The Corsham Referee Newsletter No 49 (July 2007)

1st July 2007 International newsletter covering Football (Soccer) Refereeing matters.

Welcome, with an International perspective.

Welcome to the 49th edition of The Corsham Referee monthly International Football/Soccer Referees' newsletter.

It's my birthday today, so look at this as my present to you all !!!

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.

The Humble Throw-In. By Julian Carosi.

In each game of football, the 90 minutes consist of many - what can best be described as - 'set-pieces,' such as goal kicks, free kicks, kick-offs, penalised fouls, attacking moves, offside decisions, advantage applications and many others. A new referee learning his trade will begin his career by dealing with each of these in a reactive way. In other words, he only gets involved when they happen. And apart from making a decision, he does very little to manage the occasion. As time goes by, the new referee will learn ways to be pro-active. He learns how to minimise trouble, and how to help players enjoy their game even more, by subtly guiding them to remain within the dictates of the written Laws, and more importantly, the 'Spirit of the Laws'.

Each 'set-piece,' if successfully managed, will result in the referee having what is know by players as a, 'good game.' It is only when the new referee has mastered all of the standard 'set-pieces,' that he will be able to react with confidence, to those inevitable impossible scenarios that are part of football; such as a goal being scored when there are 12 players in the scoring team! Therefore, one of the first aims of every referee should be to master the 'set-piece' basics. Once this has been achieved, the players will more readily accept match-changing decisions, and those that are out of the norm, such as a penalty award, or who to award a throw-in to, if the ball deflects out from the attacker and the defender at the same time! 

The throw-in is but one jigsaw piece of the game as a whole. Handled correctly by the referee, the throw-in should rarely cause a problem. A throw-in is usually the first decision that a referee has to make in each half of the game, as invariably, within a matter of seconds, the ball nearly always leaves the field over one of the touchlines. It is during this early moment in each half that the referee should 'turn on' his proactive radar! Below, are three throw-in ideas that once mastered, will become second nature to a referee. 

Bossing the first throw-in.
As soon as you blow the whistle to start each half, be prepared to make your first decision. This will more than often be a throw-in decision. Sprint adjacent to where the ball has left the field of play, and 'boss' the situation by providing assertive instructions as to where the throw-in should be taken, and by whom. Use whistle, vocal instructions and arm signals to position the restart correctly. This action subtly sets the scene of the referee's capacity and demonstrates his enthusiasm for the game. It prevents future foul throws, and encourages players to look towards the referee for positive confirmation at subsequent throw-ins. This simple action does a hundred other positive subtle things, too many to write down here, all of which can only benefit the game as a whole. The aim is not to be a dictator and dominate the situation, but to be assertive, polite and enthusiastic. If you are 'up for this game,' then this is an early chance for you to show it.

Body language and signalling. 
When the ball leaves the field of play for a throw-in, once you have shown the direction with a raised angled arm signal, sprint to be adjacent to where the ball left the field of play, and then raise an arm horizontally to show where the throw-in should take place. If players take no notice of you, use short blasts on your whistle (peep peep peep) to reposition them correctly. Do this for the first three or four throw-ins in each half of the game, and once again, you will subsequently notice that players will start looking towards you for positive affirmation before they take their throw-in. As the game goes further on, you will find that players no longer try to gain those few illicit yards up the touchline. You no longer need to provide any positioning signal apart from standing adjacent to where the ball should come back in. Once this has been achieved, apart from giving the throw-in direction, your involvement only needs to be heightened (or re-established) if there is a disputed throw-in, or if player standards begin to slip later on. This subtle proactive technique, covertly guides the players into doing correctly what they should have been doing correctly in the first place!

This effective communication will help players to take throw-ins from the correct place. If, however, this guidance is not followed, the referee must award a throw-in to the opposing team.

Keeping behind play.
As a general rule, try and keep the play action in front of you when positioning yourself to monitor a throw-in. There are exceptions to this of course; one being when the defending team near their goal line, take a throw-in. 

