Welcome to the 50th edition! of The Corsham Referee monthly International Football/Soccer Referees' newsletter.

This newsletter is issued free, and 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 all of you. Editor Julian Carosi.

'SET PIECES' - DAB TEARS DRY. 
Some 'cautionary' advice by Julian Carosi.

In the last newsletter, I described how a game of football/soccer consists of many - what can best be described as 'set-pieces', or jigsaw puzzle pieces that add up to form the whole 90 minutes. Each 'set-piece', if successfully managed, will result in the referee maintaining control. One of the first aims of every referee should be to master the 'set-piece' basics by using 'best-practice' techniques. Once the standard 'set-pieces' have been mastered, the players' confidence in the referee will rise, and they will then more readily accept those awkward (non-set-piece) match-changing decisions, which seem to crop up in nearly every game. And the referee will feel more confident, in the knowledge that at least he has a structured way to deal with the majority of incidents in a game of football. 

In this article, we add to the previous ideas on how to manage set-piece throw-in situations, by encouraging you to think about an ordered way to deal with issuing yellow and red cards. These ideas are not prescriptive; rather, they will hopefully encourage you towards adopting a consistent approach to match your own style of refereeing. For ease of recollection, I have used the acronym, DAB TEARS DRY; of which the TEARS element is sourced from the 'Use of red and yellow cards' paragraphs contained within the excellent FA booklet in England, 'Advice on the Application of the Laws of the Game', which you are all encouraged to refresh yourself with from time to time. You can find the booklet on the http://www.corshamref.org.uk web site via the 'Site Map' link under 'FA Booklets'.

To begin with, let us look at what needs to be done (DAB) before we confront a player.

Decide: Yellow or Red? 
When an incident occurs, the swiftness of your decision-making will add credibility to the growing respect that you receive from players as the game progresses. This requires you to stop the game quickly when you have to. When a disciplinary incident occurs, there is generally no need to immediately communicate whether a red card or a yellow card will be issued, or whether you only want to deliver a public warning to the perpetrator. There will be times in your career when your immediate thought to issue a yellow card, will change to a red card, or maybe just a public warning, depending on the reaction around you, and the few seconds of reasoning time that you have before communicating your final decision. In short, don't dismiss 'out of hand', the surrounding factors of an incident, such as the type of game being played, the reaction of the participants, or the intent of the challenge etc. These are all things that you can (and should) contemplate during the intervening seconds between stopping the game, and confronting the perpetrator with your eventual decision. 

Of course, there will be the odd occasion when a quick show of a yellow card will be needed to prevent further trouble, but these should be few and far between, and easy enough to decide due to the potential escalation that may occur. Referees operating at International and some National levels have the option to show red and yellow cards immediately after offences, but only in exceptional circumstances such as to defuse a possible flashpoint or to prevent an act of retaliation.

Assertiveness: 
To maintain control in a game, a successful referee needs to be 'assertive' when dealing with confrontation. The first element of assertiveness recognised by players during an incident, is the swiftness of your decision-making (as mentioned above). The second element will be how far away you are! Assertiveness involves, projecting a balanced, authoritative stance, via confident communication in terms of whistle, body language, brave positive eye contact and oral instructions. Assertiveness is a subject in its own right, so there is no intention to cover it in depth here. Suffice to say, that when you have to deal with an incident, your level of assertiveness needs to rise in tandem with the severity of each offence. It's no good blowing a feeble whistle when WORLD WAR III is about to commence, or whispering frail instructions when the No. 7 LOUDHAILER is running the show, or looking sheepishly at the ground when the BULGING EYE SOCKET goalkeeper is trying to laser you up into row Z of the stands! Be brave, be polite and be assertive.

Becalm yourself and the perpetrator: 
When an incident occurs that requires disciplinary action, try to factor in a time delay before confronting players. This serves to cool down tempers, and also allows you some thinking time to gather your thoughts. It also provides you with a few seconds to calm down if needs be. Look around for a suitable place to isolate the perpetrator; usually away from the fray and with your back to one of the touchlines. This allows you to also keep an eye on the other players at the same time. Use an assertive whistle and calm low hand and arm signals to beckon the player into position. Supplement this with polite vocal instructions if required; e.g., 'Can you come over here please No. 7.' 

