Welcome to the 46th 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; or 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.

THE REFEREE'S SURVIVAL GUIDE

A fantastic new referee book written by Jeffrey Caminsky has recently hit the streets in the USA. Young or old, raw beginner or seasoned veteran, 'The Referee's Survival Guide' provides answers to many of your problems on the field of play. Clearly written and easy to understand. The Referee's Survival Guide explains many of the "what's, how's, who's and why's" of life on the soccer field, as well as many of the things for a referee to avoid.

You can purchase the book via Amazon.com and it comes highly recommended by me - Julian Carosi.

To locate the book, go to www.Amazon.com and type 'The Referee's Survival Guide' into Amazon's search engine, or order it from your bookshop.

The ISBM number is: 978-0-9790106-0-6 By Jeffrey Caminsky, published by New Alexandria Press Livonia. www.newalexandriapress.com 

About the Author
Jeffrey Caminsky, a state referee emeritus, lives in Livonia, Michigan with his wife and family. In an alternate reality, he works as a public prosecutor in the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office in Downtown Detroit. In addition to his writings on soccer, the Law, and current events, Jeff has written a three-volume series of science fiction adventure novels, which will be released over the next few years by his friends at New Alexandria Press. 

http://www.newalexandriapress.com/book-soccer-referee-survival-guide-excerpts.html

Becoming a Referee
Soccer cannot thrive without officials, but taking a basic referee course entitles you only to take the field with whistle in hand. It does not guarantee success on the field, and often will not even prepare you for what you will face once the game begins. Whether refereeing a youth game or adults, there is more to being a soccer referee than knowing the rules and blowing the whistle, and you must face your on-field challenges bravely and honestly. In the first chapter of the Referee's Survival Guide, we see some of the traits that make someone a good official.

Blowing the Whistle
There is much for the officials to do before a soccer match can begin. Setting the proper tone for the match, organizing the paperwork, and preparing mentally for the challenges that lie ahead are only part of the referee's job, and one that few of the participants ever see. In addition, most accomplished referees have similar attitudes about the game and themselves, that help achieve success on and off the field. With a little effort, even the beginning referee can begin to develop the kind of outlook that can help, once the whistle sounds to begin the game. 

Personalities on the Pitch
In soccer, as in life, there is an endless array of personalities and temperaments, and part of a referee's training is preparing to deal with all of them. Knowing the various types of players can help, and many of those types are not only colourful, they can actually be quite amusing, as long as we manage to keep our sense of humour. 

Below is a small excerpt to whet your appetite for Jeff's brilliant book.

PERSONALITIES ON THE PITCH

THE ABUSER

The abusive coach is a real threat to referees at all levels of the game and must be dealt with severely.

The Abuser comes in many shapes and forms, and often takes great pains to conceal his identity. He may be unusually helpful during check-in, for example, explaining to the team the need to keep their shirts tucked in and their socks pulled up. Or he may seem warm and friendly when you introduce yourself, doing his apparent best to make you feel at ease. You will probably not realize his true nature until the first time a critical call goes against him. Then, the mask will come off, his true nature will become apparent, and he will start filling the sidelines with a running commentary about the kind of job the officials are doing that day:

• "What was that!!??? Where's the call, Ref?"

• "You've got to be kidding me!!!"

• "Ref - Ref!! What was that? Are you going to allow that?"

• "Hey!!! Can't you see that? It's right in front of you?"

• "Are you blind??? You've got to be joking!"

• "You've been letting that go all day, and now you're calling it on US?"

• "OFFSIDES!!! for crying out loud - now they're not calling offsides today!"

• Etc, etc, etc...

Abusive coaches are a destructive force on the game of soccer. Their actions encourage similar behaviour by their spectators and players, and are intended to achieve a single purpose to intimidate the referee into making calls that favour their team by making it unpleasant for the referee not to do the coach's bidding. They will feed on any weakness they perceive in the officials and will be relentless in their verbal attacks until they are forced to stop. The reason for the abuse is unimportant, and it does not matter whether the coach is unhappy at home, whether he was just passed over for a promotion at work, whether his parents criticized him unfairly when he was a child, or whether someone with a whistle ran over his cat when he was ten years old. Allowing this tactic to succeed not only undermines the authority of the officials, but turns the game from a contest of skill into a shouting match, and chases many referees away from the game before they have a chance to learn the art of officiating.

Once an abuser is identified, a referee should move quickly and fearlessly to remove the problem and allow the match to proceed without interference. The offender should first be told that his behaviour is unacceptable. If it persists, he should be duly warned about the consequences. And if it does not stop, he should be dismissed from the field.

Unfortunately, the reaction of many officials, particularly new, young officials who are not used to dealing with angry adults, is to shy away from a confrontation. But part of preparing ourselves to be referees is recognizing that this is one problem that will simply not go away by itself and will only get worse as the match progresses. If we remember that it is the referee, and not the coach, who controls the match - the referee, who can send people from the field - and the referee who will be filing the game report -  we see that any reluctance to take action on our part is either the result of our own lack of self-confidence, or our reluctance to confront a bully and make him back down.

Since all referees are human, this reluctance is understandable. But we must learn to overcome it, if we want to survive as officials.

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR REFEREES IN ENGLAND

Referee Questionnaire from the FA England: Ian Blanchard - 29 March 2007

Who do you support? What type of job do you have?"

These are just some of the questions in the referees new FA web based survey? We (the FA) want to know more about you the referee, what are your likes and dislikes, do you have a pre-match superstition.

