Welcome to the 35th edition of The Corsham Referee monthly International Football/Soccer Referees' newsletter. I hope that all of you continue to enjoy your role in the world of refereeing. Please let me have any contributions for the newsletter, as readers are always interested in hearing about Refereeing from around the world. Please let me know if you have any difficulties in receiving or reading the newsletter; and let me have any suggestions on how it can be improved. It is issued free by email in both html (web page format), and plain text format. Previous issues (and printable pdf versions) can be seen by using the 'Previous Newsletters' link on the home page of my http://www.corshamref.org.uk web site. This newsletter is issued approximately on the 1st day of each calendar month.

Keep up the good Refereeing work wherever you are in the world; and my best wishes go to you all. Editor Julian Carosi.

COUNTDOWN FOR 82 ASSISTANT REFEREES

On 31 March 2006, the FIFA Referees Committee announced the 23 referees who will officiate at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™. Their assistants - and those joining the seven referees in the new support and development group also involved in the World Cup - were tested for World Cup worthiness in Frankfurt/Neu-Isenburg from 18 to 21 April 2006. The 82 assistant referees from all six confederations - including Frenchwoman Nelly Viennot - were tested for physical fitness as well as for familiarity with and interpretation of the Laws of the Game.

44 aspiring referees, 23 (or 30, including the seven on call) of whom were chosen, were subjected to close scrutiny at the same spot in Frankfurt from 21 to 25 March 2006. Of the 82 current assistant referee candidates, the FIFA Referees Committee will finally select 60 in early May for World Cup duty. The 21 on call match officials (7 referees and 14 assistants) will be fully integrated into the team of referees for the World Cup. They will take part in all training sessions and meetings, and as such, they will be ready to spring into action at any time. They will also have the opportunity to gain crucial experience of a FIFA World Cup™. 

The burden of expectation weighs heavily on the Assistant Referee candidates' shoulders in Frankfurt/Neu-Isenburg, especially as "their" referees have already been chosen. Two or three assistants for each referee are attending the course. At least two of the three assistants intended for each trio must pass the tests or else the entire quartet will be disqualified from the World Cup and replaced by a refereeing trio from the support and development group. Germany 2006 will be the first FIFA World Cup™ to feature only refereeing trios from the same country, or at least from the same confederation. Well-rehearsed teams, according to the FIFA Referees Committee, react more quickly and accurately and will therefore improve the level of match officials' performances.

The Referees Committee had the particularly difficult task of whittling down the list of 44 prospective match officials to the final 23. When making their decision, the committee members evaluated the performances of the 44 candidates during FIFA competitions, continental championships and in national leagues over the past 18 months. The referees' performances at the two FIFA workshops in Frankfurt were likewise taken into account, as the match officials were subject to close scrutiny from 12 to 16 February 2005 and again from 21 to 25 March 2006. At the second workshop, the match officials underwent comprehensive medical checks as well as a fitness test. In addition, they all completed a psychological test, and members of the FIFA Referees Committee held interviews with the candidate referees.

During the course of the second workshop in Frankfurt, the referees were also brought up to speed on the interpretations of the Laws of the Game that were passed by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the custodians of the Laws, at its recent meeting. The IFAB stressed that at the referees and their assistants will have to follow these directives at the World Cup and clamp down on time-wasting, reckless play (including elbows and brutal fouls), shirt-pulling and simulation, all with the ultimate objective of protecting the players, and with it, the game in general.

"The 33rd team at the World Cup - the 23 referees who will be in action in Germany - are currently the best match officials in the world," said FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter. "That is the way it has to be as they will have a crucial role to play in this tournament, and great demands will be placed upon them." 

