal from a player that I respect as being fair and sporting but I certainly have no time for the player that is trying constantly to unfairly influence my calls.
If the referee believes that the shout has been unsporting then he is entitled under Laws to caution the player and restart with an IDFK. I know some referees who award the IDFK only on the basis of the unfair shouting. That is incorrect in Law yet it does have an effect.