Keeping the action in front of you, gives you a better angle of view, and keeps you out of the players' line of sight. And more importantly, stops you straying into the zone where the ball is more likely to go. There may be the odd occasion when you will need to monitor a throw-in from the touchline or a goal line. But placing yourself at the extremes is always to the detriment of optimum positioning, which should consider all eventualities of the ball quickly breaking away. 

Finally, closeness to play is always a major factor in decision-making; more so when Club Assistant Referees are being used. Therefore, it is wise not to stick too rigidly to your diagonal when the throw-in is on the far side to you. Be prepared to compress play by coming 'way off' your diagonal to closely monitor a throw-in, especially if trouble is expected. Remember - try to be proactive and NOT reactive. The nearer that you are to a decision-making moment, the more readily the players will accept your judgment. 

In the above throw-in discussion, we have shown how easy it is to be proactive, how to subtly manage the restart position to minimise infringements, and encouraged you to be thoughtful in your positioning. Some of these ideas can be used to manage other 'set-pieces'. The overall message is to be proactive and not reactive. Don't wait for a foul throw-in to occur, when it is so very easy for referees as guardians of the Laws to prevent it.

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, FA Assessor from the county of Wiltshire. 

FAMOA DEVELOPMENT EVENT SUNDAY  5 AUGUST WILTSHIRE ENGLAND

I (Julian Carosi) am be organising this year's FAMOA Development day in my County of Wiltshire. 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 sent over eight copies of his fantastic new 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. If any referees outside of Wiltshire would like to attend, please get in contact with me.  We would be very pleased to see you. 

The draft 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. 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

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This is could be answer to all your appointing needs! Regards, Julian Carosi.

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 his brilliant book.

Basic Rules of Survival:

Rule #1:

Keep reminding yourself that they are not yelling at you; they are yelling at your uniform.

People often react to someone else's anger by becoming defensive. On the soccer field, the shouts and groans along the sidelines may cause an inexperienced referee to doubt herself, come to believe that the cruel things people are saying about her are all too true, and make her start thinking:

Soccer is a game of joy and passion. Unfortunately, passion sometimes leads the crowd to blame the referees for everything that goes wrong on the field. But since everyone else is watching the ball, they don't always see what the officials see. Even when they do, they often confuse the "right" call with the one that favours their own team. As disheartening this may be to referees, it is simply a reflection of human nature. Soccer is a game played, watched, and officiated by people, and we cannot avoid our common reactions to disappointment or frustration.

When things are falling apart, human beings often blame whoever is at hand for whatever is going wrong. Teenagers blame their parents; husbands blame their wives; bosses blame their secretaries. and at the end of the day, the secretary may go home and take it out on the cat. You should not take it personally when the crowd shows their disappointment over an unlucky break, or when their favourite team is struggling on the field. Many times, they are simply looking for someone to blame. If their lack of sportsmanship leads them to direct their disappointment at you, it is probably nothing personal. All they see is a uniform: they do not see the person inside it. If they did, they would do a better job of behaving themselves.

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

JEWELLERY

Paulo Diogo (Servette) set up his team's third goal at Schafthausen and then jumped on to the perimeter fence to celebrate with Servette fans (December 2004). As he jumped down, his wedding ring caught in the fence, tearing away the top two joints of his ring finger. The rest of his finger was later amputated at the hospital. To add insult to injury, Diogo was cautioned for over-celebrating.

Players are not allowed to wear jewellery unless it is unquestionably safe. Flat rings may be taped but everything else should be removed. This applies to rings, chains, bracelets and medallions. Medical bracelets are perhaps best secured by Velcro. Tooth braces are best padded. Even plastic wristbands supporting good causes may be dangerous.

Ring injuries like Diogo's could also occur when players climb over obstacles near local pitches in order to fetch a ball. If a finger is severed, the advice is to put the separated part in a sealed plastic bag and then pack the bag with another bag full of ice.

There was little checking of jewellery until the 1970s. Then came the introduction of pre-match checks. Dennis Alas (El Salvador) was cautioned after 26 minutes of a match against the United States (September 2004). The referee had noticed that Alas was wearing a necklace. It was nineteen-year-old Alas's second caution of the match so he was sent off.