The 23 referees for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™:

Family Name: First Name: Country: Date of Birth 
ABD EL FATAH Essam Egypt 30/12/1965 
AMARILLA Carlos Paraguay 26/10/1970 
ARCHUNDIA Benito Mexico 21/03/1966 
BATRES* Carlos Guatemala 02/04/1968 
BUSACCA Massimo Switzerland 06/02/1969 
CODJIA Coffi Benin 09/12/1967 
DE BLEECKERE* Frank Belgium 01/07/1966 
DE SANTIS Massimo Italy 08/04/1962 
ELIZONDO Horacio Argentina 04/11/1963 
IVANOV Valentin Russia 04/07/1961 
KAMIKAWA Toru Japan 08/06/1963 
LARRIONDA Jorge Uruguay 09/03/1968 
MAIDIN Shamsul Singapore 16/04/1966 
MEJUTO GONZÁLEZ Manuel Spain 16/04/1965 
MERK Markus Germany 15/03/1962 
MICHEL Lubos Slovakia 16/05/1968 
POLL Graham England 29/07/1963 
POULAT Eric France 08/12/1963 
PRENDERGAST Peter Jamaica 23/09/1963 
RUÍZ Oscar Colombia 01/11/1969 
SHIELD Mark Australia 02/09/1973 
SIMON Carlos Brazil 03/09/1965 
VASSARAS Kyros Greece 01/02/1966 

* subject to the fitness tests that Batres and De Bleeckere must take and pass. 

Seven referees, together with their assistants, have been nominated for the support and development group:

Family Name: First Name: Country: Date of Birth 
AL GHAMDI Khalil Saudi Arabia 02/09/1970 
CHANDIA Carlos Chile 14/11/1964 
DAMON Jerome South Africa 04/04/1972 
GUEZZAZ Mohamed Morocco 01/10/1962 
MEDINA CANTALEJO Luis Spain 01/03/1964 
RODRÍGUEZ Marco Mexico 10/11/1973 
ROSETTI Roberto Italy 18/09/1967 

REFEREE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

UEFA is conducting tests over the rest of the season on a referee communications system - featuring an open microphone and an earphone - which allows the assistants and fourth official to communicate with the referee and vice versa, as well as to hear what is being said on the pitch. A full battery of tests are under way following a UEFA Referees' Committee proposal stressing the importance of them being carried out at the highest level.

UEFA said: "The referee communication system, aimed at allowing a quicker exchange of information, could be of help in several situations, such as substitutions, additional time, the identity of a cautioned player and fouls which occur out of the sight of the referee. The system is a closed circuit and will not be used in any way for television broadcast." 

The system is already used in France and Scotland, and depending on the results of the tests, UEFA will decide whether or not to extend its use for its leading competitions. "UEFA is in favour of technological help, provided it has no incidence on the fluidity of play and provided it could not undermine the authority of the referee," UEFA added. 

RUNNING ON PAVEMENTS.

Running According to recent research, pounding pavements is not bad for joints. A new study shows that rather than inflicting wear and tear, regular running protects vulnerable joints from damage and pain. A team from Stanford University's Department of Immunology and Rheumatology found that adults who run consistently can expect to have 25% less musculoskeletal pain and less osteoarthritis than non-runners when they get older. Overall, the benefits of jogging far outreach the risks. In a separate study, Swedish researchers found that moderate aerobic exercise, including jogging, helped to strengthen knee cartilage and improve knee function in people with osteoarthritis of the knee. The magic word is "consistency". Running consistently, the joints, tendons, ligaments, discs and muscles get used to the habitual pounding, and the body accommodates and copes with the demands. Provided there is no history of serious back injuries, it is never too late to take up running, but check with your GP first. The following hints to "Perfect Motion" are made by Malcolm Balk, co-author of The Art of Running:

* Focus your gaze 32yd to 55yds ahead. Keep your head straight, looking forward
* Don't allow the head to nod Paula Radcliffe style. The head weighs about 10lbs and tension will be created in the shoulders and spine if it moves too much on the run
* Keep neck and shoulder muscles loose so that the head extends gently forward to promote a
natural lengtheningof the spine
* Don't push your chest out as this tends to throw the head backwards. It will also tighten and
hollow the back, making it hard to breathe naturally
* Keep the wrists strong - runners mistakenly assume that floppy wrists mean a relaxed style, but it
creates unnecessary tension elsewhere as the shoulders are forced to tighten to pick up the slack
* Run quietly and lightly - pounding and foot-slapping are a sign that you are jarring your knees
and hips

(Melksham Referees' Society Newsletter April 2006)

NEW ASSESSING SYSTEM

New Assessors' marking system for Referee Levels 7 to 5 in England.