Guide the player to where you want him. Shoo all the other players away, using vocal and arm signals of a strength that match the intensity of the approach. Allow a few seconds of time for any 'steam' to subside before disciplining the perpetrator. In summary, there is generally no need for you to immediately confront a perpetrator, as this will nearly always inflame a situation. Instead, take a few seconds of time to isolate yourself and the player. Referees use this simple manoeuvre worldwide to very good effect. You may find it useful in your disciplinary procedure. 

Now that you have the player in position, use the approved Football Association (TEARS) sequence expanded below:

Tell the player that he is being cautioned: 
Once you have positioned the player where you want him, keep eye contact, and inform him of the punishment that he is about to receive. Use a few simple words to the effect of, 'That type of tackle is unacceptable in this game, and I am going to caution you." 

If the situation looks like it may escalate, ask the player to calm down, else you will need to take additional disciplinary action. Ask the player to remain in front of you whilst you deal with him, and be brave enough to look him square in the eye. This is very important, as it shows that YOU are the referee, and that YOU are not afraid of using your powers or fulfilling your duties - which most players will expect of you.

Enquire the player's name:
Ask for the first name and surname, and get the player to spell it out if you are unsure. Make a note of the player's number. If you receive a witty response such as, 'Mickey Mouse,' politely ask the player to confirm his name again. If the reply is the same, seek the help of the captain, or check the team-sheet if you have one; else note the name given, and note in your report that you have some qualms about the legality of the information supplied. In short, don't make a big deal about it; record it and report it after the game. If a player bends down to tie up or retie his bootlace, ask him politely to stand up.

Advise the player on his future conduct:
Warn the player about his future behaviour. Make it clear that if he receives a second caution, it will result in a dismissal. A simple, 'Can you please be careful in future No. 7, because if I have to issue you with a second caution in this game, it will result in your dismissal.' Try and get some form of acknowledgment that the player has understood your advice. This could be a trivial nod of the head, a slight eye movement or a vocal reply. There will be the odd player who will 'blank' you out, and you feel as though your words of advice are going in through one ear and straight out of the other! In such cases, there is not much else you can do but to complete your procedure and get the game restarted as soon as possible. Keep your advice simple, and always be polite when delivering it. Never belittle players. 

Raise a yellow card in a non-aggressive and non- provocative manner. 
And once again, be brave enough to look the player square in the eye whilst you do so, and ask him to remain in front of you whilst the card is shown. 
Obviously, a red card will be used for a dismissal, unless that dismissal is for a second caution in the same match, in which case a yellow card will be shown immediately before the red card. 
If a player is about to be sent from the field of play for a sending-off offence, it is advisable to enquire his name prior to the dismissal. This is to prevent players storming off before you have had a chance to obtain their name.
If you are about to send a player off, try manoeuvring him, so that he has the shortest distance to go to the changing room. Do not isolate him, so that when he is dismissed, he has to walk past a large number of opponents or the technical area! Get him as reasonably near to the side of the field exit as you can. 
If a player commits either a cautionable or sending off offence during the half time interval or on the field of play after the final whistle, the appropriate card(s) should be shown.
Only a player or substitute player or substituted player may be shown the red or yellow card. The Referee has the authority to take disciplinary sanctions, from the moment he enters the field of play until he leaves the field of play after the final whistle.
If a named substitute commits an act of misconduct, he will be treated as a player, including being shown a yellow card or a red card depending on the offence. If he, at a later stage in the match, commits a further cautionable offence, he shall be sent from the field of play and shown a yellow card followed by a red card. This will apply even if he is acting as an assistant referee.
Although the Law requires a referee to show a yellow card to a player as part of the cautioning procedure, failure to do so does not mean that a caution has not been administered and the player concerned will be dealt with in accordance with the laid-down disciplinary procedures.

