Welcome to the 60th edition of The Corsham Referee monthly International Football/Soccer Referees' newsletter.
This is the Newsletters 5th birthday. Any my birthday was 1st July!

Greetings to everyone. Apologies about the slight lateness of this July Newsletter. I have been very busy finishing off our Referees' Association Centenary magazine of which a number of the articles will appear in this Newsletter over the next few months or so.

There are over 1,000 referees of all levels from all over the world that subscribe to this newsletter. Your comments and contributions are always welcome

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 new Law book for season 2008 - 2009 can be downloaded from the FIFA web site here: http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/lawsofthegame.html

Law Changes 2008-2009

Circular no. 1145

Zurich, 22 May 2008
SG/sbu

Amendments to the Laws of the Game - 2008 

Dear Sir or Madam,

The 122nd Annual General Meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) took place in Scotland on 8 March 2008. The amendments to the Laws of the Game approved at this meeting and the various instructions and directives issued are listed below.

Amendments to the taws of the Game and Decisions of the Board 

General revision

While the modification of Law 2 indicated below is the only amendment in the substance of the Laws of the Game this year, the overall wording and structure has been reviewed and revised in order to consolidate and reorganise the content for the sake of consistency, simplification and clarification. As part of this process, some of the Decisions of the International Football Association Board from the 2007/2008 edition of the Laws of the Game have now been either incorporated in the Law to which they were previously appended or otherwise added to the section previously known as Additional Instructions and Guidelines for Referees. For the 2008/2009 edition of the Laws of the Game, this section has been renamed "Interpretation of the Laws of the Game and Guidelines for Referees" The reason for this change is to underline that, while the content of this section is intended to complement the Laws of the Game themselves, its application is indeed a compulsory requirement.

In addition, certain principles that were implicitly understood throughout the game but did not explicitly feature in the Laws of the Game have been added to the new edition for completeness, for example, Law 4 now expressly states that "The two teams must wear colours that distinguish them from each other and also the referee and the assistant referees".

Law 1 - The Field of Play

At a special meeting of the IFAB on 8 May 2008, it was ruled that the decision passed at the Annual General Meeting on 8 March to standardise the dimensions of the field of play for "A" international matches would not be implemented until the IFAB had reviewed the matter at next year's 123rd Annual General Meeting in Northern Ireland.

Law 2 -The Ball
Decisions of the International F.A. Board 
Decision 1

 

Current Text In competition matches, only footballs which meet the minimum technical requirements stipulated in Law 2 are permitted for use. In FIFA competition matches, and in competition matches organised under the auspices of the confederations, acceptance of a football for use is conditional upon the football bearing one of the following three designations: the official "FIFA APPROVED" logo, or the official "FIFA INSPECTED" logo, or the reference "International Matchball Standard" Such a designation on a football indicates that it has been tested officially and found to be in compliance with specific technical requirements, different for each category and additional to the minimum specifications stipulated in Law 2. The list of the additional requirements specific to each of the respective categories must be approved by the International F.A. Board. The institutes conducting the tests are subject to the approval of FIFA. Member association competitions may also require the use of balls bearing any one of these three designations. In all other matches, the ball used must satisfy the requirements of Law 2.

New Text In addition to the requirements of Law 2, acceptance of a ball for use in matches played in an official competition organised under the auspices of FIFA or the confederations is conditional upon the ball bearing one of the following: the official "FIFA APPROVED" logo the official "FIFA INSPECTED" logo the "International Matchball Standard" logo Such a logo on a ball indicates that it has been tested officially and found to be in compliance with specific technical requirements, different for each logo and additional to the minimum specifications stipulated in Law 2. The list of the additional requirements specific to each of the respective logos must be approved by the International F.A. Board. The institutes conducting the tests are subject to the approval of FIFA. Member association competitions may also require the use of balls bearing any one of these three logos.

Dealing with injured players

In view of the differing practices applied in various competitions around the world by the team in possession when the ball remains in play after a player has been injured and the confusion that this can cause, the IFAB wishes to reiterate that Law 5 states that the referee has the power to stop the match if, in his opinion, a player is seriously injured, but he may allow play to continue if the player is, in his opinion, only slightly injured.

Furthermore, the IFAB also calls for the football family to unite in denouncing simulation and working to eradicate this scourge from the game in order to assist the referee's identification of serious injuries and, more generally, to uphold the fundamental principles of fair play and preserve the integrity of the game.

Pitchside monitors

As a result of the increasing presence of monitors around the boundaries of the field of play for broadcasting purposes, the IFAB underlines that it is forbidden for occupants of the technical area to have access to or be in a position to view pitch-side monitors.

Goal line technology

The IFAB has decided that all experiments involving goal line technology are to be put on ice until further notice.

Additional assistant referees

The IFAB has granted FIFA permission to conduct an experiment with two additional assistant referees in a forthcoming tournament.

Implementation

The decisions of this year's Annual General Meeting of the Board regarding changes to the Laws of the Game are binding for confederations and member associations as from 1 July 2008 but confederations or member associations whose current season has not ended by 1 July may delay the introduction of the adopted alterations to the Laws of the Game in their competitions until the beginning of their next season.

The123rd Annual General Meeting of the International Football Association Board will take place next year in Northern Ireland.

The International F.A. Board, the custodian of the Laws of the Game, is composed of The Football Association (England), The Scottish Football Association, The Football Association of Wales, The Irish Football Association (Northern Ireland) and FIFA. Representing its 204 other members, FIFA has four votes on the body, while the four British associations have one vote apiece. A proposal requires a three-quarter majority (i.e. six of the eight votes) to be passed.

''SET PIECES' Decision-making
More 'set-piece' advice by Julian Carosi.
(A series of articles on how to officiate in a proactive way by improving how you deal with specific incidents and how to become a better Referee).      

In my previous newsletters, I reiterated 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 use 'best-practice' techniques when managing 'set-pieces'. Once the standard 'set-piece' techniques have been mastered, the players' confidence in the Referee will rise, and they will more readily accept those awkward (non-set-piece) match-changing decisions, which seem to crop up in nearly every game. Subsequently, the Referee will feel more confident, in the knowledge that at least he has a structured way to deal with the majority of situations in a game of football. 

In the article below, we add to the previous ideas on how to manage set-piece throw-ins, how to issue cards, how to manage goal kicks, how to build a positive image, how to establish a rapport with players by gaining their trust via the TRUST triangle, how to deal with simulation, how to manage a penalty kick, how to approach the kick-off at the beginning of each game, how to manage the first 10 minutes of each game, how to deal with conflict, by offering some ideas on decision-making.

These ideas are not prescriptive; rather, they will hopefully give you some new things to think about, and encourage you towards adopting a consistent approach by dovetailing them into your own style of refereeing.

Decision-making, (by Julian Carosi).

"Every Referee should have good eyes and bad ears!"
(Dutch FIFA Referee Jan Wegereef)

The aim of this article is to help Referees become more confident with their decision-making - and to minimise those embarrassing, wavering, and prolonged decision-making moments, where players are very quick to criticise any slightest indecision by the Referee. Players appreciate decisive strong decision-making, even when they know that some of the Referee's decisions may have been wrong. Stand upright with shoulders upright when making difficult decisions - this will impart an authoritative confidence that will help you gain credibility in the players' eyes. A weak indecisive Referee is no good to anyone. This article offers an insight into the process of decision-making by Referees on the field of play. It also explores psychological preparatory work that the Referee can employ to help decision-making, particularly in those situations where it is impossible for the Referee to make a correct decision, or where a decision is equally applicable to both teams at the same time!

Note: The advice here also applies to Assistant Referees.

Referee decision-making is a fascinating and complex area. Referees will approach, and deal with decision-making in their own individual ways, and will often rely on a combination of intuition, experience and their knowledge of the Laws. Some Referees are capable of making instant decisions, whilst others do not like making important decisions without having first quickly weighed up in their minds all of the relevant information. 