A new marking system for assessing referees at Levels 5, 6 and 7 started on 1 March 2006. The change heralds a competency based referee assessment scheme, which provides several benefits, both to assessors and those referees seeking promotion in the early stages of their career. The new scheme recognises the fact that a competent Level 7 referee seeking promotion to Level 6, should be able to display certain skills, such as 'facing play at all times' and 'dealing appropriately with dissent'. A referee seeking promotion to Level 5 should display an enhanced level of skill competence across all the seven key areas, such as 'remaining with the pace of the game' and 'dealing appropriately with mass confrontation'. The new marking scheme clearly identifies what key skills are required by each level of referee to progress. The scheme is also aligned more with the assessing system used for Contributory Level 3 referees.

A competence is a measurable recognised part of a referee's performance. For example, in the Application of Law area, a competent Level 7 should be able to 'differentiate between penal and technical offences', whereas a Level 5 would be expected to 'accurately deal with holding / pushing / pulling and or impeding offences'.

Having a list of standard competencies, will allow the referee to understand what is required to progress, as well as providing the assessor with a method of determining the referee's potential more closely against a clearly laid out criteria that can be measured. The introduction of the new scheme, also creates a career pathway for assessors, who can move toward a more senior level of football, depending upon the quality of their written reports.

The new marking system will allow a maximum overall total of 100 marks, covering the following seven areas. Each area allows up to a possible initial maximum of 5 marks to be gained for performance. The marks out of 5 for each area are then multiplied by a weighting factor (see weighting figures in the table below) to provide a final total mark.

For example, if a referee achieves a performance mark of 4 (out of a maximum of 5) for Alertness / Awareness, this figure of 4 would be multiplied by the Alertness / Awareness weighting factor of 3, to produce a total of 12 marks (out of a maximum of 15) for that area of the assessment report. Each of the seven performance areas of the report is similarly calculated, and totalled up by the assessor to produce a performance score out of 100. 

The new assessors' marking guide, listing the seven key areas, and showing the maximum points available along with their respective weighting factors is shown below:

Weighting
1. Application of Law X 5 (max 25)
2. Positioning/fitness X 2 (max 10)
3. Alertness/awareness X 3 (max 15)
4. Communication X 2 (max 10)
5. Teamwork X 1 (max 5)
6. Advantage X 2 (max 10)
7. Overall match control X 5 (max 25)

Each section of performance is marked out of a maximum of 5 marks (unacceptable to very good) and then multiplied by the X weighting factor.

1       2       3       4       5 
Unacceptable - to very good

An assessor will use his experience to determine the quality of the performance for each of the seven areas as outlined above, and then adjust each score by multiplying it by the respective weighting factor.

A referee achieving a total assessment mark of between 70-79, has given a performance displaying effective management techniques with good law application and control with the potential for the next level; whereas a lower mark, will mean that some work needs to be done before promotion can be considered. Each assessment report will be summarised with the provisioned of a maximum of three 'Strengths' and three 'Development Areas', which will enable the referee to focus on improving, or fine tuning specific areas of his performance. 