Start the game again: 
Once you have dealt with everything, and have allowed time for the player to regain his position, it is important that the game is restarted quickly. This will focus the minds of the players on the game, rather than what has just occurred. It is important that the game is restarted using strong communication, as this heralds the end of a temporary stoppage and the beginning of the remainder of the game. Check that everyone is ready, and use assertive instructions and a strong whistle to recommence the game. 

Rather than this stage being the end of the process, it is now paramount that you are proactive in recognising and dealing with any after-effects emanating from the original incident. This is when you need to be on your toes, alert and on the lookout! (DAB).

Deal with ongoing tensions:
Following a disciplinary incident, there are very often a number of smouldering embers that are in danger of fully igniting if not doused quickly. Look out for, and be aware of possible ongoing tensions. Deal with them proactively, by offering quiet words of advice, or by adjusting your positioning so that your close presence serves to quell tensions. In short, don't assume that there is nothing else to worry about after you have disciplined a player, instead, assume that there will be (what is generally know as) a period of heightened tension for you to monitor and manage.

Raise your ongoing game:
The 'Dealing with Tensions' section immediately above, encourages you to be aware of, and deal with those things that are happening outside of you. This section encourages you to ramp up the drive and commitment that lies inside of you! Rather than assuming that the game is back on track, try giving yourself a wakeup call, and for the next few minutes, raise your levels of physical effort and mental alertness. This means running a bit harder to get closer to play and sharpening your concentration level. Relax, only when you believe that the game is back in the groove.

YOU are now back in charge: 
The aim of this whole process is to encourage you to adopt a three-pronged approach when dealing with discipline. To help you do this in a structured way, don't just focus on what needs to be done whilst you deal with the perpetrator. Instead, think firstly of how to calmly get the player into an isolated position. Secondly, use the standard F.A. procedure for issuing cards. And finally, try forcing yourself to a higher level of alertness once play has restarted. The aim being to re-establish the same level of control and credibility that you had before the incident occurred. Once this has been achieved - YOU are fully back in charge!

Julian Carosi is a member of the FA/RA 'Refereeing' magazine Editorial Team, a member of the Referees' Association (RA), an FA Referees' Licensed Instructor, and an FA Assessor from the County of Wiltshire. 

FAMOA DEVELOPMENT EVENT SUNDAY  5 AUGUST 2007 MELKSHAM WILTSHIRE ENGLAND

I (Julian Carosi) am organising this year's FAMOA Development day in my County of Wiltshire in England. We have a fantastic programme of events, with guest speaker Keith Hackett visiting us in the afternoon. In the morning, we have organised outdoor training sessions. Lunch is provided, followed by an indoor activities involving a fun session, our Key Note speaker Keith Hackett and lots more.  Jeffrey Caminsky from the USA has kindly sent over eight signed copies of his fantastic referee book 'The Referee's Survival Guide'. These will be issued as prises for an informal competition held during lunch time. Referees in Wiltshire, will be invited shortly via their annual registration letter. The event will be held at Melksham House Melksham, Wiltshire, and on the adjacent Melksham Town football ground. 

The program/timetable is as follows:

Venue: Melksham House, Wiltshire, England. The main hall is booked from 9:30 to 16:30.
The Melksham Town football pitch will also be marked out for our use on the morning.

Dress code: Casual tracksuits, trainers and shorts preferred. No studded boots. Bring a flag.
Note: Some minor physical activity will occur in the outdoors interactive sessions in the morning, but those who are not able or do not wish to participate physically, are most welcome to observe only. Everyone is welcome.

Timetable: 