Experienced Referees rely greatly on their 'gut instinct', and their own automatic conscious or unconscious reactions when making judgements (more about this at the end of the article). Decisions made using instinct are very often proved to be correct. And if you can trust in your instinct, it will serve you very well as a Referee, as your decisions will more than likely be correct. 

Referees will make hundreds (and probably thousands) of decisions during every game. Each decision must be calculated in the very smallest fraction of time. The human mind is capable of making this quantity of decisions automatically without having to think about the rational behind each conclusion. 

Making correct decisions are complicated by a number of factors.

• the speed of play

• the distance between the incident and the Referee

• the fitness of the Referee

• whether there are players in the Referee's line of sight

• whether Assistant Referees are available or not

• the ability of the Referee

• and dare I say it "the Referee's eyesight"!

When a Refereeing judgement is based on opinion, the ability to successfully execute a decision with conviction can be measured by the level of unquestioning acceptance by the players. On many occasions, it matters not so much on whether the decision is right or wrong, but whether the Referee can sell the decision to the players. If you can do this within the blink of an eyelid - and do it in such an authoritative and confident way that it must seem correct at that time (even though others may think differently) - then your credibility as a capable Referee will grow. Players respect strong and confident decision-making. They also know that a Referee will make one or two mistakes in nearly every game.

An astute Referee understands that there will be many decision-making situations that do not neatly fit the answers provided by the Laws. The ability to interpret the Law is therefore an important asset in the Referee's armoury. It is not only a deep understanding of the 17 Laws of Associated Football that makes a good Referee; it is also the decision-making ability to use the Laws as the main framework, in conjunction with the further ingredients of: common sense, self-assessment, managing the temperature off the game, self-analysis, the 'Spirit of the Game 'and' Fair Play etc. 

A tired Referee will make tired decisions - a referee who is fit, will make decisions fit!

To enable Referees to maintain a higher percentage of correct decisions, a thorough knowledge of the Laws is essential. It is an injustice to players, if a Referee constantly makes wrong decisions based on an ignorance of the Laws. Being physically and mentally fit also helps towards making correct decisions. Becoming tired too easily will impair the ability to judge incidents correctly. Thus, tired Referees will become more prone to errors with their decision-making. An overtired Referee, or one suffering from a drunken hangover, cannot officiate properly. Decisions on the filed of play should be made quickly, confidently and calmly. 

There are many questions that a Referee will need answers for in their career. But it is no good looking to FIFA as a single repository for 'official' answers that cover every single possibility. This is the nub of being a Referee - the ability to make decisions instinctively within the simple framework of the Laws. 

In cases where there is no 'black-and white' answer to a situation, an individual Referee will need to consider the opinions of others before he can eventually feel comfortable with his own final solutions. Interpretation is an individual characteristic that sometimes enables two opposing answers to be correct. The trick is to assess all of the information and advice during an incident - and then make your own choice based on the relevant circumstances at the time. 

The ability of a Referee to interpret the Laws is just as important as his ability to correctly apply them as they are written. Although this may seem to be a contradiction, it is an essential requirement for a Referee officiating in a sport that; (a) contains a lot of physical contact, and (b) relies just as much on chance as it does on ability.

It is impossible for a Referee to believe that someday he will have learnt and seen everything that there is to now about the game and its Laws; and then to apply it perfectly in every game. This ideal Nirvana is unachievable. But with perseverance and experience, the Spirit of how the game is supposed to be played, will provide most of the unavailable answers for a Referee. Experience will also help a Referee to decide how he will react to given situations that have caused him trouble in the past.

Hopefully, this article will help you to:

a) make more consistent decisions

(b) lessen the chances of becoming anxious because you are not quite sure which team to give a decision 

(c) help you to NOT react on occasions when a decision is NOT required. 

There are three main types of decision that a Referee will need to take during a game.

1. Statutory decisions (The Laws of the Game): These are objective decisions - i.e. they are either right or they are wrong! 

2. Interpretational decisions (How the Referee interprets the Laws): A subjective decision, i.e. reading between the lines!

3. Impossible decisions: The ability to quickly and confidently make a 'best guess' or 'default' or 'benefit-of-the-doubt' or an 'equal' decision (such as a drop ball).


1. Statutory decisions - are judgements based on the Laws of the Game - i.e. decisions that the Referee must make in accordance with the written Laws of Association Football (commonly known as the LOAF). 

Some statutory decision examples are shown below:

(i) A player who strikes another player must be sent-off. 

(ii) A throw-in is the proper restart when the ball has travelled wholly over the touchline.

(iii) If the Referee has awarded a goal, he cannot disallow that goal if play has been restarted.

(iv) A goal cannot be scored direct from an indirect free kick.

(v) A player cannot be offside if he receives the ball direct from a goal kick.

Making statutory decisions depends greatly on a Referee's knowledge of the Laws and his ability to keep abreast with Law-change developments during his career. Statutory decisions are the easiest to make - because the Referee knows (or should know) beforehand, exactly which Law punishment or conclusion or decision to apply. Referees should endeavour to refresh their memory of the Laws on a regular basis. It is very much like passing and studying for your road vehicle driving test - when you first pass this test, the rules and situations concerning driving are easily remembered, but as time wears on, basic facts that once seemed perfectly clear or situations that were reacted to automatically, suddenly become muddied in the memory, and as a consequence, a Referee's decision-making on the field of play can suffer - usually at crucial moments.

Refereeing is a life-long apprenticeship including constant learning, interpretation and application.

Most of the Laws are easily remembered, and a Referee will apply them automatically - but there are numerous other parts of the Laws that a Referee will have trouble remembering when officiating at the beginning of his career. Creating an aide-memoir can help a Referee to remember particular Law problems that he has encountered in previous games. By simply listing down those vague Law areas that are troubling a Referee, onto a piece of paper, and reading them before each game, he can build up his conscious knowledge of the Laws - which in time, can be eliminated from the aide-memoir, and replaced by other concerns.

An example of a common Statutory Law error made by new Referees, is the failure to understand that when a free kick is taken inside the penalty area by the defending team, the ball has to travel outside of the penalty area before it comes into play, and before another player can touch it.

In his mind, the new Referee may have already know the correct application of Law required in the above scenario, but just needed a few moments to think about it. But Referees do not get "a few moments to think about it," they are expected to make an instant decision. By recognising weaknesses in Law understanding, and by constantly strengthening that knowledge, a Referee will enhance his performances. Learning the Laws inside-out means that a Referee will actually need to sit down and read them from time to time. It's such an easy thing to do. When was the last time that YOU sat down and read through the small Law book? Do you have the current Law book, or are you still using the version that you had when you took your exam!

Statutory decisions are the easiest ones to become proficient at. If you can demonstrate to players that you are capable of constantly making correct Statutory Law decisions, then they will more readily accept the interpretation and impossible decision-making moments discussed in more detail below.

This is the first stage of enhancing your decision-making. READ THE LAW BOOK FROM TIME TO TIME so that your statutory decision-making becomes automatic. 

2. Interpretation decisions: (How the Referee interprets the Laws): A subjective decision, i.e. reading between the lines!

The Laws of Associated Football allow Referees a great deal of flexibility in the way that they can interpret and apply the Laws subjectively. Each Referee will have his own style, his own limits, and his own tolerance levels etc. The Laws are written in such a way, that the personality of each Referee is allowed to play a significant part in enhancing every game; in other words, the Laws allow the Referee to retain his human characteristics. This flexibility adds more fervour to the game's greatest asset - chance. The uncertainty, unpredictability, mistakes, levels of experience, level of commitment and luck, all serve to make football the most exiting game in the world. 

Learning the Laws by heart, and passing the initial Referees' exam is the easy bit. The hardest part is being able to apply the Laws, and more importantly, being able to interpret them in such a way that the players get the maximum enjoyment out of their game. The key to this, is the ability of a Referee not to be a dictator, but to recognise and react to the ambience of each game, and to be able to adjust his levels of control throughout the 90 minutes. Decision-making is key to this requirement - along with ability to bend and flex the rules in such a way that it promotes the Spirit of the Laws by using what is generally known as Law 18 - Common Sense. 