ARTICLES FROM THE TELEGRAPH

POLL: FA STRIPPED ME OF CREDIBILITY (30 May)

Graham Poll has claimed that he decided to retire from refereeing a season early because the Football Association would not back him in his row with Chelsea after he sent off John Terry for two bookable offences. 


Poll: 'Referees should be seen as absolutely innocent until proven absolutely guilty' 
Poll, 43, who refereed the Championship play-off final at Wembley on Monday, disputes Terry’s claim that he had changed his mind about the reason for dismissing the Chelsea captain during a bad-tempered game against Tottenham in November. 

Chelsea players had alleged after the match that Poll had told two of them that their discipline was “out of order” and that they “needed to be taught a lesson”. Terry was fined £10,000 after admitting improper conduct but Poll said he was shocked when the FA would not charge Chelsea after he had reported the club for intimidation. 

Poll says that he was disappointed by FA chief executive Brian Barwick’s failure to support him in the face of Chelsea’s allegations and he feels that at that moment the FA did not stand up for the thousands of people who referee matches at every level of the game.

"At that moment he was saying goodbye to my career," Poll says. "I sat there and thought: 'This is going nowhere. This is me being abused again and again and again'."

The referee also accuses the FA of being "inherently weak" in supporting referees, thereby encouraging players and managers to think they can get away with abuse.

Poll says that although he was hurt by his error in the World Cup, where he showed three yellow cards to Josip Simunic in the ill-tempered game between Croatia and Australia, he received plenty of support.

"I thought it was going to be me out of the game, ridiculed for cocking up the World Cup. That’s as low as I thought I’d ever feel about football and refereeing.

"But I got nothing but support and encouragement. There were phone calls from David Beckham and Sir Alex Ferguson, members of the public writing to me.

"Because I’m so critical of him, I should say that Brian Barwick called to say chin up, old son, keep it going, good luck for next season. I went into the new season thinking: 'Hey, this shouldn’t be too bad'. I was ready to be mocked. But I thought: 'I’m a resilient boy, I can handle this'.

The fans also had their say and although the official laughed much of their abuse off - such as chants of 'World Cup, you f***** it up' - he said that the World Cup wound was "fatal".

However, Poll says the final nail in the coffin was dealt by Barwick, who "huffed and puffed" over the Chelsea affair.

"I look back on John Terry’s two yellow cards and say the second was perhaps harsh. Not wrong, but harsh. I’d have preferred the two cards the other way round, because the first caution was an absolute bread-and-butter yellow card, no problem. If that had been what we were arguing about, I wouldn’t have had a problem. But the controversy had nothing to do with my decision making.

"When the Chelsea players were starting to lose their discipline in that match, I turned to someone who is a respected pro — Frank Lampard, whom I’ve always got on well with — and said: 'Frank, tell your team to get their discipline. Sort them out, or I’ll have to take action'. 

"I was miked up to my two assistants and my fourth official. If I’d said anything wrong they would have heard. This is how it works: if the odd expletive comes out, which it shouldn’t but does as a consequence of the pressure you’re under and of the way you’re spoken to, an assistant or fourth official will say: 'Polly, careful, calm down, son'."

But Poll says that it was the reaction of th FA, not Chelsea, that made him the most angry.

"I was written to by the FA’s compliance department, who told me this allegation had been made in a newspaper. They said I would need to reply as they would mount an 'investigation' into what all parties had done. 


Discipline: Poll says the FA are 'inherently weak' in dealing with the issues 
"I can understand that the FA, as custodians of the game, needed to do that. However, as custodians they need to act when they find out what really happened. 

"At the time I thought: 'Bloody cheek, you trust me with a match worth £50 million, you trust me to referee that, above and beyond any suspicion. If you ask me "did you say that to him?" all you need is for me to say 'No. Full stop, move on, charge John Terry, charge Ashley Cole, charge Frank Lampard, charge Jose Mourinho'. 

"Three days later I send off Everton’s James McFadden for calling me 'a f****** cheat' and David Moyes says at the press conference 'Graham Poll says he said one thing, my player says he said another'. 

"The reason he could say that is that the FA didn’t come out straight after the White Hart Lane game and say: 'We’ve asked the referee, he says the allegation is false, so we’re charging Chelsea Football Club'. I didn’t want to go to that Everton-Arsenal game, but I went because I didn’t want people to think I had been suspended. 