This vital information will really focus on who our referees are today and we would be very grateful if you could spare a minute of your time to complete the questionnaire below. 

Thank you kindly for all you help in our research.

Ian Blanchard, Head of National Referee Development 

Link to the FA Questionnaire:
http://www.thefa.com/surveys/TakeSurvey.aspx?Surveyid=l2KL7m2

INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION BOARD (IFAB) MEETING

Criteria set down for goal-line technology experiments.

At its meeting in Manchester, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the guardian of the Laws of the Game, set down criteria for all future experiments involving goal-line technology.

Any proposed system seeking IFAB approval must meet the following four principles:

-The technology should apply only to goal-line technology
-The system must be 100% accurate
-The indication of whether or not the ball has crossed the line must be instantaneous between the system and the referee
-The signal is communicated only to the match officials.

The Board also received a presentation from adidas/Cairos and the FA Premier League on two different systems.

Among the other items discussed were:

- It was decided that the next IFAB Sub-Committee would establish a common protocol for dealing with injured players.
- The Board stressed that any pitch-side monitors should not be visible from the technical areas.
- FIFA raised the intentional use of elbows and presented the guidance to referees ahead of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. It was accepted that these guidelines should be uniformly applied.
- Artificial pitches should be green in colour. This will be integrated into the FIFA Quality Concept.
- A protocol for referees' communication systems was established, specifying that the system should only link the match officials, that it is not broadcast and that it is not recorded.

The Board approved changes to the wording of the Laws of the Game in the
following areas:

- Prohibiting any type of advertising on the ground within the technical area
- Any undershirts or undershorts must be the same main colour as the player's kit
- The player's equipment must not carry any political, religious or personal statements
- A reserve assistant referee may be appointed under competitions rules but would only become involved if one of the assistant referees is unable to continue
- A player may not celebrate a goal by covering their head or face by a mask or similar item

Under Any Other Business, the following issues were discussed:

- A proposal by FIFA for two additional assistant referees was referred to the IFAB Sub-Committee for further study.
- The wearing of a hijab is already covered by Law 4 on Players' Equipment.

The IFAB is composed of representatives from the football associations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as FIFA. The four British associations have one vote apiece, while FIFA, representing its 203 other members, has four votes, with any proposal requiring a three-quarter majority (i.e. six of the eight votes) to be approved. 

Further information from:
FIFA Media Department
media@fifa.org

NEWS from www.telegraph.co.uk: 

LAW-MAKERS APPROVE TESTING TIME FOR GOAL-LINE TECHNOLOGY By Andrew Warshaw, Sunday Telegraph (4 March 07)

The advent of goal-line technology moved a step forward yesterday when football's law-making body agreed to experiment with the Hawk-Eye system favoured by the Premier League that is now used globally in cricket and tennis.

Almost immediately, the system will be tested in at least one, as yet unidentified, Premiership academy - Fulham already has the relevant technology - with a view to its eventual introduction throughout professional football, ending decades of debate about whether the ball has crossed the line.

"This is a critical moment; there is a general consensus that this is the time to move forward," Brian Barwick, chief executive of the Football Association, said after the annual meeting of the International FA Board agreed four specific principles for goal-line technology. The main principle is for an instant signal to the referee to prevent the game being held up unnecessarily. "It has to be 100 per cent accurate; we are dealing with potential result-changing situations," he said.

However, Barwick said there was no chance of extending goal-line technology to other contentious issues, despite a number of leading managers calling for video evidence to be used to rule on matters such as offside decisions and diving.

Yesterday's move to allow the Premier League to lead the way came after a presentation to the IFAB by Keith Hackett, the referees' chief. "We had to convince them we had a solid base for our system coming to fruition," Hackett said. "Hawk-Eye has a great reputation. I would hope we could start trialling within weeks."

Although the French and Italians have been pressing ahead with their own separate methods, the Premier League's system has now jumped ahead as far as final implementation is concerned.

Frederic Thiriez, president of the French professional football league, was at yesterday's meeting and endorsed the Hawk-Eye system under which an image would be captured on computer and transmitted immediately to the referee.

Sepp Blatter, president of FIFA , wants to see goal-line technology in place by the end of the year, but his timetable will almost certainly prove too early.

Paul Hawkins, managing director of Hawk-Eye, said: "We will first test it in a non-live controlled environment; there are different challenges for football, where a lot more players are around the ball than in cricket and tennis. But the core fundamentals are the same. We will only have one chance at this, and have to get it right."

The IFAB also agreed to punish over-zealous goal celebrations; from July 1, any player displaying "political, religious or personal slogans" on T-shirts worn underneath official team kit should be cautioned, likewise any player who covers his face with a celebratory mask".

Controversially, the IFAB also backed a recent decision in Canada to ban an 11-year Muslim girl from playing in the hijab, the Islamic veil or headscarf.

GOAL-LINE DEBATE (18 March 07)

The Premier League is optimistic that its preferred apparatus for settling goal-line disputes - Hawk-Eye technology - will be the one to be adopted by Fifa.

"I can't see any reason why it shouldn't be," said Premier League secretary Mike Foster. "We know the FA are supportive."

Hawk-Eye, whose ball-tracking system is already used in cricket and tennis, faces competition from German sportswear giant adidas, who has developed a system which features a chip within the ball.