Below are a few examples of where good interpretation of the Laws and quick confident decision-making are required for a Referee to retain his credibility as an official: 

(i) Should a player who fouls another player always be cautioned?. 

(ii) Is the attacking player standing in an offside position, actively involved with play or not?

(iii) Was the tackle a completely accidental tangling of the players' legs, or was it intentional?

(iv) Was the handball deliberate?

(v) Can a Referee drop the ball to the goalkeeper without any other players being involved?

(vi) Should the player be cautioned or will a stern public warning suffice? 

The ability to interpret the Laws successfully is not something that can be easily taught in a classroom environment, or via articles such as this; rather, it comes with experience and learning and by watching how other Referees successfully deal with incidents. Common sense and Law interpretation used fairly and correctly, separates the good Referees from the bad ones.

Below are some ideas on how a Referee can enhance his Law interpretational skills:

(a) officiate in as many games as possible, and learn by experience 

(b) interact with Referee colleagues. e.g. by joining and participating in Referee Societies, and reading Refereeing material

(c) learn by watching as many games of football as possible

(d) self-assess every game to analyse how to improve.

A Referee who does none of the above, will undoubtedly take much longer to build up his interpretation and interpersonal man-management skills. His decision-making capability will also suffer. A Referee who does all the above, will swiftly improve his skills, and will quickly become acceptable within the footballing community through his ability to make the right decisions at the right times.

This brings us on to the third part of capable decision-making……………………………..

3. Impossible decisions: The ability to quickly and confidently make a 'best guess' or 'default' or 'benefit-of-the-doubt' or an 'equal' decision (such as a drop ball). 

There will be many occasions in each game, when it will be impossible for the Referee to make a correct decision. 

Example 1: An unsighted Referee is 60 yards away, and the ball quickly ricochets out from a crowd of players and travels out for a throw-in. Should the Referee award the throw-in to the attacking team or to the defending team? 

Example 2: Two opponents are competing for possession of the ball very near to the goal line. The ball simultaneously hits the shins of both players, and travels completely over the goal line. Both teams are equally entitled to the decision. But what should the Referee award - a goal kick or a corner kick?

Example 3: The Referee is on the other side of the field of play and the ball is very near to the opposite touchline. There is a shout for, "Throw-in Ref?" The grass is long, the Referee who is 70 yards away cannot see the poor quality touchline, and there are no Assistant Referees to help. What should the Referee do, allow play to continue, or award a throw-in to one of the teams?

Example 4: Whilst making an equal robust challenge for the ball, two opponents injure themselves and fall painfully to the floor. The Referee stops play to allow the injuries to be assessed. How should the Referee restart the game?
Note: When a Referee believes that either team could be awarded a restart (such as the one mentioned in this example), a 'dropped ball' restart with both teams involved, is an accepted method - so long as the dropped ball is not too near one of the goals or involves a goalkeeper in his own penalty area - in these cases, the Referee should either drop the ball to the goalkeeper (or to a single player) alone, or award a free kick one way or another. Referees usually give unsure free kick decisions to the defending team in situations of this nature; the reason for doing this, is that it has less potential for further trouble to develop. For example, if a Referee were to award the free kick to the attacking team (instead of the defending team), and the attacking team score an immediate goal, then World War 3 would be the outcome! As a general rule, if in any doubt, always award decisions in favour of the defending team. One exception to this is when making offside decisions - the attacking team should be given the benefit of any doubt. This is to encourage more goals being scored - hence more entertainment. 

As you will see below, although the types of decisions mentioned in the above examples seem to be the most difficult ones to make, in essence (and with a little preparation), they are conversely the easiest decisions to make; in fact they are very easy to make!

When a Refereeing decision is required during a game - making a quick confident decision is much better than making an unsure delayed decision (or making no decision at all). An astute Referee will add great emphasis when communicating a decision, if there is a doubt of its correctness. This way, he sells the decision, even though occasionally it may actually be wrong! If a Referee shows any weakness or uncertainty when making decisions, the players, the crowd and the team officials will certainly make the most of it!

Additional factors that will help the Referee to sell a decision, are his ability to (a) keep up with play by making sure he is always as fit as possible and (b), by attaining good monitoring viewpoints at all times during crucial moments.
Note: In the 1986 World Cup, detailed analysis showed that errors were more likely to be made when Referees were too close to the incident. When the officials got it right, they were, on average, 17 metres away from the action. The average distance in the case of errors was 12 metres. Research shows the optimum distance for making correct decisions is about 20 metres.

The crux of impossible decision-making is to consider the following key phrases:

Be ready.

Anticipate problems.

Get as near as you can.

Be firm:

Be quick.

Be positive.

Do not waver or hesitate.

Stand erect.

The more difficult the decision - the more you will need to sell it.

Look players in the eye confidently.

Provide clear and quickly delivered signals.

Do not be influenced by others once you have decided what to do.

Make honest decisions. If you realise later on in the game that you have made a mistake, admit it if asked.
Note: In situations where the Referee has made a genuine mistake, he can change his decision so long as play has not restarted. Players are usually receptive to an honest mistake being rectified - the Referee just needs to admit that he was wrong in the first place.

Have defaults in your mind (more about this below).

Your decision counts and nobody else's. So be ready to deal with the inevitable ensuing dissent.

Don't worry too much, if everybody else thinks you are wrong - for now, you're right! 

And finally - maintain 100% concentration at all times.


Embedding default decision-making scenarios in your mind:

It is the Referee's responsibility to make all of the decisions in a game - the easy decisions, the hard decisions and especially the impossible decisions. There will be many times during each game, where it is not possible to make a correct decision. Therefore, to aid him with this duty, an astute Referee agrees with himself before each game, how to deal with impossible decision-making. He does this by embedding standard default decision-making outcomes in his mind (for those situations where he is unsure which team should benefit). 
In situations of this type, the Referee can either give the decision to the attacking team or he can give it to the defending team (or he can sometimes award a dropped ball). 

Some standard examples of these types of decisions are shown below. If you can adopt these, it will make your impossible decision-making very easy and automatic. The trick is to make life as easy as possible for yourself by lessening any potential trouble ensuing because of your decision.

If you need to make a decision but are not sure which way to go:

· Award throw-ins to the defending team.
· Award a goal kick rather than a corner kick.
· If you are unsure whether an attacking player is offside or not - give the benefit of doubt to the attacking team.
· Award free kicks to the defending team - especially during corner kicks.
· Is it a direct free kick just outside the penalty area or is it a penalty kick? Award a direct free kick.
· Is it a penalty or not? No penalty.
· Is it a caution or a sending-off? Caution. (Sending-offs are usually clear-cut decisions).
· Has a goal been definitely scored or not? No goal.
· Was the handball deliberate or not? Not deliberate.

Although the ideas above are not mandatory, they are the historical standards generally used by Referees. But if you wish to take a completely (not-recommended) opposite view, for example - award default throw-ins to the attacking team instead of the defending team, then the important thing to remember is to be consistent with your default decision-making. 

A Referee, who prepares himself with the default ideas mentioned above, will be able to make impossible decisions automatically, without consciously thinking about them. Impossible decision type incidents occur in a split second. Referees are expected to make an instant judgement.

Intuition:

The most accurate single decision-making attribute that a Referee has is the ability to trust in his own intuition. This is the capacity to trust your intelligent, instinctive knowledge (or insight) and then to act on it. When a Refereeing decision is made, it is not made based only on what can be seen. After all, Referees' eyesight has always been questionable!" A Referee who trusts and acts on his gut feeling (without dwelling on any doubts), is using a very powerful and efficiently accurate subconscious human mechanism. It is a facet of a human being's ability to survive that allows instinctive decisions to be instantly made with such speed and accuracy. The subconscious mind is capable of computing all of the decision-making evidence required in a matter of milliseconds. 

When there is no time to make a reasoned judgement, an intuitively made decision will always be automatically communicated to the players with 100% conviction. Even though inside your mind, you may fleetingly think that you may have only got 40% of the evidence required to make an accurate decision, your intuition will provide the remaining 60% to enable the correct decision to be made. It is impossible for a Referee to make every decision 100% correct, or to have 100% of the evidence in front of him before he makes a decision. 