FA CUP REF REPLACED 

FA replace Cup final referee from the Wirral

Mike Dean has the ignominious distinction of being the first referee to be removed from a FA Cup final. Dean, a member of the Cheshire FA, lives in the Wirral, close to Liverpool, and, belatedly, the FA referees department decided this could compromise him when Liverpool play West Ham in next month's final. The FA have "complete faith in Dean's refereeing ability, integrity and impartiality", they said. "The fact he is from the Wirral might lead to comment and debate which could place him under undue additional pressure. The decision has been taken with the best interests of Mike Dean and the competition in mind." 

Alan Wiley, of the Staffordshire FA, who was Dean's replacement to officiate at the Millennium Stadium on May 13, will now take his place. Wiley was the referee for February's League Cup final in which Manchester United beat Wigan Athletic 4-0. The change is likely to have been decided by officials at the FA's refereeing department - Neale Barry, head of refereeing, Ray Lewis, chairman of the referees' committee, and the vice-chairman David Elleray. None of the three could be reached for comment. Traditionally, the identity of the FA Cup final referee is revealed after the semi-finals, but the choice of the Cheshire FA official was first revealed on April 7, more than two weeks before Liverpool and West Ham secured places in the final.

At the time, Dean said: "I'm absolutely ecstatic. It is every referee's dream."
Match officials must sign a disclaimer listing any team they support and cannot officiate in matches with those teams. Dean supports neither Liverpool nor Everton and has officiated in only one Liverpool game, against Sheffield United, in the League Cup, on Jan 8, 2003, and two Everton games, in the Premiership against Manchester United on Dec 26, 2003 and against Wigan on Jan 31 this year.

RACISM:: 

FIFA President Blatter, has appeared to go back on comments he made earlier this month in which he said that racist behaviour by fans at the World Cup would result in teams being docked points. "If it is on the field of play or on the technical bench or identified around the pitch then action will be taken," he said. "But the World Cup public is an international audience at every match and if you have some noises you don't know where they are sitting, and it can be difficult to identify who is responsible." 

BETTING:

FIFA, world football's governing body, have announced that every player, official and referee in the World Cup will have to sign a written pledge that they - and their families - will not bet on the tournament. In addition, a special 'early warning system' will see FIFA officials working with legitimate bookmakers to track any unusual gambling patterns.
Urs Linsi, the FIFA general secretary, said: "If we discover from the market that there are bets being placed on certain matches that are not going in a proper way, then we can act accordingly." 

Referees will also be given an eight-point list of the worst offences to crack down on, including diving, elbowing, over-the-top tackles, mass dissent and time-wasting. 

TOTTENHAM(1) v CHELSEA(1) 

Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager, and Tottenham midfielder Edgar Davids had to be separated by police in the tunnel after the stormy 1-1 draw at Highbury. Wenger had a head-to-head confrontation with Spurs manager Martin Jol during the game - the expletive-deleted version of what the Dutchman said is "please remove your face from mine" - after Tottenham failed to kick the ball out of play when Gilberto and Emmanuel Eboue collided immediately before the visitors' goal.

The last goal scored [on 22 April 2006] by a Tottenham player at Highbury could prove to be both the most famous and infamous of them all. A glory, glory moment for Spurs will be forever recorded in Arsenal folk history as an act of treachery. Whenever 'the Robbie Keane goal' is drunkenly debated in years to come, it will be remembered differently on each side of the north London divide, particularly if it is all that divides Tottenham from Arsenal in the Champions League race. The two managers traded insults and locked touchline antlers over it. Arsene Wenger accused Martin Jol of lying about it. On the field, it led to Edgar Davids being set upon by Jens Lehmann. Even up in the stately Highbury directors' box, suited and booted VIPs openly bickered about it. The legacy of a goal that broke no laws and no bones, and was no more than Tottenham deserved, could run into millions. Because of it, Arsenal's most direct route back into the Champions League is now to win it. 