THE NEW WEMBLEY OPENS ITS DOORS

The new Wembley Stadium opened its doors to the public for the first time on 17 March 2007 when up to 60,000 local residents tested facilities at the £757million, 90,000-seater ground. Celebrities and former players took part in an exhibition match, in which former Crystal Palace striker Mark Bright scored the first goal at the new national stadium. The so-called 'community day' is the first of two ramp-up events necessary before a safety certificate is granted and Wembley can host the FA Cup final, as planned.

UKRAINE BACKED

FIFA president Sepp Blatter says a joint bid from Poland and Ukraine is his preferred choice to host the 2012 European Championship. Italy and a joint effort from Croatia and Hungary are the other bidders, but Blatter, on a visit to Kiev, said: "I hope that the Championship will be held here in Ukraine. I know that both of these countries have done a lot to merit staging the Championship."

MOANING MANAGERS, DON'T YOU JUST LOVE THEM!  (19 March 2007)

Blackburn Rovers (0) 1 West Ham United (0) 2

Howard Webb has justifiably earned a reputation as the man most likely to replace Graham Poll as England's top referee, but the south Yorkshire official's career path will hit a brick wall if his assistants leave him exposed to the blind fury he was subjected to from players, managers and supporters after West Ham's inexplicable victory at Ewood Park. In an era when mistakes, by players and officials, can cost millions, surely it is high time for the introduction of video technology. Without it, Webb and his assistant Jim Devine appeared incompetent after two ridiculous second-half decisions transformed a routine Blackburn victory into a potentially crucial three points for West Ham. A third crazy decision, when Webb dismissed Blackburn's David Bentley for handball after he had clearly been shoved off balance by Lucas Neill, summed up a day that left 101 holes in the argument against video replays.

The first blunder, when Webb awarded a 72nd-minute penalty after Carlos Tevez had tumbled to the ground following a fair challenge by Brett Emerton, was wrong on the basis that there was simply no contact. The second, four minutes after Tevez had scored from the spot, was the hardest to fathom. Webb and Devine had three reasons not to give a goal when Bobby Zamora's shot had gone through a packed six-yard box before hitting Tevez on the line. Despite a Lee Bowyer handball, Tevez standing in an offside position and then the Argentinian stopping the ball on the goal-line, the 'goal' stood.

Little wonder that Blackburn were incandescent. Manager Mark Hughes said: "I've always said there are natural breaks in the game where those decisions need to be correct, but if this doesn't get goal-line technology through, they'll never bring it in. This was an opportunity when technology would have cleared it up very quickly and we'd still be in a position to win a game we've actually lost.

"That decision could very well affect the future for ourselves, West Ham, Charlton, Manchester City or whoever is around the relegation situation. It's had a huge bearing on everybody's season."

Hughes, who described Devine as "not up to the job", was more restrained than Rovers defender Stephen Warnock, who said: "I think it's ridiculous. His [Webb's] performance sums up what we're up against with a lot of referees these days. The number of mistakes he made was shocking.

"They are supposed to be professionals earning a professional wage, but they feel that if they say sorry, it is admitting they've done wrong and they could lose a top game next time. But that's exactly what should happen.

"It was blatantly obvious that their second goal should never have been given. If the officials can't pick up on one of those things between them, you wonder what game they are watching, but they haven't played the game at this level, so don't understand it."

Christopher Samba's 47th-minute header appeared enough for a Blackburn win until later events secured West Ham's first away Premiership win this season. There were no apologies over the manner of their victory.

Zamora said: "It's just too bad for Blackburn. It's three points and we need them and I don't think anybody is concerned about how we have got them."

Southend United (1) 1 Leeds United (0) 1

Dennis Wise had his managerial skills praised by the Prime Minister last week during a visit to Leeds and if Tony Blair ever needs a Minister for Trouble, the former England midfielder would be the ideal appointment.  The Leeds manager was the centre of attention within five minutes of this relegation battle kicking off, drawn into altercations with a section of home fans angry at Wise’s pre-match description of Southend as a “cute little club”. 

And after 90 minutes of hell for the harassed fourth official, Wise was sent from the dugout by referee Nigel Miller — and initially refused to leave — after he protested rather too vehemently when Leeds were denied a penalty in stoppage time. David Healy had just equalised when defender Simon Francis clearly met a Leeds cross with his hand.   Miller pointed to the spot but, seeing a linesman’s flag, changed his mind to award a free-kick against Leeds. Steve Tilson, the Southend manager, claimed the official had told him the free-kick was for a push, of which there was minimal evidence, while Wise claimed he had been told it was for handball against his player. Miller opted not to clarify the situation to the press. 

Wise said: “I’ve had problems with him before. I told him I don’t want him as a referee again. I hope there was an assessor here and I hope they put him down a couple of divisions. It’s a disgrace.”

(Editorial Comment: It must be the end of season madness that Managers all suffer from. They should spend more time berating their players for missing passes and open goals instead of blaming others for their incompetence. Julian Carosi)

JEWELL PAYS FOR RANT AT REFEREE (23 March 2007)

Are Premiership managers out of control? 

It is not often that a manager publicly thanks the Football Association's disciplinary panel, and states his utmost respect for referees, after being fined £2,000 for a touchline rant. Paul Jewell, however, showed that manners are not dead in football after an appearance at Soho Square yesterday.   The Wigan manager had been slightly less polite at the Emirates Stadium last month when Phil Dowd ignored strong penalty claims when Emile Heskey was brought down, and then allowed to stand an Arsenal equaliser that had a suspicion of offside about it, at the same time as a Wigan player was waiting to re-enter the game. Jewell confronted the referee as he came off at the end of a game Arsenal had come back to win 2-1. 