0930 for 1000 Start (Tea / Coffee / Biscuits/ Registration (Registration by Graham Barnes).
Herbie Magri-Overend and Melksham Society members to act as chaperones for the day. 
1000-1015: Welcome, Introduction, and explain the day's timetable etc.
1015-12-15: Congregate on adjacent Melksham Town ground; split audience onto 3 groups;
Each group will circulate and attend each of the three interactive sessions in turn.
Session 1. (30 min): Flagging and lining techniques: (Steve Swallow aided by Ray Olivier).
Session 2. (30 min): Dealing with injuries & dealing with a melee. (Roger Vaughan / Graham Barnes)
Session 3. (30 min): Dealing with ceremonial free kicks & penalty kicks. (Kevin Barnes aided by Julian Carosi). 
10-minute 'turn around' between each session, to allow groups to move to the next session.
1215-1230: De-brief in the Melksham Town stand, at the end of the morning's sessions. Possible photo shoot - press & Radio Wilts.
1230-1330: Free buffet lunch, plus multi-choice fun Law Quiz competition that can be completed over lunch. 
Eight prize signed copies of the new book, 'The Referee's Survival Guide'; by Jeffrey Caminsky USA). 
Referees' Association stall organised by Mike Greenyer. Kit and accessories on sale) 
1330-1430: Interactive fun indoor session: 'The Perfect Referee' (Ray Olivier):
1430-1445: Law Changes (Dave Clarke):
1445-1545: Key Note Speaker Keith Hackett. 
1545-1600: Consolidation, thanks and 'Any Questions' session. 
1600: End
Contact details: Organiser Julian Carosi; Tel: Home 01249-714552 Mobile 07906-630053 Email julian@carosi.freeserve.co.uk

FIFA TRAINING MATERIAL http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/developing/refereeing/teachingmaterial.html

FIFA have the following training material available via their link above. These are Adobe pdf files which can be downloaded.

Team Work
Guidelines for Assistant Referees
Guidelines for Referees
Law 17 - The Corner kick
Law 16 - The Goal Kick
Law 15 - The Throw-In
Law 14 - The Penalty Kick
Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct (Part 2 - Misconduct)
Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct (Part 1 - Fouls)
Law 11 - Offside
Law 8 - The Start and Restart of Play
Law 7 - The Duration of the Match
Law 5 - The Referee
Law 4 - The players' Equipment

THE REFEREE'S SURVIVAL GUIDE

A fantastic referee book written by Jeffrey Caminsky from the USA was featured in the 2007 April edition of The Corsham Referee newsletter, where you can get details of how to buy Jeff's book entitled 'The Referee's Survival Guide'. Can be bought from Amazon.com. The book comes highly recommend by me (Julian Carosi) and 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.

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

Rule #2:
Remember that no matter how isolated you feel, you are not alone.
It can be very lonely in the middle of the field, or running along a sideline filled with coaches and spectators. You may come to feel that everyone is
watching you, and if things start going badly you may start thinking that there is nothing to keep them from starting a riot. If you do, take a deep
breath and consider:

• Not everyone is a barbarian. If things get ugly, there will be plenty of good people there to assist you, including your fellow referees.
• Organized soccer takes referee abuse very seriously. There are dire consequences for those who verbally abuse or physically threaten a referee.
• Many states have laws protecting sports officials, and the police are only a phone call away.
• All you have to do to protect yourself is to keep calm, take names or numbers, and remember to file a report. Your state soccer association will take it from there.

Rule #3:
Keeping your sense of humour can go a long way toward relieving stress.
If you can relax enough not to feel threatened, you will find that many of the complaints you hear being loudly directed your way at the soccer field are really quite funny. Hearing spectators try to describe the offside rule can be the best antidote to a case of pre-game jitters that anyone can prescribe. And the first time you hear someone demand that the referee "call it both ways" after the first foul of the match, you may realize that most of the yelling at a soccer game is the product of ignorance. While it would be impolite to laugh out loud when a spectator makes a fool of himself, no book of etiquette would begrudge you a quiet smile, or prevent you from sharing what you have heard with your colleagues.

Many thanks to Jeffrey Caminsky for giving his permission for this article to appear.

SOCCERPEDIA

(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.  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 Amazon.com

THE KICK-OFF

In most respects, the requirements for restarting a game with a kick-off are the same as for the place-kicks at the start of each half: the kicking side must be behind the ball at the moment of the actual kick-off; the signal must be given; the ball must be kicked forward (1886) or it is retaken (IFAB 1903); the ball must move (until 1997 the ball had to roll its full circumference before it was in play); the player taking the kick must not touch it a second time until a second player has touched it; and opponents must not approach within ten yards.
The only difference is in determining who kicks off, and instead of alternating the kick-off to start each half, the side that has conceded the goal restarts the match. In the early days of football, the side scoring the goal kicked off. Reverend Vidal (The Wanderers) once dribbled right through opponents to score three in succession (1870s). Now, the only time that the goal-scoring side kicks off is when the half-time whistle goes immediately after the goal and the scoring side is down to take the second-half place-kick.