"The reason he [McFadden] did it is that he thought he could get away with it because the FA hadn’t charged Chelsea.

"Referees should be seen as absolutely innocent until proven absolutely guilty, because we have to protect that institution. My anger is directed 100 per cent at the FA, not Chelsea Football Club.

"If players call you a liar and make up stories about you, saying you said one thing there and a different thing there, which is completely untrue, your intent is called into question - and the one thing a referee must have is integrity." 

Poll knew exactly where he stood in a converstaion with Barwick after the Everton game.

"Driving home from Everton on the Thursday, I checked with the FA what was happening and they took a real holding position," Poll says.

"I made it absolutely clear I wasn’t happy. I then drove back up the M6 on the Friday to referee 'Graham Poll’s next game on Sky TV' — or that’s how they billed it, which happened to be Manchester City v Newcastle. In stationary traffic, the phone went.

"'Hello, Graham, it’s Brian Barwick'. 'Hello, Mr Barwick'. 'I understand you’re not happy with the situation'. 

"Brian Barwick thought he could just call and say 'there, there, old chap. Stiff upper lip, on you go'. But he picked the wrong moment. I absolutely ripped into him and told him the truth. 

"Which was this: 'It’s not about Graham Poll, about vindication for me, or about Chelsea Football club. It’s about the FA saying: "We are the custodians of the game and we have to show the world of football that if you speak out against a referee you get punished and if you lie about a referee — my word you’re going to get punished".

'And when this case is finished I should stand next to you at Soho Square and you should say: 'This is not about him, not about Graham Poll. It’s to do with the 27,000 men, women and boys who go out to referee every week and who need protection'. 

"'Let me make it clear to everyone who plays football and manages football teams — this behaviour is not acceptable. You do not abuse referees. And I’m telling my county associations this will not be tolerated. Brian, that’s what you should do. But you won’t'. 

"He huffed and he puffed, he huffed and he puffed, and then he said goodbye."

Poll says that Barwick's reaction should not have come as a surprise.

"I just think the FA are inherently weak when it comes to these issues," Poll says. "We’ve been eroding the power of the referee for years and years. 

"When (former chief executive) Adam Crozier was in charge of the FA and there was a situation between Roy Keane and Andy D'urso, they called together some senior referees and managers and had a brainstorm to see how they could avoid it happening. 

"There is no will at the FA any more to do that sort of thing, it's just 'they will be fine' - they take us for granted and you can't speak out. If you speak out you get in trouble.

"I’ve been refereeing in the Premiership since 1993, I’m the most experienced referee they have and yet my credibility no longer holds. Some of that, we could argue, is because of the World Cup. 

"The Chelsea case, which ran from Nov 5 to Jan 12, curtailed my career by one season. I was always going to stop by 2008. I’ve had to fight since January to enjoy football matches. My credibility was stripped not by Chelsea trying it on but by the FA letting them try it on." 

POLL HITS OUT AT MOURINHO ABUSE (4 June 07)

Graham Poll today reveals the depth of his devastation over his mistake in Stuttgart last year when he waved three cards at Croatia's Josip Simunic, launching a series of events that culminated in retirement. "The chant this season from all the fans has been 'World Cup and you ****** it up','' says Poll. "It's difficult to ignore because you know it's true.''

England's most high-profile, and experienced, referee had been chosen by Fifa to oversee the June 22 group-stage tie between Croatia and Australia. The appointment was an honour, and a sign of Fifa's trust in Poll, as everyone predicted a fractious match. As well as dismissing Dario Simic and Brett Emerton, Poll sent off Simunic but, infamously, only after showing the Croat three cards.

"We left the field completely unaware of what had happened,'' Poll tells BBC One's Inside Sport programme tonight. "I went away to the massage room next door. But then the referee liaison officer came in and said: 'You'd better come back. There's a problem.' We put the DVD in. There was no remote control, so for the first 15 minutes we watched players warming up. We started to think what might be wrong. As that dawned over us, we began to feel lower and lower.