If you can trust in your own intuition - then the intuition will make the decision for you. If you doubt your intuition (even by a modest amount), then you decisions will be doubtful. 

Believe in your intuition, and accept it every time.

Summary: If a Referee can apply the Statutory Laws correctly AND Interpret them in his decision-making capabilities, AND then has the ability to make Impossible decisions seem easy - he is well on the way to gaining a high standard of performance. If you can get the first one right, then players will more readily accept the second one. If you can get all three correct, then you will have mastered the decision-making requirements expected of a top Referee. 

Julian Carosi www.CorshamRef.org.uk

Happy reffing.

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.

The Kick-off
Once the crew is prepared, the field is deemed adequate, and the players are ready, then it is time to start the match.
If the coin toss occurs just before kick-off, the officials will already be assembled in the centre circle. If the coin toss occurred ahead of time, the officials should walk to the middle of the field. It is customary for the crew to shake hands and wish each other luck. Then, the assistant referees move off to check the nets before taking their position on either sideline, while the referee waits patiently in or near the centre circle.
After making sure that the players are all on the proper side of the field, the referee should hand the ball to a player from the team that lost the coin toss. That player will place the ball in the middle of the centre circle. You should be sure that each player on the opposing team is at least ten yards away (which, you will recall from your basic referee class, is the diameter of the centre circle), and check to make sure that the assistant referees are ready. When one side has the correct number of players and the keeper is ready, the assistant referee will unfurl the flag to show that there is nothing, to prevent things from getting underway. When both assistant referees signal that their side of the field is prepared for kick-off, then the game is ready to begin. Blow your whistle, remember to start the clock, and try to have fun.

Half-time
When the first half ends, the referee (or one of the assistants) should collect the ball, the assistant referees should furl their flags, and the officials should assemble in the middle of the field. You should then go to wherever you have stored your equipment - ideally, a place offering both shade and a bit of privacy - where you can rest, have some water, and discuss the events of the first half. This also lets you make adjustments for the second half of the match.
Half-time usually lasts about ten minutes. Younger players, who are often refreshed in a heart-beat, are often ready to start the second half well before the officials.

At the end of half-time, the teams switch sides and the game resumes with another kick-off.

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

DENYING AN OBVIOUS GOALSCORING OPPORTUNITY

In 1990, in an attempt to counter the professional foul, the authorities created a new sending-off offence - denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity (known to referees as DOGSO). The offence had two categories - denying a goal or obvious goalscoring opportunity by handling the ball, and denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity by some other offence.

The first of these is often clear-cut. When Lundekvan (Norway) headed goalwards and McFadden (Scotland) handled the ball on the goal-line, the referee gave a penalty-kick and the sending-off was inevitable (October 2004).

In other cases, the adjudication of `denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity' is complex. There is even an argument to say that a player should not be sent off for an offence in the penalty area because the `obvious goalscoring opportunity' has not been denied - it is still there with the penalty-kick. If the offence is outside the area, a sending-off is a worthy punishment, as the chances of scoring from the free-kick may have been reduced to as little as one in ten.

Another argument says that the real target should be the person committing a cynical, deliberate foul, rather than the person who accidentally prevents a goalscoring opportunity. But how can you tell?

In practice, a sending-off is required if the referee answers `Yes' to all the questions on a check list:

Is the attacker moving directly towards the goal?
Are there fewer than two defenders (including the goalkeeper) between the offender and the goal?
Is the ball close to, and in possession of, the attacker?
Does the attacker have a reasonable shooting opportunity?
Is the foul committed near enough to the goal to ensure a goalscoring opportunity?
Was the attacker onside?

Sometimes the check list doesn't help. Goalkeeper Lee Camp (Derby County) was only cautioned after fouling Marlon Harewood (West Ham) on the edge of the penalty area (January 2005). Most observers felt that Harewood would have gone on to score, but Harewood had played the ball to his right, to get past the goalkeeper, so the ball was technically going away from goal.

These can be critical decisions. When Peter Swan (Port Vale) was sent off at Wembley for fouling Bob Taylor (West Brom), the 0-0 scoreline soon changed into 3-0 for West Brom (May 1993). Henning Berg (Blackburn) was harshly sent off for a foul on Lee Sharpe (Manchester United) when his team led 1-0 (October 1994). The final result was 4-2 to Manchester United. People debated whether that decision might decide the championship, but Blackburn went on to win the title by one point.

An early sending-off can unsettle the expectations of the crowd and the players. When goalkeeper Ross Flitney (Barnet) was wrongly sent off for handling outside the penalty area after ninety seconds at Old Trafford, not only did Flitney lose his chance of an appearance against Manchester United but his team-mate Louie Soares had to be substituted to allow a replacement goalkeeper to come on (October 2005). Similarly, the spirit of the game seemed to be breached when goalkeeper Boaz Myhill (Hull City) was dismissed at Queen's Park Rangers (November 2005). Myhill slipped and handled the ball fractionally outside the area with no other player nearby (November 2005).

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

NEW NEWSLETTER FEATURE:

These regular articles by Stanley Lover can also be found on the www.CorshamRef.org.uk web site along with any respective images. 

Ball power……

"Here's the match ball, Ref."
"Thanks," you reply, giving it the traditional two-thumbs squeeze, "fine, let's go."

Just a minute! Is that all?
In your hands is an object which will have an influence on the next two hours of your life. It deserves more than a cursory glance before you start the match.
What is a ball? Such a simple object but, what power! It can spark a fire in the eyes of a child, set a dog's tail wagging and put a smile on any sad face between Alaska and Zambia!
Consider also, in a World Cup year, the power of a ball to focus the attention of billions on one sporting event for a whole month. This object has influenced the growth of national economies, affected political history and continually provides fantasy relief in a troubled world.
No one religion can motivate human emotions and actions as effectively as the sight of a football in play. What power!

Fascination of a ball
For most of us the fascination of a ball started at baby stage and the moment we were first put on the floor to crawl. We began a great adventure into life, making two wonderful discoveries.
The first - INDEPENDENCE - to move freely. During our first steps on a long journey a brightly coloured round thing attracted special curiosity. We touched it and it moved, it rolled, it bounced. Exciting, fascinating !
The second discovery - PHYSICAL POWER - the power to bring an object alive with our own hands. Smooth, pleasant to handle, a ball became a friend for life, a partner in games; football, tennis, cricket, golf, hockey, basketball, etc, where we test physical and mental ability as individuals or in team play.
Pleasures of ball games stem from good organisation, sensible rules and interaction with others. The focal point is the ball and what it is doing. We are riveted by its movement, whether induced by players at top pro levels or Sunday morning amateurs in the parks.

Ball signals
A ball mirrors the player's skills, providing a constant flow of information in the form of signals.
What kind of signals? A famous golf teacher, John Jacobs, asserts that " the ball is your best instructor." To prove his point he turns his back while a pupil hits a practice shot. He studies the flight of the ball and suggests adjustments for better performance. He gives two reasons,

"First, the ball is Truthful and Honest. It tells you what your club head is doing at impact. Second, the ball does not care about Technique. However you hold or swing the club, your shots for good or bad are determined by conditions built-in at impact. A snap of the fingers is enough time for a golf ball to absorb, measure and reproduce skill input of direction, trajectory, spin, distance and roll."

Add a third factor - Neutrality. In competitive play a ball favours neither one player or team over the other.
In football the ball transmits many signals to be read and interpreted. What are they saying to the player or to you, the referee? How can they help you to make the right decisions and take correct actions in every match?

A game of football boils down to two elements - the ball is either stationary (DEAD) or moving (LIVE). From research of hundreds of games the ball is DEAD on average 136 times in amateur matches and 108 at pro level for -

• Play stopped by the referee: Amateur 43; Pro 45
• Ball over the boundary lines: Amateur 93; Pro 63

Higher skill levels of the pros explain the big difference in boundary line figures.