Athlone Town scored against Limerick just before half-time, and there was no time for Limerick to kick-off (August 1972). Athlone kicked off at the start of the second half and scored straight from the kick-off without Limerick touching the ball. Wycombe Wanderers also scored twice without a Peterborough player touching the ball (September 2000). The half-time whistle went immediately after Jamie Bates had scored from a free-kick, and Jermaine McSporran scored inside ten seconds of the second half.
A bizarre kick-off incident happened at Wimbledon in October 1984. Alan Cork put the home side ahead, and then Wimbledon scored again without touching the ball. After Portsmouth had kicked off, the ball was played back to Noel Blake, who put it past his own goalkeeper.
From 1997 a goal could be scored straight from the kick-off, whereas previously this had not been allowed. In January 1998, the Daily Telegraph recorded two instances of players scoring direct from a kick-off in local football. One was Steve Hill (White Hart) against Mayflower in the Hatfield Sunday League (December 1997).

Many thanks to Andrew Ward for giving his permission for this article to appear.

GOAL LINE TECHNOLOGY  (Telegraph 9 July 2007)

The use of goal-line technology moved closer with news that the Premier League in England are set to test Hawk-Eye technology. 
The ball-tracking system, which is already used in cricket and tennis, will be put to the test at Reading's academy and then tried out next season.
Paul Hawkins, managing director of Hawk-Eye Innovations, said: "We have a contract with the Premier League to develop a system to resolve the dispute of whether the ball crossed the line, purely for the referee and not for television.
"The process is to be evaluated by the Premier League and then by FIFA, if we jump those hurdles then the end aim is hopefully to have it installed in all Premier League grounds."

FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP REFEREES (FIFA.com)

The FIFA Referees Committee chaired by FIFA Vice-President Ángel María Villar Llona has officially approved the final list of referees for the FIFA Women's World Cup China 2007. Twelve referees and 23 assistant referees from all over the world have been selected, while a further two reserve trios will also be in China to deal with any unforeseen events.  
The list is based on observations carried out at the last three Algarve Cups (2005, 2006 and 2007), the FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship 2006, a training camp in the Canary Islands in January 2007 and a final period of preparation and training at the Home of FIFA in Zurich last month.

Following the example set by their male counterparts ahead of the 2006 FIFA World Cup™, the women's referees completed an intensive training programme aimed at optimising their performances at the FIFA Women's World Cup China 2007.
At these sessions, the match officials took part in practical training sessions and were asked to take theory tests on the Laws of the Game as well as physical and medical examinations and an English language test.
The FIFA Women's World Cup China 2007 will take place in Chengdu, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Tianjin and Wuhan from 10 to 30 September.

YOU MUST BE JOKING REF?

HEAVY RAIN 
A match between two non-League teams took place last winter in the North of England. It had been raining heavily all week and the ground resembled a swamp. 
However, the referee ruled that play was possible and tossed the coin to determine ends. 
The visiting captain won the toss and, after a moment's thought, said, 'OK - we'll take the shallow end!' 

FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!
A Referee went to heaven. On arriving at the Pearly Gates, St Peter asked him if he had done anything wrong in his life. He replied that he was Refereeing a game between Arsenal and Spurs. With just a few minutes to go, and with Arsenal 1-0 up, he gave a penalty to Spurs in front of the North End. 'But', he said, 'it wasn't really a penalty'. St Peter said to him, 'when was this?'. The Referee looked down at his watch and said 'about 35 seconds ago'.

LIMP REFEREEING
The Referee had accidentally collided with a player, fallen and injured his knee.
On his way back from the doctor's surgery after the match, he met one of the players from the game.
"You all right ref? You don't look so good. Bad news from the doc?"
"Yes it is. He says I can't Referee."
"Oh. Seen you in action has he . . .?"