"The mistake is bad enough but to do it in front of billions of people watching is indescribable. Life's not that cruel, is it? But it is. I don't know why I did it. Someone said that the fact that Simunic had been with the Australian Academy and spoke with an Australian accent might be why. I don't know. I got a text from my daughter which said: 'I'm sorry, they are saying you got it wrong, but you never do. If you are wrong, we love you anyway.'  That's from a 12-year-old. You look at that and think it [football] doesn't matter. I have that love and support, which is more important than football. At the start of next season, managers like David Moyes said: 'Well done Graham, we are glad you are carrying on.' But the chant this season from all the fans has been 'World Cup and you ****** it up.' It's difficult to ignore because you know it's true. I'd hate to think people's last memory of Graham Poll is what happened in Stuttgart.''

Poll admits he has "been close to tears'' this season and soon began realising that he should retire. His mood was darkened further by more controversy, including the dismissal of Everton's James McFadden. "He called me 'you ******* cheat', clearly heard by Tim Cahill, and that's something referees cannot, and should not ignore.''  Expelling Chelsea's England captain, John Terry, for two bookable offences at White Hart Lane inevitably hit the headlines, particularly when Chelsea players whispered they felt Poll had it in for them.

"The implication behind all this is the agenda that I went out to teach Chelsea a lesson, to show them some discipline,'' Poll said. "The implication that I am not impartial hurts more than anything. If I was wrong to send off John Terry then it was wrong. It was a genuine mistake.''

Poll and Terry's manager, Jose Mourinho, also had a run-in when Manchester United visited Stamford Bridge. "Mourinho made a personal comment about me and the opposing manager [Sir Alex Ferguson]. What he said was of a very, very personal nature. I thought I would never have the misfortune to hear something like that around a football club.''

Often accused of an arrogant demeanour, Poll argues that it is simply a public shield. "Deep inside, I'm fairly insecure about things," he said. "I've been petrified going to grounds like Galatasaray, into that cauldron, and of course you can be intimidated, frightened.

"But you can't let that show. To overcome that, maybe you go the other way and appear arrogant.''

Poll's future now lies in finishing off his autobiography, working for the BBC, and on the after-dinner circuit. Drawing on his Stuttgart experience, Poll has already honed his act with lines like "being a referee you have to control 22 multi-millionaires with one whistle and two - sometimes three - cards!''

For all the controversies, football will miss Graham Poll, whose mistakes were honest ones.

 

UEFA POISED TO PUNISH DENMARK (4 June 2007)

German referee Herbert Fandel abandoned Denmark's clash with Sweden in Copenhagen on Saturday to make a stand against violence by players and spectators. Making a stand: Herbert Fandel abandoned the match after he was punched by a Danish fan 
Fandel was attacked by a fan a minute from the end, with the score 3-3, after awarding Sweden a penalty and sending off midfielder Christian Poulsen for punching visiting striker Markus Rosenberg in the stomach.

Danish players restrained the intruder after he aimed a punch at the German official but the Danes will pay a heavy price. Uefa will complete their investigation by Wednesday with the match certain to be awarded to Sweden with a 3-0 scoreline.

Denmark may also face a heavy fine and could be forced to play their remaining qualifying games at a neutral venue. Danish radio reported that the unnamed supporter claimed to have consumed 15 to 20 beers and could not remember the attack. Denmark had trailed 3-0 after 26 minutes but Liverpool defender Daniel Agger launched a recovery with a goal 11 minutes before the interval.

 

FOOTBALL AUTHORITIES IN HEADSCARVES ROW (Telegraph 1 June 07)