Dead ball signals
The ball is dead for free kicks (43), throw-ins (55), goal kicks (19) and a few each for corners, kick-offs and offside.
A dead ball poses questions; "How did I get here? Who put me here? How do I get back into play? Should I be kicked or thrown? Am I in the right position for the restart? Are players the correct distance from me? Are you in a good position to see my next moves?"
All simple questions, mostly answered automatically but any wrong answers will affect the quality of your performance.

Live ball signals
When the ball is in motion you make hundreds of assessments and decisions based on reactions between players and the ball. As with a golf ball a football behaves according to impact conditions induced by the players. It reproduces skill input Truthfully and Honestly, without caring about Technique and is quite Neutral.
Behaviour of your match ball depends on three factors;

• Ball condition
• Conditions of play
• Player input.

"Here's the match ball, Ref."
"Thanks," you reply, giving it the traditional two-thumbs squeeze, "fine, let's go."

Just a minute! Is that all?
In your hands is an object which will have an influence on the next two hours of your life. It deserves more than a cursory glance before you start the match.
What is a ball? Such a simple object but, what power! It can spark a fire in the eyes of a child, set a dog's tail wagging and put a smile on any sad face between Alaska and Zambia!
Consider also, in a World Cup year, the power of a ball to focus the attention of billions on one sporting event for a whole month. This object has influenced the growth of national economies, affected political history and continually provides fantasy relief in a troubled world.
No one religion can motivate human emotions and actions as effectively as the sight of a football in play. What power!

Ball condition
Recall your Law 5 duty to 'ensure that the ball meets with the requirements of Law 2'. Hardly necessary now when FIFA licensed balls cover material, shape, size and weight. What's left? Only pressure.
Football is the sole ball game where the match official may vary the ball condition. What criteria do you use to determine suitability for play? Just the two-thumbs squeeze? Is this good enough with a margin of 80% between maximum and minimum pressure?
What is the objective? It is to provide a ball which will help the players to express their skills to the best of their ability. Whatever affects ball behaviour affects the results of player input and the quality of play.

Conditions of play
For your match Law 2 offers no guidance but clearly, ball behaviour will relate to surface conditions; whether natural or artificial, soft, hard, dry, uneven, wet, snow covered or frozen. They relate to climate; cold or heat, rain, wind strength and direction. Any or all can affect the quality of play.

Player input
When the ball is live player input starts with an assessment of ball movement; direction, speed, height, bounce, spin and roll, followed by a calculation of what he can do within his capabilities. He decides action, programming impact data through to execution, and ends with observation of skill achievement.

Cause and effect
Even star players have problems with unpredictable ball behaviour which provokes annoying errors of judgement. Incidents of dangerous play, mistimed tackles, ball to hand contact, out of play stoppages, all occur more frequently and players become frustrated. The quality of play suffers and your task to maintain control is made more difficult.
Observations noted during many top matches spread over years up to 1998 suggested that 1 in 10 were spoiled as a spectacle because the ball was not prepared to suit the conditions of play. During the first rounds of the 1998 World Cup in France an alarming 1 in 4 were affected by a fixed ball pressure for all matches played on firm surfaces. For later matches referees were advised to be more thoughtful about ball condition, contributing to a marked reduction in ball behaviour problems.
Star players including Carlos Roberto, David Seaman, Frenchmen Deschamps and Barthez, were critical of unusual ball behaviour. Roberto reportedly claimed that the ball ruined the effect of his swerving free kick technique. Goalkeepers were puzzled by erratic ball flight.
Prior to the 2002 Japan/Korea World Cup some players went public with similar criticisms of the ball chosen for the tournament. Fortunately FIFA provided excellent pitch surfaces which absorbed energy at impact to counter excessive bounce. In just a handful of matches players needed two touches to control awkward bounces but there were many shots on goal wildly off-target.

About balls
Modern footballs are high-tech products usually made from synthetic materials. Some have thick outer casings incorporating micro gas-filled bubbles intended to soften heading feel but also to produce explosive reaction to compression at impact. Generally they need high internal pressure to fill non-stretch skins and can be difficult to control on hard surfaces. 
They fly faster and farther than old leather balls and have changed the tempo of play with increasing use of long-ball tactics. On large pitches referees need sharp mobility to achieve good positioning at dropping zones of hard punts from goalkeepers and free kicks. Efficient support from assistant referees is critical if you are stranded behind the play.
Ball makers search constantly for new gimmicks to gain market share. Some have golf ball style dimples for 'superior speed, control and precision', others have internal pumps, and a series of experiments tested balls with in-built electronic chips to check over-the-goal-line calls. (This project was abandoned by the IFAB in 2008)

How to help players and yourself
For most games you cannot rely on quality surfaces. You need to arrive in good time to assess surface and climatic conditions. If you have more than one ball available choose high and low pressures and test on the pitch for feel, roll, bounce, etc. Think of player comfort more than Law 2. A sound general rule is hard surface/soft ball; soft surface/hard ball.

During the game. Check ball signals early. Is the ball bouncing unreasonably high with a second bounce as high as the first? Is it often airborne, out of reasonable control? Note problems of ball control within the skill level on the field. Do talented players need two touches for control?
Watch for mistimed tackles, ball to hand, dangerous play, head clashes, frustration, retaliation. Listen for players' comments which bear on ball behaviour.
Ask yourself, "Is this ball right for this game?" Don't wait for half-time if it needs attention or changing.

Every player wants to play well, to enjoy the game and not get hurt. You can contribute positively to these simple aims by providing a ball which allows full skill input and satisfaction of achievement. By so doing you will reduce the need for disciplinary actions, for everyone's enjoyment. 

The match ball is your friend and partner - worth more than a two-thumbs squeeze.

MASTEREF Ball Selector

An aide-memoire for the selection of Match Balls to suit the conditions of play.

CRITERIA : The main factors which can influence ball 
behaviour in play:

1. TEMPERATURE ; Cold - Cool - Warm - Hot
2. HUMIDITY ; High - Medium - Low
3. SURFACE ; Dry - Damp - Wet
Soft - Slippery - Hard - Very Hard
Even - Uneven - Bumpy - Domed - Slope
Problem areas - e.g. frozen - flooded
Characteristics - e.g. playing dry to wet
4. STADIUM ; Sitting - relative to sun movement
Design - Open - Part Open - Enclosed
Wind factor - e.g. corner eddies, cross or
diagonal currents
5. WEATHER PATTERN ; Forecast changes before and during play
6. BALL CHARACTERISTICS ; Effect of different pressures on bounce, flight, roll, velocity 


INSPECTION and TESTING : Confirming Law 2 parameters 
Field Test at different pressures - 
Soft - Medium soft - Medium hard - Hard
BALL PRESSURE : At start of play ( note )
Change during play ( note)
OBSERVATIONS : Relevant to ball performance at chosen 
pressures
Players' comments

©Stanley Lover 2008

Source: http://www.euro2008.uefa.com/news/kind=1/newsid=711341.html

UEFA supports Dutch goal decision 

UEFA has emphasised that the goal scored by Netherlands striker Ruud van Nistelrooy in last night's UEFA EURO 2008™ match against Italy in Berne was valid, and that referee Peter Fröjdfeldt acted correctly in awarding it. 
Not offside
UEFA General Secretary David Taylor was reacting to claims from some quarters that Van Nistelrooy was standing in an offside position when he scored the first of the Netherlands' goals in their 3-0 win. "I would like to take the opportunity to explain and emphasise that the goal was correctly awarded by the referee team," he said. "I think there's a lack of understanding among the general football public, and I think it's understandable because this was an unusual situation. The player was not offside, because, in addition to the Italian goalkeeper, there was another Italian player in front of the goalscorer. Even though that other Italian player at the time had actually fallen off the pitch, his position was still relevant for the purposes of the offside law."