For once, the referee did not get blamed by all and sundry. And yet, Steve Bennett's quick spot-check on the condition of the two Arsenal players who collided and went down as Tottenham headed for goal is the key to settling the controversy. If he had considered that either was in need of immediate attention, he could have stopped the game. Michael Carrick and Davids merely followed his lead and their instincts in playing on to set up Keane's simple finish, rather than kick the ball out to allow Arsenal to treat their wounded. Only Emmanuel Eboue subsequently required treatment, and he was able to continue. The whole incident was unfortunate, but Arsenal's reaction was unacceptable. Lehmann raced from his goal to join Robert Pires in hounding and haranguing Davids. Wenger confronted and accused Jol, who stood his ground in an unseemly clash of eyeballs.

Present Arsenal chairman, Peter Hill-Wood, is in no doubt that Tottenham's goal on Saturday 22 April 2006 against Arsenal was legitimate, never mind his manager's (Arsene Wenger's) accusation that Spurs cheated. Hill-Wood upheld three generations of sportsmanship by his family - following his grandfather, Sir Samuel, and father, Denis - with his view of the crucial incident. "In the heat of the moment, players tend to overreact," he said. "I believe that unless the referee blows the whistle, you carry on. He saw the collision. Players have become more gentlemanly than they used to be, kicking the ball out of play if someone goes down, but, as far as I could tell, Tottenham's player [Edgar] Davids was looking ahead, down the wing. I didn't feel that Tottenham did anything wrong."  Given that the collision was between two players of the same team and that neither was seriously harmed, it would, in my opinion, be a distortion of the concept of fair play for Spurs voluntarily to have halted. Arsene Wenger's angry reaction is fuelled by the importance of the match, by the financial elements of qualifying for the Champions League by overhauling Tottenham. 

There was another time when failure to halt play cost Arsenal dearly, but in 1952 the financial implications were less severe. With only minutes remaining against Newcastle in the FA Cup final, Arsenal, already reduced to 10 men with full-back Wally Barnes injured, were further handicapped with Don Roper on the ground needing treatment. With captain Joe Mercer pleading to no avail with the referee to stop play, Bobby Mitchell swept through to present George Robledo with the only goal.

In his condemnation of Tottenham, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger claimed that "the rule is for play to stop". It is not. It is a voluntary convention that has arisen, increasingly in recent years, prompted as much by players' concern for each other's physical well-being and capacity to earn millions, as by any altruistic sense of sportsmanship. Twenty years ago players would kick the ball into touch, in the absence of the whistle, only if another player was clearly hurt. If the referee summoned the trainer, play restarted with a bounce, rarely seen now. The situation is complicated by contemporary behaviour, with players often feigning injury, specifically to cause play to be halted, thereby further confusing already harassed referees: perceived sportsmanship being invoked by bad sportsmanship. 

STARTING YOUNG

While many youngsters set their sights on becoming a professional footballer, one Hampshire schoolboy wants to make a name for himself in another capacity. Eleven-year-old Andy Misselbrook, from Gosport, has already created a big impression locally thanks to his wealth of knowledge. He is following in the footsteps of his dad, Mike, a Sydenhams Wessex referee, who has been officiating since 1974. “Andrew’s been coming along to my games for about three years now,” Mike says. “First it was because he wanted a late night, so he didn’t have to go to bed too early! However, at his junior school he refereed games involving youngsters between the ages of six and nine during his dinner-times.

“He’d give out red and yellow cards, and then he’d have to go and tell a teacher who he had shown the cards to and the school had a system of punishments. If you got a red card, you couldn’t play for a week – things like that. “Andrew was helping the players learn the rules, and I’m sure they learnt from him as the school team went unbeaten last year!”

Mike is willing to give up his passion for refereeing in order to help his son. “I will give up refereeing Sunday football when Andrew passes his exams and starts refereeing youth games,” he admits. “I will mentor him all the way through as I would love to pass on my knowledge to him. “He dreams of becoming the next Rob Styles, and in 15 years time it would be nice to think he would be well on the way. It might well be that he follows in my footsteps, but if he doesn’t want to do refereeing in the future I will respect his wishes. However, he’s madcap about it at the moment.”