A row has broken out in women's football over whether Muslim players can wear religious headgear during matches.
Officials from the Football Association say they want to encourage more people into the game - but under strict rules set by the International Football Association Board, scarves such as the hijab cannot be worn.
Referees are left to decide whether to let women wear the headgear or not.
The confusion is putting British Muslim women of joining the sport and could mean national sides losing players. The IFAB has no made a declaration on the controversy.
But Rimla Akhtar, chairman of the UK's Muslim Women': Sport Foundation, accuse( football authorities of dragging their feet over the issue.
She said: "The IFAB has no consulted the people who are directly affected by it, i.e. Muslim women. And even though the issue was discussed at a meeting in Manchester in March, nothing has been resolved."
In the IFAB rules, law four says a player must not "use equipment or wear anything that is dangerous to himself/ herself or another player".
Ms Akhtar said: "I wear the hijab myself and it is kept on very securely with a clasp, so is not a safety problem. In my experience, the attitude the FA has taken is that it is not really an issue in itself and it doesn't need to be discussed as referees are happy with allowing women to wear the hijab.
"But if it is an official match, players are supposed to comply with law four, and according to FIFA [the international football federation], the hijab specifically does not conform to law four."
In February, an 11-year-old Canadian Muslim girl was sent off during a match in Quebec for not removing her hijab, causing a nationwide debate. Muslim women wearing the hijab are now barred from matches in Quebec. 

GRAHAM POLL

The League Managers' Association have been upset by Graham Poll's controversial remarks that referees were "losing the war" against badly behaved bosses.
Retiring referee Poll claimed officials in the Premiership had "agreed not to take action" against poorly behaved managers because the Football Association would not back them. LMA vice-chairman Frank Clark said: "I'm very disappointed with his comments. He seems to be putting himself forward as a mouthpiece for all referees. We've worked hard with Keith Hackett and the refereeing people to establish lines of communication between managers and referees and we think it has been successful."

WHO'S THAT PLAYING ON THE WING? (8 June 07)

Premiership referee Mike Riley usually has to contend with irate footballers. But in an international game between Finland and Belgium he found himself confronted with an altogether different predator when an eagle owl interrupted play for several minutes. The owl, which has made its home in Helsinki's Olympic Stadium, glided down onto the pitch during eh first half before taking off and perching on the Finnish goal. 

RESULTS OF THE LAST WWW.CORSHAMREF.NET POLL

The question was: Which of these hypothetical Law changes would you most like to see accepted?
The results are in winning order, and highlight some interesting thoughts.

Question / Number of votes / Percentage

Mandatory Yellow card when players surround the Referee. 144. 27% 
Show yellow and red cards to managers and coaches! 101. 19% 
Bring in the 'Sin-Bin' where perpetrators have to sit out a few minutes when naughty! 81. 15% 
Mandatory red card for diving and cheating. 69. 13% 
Flag all offside players. 43. 8% 
Allow medical staff to assess injured players without waiting for the Referee's permission. 34. 6% 
Introduce an 18 yard line where players can only be offside in. 25. 5% 
Simplify the Penalty Kick Law, so that no other players can get involved. 19. 4% 
Use two Referees in each match. 11. 2% 
Make the goals bigger so that more goals are scored. 11 2% 


The next Poll (go to the home page) is already up and running, and the questions are:

Which of the following is more likely to make you give up Refereeing?

Misbehaving parents on the touchline?
Managers who show no respect?
The attitude of the players?
Lack of backing from your local FA?
The money you receive?
Lack of promotion?
Lack of suitable training?
Family commitments?
Rude spectators?
The general malaise about the way the game is going as a whole?

UEFA ORDER REFEREES TO STOP MATCHES FOR RACISM
Fri 22 Jun, 07:08 PM


LONDON (Reuters) - Referees will stop all matches in which soccer fans shout racist abuse at players, starting with Saturday's European Under-21 Championship final, a senior UEFA official has confirmed. The announcement follows the launch of a UEFA investigation into racist chanting and a fight in the players' tunnel after England's 2-0 win over Serbia in the European Under-21 Championship on Sunday. 

Serbia face the Dutch hosts in Saturday's final in Groningen. 

"We have decided to step up our actions and take a zero tolerance approach. Referees have been told to stop any games in which there are racist chants from fans," William Gaillard, special advisor to UEFA president Michel Platini told Reuters in a telephone call. "We have spoken to the referees and we have the support of the national associations, the clubs and the players' unions for this measure." 

Gaillard was speaking after the opening session of the governing body's executive committee in Heerenveen. UEFA and European governments are also currently drawing up new measures to combat an increase in soccer-related racism and violence across the region in the last year. England's FA made a formal complaint to UEFA on Monday over the racist abuse directed at their players from Serbian fans and at least one member of the Serbian team in the tunnel after the match. 