Still involved
The starting point, said Mr Taylor, is the Laws of the Game – Law 11 – which deal with offside, whereby a player is in an offside position if he is nearer to his opponents' goalline than both the ball and the second-last opponent. "There need to be two defenders involved," the UEFA General Secretary said. "If you think back to the situation, the first is the goalkeeper, and the second is the defender who, because of his momentum, actually had left the field of play. But this defender was still deemed to be part of the game. Therefore he is taken into consideration as one of the last two opponents. As a result, Ruud van Nistelrooy was not nearer to the opponents' goal than the second-last defender and, therefore, could not be in an offside position.

Rare incident
"This is a widely-known interpretation of the offside law among referees that is not generally known by the wider football public," he continued. "Incidents like this are very unusual – although I'm informed that there was an incident like this about a month ago in a Swiss Super League match between FC Sion and FC Basel 1893. [It was] initially suggested that this [goal] was a mistake by the referee in terms of the offside law – the commentator later apologised publicly, as he didn't realise that this was the correct application of the law."

Law applied
Mr Taylor concluded: "So let's be clear – the referees' team applied the law in the correct manner. If we did not have this interpretation of the player being off the pitch then what could happen is that the defending team could use the tactic of stepping off the pitch deliberately to play players offside, and that clearly is unacceptable. The most simple and practical interpretation of the law in this instance is the one that is adopted by referees throughout the world – that is that unless you have permission from the referee to be off the pitch, you are deemed to be on it and deemed to be part of the game. That is why the Italian defender, even though his momentum had taken him off the pitch, was still deemed to be part of the game, and therefore the attacking player put the ball into the net, and it was a valid goal. The law in this place was applied absolutely correctly."

UEFA Euro 2008 A Referees Perspective:

Referee Howard Webb, along with Assistant Referees Darren Cann and Mike Mullarkey were England's representatives on the refereeing team for Euro 2008. Howard has been sending regular updates throughout the tournament. These are shown below with Howard's permission, and are a good illustration of the Euro referees timetable etc. Congratulations to Howard, Daren and Mike for their excellent achievement at Euro 2008,  and the future is very bright for this officiating team. Very well done guys.
Please do not use these updates elsewhere. 

6 June 2008

Hi everybody, hope you are all well. Thought it would be good to keep in touch by e-mail to update you on our progress and any developments over here in Switzerland in readiness for the Euro 2008 Finals. We arrived here on Tuesday afternoon, and are based in a town called Regensdorf which is about 15 minutes by car from Zurich. It's a pleasant little place but the weather so far has been terrible, dull with heavy rain. Feels like home already! The hotel is comfortable and as usual UEFA are looking after us all very well.

We met with UEFA President Michel Platini and General Secretary David Taylor on Tuesday evening at a reception. 

On Wednesday we were put through our paces to ensure our physical fitness. We were then reminded about the key things that UEFA want us to be strong on during the tournament - nothing new, just reminders re serious foul play tackles, elbows, simulation, holding in the penalty area, dissent and mass confrontation etc.

And then this morning we had the meeting when the first appointments were given out and we have been appointed to referee host nation Austria -v- Poland in Vienna. We are really looking forward to the match, it should be a great atmosphere with one of the home nations being involved at the biggest venue which will also host the final match. The only down side is that the match isn't until next Thursday at 20.45hrs CET and therefore we have to be patient. However, it does give us a chance to take in the other matches and see how they pan out. Darren and Mike have also been appointed as 5th official to a game each. Darren is going with the Spanish referees to Zurich for Romania -v- France on Monday 9th June whilst Mike is accompanying the Swedish referees to Basle for the match Holland -v- Italy on the same day.

We will keep you updated with how things go over here in the next few days. Here we go...!

Regards and best wishes, Howard, Darren and Mike

9 June 2008:
At last, after 6 days of thick cloud and lots of rain, the sun has come out!! It's also warmer than before as we found out in training this morning! The training has been good - everyday we train at a local sports field. Where we are in terms of match build-up dictates what we do training-wise. For example, today we are match day -3 so we did a speed endurance session on the pitch this morning. Tomorrow (match day -2) we will be out on the mountain bikes for 40 minutes (all the officials have been given a mountain bike for the duration of their stay at the tournament including helmet etc - we can also use these to explore the local area which is a nice touch from UEFA). Then, on Wednesday (match day -1) we will do match preparation, comprising of a non-fatiguing speed session. We then fly out to Vienna on Wednesday afternoon. I have an Hungarian 4th official, Viktor Kassai (who fortunately speaks excellent English as my Hungarian is a little rusty!!) and a Swiss 5th official who is also comfortable speaking English. Our match observer is Jaap Uilenberg from Holland who has assessed me 3 times previously and is a nice guy.

We all receive 2 tickets for the matches we are assigned to and I'm really happy that my mum and dad are able to make it over to the match in Vienna. UEFA have also made it possible for our guests to join us for a meal in a local restaurant after the match. Darren's parents are also coming over but unfortunately Mike's dad is away on holiday at the moment so can't make it. Hopefully he will be able to get across for a 2nd match. 

We were luckily enough to be invited to the opening match in Basel, Switzerland -v- Czech Republic and it was a memorable occasion. The opening ceremony was short but enjoyable and although the match wasn't great, I really enjoyed the experience. 

Last night we watched both matches in a TV/common room area together with many of the other referee teams, whilst this evening I am going to Zurich to watch Romania -v- France, where Darren is 5th official for the Spanish lads. Mike has already left for Bern to be 5th official for the Swedish boys on Holland -v- Italy. I think these should be 2 cracking matches. 

Both the teams that we are officiating on Thursday lost their opening match so neither can afford to lose their next match, otherwise their tournament is over. Could be quite a tense affair. Prior to leaving for Vienna, like every other team of referees, we will have a meeting with UEFA's sports psychologist Mattia Pifaretta to discuss our approach to the match from a mental preparation point of view. When we arrive in Vienna, we will be given massage facilities etc. which is also something made available to us everyday here at our Regensdorf base. We are taking full advantage!!

When we arrive back here on Friday after the match, we will be involved in a de-brief with the match observer and also 3 TV observers from the committee, Volker Roth, Vlado Sjan and Hugh Dallas (who also stay in touch with the match observer by phone during the game). All 5 officials will be present and also the sports psychologist. This may seem daunting but it's no surprise that every decision is going to be scrutinised. This de-brief is not open to other referee teams which is different to the de-briefs we had at the Under-20 World Cup in Canada last year when everybody was present - now that could make you feel uncomfortable! We also have a Belgian film crew following our every move at the tournament as UEFA have commissioned a documentary to be made to try to show the human side of refereeing. Should make interesting viewing when it comes out later this year. It's a bit like Big Brother because the film crew follow us everywhere and film everything. They will even be at the stadium, in the dressing room at half-time and at the end of the match and also in the de-brief. The referee has the right to exclude the team from the dressing room if he wants but the camera is there so often that we are starting to forget about it. 

Well that's all for now. Hope everybody is well and enjoying the warm sunny weather at home that everybody keeps telling us about!

19th June 2008

We arrived back from Salzburg this morning (Thursday) following our match there last night involving Greece -v- Spain. We had a great 2 days out there, it's a lovely city set close to the German border at the foot of the mountains. Many of the scenes from the film Sound of Music were filmed there and it's also the birthplace of Mozart. The stadium was a tidy, modern 30,000 seater and the atmosphere was excellent inside, even though the there was nothing riding on the outcome of the match in terms of progression or elimination from the group. Obviously pride was at stake for the Greeks and the match naturally had big importance for us and our future. 

The match went really well but still needed reffing. I cautioned 5 players and there was a small flashpoint just before half-time which quickly quietened down. The 3 goals were of excellent quality in Spain's 2-1 win. Having left the field of play with many handshakes, the feedback from the observer was excellent. Again we all received lots of texts and e-mails from back home to say well done and we appreciate each and every one of them, and also the ones we received pre-match wishing us well.

We had a great post-match meal with my sister Claire and her other half also being there which was great. A few glasses of wine were consumed before Claire headed back to her hotel.

Throughout our time in Salzburg, we had a constant Police escort and also checks of the hotel rooms and dressing rooms at the stadium due to some of the threats that have been made since last week. That side of things has been a whole new experience to us and not a pleasant one.