Andrew meanwhile, has no illusions about his aim. “I love football and all I want to do is referee like my dad,” he says. Full backing and support has come from Ian Blanchard, The FA’s Head of National Referee Development. “Andrew appears to possess some of the key attributes we look for in a young and up and coming referee,” he points out. “He obviously has great enthusiasm for the game, a desire to learn and in-built courage to referee, as well as having a thirst and vision to progress.

“With a lot of hard work and motivation I certainly hope that Andrew reaches the same heights as Rob Styles.”

FIGHTING IN SAO PAULO (REUTERS) 17 Apr 2006

Palmeiras and Cerro Porteno could face disciplinary action after their players were involved in a huge brawl during a Libertadores Cup tie last week, the South American confederation (CSF) said on Monday. 
The fight, involving nearly all the players on the field, delayed the start of the second half of last Thursday's tie in Sao Paulo for nearly 10 minutes.

"It was all very unfortunate and, of course, the Confederation deplores this sort of anti-sporting conduct," CSF general secretary Francisco Figueredo told reporters.  "Cerro and Palmeiras do not have matches this week which gives us more time to consider sanctions, which could be against the players or against the clubs."

Paraguayan champions Cerro won 3-2 but still failed to qualify for the last 16. Brazil's Palmeiras had already qualified. The players pushed and insulted each other while leaving the pitch at half-time but the real trouble broke out when they returned for the second half. Bolivian referee Rene Ortube sent off Cesar Diaz of Cerro Porteno and Douglas of Palmeiras, the pair began fighting and the other players joined in, aiming karate kicks and punches at each other.

Figueredo criticised the referee, who failed to send off the other players involved in the brawl. "The referee's mistake was unfortunate and so was the attitude of the players," he said. Cerro Porteno said their problems started when they arrived at Guarulhos airport. They said they were kept in a room by federal police after complaining about the long immigration queue. "We were badly treated from the moment we were in the airport," said coach Gustavo Costas. "They tried to arrest (striker) Erwin Avalos for no reason whatsoever, but we showed group spirit and stayed with him.

"They threatened to send us straight back to Paraguay," he added.

SPANISH REFS CALL OF STRIKE ACTION (REUTERS) 30 Mar 2006

Spanish referees called off a strike that threatened a weekend's league matches after football authorities guaranteed immediate payment of overdue salaries. The referees said they would strike if they were not paid their outstanding salaries for the last two months. The Football League (LFP) and the Spanish Football Federation, involved in a long-running power struggle for the control of Spanish football, blamed each other for the situation. The dispute was eventually solved when the LFP agreed to pay the referees via the federation.

SNIPPETS FROM MAL DAVIES' MARCH 2006 NEWSLETTER

REFEREE GETS HIS OWN BACK
In the Bosnia-Herzegovina quarter-final 2nd leg between Sarajevo and city rivals Zeljeznicar, the referee, Duro Pekija, disallowed a Sarajevo goal and then turned down an appeal for a penalty kick for them. Home team players surrounded the referee who surprised everyone by punching one of the protestors, Samir Saric, in the face. A number of players, led by Muhamed Draknic, then started hitting Pekija. The match was abandoned with the score 0-2 on aggregate and later awarded 0-3 to the visitors. Both Peija and Draknic were given 6-month bans. 

TEETHING PROBLEMS
43 year-old Scottish FIFA referee, Stuart Dougal, refereed the Palmeiro v Brondby UEFA cup-tie. During the game, he somehow lost a denture containing 4 false teeth! After the game he, his two ARs, and 3 stadium officials staged a floodlight search in vain and he had to return to Scotland minus 4 teeth. 

CHINA: 
Ljubisa Tumbakovic, Serbian coach of Shandong Luneng, was suspended for 6 months for manhandling an Assistant Referee. Their Bulgarian defender, Predrag Pozin and Zheng Zhi were banned for 18 and 6 months respectively for spitting at and verbally abusing Iranian referee Mohsen Ghahremani. 