UEFA said the incidents during and after the match in Nijmegen would be considered by UEFA's disciplinary committee at its next regular meeting on July 12. 
A message was issued over the public address system during the first half of the game after the referee brought the racist chanting to the attention of stadium officials. 

"Today's move goes a step further and sends a strong message to fans that the game will be halted if they racially abuse players," Gaillard said. 

When asked about the economic implications of such a decision such as sponsorship, corporate hospitality and television coverage of competitions such as the top tier Champions League, Gaillard said: 

"Money is the very last factor to be taken into account in making such a decision. This is about a principle and economics or TV rights should not have anything to do with it." 

Gaillard said the Serbian FA was making "extra security checks" in the distribution of their ticket allocation for Saturday's final. 

YOU MUST BE JOKING REF?

As a Referee once, a few years ago, I remember having an Assistant Referee who had a terrible performance running the line during a Cup game.
He was so depressed, that the other Assistant and me could do nothing to pacify him.
At the end of the game, whilst we were getting changed, he pulled this hand gun from his kit bag and pointed it to his head.
We begged him not to do anything stupid but he would not listen.

"Shut up will you" he screamed at us in a terrible voice, "You're both next."


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Sir Alex Ferguson had gone for a picnic with David Beckham and a Premiership referee.

They spread the groundsheet on the bank of a river across from a country pub.. 

“I’ll get the first round” said Beckham, who walked across the bridge and returned, carrying the tray of brimming glasses. 

They were nicely into the sandwiches when the Premiership referee announced “The next round is on me”, picked up the tray, stepped into the river, walked across the water and returned the same way with the drinks. Sir Alex was astonished but said nothing - he could hardly contain himself but kept silent.

At the end of the meal, with the glasses once more empty, Sir Alex stood and said “Right lads, my shout.” With a look of panic, Beckham turned to the Premiership referee and said in an urgent whisper “Shouldn’t you tell him about the concealed stepping stones?”

“What stepping stones?”


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A Referee walks into the bar after a game and orders a pint of beer and hands the barman a twenty pound (£20) note. 
The barman decides to rip the Referee off, so he hands him back a fiver (£5) in change. 
The Referee accepts the £5 change, takes his pint and goes and sits down near the fire. 
After a while the barman wanders over and starts talking to the Referee and says; "You know, we don't get many Referees coming in here after the match". 
The Referee says "I'm not f%*^!*% suprised at £15 a pint" 


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Have you heard about the new law they've just passed. Referees have to be buried 10 feet down! 
Why's that? 

Because deep down they are nice people!

THIS MONTH'S QUESTION and ANSWER TOPICS:

This month, we look at when offside is reset, the colour of referees kit, what to say to players when admonishing them, and when to stop for injuries in mini-soccer, 

WHEN IS OFFSIDE RESET?

Question: If a through ball is played and intercepted cleanly by a defender whilst a striker is in a passive offside position, (i.e. not interfering with play), at what point can the striker begin to try and chase down the defender without being flagged for offside? Is it reasonable to assume that after the defender is cleanly in possession of the ball, the next phase of play has begun, and hence the striker can begin to apply pressure on the defender?

Answer: Football is all about one team obtaining possession and then the other team gaining possession - and so on……. it is a contest of two sides. 

For an offside infringement to be penalised, the person who initially plays or touches the ball, must be on the same side as the penalised offside player. In other words, the ball was in the possession of that team. As soon as the other team gain possession/control of the ball, they then become susceptible to being penalised for offside if they counter attack. 

Only one team at a time can be penalised for offside; there is no time factor in this change over, as it happens immediately. Therefore, so long as the original offside player does not make a gesture or a movement which, in the opinion of the referee, deceives or distracts an opponent, as soon as the other team gain clean possession/control of the ball, the other team can make a challenge for the ball without fear of breaking any Law 11 Offside criteria.

BLACK AND WHITE

Question: I have seen a number of referees with all black tops, no white collar or cuffs. Are these OK to use in England, or would the referee be in trouble from their F.A.? 