Having arrived back at our hotel today, we had a TV de-brief of the match in which Volker Roth (Germany) and Vlado Sjan (Slovenia) from the committee showed 12 clips from the match which were all positive. Pleasingly, they were very complimentary about our performance, as was the match observer Sergei Zuev (Russia). 

Following the de-brief, we had a meeting with all the referees where the committee announced the last 2 quarter-final appointments, and also the 4 referee teams who will be departing after the group stages. We were informed that we would be leaving, which of course is a little disappointing because we are enjoying the experience but we certainly feel we can return with our heads held high. The committee stated that they were very happy with our contribution to the tournament. Also returning home are the teams from Holland, Austria and Norway. The 4 least experienced teams are the ones going home which is what we expected. It's all about building solid foundations for the future and I think we have done that. We certainly leave on a high after the de-brief from last night's match.

The 8 dedicated fourth officials are all leaving today. We were given the opportunity to return home today too but that would have been a bit of a rush because we still need to do a recovery session in the pool, or we can stay until tomorrow (Friday) and visit Basel this evening to watch the first quarter-final Portugal -v- Germany. We have decided to go to the match and enjoy a relaxing evening, maybe with a celebratory beer or two because we feel proud of the job we have done. The match should be a cracker too.

We will then return home tomorrow with some wonderful memories and our lifes enriched by the experience. It will, of course, be fantastic to see our families again.

In closing, we really would like to say a huge thanks for the messages of support and best wishes that we have received throughout these 17 days. It is so very much appreciated and has made us feel privileged to have such wonderful friends, families and colleagues.

Regards and best wishes,

Howard, Darren and Mike 

A CRAZY RHYME (Anonymous poem from the Football Referee magazine England, October 1934)

A stands for Archer, who shoots with an arrow 
And has nothing to do with a football I know ; 
But also for Ass (short for Association)
Which governs the game in the whole of the nation.

B is for Ball made of leather blown tight 
With which we can play from morning till night. 
We kick it and throw it and knock it about 
And if we should score we give a loud shout.

C, now, is for Charity, Chart and Committee; 
Cup, Competition - and Coupons (a pity),
For the last kills the first, and the game is forgotten 
The Coupon's gone down - and the referee's rotten.

D stands for a word that you know very well,
With a good ringing sound, but not rhyming with bell. 
When forwards are mouldy, the defence in a hash 
It is more satisfying than just saying " Dash."

E is for Eye that most useful of organs
It's provided the crowd with some thousands of slogans, 
Such as, "Get your eyes chalked," and " Ref., where's your glasses ?"
And, "How the blind get appointments my sanity passes."

F is for Fees that you pay for fast forwards.
How you are thrilled when the play takes them goalwards, 
Which brings us to G, that stands also for Game, 
And Goalie, and Goalpost (they're not quite the same).

H is for Half - back-a very stout fellow,
He and his two partners stand three in a row.
They can charge like a Hurricane, Halt you, and Hinder. 
Your game, till you think that they might have been kinder.

I is for ink that is spilt in declaiming
The poor referee-note the faults they are naming, 
He's Idle, Incompetent, quite Insignificant,
And he takes all the Insults without being militant.

J is for Jericho - where 'refs.' are consigned
In the presence of ladies, and people refined
But you must understand, when the crowd matters not. 
The poor man is wished in a place that is hot.

K stands for Kicks, which are not legal tender
Or else every ' ref.' would be a rich spender. 
As it is he just takes them along with a grin
And says, "What a blessing I've got a thick skin."

L, now we have it, the first letter of Laws
Which the referee 'ministers - partly because
In the Leagues, they expect, when they choose an official 
He knows why, how and when he should puff at a whistle.

M stands for Matches - a name for a game ;
And a much better name, though it may mean the same, 
For a match, like a Lucifer, sold in a shop to us, 
Often comes to an end that is mostly sulphurous.

N is for Nets at the back of the goals,
Composed by the tying together of holes.
You will find that the ball - when the forwards assist it 
Is caught by the net when the goalkeeper's missed it.

O is a letter that's full of portent
'Cause it stands for Offside - a complaint heaven sent 
To lazy defenders and one eyed Officials ; 
But to know where they learnt their law is a puzzle.

P stands for Players, the Pence that you Pay,
At the Pay box to see them - we hope that you say, 
"We want a good game, it's a very nice day, 
And no blinking penalties to mark the affray."

Q is for Queer - the results of some matches,
Which put 'form' all wrong, and provide bookies' catches.
But the bookie's a sport who believes in fair offers
So he gives you the odds and rakes in the coppers

Referee - man of the match (now for queries)
Begins with the letter 18th of the series.
That also starts River, the Rest you award him 
Unless your team wins - in which case you save him.

S is for Stamina, needed by all
By the players that play, and spectators that call, 
And the poor referee that must follow the ball
For one hour and a half and ten miles - yes that's all.

T is for Tokens of ire (mostly Talking
But sometimes an orange, or maybe a thing 
Like a cushion, or bottle, or core of an apple)
But with such things as these the police have to grapple.

United we stand - divided we fall
Is in football an extremely old-fashioned call, 
For we find in The League, and in every division 
Very few of 'Uniteds' 'bove the half-way partition.

V is for Vials of wrath that are spilled
Every Saturday over the head of the skilled; 
And the better the game, the play, or the player 
Why the smaller the fault that turns boys into brayers.

W stands for Watch - in each match there's one 
That is always correct and never goes wrong. 
Though 10,000 watchers say it's short by a second 
It says 54 hundred I'm sure I have reckoned.

X you are sure has us beat to the wide,
How'll he get over this when to football he's tied? 
Well X is for X-ray to which we submit 
All cartilage troubles and bones that won't knit.

Y is for Youth with his future before him
Who says that no warnings nor words will deter him, 
He will referee and he'll do the job well 
And expect a reward, which of course is the 'sell.'

Z is for Zany - there are other names
For the fools who will bet on the endings of games,
And for those who have nothing to do with their time
But to read to the end of this fatheaded rhyme.

AN APPRECIATION  (Anonymous poem from the Football Referee magazine England, June  1932)

To Ole' George and his whistle an their retirement from the field after 34 years active service. 

We've been friends for many  a year,
My whistle and I,
And many happy hours we've spent
In times gone by.
When I look back and view the happy past,
I hear again my friend's sweet shrilling blast, 
And see the players and the crowded stand,
And know that they obeyed my friend's command, 
I feel that I have lived and been a man.

CHAREKOOH

Mini Poll: 
The results of the CorshamRef Mini Poll are shown below in ascending order: 

What do you think of Assessors? 

Question/ Votes / Percent  (based on a total of 303 votes)
1. They are very useful in helping Referees to become better Referees. / 103 / 34% 
2. In general, they play an important part in a Referee's career. / 96 / 32% 
3. Their advice is only partly worthwhile ./ 41 / 14% 
4. It would not be so bad if they were more human! / 20 / 7% 
5. I tolerate them , but that's all! / 13 / 4% 
6. They seem more like FA official bureaucracy rather than colleagues. / 12 / 4% 
7. They are a complete waste of time. / 8 / 3% 
8. They are mostly in it for themselves. / 2 / 1% 
9. I like them so much, that I intend to eventually become an Assessor. / 4 / 1% 
10. You have to suck up to them to get a good mark. / 4/ 1% 

A new Mini Poll is now available: Who is or was the best Referee?

www.CorshamRef.org.uk

YOU MUST BE JOKING REF?

What happened when the Referee fell asleep under his car?
He woke up oily next morning. 

The Referee accidentally lets out a huge burp on the field of play.
"Sorry lads", says the Referee, "It was a freak hic".

The Referee is waiting patiently for his bus after the game, and is happily eating his fish and chip supper from out of the bag. An old lady's dog nearby gets excited by the smell of chips and starts jumping up and down and barking with pleading eyes towards the Referee.
"Do you mind if I throw him a bit", says the Ref.
"Not at all" replies the old lady with a thankful smile.
So he picks up the dog and throws it over the wall.