In a statement after he was also given a two-match touchline ban, suspended for a year, Jewell said: "I'd like to thank the FA and the disciplinary panel for what I feel was a fair hearing. I am pleased that they have listened to my side of the story and taken on board my feelings, and I'm pleased with today's outcome. I always felt I had a strong case. I've had a lot of support from across the game these past weeks; from fellow managers, players, administrators, supporters, and last but not least, all the staff at Wigan Athletic who have helped me with the case. I have said all along that I have the utmost respect for referees and the difficult job that they perform."

In announcing the decision, during which he was warned as to his future conduct, the FA said Jewell's previous good disciplinary record had been taken into account. However, the aftermath of the incident on Feb 11 has not yet been put conclusively to bed. Jewell has until next Friday to respond to a separate charge of improper conduct and/or bringing the game into disrepute after comments made at his post-match press conference in which he described Dowd as "the worst referee in the Premiership".

At the time Wigan were in serious danger of slipping into the relegation zone - they have since won twice and drawn two other games to move six points clear of the bottom three clubs - and Jewell suggested Dowd might have cost them £50 million, his estimate for dropping out of the Premiership.

"Referees just do not realise the significance of football matches," he was quoted as saying. "Some of them consider it to be more of a hobby and they do not take it as seriously as we do as managers and players."

BLATTER CALLS FOR ACTION AFTER PITCH BATTLES (24 March 2007)

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has warned that "football is ill" and claimed brawling Arsenal and Chelsea players tarnished the image of the game. Blatter said the mass brawl in the Carling Cup final, and the even worse violence between Valencia and Inter Milan players in the Champions League, brought shame on football. He said he would raise the issue at the next FIFA Congress in May.

Blatter said: "We have come to a crossroads of football, our football is ill. I see more and more financial interests over-riding people in club football especially. Even in rich countries they are not capable of providing safe and comfortable stadia and I see that violence is everywhere, including inside the stadia. When you see what happened recently in big stadia, in the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, when highly-paid players got involved in fights, which was nothing compared to what we saw later in Valencia. There are many other examples I could mention. Where is football leading to if players are now at each other's throats? We must act."

GOAL KICKS

(A monthly extract from the brilliant book 'Soccerpedia' by my friend Andrew Ward. Arranged in A to Z format, this entertaining and authoritative book offers the chance to get to know the Laws of the Game and its history in detail. www.anovabooks.com  Publisher Robson . Publication Date 28 September 2006: ISBN 1861059833 
Size (h x w) 234x156mm Pages 368  Normal price £10.99 (approx. $20.35) Can be bought from www.Amazon.co.uk)

During a game in the late 1940s, goalkeeper Reg Allen (Queen's Park Rangers) took a goal-kick but miskicked the ball towards a Plymouth Argyle forward on the edge of the penalty area. Allen followed up and took a second kick at the ball, which was still in the penalty area. The players expected an indirect free-kick against Allen for playing the ball twice. However, the ball had to go outside the penalty area before it was `in play', so the referee ordered the goal-kick to be retaken (FIFA Referees' Committee 1947).

When defenders understood this rule, they realised that, if attackers threatened, they could step inside the penalty area and play the ball back to the goalkeeper before it came into play. There was no punishment and the kick would be retaken. Short goal-kicks also caused problems for referees and linesmen, who had to check that the ball had gone outside the penalty area. But the introduction of the backpass clause cut down on short goal-kicks (1992).

Manchester City full-back Bert Read once explained the way goal-kicks had been taken until 1936. Read was describing how City goalkeeper Charlie Williams scored from a correctly taken goal-kick at Sunderland (April 1900): `I picked up the ball, placed it, and then just lifted it with my toe into Charlie Williams' hands. He drove it plumb down the centre of the field. It bounced and bounced, each time, so it seemed, gaining speed. Porteous and Gow, the Sunderland backs, were taken by surprise. They got in each other's way and the ball sailed towards Doig, the famous Scottish international goalkeeper. He seemed to have it covered, but a sudden gust of wind swung the ball off his fingertips into the net.' ,
The goal-kick probably originated in 1866, when the defending side kicked out (except alter a goal) from within six yards of the  goalposts. The opposition were not allowed to approach within 6 yards of the ball. In 1913 the distance of opponents from the ball was increased to ten yards. Later, opponents were required also to stay 'outside the penalty area' until a goal-kick had been taken (1948).

The commonplace technique of flicking the ball into a goalkeeper's hands lasted until an IFAB decision in 1936: 'It is not permissible for the goalkeeper to receive the ball into his hands from a goal-kick by another player in order that he may thereafter kick it into play; the ball must be kicked direct from the goal area into play, and if not kicked beyond the penalty area the kick shall be retaken.'  This rule was extended to include free-kicks inside the penalty area (1937). One of the big questions at the time was whether goalkeepers or full-backs would take this new form of goal-kick.
The goal-kick law was changed in 1992 to permit goalkeepers to take goal-kicks from either side rather than the side on which the ball went out of play. This was intended to save some time. However, it meant that some goalkeepers then deliberately went to the farthest side in order to waste time. Referees issue a caution if they sense time-wasting.

The lawmakers have considered every eventuality. If a player kicks the ball over the goal-line before it has cleared the penalty area, the goal-kick is retaken. If the goalkeeper kicks the ball out of the penalty area from a goal-kick and the ball hits the referee and goes into the net, the referee should award a corner-kick (and learn how to anticipate the play).