Answer: 
(a) All Match Officials in Competitions under the jurisdiction of The Association and Affiliated Associations must wear uniforms comprising a plain shirt which shall be almost entirely black with white collar and black shorts. Socks shall be black and have another colour at the top which must be in accord with the single colour used on the shirt collar. Caps may be worn in extreme heat. Where a cap is worn it must be black in colour, not restrict the peripheral vision of the match official, and not carry any form of advertising, logo or wording.

(b) The following Competitions may be excepted from (a) above, on application to The Association subject to the conditions below:
The FA Premier League 
The Football League 
Competitions of Panel and Contributory League Status

Approval will be considered only of shirts that are predominately black, with collars of a single colour. In all such cases prior written approval must be obtained from The Association with confirmation that all Match Officials will be provided with shirts, shorts and socks free of charge. Application for the above Competitions must be submitted annually prior to1 May for the following season. 
(c) Match Officials appointed to FA Competition Matches are required to wear the FIFA or Football Association badge (where awarded) or the badge of their Affiliated Association. No other competition badge may be worn.
(d) Advertising on match officials’ uniforms must be in accordance with The Association Regulations governing advertising. 

WHAT DO I SAY?

Question: Communication is definitely something that I have trouble with at times. For example: The game is heating up, and players are getting more aggressive and the game is in danger of spiralling out of control. 
One player fouls a member of the opposition, and I call him over for a caution. I would like to take the opportunity to re-assert my authority over the game and give the players some time to calm down.
What exactly can I say to the player, to calm him down? I often seem to run out things to say too quickly and I don't seem to achieve the required objective. 
I often see refs on TV talking to the players for a good 30/60 seconds after a caution, I cant seem to talk for longer than 10 seconds without repeating myself!
Is there any sort of guide that recommends what kinds of things you can say to players when you pull them up on something?


Answer: If you have trouble communicating when admonishing players, keep your patter to a minimum until you gain more experience and develop your own style.

There is no single method. Some players will respond to a line of patter, whilst others need to be controlled by short sharp assertive instructions that curtail them on the spot. Each situation has to be dealt with in the best way, depending on the type of player (and the type of situation) that you are dealing with. 
As a general framework, follow the simple guide below, and expand it to suit your personality when your confidence increases:

1.Beckon the player to a neutral zone by using hand and arm signals to lead him away to a place where you can deal with him.
2. The angrier that a player is, the more distance you will need to coax him away. This gives the player a little more time to calm down. And allows you some more thinking time.
3. Gain eye contact with the player as he approaches you. It's not a case of staring the player out, but just offering confident eye contact; i.e. a glance, or short stare indicating your displeasure.
4. As he approaches, pat the palms of both hands up and down in a 'calm-down' fashion. Keep your palms low down and maintain eye contact. 
5. What you say depends on the level of admonishment that you want to apply, and can be something like (in order of severity):
It may be as simple as saying "steady on", or "careful with that type of challenge". 
Or "This is the second time that I have asked you to be careful".
Or "If you continue to misbehave, the Laws require me to take further action".
If a player is being cautioned, simply say, "I am cautioning you for unsporting behaviour. Tell him why, ask him to curb his behaviour, and explain that if he receives a second caution later in the game, you will have to ask him to leave.
6. Always be calm and polite, and never belittle a player.
7. Make sure that you get some form of acknowledgement from the player, that he has taken your comments onboard. This could be a nod of the head, eye contact movement, or verbal acknowledgement etc.
8. Whilst most players will respond positively to what you do and say, others either ignore what you are saying, or choose to become antagonistic. If this happens, ask them assertively to, 'Please can you stop talking, and listen to me', to get their attention.
9. There will be one or two players who confront you with a blank face, and seem to take no notice whatever you say to them. When this happens, don't make a contest out of it, say your piece and get the game restarted as soon as possible. If a player does not want to respond to you and blanks you out, then that's his problem. All you need to do is to note the fact, and to deal with him more assertively next time.

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.

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, Referee, FA Licensed Referee Instructor, FA Referees' Assessor Wiltshire, England, Editorial member of the FA/RA Refereeing national magazine in England.
 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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