OVERWEIGHT!
An overweight Referee consulted his doctor for advice. The doctor advised that he run ten miles a day for thirty days. This, he promised, would help him lose as many as twenty pounds.
The Referee followed the doctor's advice, and, after thirty days, he was pleased to find that he had indeed lost the pesky twenty pounds. He phoned the doctor and thanked him for the wonderful advice that produced such effective results. At the end of the conversation, however, he asked one last question: "How do I get home, since I am now 300 miles away?" 

BUS DRIVER
John was on his way to work. He got on his bus and sat down. After a while there is a small bump. 
John; "What was that?" 
Driver; "It was a cat" 
John; "Why did you run it over?" 
Driver; "Well it was either that or swerve into the tree at the side of the road and kill us all!" 
John; "Oh, fair enough" 
A little farther down the road the bus swerves suddenly and a bigger bump shakes the bus. 
John; "What was that!!?" 
Driver; "It was a dog" 
John; "Why did you run it over?" 
Driver "I couldn't help it, I tried to swerve but I hit it by accident" 
John; "That's awful but I suppose you did try to swerve" 
The bus continued on its journey but later on it swerved again and there was a small bump followed by a large thud. 
John; "What is it this time?" 
Driver; "I hit a Referee" 
John; "Oh my god. Is he alright? 
Driver; "No he's lying in a pool of blood by the side of the road." 
John; "I can't believe this! Why did this have to happen on my journey." 
The driver called for an ambulance and the bus set off again. When John got off the bus, he asked the driver: 
"If the big bump was the Referee, what was the small one?" 
The driver simply replied "I had to go on the pavement to get him!"

THIS MONTH'S QUESTION and ANSWER TOPICS:

CARELESS AND BELOW:

Question: A defender trips an opponent inside the defender's penalty area which the referee considered not to be careless, reckless, nor with excessive force. Instead the tripping is considered to be unintentional and accidental. As the laws do not deal with accidental tripping, should the referee downgrade the foul from a direct free kick (penalty kick in this instance) to an indirect free kick?

Answer: When the Laws introduced the terms "careless, reckless and with excessive force" for the 6 penal offences (1. kicks or attempts to kick an opponent. 2. trips or attempts to trip an opponent. 3. jumps at an opponent. 4. charges an opponent. 5. strikes or attempts to strike an opponent: 6. pushes an opponent.) it clarified what we already knew. That it is actually possible to do any of the above six, without it actually being a foul.

It only becomes a foul if it is done carelessly, recklessly or with excessive force. In other words, it is recognised that the game of football involves lots of physical contact, most of which is accepted.
This makes it much easier for Referees to gauge the respective punishment when the force reaches a certain level.

If there was say a scale of physical contact severity from 1 (a tickle) to 10 (a whopping thud!), I would expect "excessive force" to be at No. 10, with "careless" coming in about No. 4. Anything below 4 is not a foul, rather it is an accepted amount of physical force/contact that is not in itself a foul, or incidental contact. 

Anything 4 (careless) and above, will be a foul; anything below is not.

The remaining four penal offences, require no level of force, and are offences regardless of whether they are on a scale of 1, a tickle or a scale of 10, a whopping thud.

7. tackles an opponent to gain possession of the ball, making contact with the opponent before touching the ball.
8. holds an opponent.
9. spits at an opponent. (For spitting and striking offences and their restarts - see here.)
10. handles the ball deliberately (except for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area).

BACK PASS QUESTION 1:

Question: A defender hits the ball back to his goalkeeper the ball bounces and the goalkeeper backtracks and pushes the ball over the bar to stop it entering the goal. I gave an indirect free kick to the attacking team on the edge of the goal area in line with where the goalkeeper touched it over. Although no one complained at the match, I just questioned myself later on, was the goalkeeper in control of the ball ? 

Answer: Law 12 states that an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a goalkeeper, inside his own penalty area, touches the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him by a team-mate.

The goalkeeper does not have to have the ball under control for this to be an offence; he only has to touch it with his hand.

Once a referee decides that a player has deliberately passed the ball to his own goalkeeper, it is an indirect free kick offence if the goalkeeper touches the ball with his hand inside his own penalty area.