Similarly, if the ball goes out of the area and the wind blows it back into the net then it should also be a corner-kick. Although the law was changed to allow a goal to be scored directly from a goal-kick in 1997, this applied only to the team taking the kick.

If a goalkeeper takes a goal-kick, the ball goes outside the penalty area, the wind blows it back and the goalkeeper knocks the ball into the net, then an indirect free-kick should be awarded against the goalkeeper for playing the ball twice before an opponent has touched the ball. But if it were a team-mate touching the ball into his own net, it would be a goal. These sort of events occur more often in matches involving children.

News from www.FIFA.com

FIFA Referees' instructor course (20-22 February 2007)

Following a review of the courses run in 2006, the focus of the referees' instructor seminar was a presentation of new instruction materials (text book and DVDs). A number of working groups developed practical routines, which were presented for demonstration purposes before implementation at FUTURO III seminars. For a number of years, football teams have been on hand at FIFA courses to help demonstrate routines in the real-life situation. A refereeing quartet has now been added as well, bringing instructional routines even closer to the competitive reality. A total of 36 instructors took part in the seminar, including several who have only recently ended successful refereeing careers, such as Urs Meier of Switzerland and Sweden's Anders Frisk. 

Fair Play key for Frisk and Meier 

Anders Frisk and Urs Meier were among the best referees in the world, each taking charge of many a vital match, including appearances at the FIFA World Cup™ and UEFA European Championships. Both are now retired, but the experienced pair currently belong to the FIFA instructors team, passing on their experience to young hopefuls at refereeing seminars. As members of a 36-strong group of qualified FIFA referee instructors, the pair were in Zurich for a workshop as part of the FUTURO III project, where FIFA.com caught up with the former top FIFA match officials.

FIFA.com: What are your impressions of the refereeing course?
Frisk: Actually, it's my first go at being an instructor. I'm extremely impressed at the work that's gone in to this course. The instructors of the future can look forward to many good things.
Meier: The most important thing is to expand your horizons, stop thinking only in regional or national terms, and think global. We all share a common language, so it's enormously helpful to be here, learning things together.

How would you rate the training facilities?
Frisk: Oh, I'd say ten out of ten.
Meier: If we were handing out hotel-style ratings, the facilities here really are seven-star.

What are your priorities as a FIFA instructor?
Frisk: We're making materials available to the entire world, all with an identical message, so that we apply the laws of the game consistently and even-handedly around the world.

What have been the biggest changes in refereeing over recent years?
Meier: The pressure and expectations have increased. You feel the pressure on referees growing with every passing year. There are more and more TV stations broadcasting shows about football and refereeing. On top of that, the game has become faster and more technically adept. And given the new generation of artificial turf pitches, I'm certain the game will be even faster a couple of years from now. That makes the referee's job even harder.

What in your opinion would represent a major step forward for referees?
Meier: I believe professionalism takes top priority. We need professional refs in the future. Next, we have to apply the same laws of the game worldwide. Some countries are following different rules. The laws have to be the same in every country.
Frisk: And that's exactly why we're here.

How would you go about persuading young people to take up refereeing?
Frisk: By talking about our experiences. Obviously, we've all had difficult moments, but you learn from those. However, the main thing for me is the positive side, spending time with your friends, being actively involved in football. If you love the game, refereeing is certainly one of the most interesting things you can do. And it helps you grow in your everyday life too.

What qualities do you need to be a good referee?
Meier: One of the most important characteristics is a strong personality. You need to like football and people, but the most important thing is to be open, and also show that you enjoy refereeing and being part of the game.
Frisk: Your attitude towards sport is important. You need to be a good communicator, and to be positive in your body language. That way, you earn trust and credibility from the people around you.
Meier: And you have to be honest, both with other people and also with yourself.

What was your most difficult match?
Meier: It was a UEFA Champions League qualifier in Zagreb between Croatia Zagreb and Newcastle United in 1997. Only one team could go through to the next round, and there was a huge amount of money at stake. That was a very tough match for me.
Frisk: In my case, it was the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup Final between Brazil and Mexico in Mexico City. It was a real challenge, coping with the pressure, but remaining strong and neutral. 
And what's your fondest memory?
Frisk: That same match, and also the EURO 2000 Final.
Meier: My first FIFA World Cup match in 1998. It was USA versus Iran at the Stade Gerland in Lyon on 21 June. Taking charge of a World Cup match had always been my personal goal - and then suddenly, there I was. It was a special match, a historic match, and a very special atmosphere. It basically just all came together. I even shed tears before the match, because it was the moment I achieved my greatest goal, reaching the summit of Mount Everest if you will. 

How do you manage to focus on the match in such an amazing atmosphere?
Frisk: That's what many people who've never refereed like to ask. You simply switch off. You forget the pressure and the crowd, although you're sometimes still aware of it all, because you're enjoying the atmosphere yourself.
Meier: The instant you've blown for kick-off, you forget everything going on around you. You just focus on the task at hand. 
What are the qualities you most admire about Urs Meier?
Frisk: We've been together at any number of tournaments and seminars. It's definitely something very special when you come across a guy who's so much fun to be with. You know you'll have a laugh, and you look forward to seeing him.