COLLINA: A LAZIO FAN
'World Soccer' magazine's 'Referee of the Year 2005' was Pierluigi Collina. The 46 year-old retired referee revealed: "Now that I'm no longer a referee, I can tell you that I support Lazio. As a little boy, I followed Bologna, but then I warmed to Lazio. Yet in the first 10 Lazio games I took charge of, they didn't win one."

FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOLPLAYER FACES CHARGES FOR REFEREE ASSAULT
Florida, USA, 8th February - Brian Weaver, 18, a Pine Ridge High player was arrested after he had punched referee Daniel Griffen during a playoff game the night before and is one of the first athletes in Florida to be charged under a two-year-old Law that protects sports officials. The Law, which also applies to pro, college and youth-league officials, elevates what previously would have been a first-degree misdemeanour to a possible third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison. In addition, FHSAA rules state Weaver faces a maximum six-week suspension from athletics for "gross unsportsmanlike conduct."
It was alleged that Weaver shouted an obscenity and made an obscene hand gesture toward Griffen, who responded with a red card, ejecting Weaver from the game. According to the police report, the player yanked off his jersey and struck the 48-year-old official with an overhand punch. Weaver continued to chase Griffen and swing his shirt at him until another Pine Ridge player pulled away his team-mate.

GOALKEEPER SAVES REF'S LIFE
Salford, Greater Manchester 13th February - A goalkeeper who failed to save a penalty during a match ended up saving the referee's life. Referee Ian Brown collapsed with a heart attack during the match between Salford Victoria and Burnage Metro. Mathias Franklin, a former lifeguard, gave Ian the kiss of life before he was taken to hospital. Ian said: "He saved my life." Mathias added: "I did what I had been trained to do." The Sun

BOLTON PRAISES REFEREE
Sam Allardyce (the Bolton Wanderers manger) reckons the chances of finding a replacement for top ref, Dermot Gallagher in England, are as remote as unearthing another Wayne Rooney. Although famed as one of the fiercest and most vocal critics of referees, the Wanderers boss appreciates a good one when he sees one, and Gallagher clearly rates incredibly high in that category. However, Gallagher the Oxfordshire official must quit at the end of the season, because he has reached the retirement age of 48 a rigid system which Allardyce roundly condemns.
"We shouldn't lose a referee just because he's 48," he said. "Not if he can pass all the fitness tests and do everything he needs to do. The system is blocking a referee who just can't be replaced at this moment in time. We've had some good referees emerge, like Howard Webb and (Mark) Clattenburg, but finding a referee as good as Dermot Gallagher is like trying to pull another Wayne Rooney out of the hat."

Meanwhile, Allardyce had no qualms about under-fire ref, Phil Dowd, taking charge of the Reebok clash with Chelsea.
The Staffordshire official was the target of a savage verbal attack by Wigan manager, Paul Jewell, after a recent Premiership game at Blackburn, and was mysteriously taken off the Manchester United-Arsenal game last weekend. Nevertheless, the Wanderers boss endorsed his Reebok appointment.
"I can only judge him on the many games he has refereed this season and I can see he has grown as a referee," he said. 
"He's experienced enough and he knows what to expect of sides at the business end of the season. He's had the best season he's ever had."

DIVING CATCHES ON  Brian Barwick, FAs Chief, talks about diving.

Last Saturday I went to watch a schoolboy match in my local area. At one point, a young lad picked up the ball on the half-way line, beat five players, and slammed the ball into the top corner. He then celebrated what was a breathtaking goal – the best I’ve seen this season - by removing his shirt over his head. It was a special goal, fitting of a higher stage, with a celebration copied directly from the top end of the game.  It also reminded me of how often what happens in elite football, good and not so good, is then copied in the park. 