There are no levels of touching. It makes no odds whether the goalkeeper controls the ball, saves it by tipping it over the crossbar, or by just putting a little finger on the ball. There are no levels of touching. 

If the referee decides that a ball that flies over the crossbar is more an attempt to clear the ball to safety, rather than a deliberate pass by the player to his own goalkeeper (which is another question altogether), then of course, it cannot be said to be a 'deliberate pass'. In that case, no offence has occurred. The individual referee makes that decision. 

BACK PASS QUESTION 2:

Question a. Often a defender controls the ball in his own penalty area. The goalkeeper then rushes to him and gathers the ball in his hands. The defender had no intention of passing the ball to the keeper but he is under pressure and it is safer for the keeper to collect the ball.

Question b. A defender plays the ball across his own penalty area with the obvious intention of passing the ball to another defender standing just outside the penalty area. The goalkeeper, fearing that the ball is going to be intercepted, runs out and gathers the ball in his hands.

Decisions?

Answer: The referee will need to make up his mind if the act was deliberate or not.

In both scenarios, if the Referee believes that the defender had no intention of passing the ball to the goalkeeper, then no offence has occurred.

HOW DO YOU SHOW CARDS?

Question: A player as committed a cautionable offence which warrants a yellow card but coming towards you he his verbally abusing you with all the rude words you can imagine. Do you show the yellow card for the first offence then the red, or would you just show the red card?

Answer: Don't worry too much about how many cards and in which sequence. The cards are not for the player's benefit, but for everyone else's. The main thing is that the player should receive his just punishment for all the offences committed. 

When you eventually get the player to calm down, take his name and tell him that you are firstly going to caution him for the original offence and then show him the yellow card.

Then tell him that due to his abusive language, you are additionally going to dismiss him from the field of play for a committing a sending-off offence, and them raise the red card. 

STOP FOR ALL MINI-SOCCER INJURIES?

Question: Yesterday, I was refereeing at a mini soccer tournament, and a player received an injury. As I was approaching the player to asses his injury, one of the managers shouted at me, "You have to stop play in mini soccer whenever there is an injury in mini soccer". As I usually officiate in 11 vs 11, this is very different to how I would go about injuries. I am just wondering whether the manager was right about having to stop mini soccer for injuries.

Answer: In Mini-Soccer, the Spirit of the Laws is more important than the Letter of the Law. Appreciation of the needs of the child is essential. Whilst the fun and friendly atmosphere created by Mini-Soccer should keep such instances to a minimum, there may be situations which arise where comments and abuse from adults, parents and Managers is made from the touch line. This could be directed at the Referee, but also at the players. What can be done? Stay calm; don't get into disagreement; report the matter to relevant club or league officials; set a positive responsible example.
The main theme throughout Mini-Soccer is to meet the needs of children. Eleven-a-side Association Football does not meet those needs. We need a modified game that fits the needs of children: too often children are modified to meet the requirements of a game. Mini-Soccer modifies Association Football without losing the essence of the game.
The convention used in a Mini-Soccer can be found in the Laws of Mini Soccer on the FA web site; anything in addition to this, should be laid out in the Completion rules; but it is very unlikely to include the dictate that 'you have to stop play whenever there is an injury.'
The discretion to stop play, or allow it to continue, can be found in Law 5 (The Referee) and also in the Laws of Mini Soccer - and states that a Referee:
"stops the match if, in his opinion, a player is seriously injured and ensures that he is removed from the field of play."
Whilst the following additional Law statement, "the referee allows play to continue until the ball is out of play if a player is, in his opinion, only slightly injured," does not actually appear in the Laws of Mini Soccer, some discretion is allowed for play to continue if the injury is obviously minor. Whilst there is nothing in the Laws or Competition rules that require you always stop play for every injury, as a rule of thumb, the lower the age group of the players, the more duty of care that a Referee needs to apply. In other words, always err on the side of caution, and stop the game if you are unsure of the seriousness of an injury. This way, you keep everyone happy and protect the welfare of the young children.

GOALKEEPER ERROR:

Question: A defender deliberately kicks the ball to his goalkeeper who steps out of the area and picks it up.
What is the appropriate restart? An indirect Free-kick for handling the ball after it has been played to him, or direct for handling the outside of the Penalty Area? 