What are the qualities you most admire about Anders Frisk?
Meier: All I can do is repeat the above. I was unbelievably pleased for him when he was given the EURO 2000 Final. I didn't consider him to be a rival, he was a friend who'd made it, and I was simply delighted for him. We've never been rivals down the years, just very close friends. We had a wonderful time together.

At the FIFA World Cup for example, the referees are often described as the 33rd team. Is that correct?
Meier: Absolutely, without a doubt. Obviously every ref wants to take charge of the Final of a tournament. But it's always a fair competition. You do your best on and off the field, and then you hope they'll give you the Final. Whatever happens, Fair Play is the order of the day.


Referees' fitness course (27-28 February 2007)

For a number of years, FIFA has maintained a pool of fitness instructors for referees. Each confederation can nominate one expert who is available to continental associations and member associations as an instructor and consultant, and is tasked with implementing and monitoring newly-developed fitness tests at association level. Reports presented by the instructors indicated that a number of associations are using the new tests. However, it was also clear that certain continents could only provide the barest minimum of information, which is deemed as unacceptable by FIFA. Further topics at the seminar included implementing the new fitness tests in women's football, presenting results from the new FIFA fitness tests from FIFA competitions in 2005 and 2006, an open debate on fine-tuning the new FIFA fitness tests, a study on Injury prevention for referees and their assistants, and the presentation of a new timing system for the fitness tests. 

NEWS FROM www.UEFA.com

Referees meet in Rome: Monday, 5 February 2007

More than 90 of Europe's top referees are in Rome this week for the annual UEFA referee courses - an essential mid-season event which serves to prepare for the resumption of club and international competitions, and to introduce new international referees to their duties at top UEFA matches. The 15th UEFA Advanced Course for Elite and Premier Referees, and the 16th UEFA Introductory Course for International Referees, return to Italy for the first time in ten years from Monday to Thursday, and UEFA's hosts will be the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and the Associazione Italiana Arbitri (AIA). 

As with previous courses, the week in Rome will be used to look back on the first half of the season, in which referees have seen UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup and UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying action. UEFA's Referees Committee - comprising experienced former top-class European match officials - has created a DVD of various topics, using examples from the current campaign, which will serve as the basis for the course material and, subsequently, as a preparation tool for the forthcoming games. 

The élite and premier-category referees will not take a formal fitness test, but their levels will be monitored. In addition, Pierluigi Collina, the recently-retired Italian arbiter who is now a UEFA Referees Committee member, will share his experiences in tactical preparation and reading a game at the highest level - a vital prerequisite alongside peak physical fitness for the match official of today. 

Another important element of the programme will be assessment of the initial impact of the UEFA Referee Convention on referee education and organisation - introduced last year to promote the role of referees and improve the quality of match officials at all levels. Initial applications to join the convention by eleven member associations will be discussed by the UEFA referee officials in Rome. Click here to read the convention.

UEFA, as part of its wide-ranging referee development programme, considers it imperative that referees who are new to the international list are given the highest-quality briefing about what is expected. First of all, the new referees will undergo a fitness test at Rome's Stadio Olimpico, then attend theoretical and active discussions. The main purpose of the introductory course is to ensure that the newcomers have the proper instructions to apply the Laws of the Game in a uniform manner at UEFA games. 

Moreover, the new referees are instructed in off-field duties, and their conduct at the match venue and during their journey. Given that UEFA now insists its arbiters speak sufficiently good English to help them communicate on the pitch and in any correspondence with UEFA, the course will also include an assessment of the newcomers' English-language skills to enable them, for example, to fill in the referee's report form - sometimes the only source of match statistics for the UEFA administration and disciplinary bodies. 

The new referees will also be briefed on UEFA's organisation, the programme run by UEFA to nurture talented and young referees, and referee-specific training sessions. UEFA has worked together with Belgian fitness expert Werner Helsen for several years as this domain has increased in importance in the modern high-pace game. 

COMMUNICATION DEVICE - Update

Referees will continue using communication devices in the UEFA club competitions until the end of the season after positive feedback persuaded UEFA to extend their trial use in matches. Following reports from the 48 match officials who used the communication system during the first part of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup campaigns, UEFA's Referees' Committee decided to continue the testing period for the rest of the season. In June, the committee will review the situation and decide whether to employ this communication system in the longer term. 

"If this new technology can be of help for the referees, we will support its use," said Referees' Committee chairman Volker Roth. Committee member Pierluigi Collina spoke in positive terms about the electronic devices, which allow referees to communicate with their assistants and the fourth officials on the touchline. "This allows you to get another angle of vision," he said. "The referee can ask his assistant for a second opinion before making a judgment on a critical situation." 

Yvan Cornu, head of UEFA's refereeing unit, said of the new technology: "The use of the communication should not replace the regular eye contact within the refereeing team. And the assistants will still have to use the flags to signal any incidents." After their introduction by UEFA last term, the devices were employed at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and have featured also in some domestic competitions. For the majority of the referees, this season's trial has been their first experience of the technology and so the committee is keen to extend the testing before officially approving the introduction of the new technology. 

In their comments, the referees indicated the immediate communication and constant contact with their assistants as the biggest benefit. According to their feedback, the handling of incidents out of the view of the referee has also improved. In addition, they feel that using the communication system helps increase the self-confidence and motivation of the officials and gives an added sense of security. As a result, the arbiters feel their team work and co-operation have become better. 

Although most referees are happy using the earplugs and microphone, there were minor problems reported. Some officials felt their concentration was disturbed, while others were uncomfortable running while wearing the belt that holds the transmitter. There were also slight problems reported with hearing and balance while wearing the earpiece.