How do you make a Referee float?
Take two scoops of ice cream, a glass of coke, and then throw the Referee in the river!

Referee at the barber's shop. "I want a hair cut please".
"Which one?" replies the barber.

What's black and white, and whistles in circles?
A Referee in a tumble dryer.

Why do Referees carry a few sheets of toilet paper in their pockets?
Because they are party poopers.

A Referee visits the doctor to complain of constipation. Take these tablets home with you, and place one in your back passage each night for seven days and come back to see me if it does not do the trick. A week later, the Referee returns and says, "I tried placing one tablet in my back passage for four days Doc, but when that did not work, I tried leaving the last three by my front door. But that didn't seem to work either!"

How does a Referee change a light bulb?
He holds it in the air, and the world revolves around him.

How come the Referee who was standing out in the pouring rain for 90 minutes, never got a hair on his head wet?
He was bald!

How do you make a Referee's eyes light up.
Shine a torch in his ears.

What steps should the Referee take if a player attempts to thump him.
Great big ones.

THIS MONTH'S QUESTION and ANSWER TOPICS:

Question 1: In the old days one linesman (now called Assistant Referee) would carry a red flag and the other a yellow one. Did one colour or the other signify seniority?

Answer 1: There is no official rule in the Laws of Associated Football to signify which single colour (red or yellow) a Senior Assistant Referee will have. But tradition in England, and in semi/pro games, signifies that the Assistant Referee with the red (or red-trimmed) flag is the Senior Assistant Referee. This also helps the Assessor to identify who is the Senior Assistant Referee. 

Using a standard traditional system makes it easier for Referees to officiate. It also helps players to recognise, which Assistant Referee is Senior.

The Assistant Referees' names are also sometimes listed in the match program with their particular flag, usually chequered or plain, red or yellow. This also makes it easer to identify them by name and seniority. 
Sometimes, the match day programme lists the Assistant Referees alphabetically, as well as which coloured flag each one will be holding. If this is the case, to aid identification, this should be adhered to.

Question 2: A team hanging on to a one-goal lead, are desperately trying to waste time when their goalkeeper catches a long range shot from an opponent. The goalkeeper runs to the edge of his penalty area, and then calls for a defender, who runs up close to him. The goalkeeper then throws the ball for him to head back into his hands. He does this repeatedly, assured it would not be judged a back pass. What action should the Referee take?

Answer 2: In accordance with Law 12, if a player uses a deliberate trick whilst the ball is in play in order to circumvent the Law, the player is guilty of unsporting behaviour. He should be cautioned and shown the yellow card, and an indirect free kick awarded to the opposing team from the place where the infringement occurred.

Question 3: I had an interesting incident today in a six-a-side tournament. 
The final of the U10s went to penalty kicks - which according to the laws of that tournament were to be just like normal kicks from the penalty mark. One of the players who was on the pitch at the time when the match ended then refused to take a penalty claiming he was too nervous. What should you do then?
I know we should allow some discretion when reffing the very young age groups. However I'd like to know the official ruling (say for instance if it was adult football). If a player refuses to take one of the kicks when he is the only one left to take one - should the kick be deemed to have been missed and should the player be cautioned? I don't know. I assume that is the case. In the end, he took one (and missed and cried). But his team won the shootout.

Your opinions would be interesting.

Answer 3: Before the start of kicks from the penalty mark, the Referee shall ensure that only an equal number of players from each team remain within the centre circle and they shall take the kicks.

Therefore, common sense dictates, that if a player refuses to take a penalty, claiming he was too nervous, then he should be asked to leave the field of play, and both teams will have to be equal in numbers before the kicks begin. The Referee should also report the facts to the appropriate authorities.

Question 4: Do we have a duty to inform a player/team that he HAS been included in after-the-match misconduct only if it occurs on the field? What about change room or parking lot. And does failure to show a card nullify a misconduct? 

Answer 4: An offence cannot be invalidated because of a minor technicality of this nature. Failure to show a card does not nullify misconduct. 

The showing of a card is for everyone else's benefit; as the player himself will already have been told of his punishment. Although the Law requires a referee to show a yellow or red card to a player as part of the cautioning or sending off procedure, failure to do so does not mean that a caution or sending off has not been administered. The player concerned will be dealt with in accordance with the laid-down disciplinary procedures.

Law 12 tells us that the Referee has the authority to take disciplinary action, as from the moment he enters the field of play until he leaves the field of play after the final whistle.

Therefore, the Referee can (and should show a card) if misconduct after the final whistle, occurs whilst the Referee has not left the field of play. As soon as the Referee leaves the field of play at the end of a game, he can still report players for misconduct, but he should not show a card when doing so. The boundary is quite clear now, and should be adhered to by Referees. 

It is a matter of curtsey and professionalism that the Referee should always inform a player that he HAS been disciplined, whether it occurs on the field or off it. But there may be the odd circumstance when the Referee's safety is in jeopardy, that he will have to forgo the niceties, and send the report in without informing the player.

Question 5: I my game at the weekend, the Club Assistant got very angry when I allowed the attacking team to play on after he raised an offside flag which I thought was incorrect. I had to dispense with the Club Assistant as he was calling my some unpleasant names. What can I do in the future to stop this happening again? 

Answer 5: I think I would be right in saying, that in our careers, we probably have all had to deal with an incident similar to that described in the original question.

There is an important learning point here. When giving your Club Assistant his pre-match brief, it's beneficial to try and factor in some words to the effect of:

"Thank you very much for running the line for me. If I ever have to overrule you, I will raise my arm like this towards you. If you see this, please can I ask you to drop your flag immediately. It's not that I'm trying to belittle you, it's because I have to make the final decision, and on rare occasions it might conflict with your viewpoint."

This at least lets the Club Assistant know what is expected, and will undoubtedly minimise these types of incidents re-occurring.

If you do overrule them, then take a few seconds to thank them at an appropriate time. This will keep them on your side. 

Question 6: Two captains come up for the coin toss, and I didn't think anything of it, as both players are the regular captains. The game kicks off, and I then see one of the captains who tossed the coin, sitting in the technical area, as he is a substitute.  Does the person who tosses the coin have to be on the field of play at the kick off? 

Answer 6: You don't need to have Law for this, (apart from Law 18 Common Sense!)

To have a substitute (Captain or not) taking part in the coin-tossing ceremony is clearly not within the Spirit of the Game. There is no reason for a team to do this, apart from undermining the Referee's authority.

Whilst we as Referees, can often find solutions (within or outside of the Laws) to enhance the game, there are occasions such as this, when we need to seriously consider the damage that can occur to the image of the game, if we allow such nonsense to prevail.

Question 7: During play, a defender and an attacker fall together over the goal line under the goal net. The attacker lands on top of the defender, who punches him. The ball is still in play. What do you do? 

Answer 7: The defender should be sent off for violent conduct.
If a referee stops play due to an offence committed outside the field of play (when the ball is in play), play shall be restarted with a dropped ball in the position where the ball was located when play was stopped.

Question 8: A goalkeeper slides out to retrieve ball in the penalty area His momentum carries his feet across the penalty area line, but the ball and his upper body remain inside the penalty area. Would this result in an Indirect Free Kick? 

Answer 8: This type of question often generates various opinions. The easiest way to understand this is to imagine an attacking player taking a shot on goal. The ball is just about to cross the line, and the goalkeeper makes a dive and stretches to keep the ball from going over the goal line. In doing so, the goalkeeper is completely behind his goal line between the two goal posts, and his right hand is the only part of him on the field of play that prevents the ball crossing over the goal line. Is it a goal or not?
Of course it isn't!
Now use this principle in the original question, and the answer should be easy enough. 

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 (Editor)
  www.CorshamRef.org.uk Newsletter Editor, Referee, FA Licensed Referee Instructor, FA Referees' Assessor Wiltshire, England..
The new web site address is www.CorshamRef.org.uk

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.

To subscribe or to unsubscribe to this newsletter, please go to the web site www.CorshamRef.org.uk