A hot topic currently raising its head at the top end is diving. While I don’t believe that diving is currently a significant problem in parks football for example – there’s not much tolerance for that sort of behaviour – we can’t be complacent. Perhaps diving is a reflection of the high-stakes in the modern professional game, but players at the top level have a responsibility as role-models towards the millions of fans and amateur players who follow and sometimes copy their every move on the pitch. 

No-one wants to see diving in the game. It’s cheating the referee, fellow players, the fans, and the game itself. In this multi-camera age, offenders are being found out and in many cases subsequently vilified. While I believe talk of an epidemic is exaggerated, it is nevertheless a concern. 

The FA has led discussions with the PFA, LMA, referees, and leagues on this issue and I’m delighted with how seriously they are taking it. The first meeting took place at Soho Square earlier this month and more will follow in the coming months. We worked together last summer on confrontational and abusive behaviour towards referees and have a shared responsibility to protect the integrity of the game. We are also taking the debate to FIFA. 

There is a definite need for close co-operation and self-policing. Everyone in the game has to take personal responsibility if we want to get rid of diving. It is essential that managers, players and clubs are closely involved as they are the ones who suffer the most directly from it. It is about players cutting it out of their game, managers refusing to tolerate it among their own players, referees spotting it and punishing it when it happens, and governing bodies supporting them. 

Referees have a difficult job, we all know that. Some players are highly skilled at going to ground under no or little contact. Sometimes players simply jump out the way of a challenge, sometimes contact is difficult to assess. The referee’s task is not helped by players waving imaginary cards, trying to get other players booked or sent off. 

I have spoken to Keith Hackett who has told me that he is working with his officials to improve the detection of diving and referees are getting closer to incidents in order to get a better viewing angle.The number of bookings for simulation – diving - has gone up substantially this season. We need to give referees confidence in making these difficult decisions. They have to make split-second judgements on incidents happening at top speed, without the benefit of replays from different angles which is afforded the armchair viewer. 

The FA’s powers to deal with diving retrospectively are limited, largely due to FIFA’s reluctance to agree to measures that could be seen as re-refereeing games. As a result, we cannot take action on incidents that the referee has seen and dealt with at the time. We can only take action on incidents which the referee doesn’t see. However, we are in on-going discussions with FIFA on retrospective disciplinary action, and have raised diving as a priority area where video evidence could be used. 

We also stressed the need to tackle the issue at a recent meeting with FIFA and insisted that clamping down on diving be made a priority area at this summer’s World Cup. I have seen the suggestion raised that diving should be penalised by a red card. This would require a major change to the Laws of the Game, which are universal and cannot be amended without FIFA’s support. Neither The FA nor any other national association can unilaterally change the Laws of the Game. In any case, a clampdown on diving would require a worldwide approach: it is not a uniquely English concern. 

English football traditionally has an international reputation for fair play, for a refusal to cheat. We need to ensure that players like the young lad I watched last weekend take inspiration from the professionals for their skill, technique and athleticism alone, not from the ability of a minority to deceive the referee and their fellow players. 

THIS MONTH'S TOPICS:

This month, we look at two-footed challenges again, Kicks from the Penalty Mark, abandoning matches, and hard surfaces. 

Let me have your thoughts on this month's topics. Regards Julian Carosi

I hope that you have enjoyed this issue of the newsletter, and that you are all continuing to enjoy your refereeing roles.  All the very warmest wishes to you all, wherever you are in the world.

Regards, Julian Carosi (Newsletter Editor):

Disclaimer: The content of this newsletter is not sanctioned by or affiliated with any governing body of soccer. The opinions expressed here are sometimes those of the Corsham Referee webmaster and the readers, or from other media sources. Reference to the male gender in this newsletter is for simplification only, and apply to both males and females. All rights of the current Laws mentioned in this newsletter are reserved by FIFA, and they are the official laws of the International Football Association Board. The Editor is not obliged to publicise unsolicited manuscripts or photos.

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