FITNESS

'First step' for new referees 

UEFA's new international referees were promised the full support of European football's governing body as they began their three-day course in Rome on 5 Feb 2007.  Addressing the 37 match officials gathered for the 16th UEFA Introductory Course for International Referees, UEFA vice-president Angel María Villar Llona said: "UEFA is behind you to support you in all your work." Villar Llona, speaking on behalf of the Executive Committee, underlined UEFA's commitment to "promoting the best refereeing in Europe" and told the newcomers: "We know you're doing a great job and we know how important refereeing is for football." 

"The first step at international level" was how UEFA Referees Committee chairman Volker Roth described this 16th Introductory Course. The referees, whose ages range from 26 to 39, were all added to the FIFA list of international referees on 1 January this year, having been recommended by their own national associations. The key activity today was the fitness test, which took place at the Stadio Olimpico. The referees became the first to take the new FIFA fitness test on a UEFA course as until this year the European governing body had used the Cooper test to assess the physical condition of its referees. 

Two parts
According to Professor Werner Helsen, a member of the UEFA Referee Instructor Panel, it is designed to examine the capacity for both "changes in speed of activity" and also "high-intensity runs". The two-part test began with sprints, with the referees asked to run six 40m sprints under 6.20 seconds. Next was the interval test, comprising 20 150m tempo runs, each within a 30-second limit. Between the runs, which combined to make ten full laps of the stadium, was a 35-second recovery walk of 50m. 

Of the 35 referees who did the test, all were successful in the sprints while 32 passed the interval test. Helsen said he would offer each referee training advice based on his results here. "We should be happy because it was the first time the new FIFA fitness tests were implemented in a UEFA course," he added. "These were 35 new international referees and in terms of the sprints all the results were great and also with the interval test we should be quite happy overall." 

YOU MUST BE JOKING REF?

1. A funeral service is being held for a referee who has just passed away. At the end of the service the pallbearers (players from the local football team) are carrying the casket out when they accidentally bump into a wall, jarring the casket. They hear a faint moan. They open the casket and find that the referee is actually alive. He lived for ten more years, officiating in many more local games, and then dies peacefully. A ceremony is again held at the same place, and at the end of the ceremony the pallbearers (the same players) are again carrying out the casket. As they are walking, the team captain cries out, "Watch the wall!"

2. Six players were kicking and punching the Referee. 
A spectator said to the Assistant Referee, 'Aren't you going to help?'
The Assistant replied 'No, Six should be enough.'

3. A football league club dance was in full swing, with the club secretary taking tickets on the door, when a stranger arrived and demanded entry.
"Tickets please Sir?"
"I haven't got tickets!" said the man. "I'm a friend of the Referee!".
"Get out of here," said the club secretary, "Whoever heard of a Referee who had a friend?"

4. Two Referees were sitting on bar stools having a drink or two after the game. The older Referee starts to insult the younger one. He screams "I slept with your mother!" 
The bar room goes quiet and everyone looks towards the two Referees,….waiting with baited breath to see how the young Assistant will react. 
The older Referee screams again. "I SLEPT WITH YOUR MOTHER!"
The younger Referee says:
"Go home Dad, you’re drunk".

THIS MONTH'S QUESTION and ANSWER TOPICS:

This month, we look at abuse that occurs after match day; the description of a tackle; when is the ball deemed to be under the control of a goalkeeper; and finally, the run-up to a penalty kick.

DEALING WITH ABUSE THAT OCCURS AFTER MATCH DAY

Question: Say you recognise the player from Team X, but do not know his name. Can you send in a report to the FA if that person is abusive to you days after the match? Am I right in saying that if you did, the club would then be required to name the responsible player? I was told a while back, that if a player shouts less than pleasant things at you, the day after the game, in town for example, you cannot then report it to the league/County FA as the player has become a member of the public.

Answer: The way to understand the relationship between the Referee and the Football Association (FA), is to think of the Referee (you in this case) as being the policeman of the game, and the FA the magistrates.

It is the Referee's duty to report to the FA, about anything at any time, that is related to his role as a Referee (whether it concerns yesterday's game or a game officiated last year!). In the same way, a policeman will report incidents whether he is on duty or not, or whether it is related to a crime committed yesterday or 10 years ago. The idea of reporting misbehaviour, is to punish the miscreants, and if they believe that they can do what they like outside of the immediate match day, then they have another think coming.

Once the incident has been reported, the responsibility for investigation and any punishment lies with the Football Association. The Referee can then forget about it, and carry on with his specific job as guardian of the game.

WHAT EXACTLY IS A TACKLE?
Definitions of 'tackle', by Julian Carosi

"Football is called football, because the ball is driven about with the feet instead of the hands." 
(Joseph Strutt 1801)

To gain position of the ball, a player must use his feet. The name given to this general manoeuvre is 'tackle,' i.e. a player tackles an opponent. In the early days of football rules, players were allowed to hack (deliberately kick) and shin opponents in an attempt to win possession of the ball, but these days, the art of tackling firmly incorporates factors that consider the safety of the opponent as paramount. The general idea, is that football should be played in an honest manner, rather than degenerate into rough play. And to do this, involves players using a fair weight of body, when going into tackles. 

