Question Number: 17998

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 11/25/2007

RE: Junior Adult

Kevin Ferguson of Winchburgh, West Lothian Scotland asks...

Why is it the majority of referees feel the need to clamp down more severely on dissent/foul and abusive language than on dangerous tackles?

Countless times this season, my own team (through lack of discipline and frustration at refereeing decisions) have been punished for arguing the fact that they have been on the receiving end of a terrible tackle.

I have no problem with the refereeing cautioning players for dissent/foul and abusive language but surely it would be more sensible to clamp down on dangerous tackles.

Your thoughts would be of my interest.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

It is actually easier for a new, and consequently inexperienced, referee to sell a booking for dissent or offensive, or insulting or abusive language and/or gestures than it is to develop foul recognition skills. Believe it or not the last thing a referee develops is the difference between deliberate handling and the ball hitting the hand or arm. Very close behind are the nuances of an unfair challenge for the ball.

Kevin refereeing is the only profession where perfection is expected from the outset, with steady improvement thereafter. Remember when you were first learning skills as a footballer? Think of that in the referee's development, he has to start someplace and that usually is in the park just after passing the entry examination. He's a new guy with skills learned in the book, he needs to gain experience on the field with actual things happening and to make mistakes. He learns by those mistakes just as you learned as a young lad. It is easy to pick up a player in his face complaining about something or another. Why let him learn that skill and take away from his learning the stuff that will better protect you and your mates. Like recognising the terrible tackle?

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Kevin, perhaps this referee could benefit from a referee assessor's visit? You could ask whoever assigns your referees about this, and mention your observations regarding lack of foul recognition and safety. All referees can benefit from neutral assessment, and more yet from educated assessment. And Ref Fleischer is spot on about the ease of cautioning or sending off for language, and the difficulty of learning when a tackle is not only unfair, but delivered with force sufficient to add a card of some color. Yelling at the referee on the field will only make matters worse - perhaps after the game, you could ascertain how long he's been refereeing, and temper your judgment accordingly? Referees aren't pulled off a shelf, unwrapped and then ready to go, ya know - we need some time to get up to speed, and each skill level in soccer is a different speed.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Kevin,
No one disputes that good foul recognition by the officials could help to diminish the dissent or abuse where players or coaches feel they were unjustly accosted by the opponent and the referee failed to see it their way.

We often repeat here that a referee must be accepted as a match condition whose skills or lack of, reflect the reality of how a game is understood when we use the words *FAIR PLAY* As a concept it must be ALL the participants who buy into the game as a FAIR contest. Competition is occasionally tainted by the need to win as opposed to the desire to play.

A referee is a neutral official. He is not perfect, only an arbitrator of justice based on what he sees and what he knows. Like a good player, a good referee takes time to develop his or her skills. 50% of those watching will disagree with almost any close decision made by a referee. Granted some calls are obvious and only a small grumble will be heard from a few. Usually more in why did the referee not make that call earlier when the other team did it!

It falls upon a league and those involved to teach and reward the efforts and actions of those who try to do the right thing and work hard to better the experience. A referee requires feedback from mentors, assessors, colleagues, coaches and players and must stay receptive to the spectators and parents not to obey or think they are right but to understand the passion and emotion are challenges to control not a personal attack.

Prerequisite training and ongoing physical and mental exercises to focus, make better choices on positional and mechanics. ?Man who makes few mistakes does very little but a man who repeats his mistakes benefits not from the wisdom of experience?. It is up to the coaches and players to respond with creative and useful feedback not just gripe that the referee is not seeing the game or situations correctly.

Experience is useful only if the application of what is learned is used to get better. Perfect practice makes perfect. Not doing something wrong over and over until you are memorized into an outcome that is incorrect but inescapable.

It is a myth that input from coaches and players is to be discounted when we assess a referee?s performance. Many coaches and players referee themselves and can offer useful input. Yes some is biased and perspectives are certainly tarnished by the desire for outcome. But successful monitoring requires ongoing and consistent data collection that shows trends! It could highlight a misapplication of law or improper conduct by the referee but the teams, players and coaching staff must understand the reasonable conduct is a term that always applies to each game ESPECIALLY when the referee is in too deep.

I have approached an opposing coach and offered a suggestion that the referee is too lenient we need to talk and calm our kids and accept the decisions but try not to unjustly foul the crap out of each other. If we BLAME the referee because our players foul the crap out of each other is not our responsibility to teach our players to not place an opponent at risk?
If a referee is too timid to act because he is unsure or so stubborn he is immune to seeing tough contact as unfair. The overall atmosphere we as player , coaches parents and fans place upon his actions tend to further drive those characteristics home rather than mitigate their consequences. It is up to us to see those referees who do suffer issues are given help and guidance not just dissent and abuse.

Kids FEED upon our own actions when we are the coach or parent . We get upset they get upset, we think the referee is a bone head they think he is a bonehead! .In a youth match I cautioned a u-14 girl who argued the decisions of me not awarding a dfk for the ball hitting an opponents arm because the coach was venting how this must be called. In this case I had warned the coach earlier to be less vocal on dissenting/venting in public cbut he continued to quietly say things in front of those he was supposed to set an example and griped about the non foul events. (This was explained to me by some parents later) After I cautioned the young lady I walked over to the coach and told him straight up this young lady is dissenting my calls because of your perspective. She tells me that you are still telling them I am incorrect. In fact sir you are clueless about how and what and when and why the foul of deliberate handling is to be called. I strongly suggest you agree to disagree and refrain from further inflammatory comments. I can educate you after the match and explain but you will stop this conduct or choose a seat in your car in the parking lot!

In your situation I have been there! I referee BECAUSE I could not stand to watch those referees who seemed to think the safety of those playing was an arbitrary whim that seemed to have no rhyme or reason. I coached and was upset at how the referee could be so dense. As a referee I now look over at the coach and think the same thing, irony in there somewhere Yes? Perspective and opinion are what they are. Be they correct incorrect or somewhere in the middle the important thing is lets get input from all to make things better and fix it, not just point the finger!
Cheers