Answer: When a goalkeeper steps outside of his own penalty area, he relinquishes the special privileges that he has when he remains inside his penalty area.

In other words, when a goalkeeper steps outside of his own penalty area he ceases to be a goalkeeper and becomes an ordinary outfield player, and as such, comes under the dictates of the Laws and rules for outfield players.

The restart is therefore a direct free kick. And a sending off, if it denied an obvious goal scoring opportunity.

DID I DO RIGHT TO SEND OFF THE GOALKEEPER?

Question: I did a game today, a so-called friendly. The away team where winning 2-0. The home team played a ball through the middle. Their attacker latched on to the ball. The defending goalkeeper came flying out of his goal, just outside the eighteen yard box he clearly handled it. I looked at my Assistant for clarification, he waved his flag and gave me clarification.

I blew my whistle just as the centre-forward was jumping about going mad. I made my way to my Assistant as everyone was following me. I spoke to my Assistant, and he said the goalkeeper had handled it; the goalkeeper was stood about a foot away, and clearly heard the Assistant. I then summoned the goalkeeper towards me. He was saying, "Come on ref, it's only a friendly." I issued a red card. What was the alternative? I felt he knew what he was doing, he want mad, and so did his team mates. They all threatened to walk off the pitch, blaming me for spoiling the game. Did I? Or was he taking the ****? The manager after the game said to me,  "Ref you did what you did, what do you want me to say?"

Answer: If the deliberate handling of the ball by the goalkeeper was outside of his own penalty area, and it resulted in the denial of an obvious goal scoring opportunity, then Law 12 is quite clear on this, and it is a mandatory sending-off. It makes no odds whether the game is a 'so-called' friendly or not - the same rules apply to all games.

You are always going to get some grief from one team or another when these incidents happen; but it is your duty as a Referee to apply the Laws correctly in all your games.

There may be several good learning points here for you to consider when this happens next time.

1. I'm assuming that you had Club Assistants, and if this was the case, then you should never allow them to make decisions on any fouls (particularly ones like this!). By consulting the Assistant, you passed the responsibility for the decision to the Assistant, rather than being brave and making this important decision yourself. This is fraught with problems, as the Assistant who is isolated, can end up being abused himself. It is important therefore, in your pre-match brief to Club Assistants, to tell them in no uncertain terms, that they are not to signal for ANY fouls. Also show them the arm signal that you will use if you want to overrule them. If an incident like this happens again, don't look towards your Club Assistant, as the look alone will encourage him to make a signal. Make a decision yourself! This simple advice will save you heaps of trouble in future.

If you used neutral Assistant Referees, then you were correct in consulting them if you were unsure if the ball was handled inside or outside of the penalty area.

In both cases, never have the conversation with your Assistant, if players (especially the perpetrator) can hear what you are saying. Make sure they are all out of earshot first.

2. When you are about to send off a player, isolate him, so that he has the least distance to walk off the field. This also puts a greater distance between yourself and the rest of the players' team mates, thereby lessening the chance of them approaching you. If they do approach you from a distance to moan, simply get the yellow card out to the first player who reaches you. In other words, don't take the perpetrator to a position where he has to walk past all the opponents on his way off the field after you have dismissed him. And try to manage the situation, so that there is less opportunity for others to have a go at you.

3. When the game ends, and you expect trouble, position yourself on the far side of the field when you blow our final whistle, and let the players and managers get off to the changing rooms before making your way there yourself. This generates more time for tempers to cool, and keeps you away from being easy prey. It is a simple philosophy! If the players don’t have anyone to moan at, they will not moan. If a referee says around at close-quarters, it can actually invite dissent. If anyone decides to come all the way across the field just to have a moan at you, once again, this is tantamount to dissent, and punishable with a yellow card (or a report if it involves the manager whose behaviour proves unacceptable).

In short, keep yourself away when tempers are high, and take the appropriate action if you have to.
You made the right decision as far as your incident is concerned, and have hopefully gained some useful lessons that will prove useful in the future.

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 
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 applies 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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