A tackle, simply describes one or more methods of contesting for the ball. It is an attempt to dispossess an opposing player and gain possession of the ball, or to force the ball to go out of play. It is an action that prevents (or attempts to prevent) an opposing player from carrying out what they intend. In short, it is a technique used in an attempt to steal the ball from another player, by using the feet (yet it is possible for the goalkeeper to use his hands to tackle an opponent)!

When players execute a tackle, their intention should be to get the ball; it is not a half-hearted attempt to whisk the ball away, but is done firmly by use of the feet (normally the inside of the foot) blocking the ball. For a fairly straight head on tackle, the executor uses his weight of body (as far as possible) to follow through behind the ball, sometimes with a shoulder thrust forward to take any shock of impact. A tackle form the side, is done more by the feet alone, but again, the body does not hang back, otherwise the tackle is not firm, and more unlikely to succeed. 

A tackle sometimes used on wet ground, is called a sliding tackle, and great care must be taken, because if the tackler fails his attempt, he is left prostrate on the ground, and no use to his team for the rest of the movement. This type of tackle is used when no other is possible. When tackling from behind, the tackler can either hook his foot around the ball, or place his heel in front of the ball to block it. For safety reasons, Laws changes have sought to eliminate the tackle from behind, but it is still possible to achieve this if the move involves overtaking the player that is being tackled, or the manoeuvre is done in such a way, that there is no danger to players. For example, when two players are standing very close to each other. 

Other forms of tackles include; tackling with the foot off the ground; this may be dangerous, but not necessarily so. Tackling with two feet together is generally frowned upon, because it can be very dangerous if it is an uncontrolled attempt executed from a distance, as it certainly poses a large element of danger to the opponent. In 1897, the Law was amended by the words: "No player shall charge his opponent by leaping on him." This form of tackling is better known today as "intentionally jumping at an opponent", and is severely punished when committed. 

Tackles that are executed recklessly are punished with a caution (a yellow card), and tackles that use excessive force receive a red card (a sending off). Players committing tackles that are carelessly delivered, normally receive a stern telling-off from the Referee. Illegal tackles are punished with the award of a free kick to the opposing team. If a player attempting a tackle makes contact with the opponent before the ball, a direct free kick is awarded to the opponent (or a penalty kick if the action occurs inside the opponent's penalty area. 

The art of tackling concerns people who are willing to control themselves, and disciplined and guided by the spirit, which underlies the letter of the Law. And most tackles do not require external disciplinary action, or a break in the play to correct this. A tackle is an important part of the game of football, as the game cannot be played properly unless tackles are executed fairly and in accordance with both the Laws and their spirit. 

WHEN IS THE BALL IN A GOALKEEPER'S CONTROL?

Question: A goalkeeper is laid on the ground having made a save and clearly has a small part of his hand on the ball. An attacking player slides in and kicks the ball forcefully into the goal. Is the ball deemed to be under the goalkeeper's control - and what would be the decision with regards to the above incident? 

Answer: It is a Referee’s responsibility to keep the game safe, and this involves particular protection of goalkeepers who are much more vulnerable than outfield players.

Law 12 Decision No. 2 states that: "The goalkeeper is considered to be in control of the ball by touching it with any part of his hand or arms."

Possession is not determined by the amount of body mass that the goalkeeper has to use on the ball, in order for it to be in his possession. He can use one finger, two fingers, one hand, two hands or his whole body to gain possession of the ball. Therefore, a goalkeeper is considered to have possession of the ball if he has the ball trapped on the ground with as little as one (pinkie!) finger on the ball.

Another way of understanding if a goalkeeper can possess the ball by just using one finger, is to imagine the goalkeeper standing upright, with the ball at his feet, and one of his fingers pressing down on the top of the ball. This is possession, the same as if he was stretched out on the ground with one finger on the top of the ball.

The difficulty that the Referee has is in deciding the exact moment when a diving goalkeeper actually gains possession of the ball. This can be very difficult to define, when both an attacking player and the goalkeeper are stretching for the ball and make contact at virtually the same time. Considering the vulnerability of goalkeepers, Referees should err on the side of the goalkeeper when making these decisions. 

THE RUN - UP TO A PENALTY KICK

Question: When refereeing a game last weekend, I awarded a penalty for deliberate handball on the line and sent the defender off.

When the player took the penalty he took two steps, stopped, started again and scored the penalty. I made him retake it and he missed. His team lost 3-2 in a schools cup and they have appealed against my decision.

Was I right?

Answer: The official advice is shown below:

FIFA Questions and Answers Law 14 (Penalty Kick question No. 13 which states:

3. A player takes a penalty kick before the referee has signalled. What action does the referee take?
He orders the kick to be retaken.

FA Advice on the Application of the Laws of the Game booklet, Law 14 - The Penalty Kick chapter also states:

A player taking a penalty kick may try to deceive the goalkeeper as to his intentions and such action is allowed. This is quite different from "trickery", when the player stops his kicking action in order to make the goalkeeper move in one direction and then kicks it to the other. This is quite contrary to the spirit of the Laws and the player at fault should be cautioned for unsporting behaviour and the kick retaken if a goal has resulted. If the ball does not enter the goal, the referee stops play and restarts the match with an indirect free kick to the defending team from the place where the infringement occurred.

On a personal note, players are now testing Referees, by complicating their run-ups by adding in 'stops and starts' when taking penalty kicks. The run-up is meant to be one continuous movement, as it always has been. There is a great danger, that if Referees don't stamp down on these antics, it will become an unwritten accepted part of the game. 

Well done for making the player retake the penalty. I would have done exactly the same. (Julian Carosi).

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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