The Corsham Referee Newsletter No. 63: October 2008

The www.CorshamRef.org.uk Newsletter No 63 (October 2008)

1st October 2008 International newsletter covering Football (Soccer) Refereeing matters.

Welcome, with an International perspective.

Welcome to the 63rd edition of The Corsham Referee monthly International Football/Soccer Referees' newsletter.

Greetings to everyone. Apologies for this issue being a week late.

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

The new Law book contains a completely re-written chapter entitled, 'Interpretation of the Laws of the Game and Guidelines for Referees'. This chapter contains compulsory advice that supplements the Laws. It is based on the old FIFA Questions and Answers, and the previous Law book chapter entitled, ' Additional Instructions for Referees, Assistant Referees and Fourth Officials'. It is recommended that all Referees read the new chapter.

An interesting unpublicised Law change has been slipped into the new Law book.

In the Law 12 chapter, a new infringement (tackles an opponent) has been added to the first 6 Direct Free Kicks offences which are committed, carelessly, recklessly, or with excessive force. This makes it now 7 offences.

The following infringement has disappeared completely from the remaining Direct Free Kick offences:
Tackles an opponent to gain possession of the ball, making contact with the opponent before touching the ball.

These changes, whilst on first glance seem insignificant, are major changes in both the way that Direct Free Kicks are taught to candidates, and how Referees decide what a Direct Free Kick offence is when officiating.

This unpublished change has caused some debate here in England.

''SET PIECES'
More 'set-piece' advice by Julian Carosi.

In the 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 complete a self-evaluation, and how to apply advantage, by offering you some advice on improving your performance as an Assistant Referee.

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.

Assistant Referee Tips

Introduction:

Below are a number of ideas that will improve your performance as an Assistant Referee. The ideas are actual pieces of development advice provided to Assistant Referees who have been assessed by me at Level 4 in England over the last 12 months in England, and consist of best practices and methods expected of Assistant Referees in general. Of course, you may need to adapt these ideas to reflect what the Referee imparts to you in his pre-match brief and your own style of Refereeing. These ideas are applicable to Assistant Referees at all levels.

Arrival at the ground:
Most Competition Rules state that Referees and Assistant Referees should be in attendance at the venue at a certain time before kick-off. Make sure that you arrive well on time, as lateness puts unnecessary pressure on the Referee. Always obtain the Referee's mobile phone number before the game. Whenever your arrival at the ground will be later than expected, either phone the home team secretary, or the Referee's mobile phone to confirm that you are on the way, but will arrive late. A quick phone call (because you are stuck in traffic for example) will always help the Referee's preparation.

Entry onto the field of play flanking the Referee:
When you enter the field of play as a team with your colleagues, it subconsciously creates a first impression in the players' eyes. The normal method is for the Assistant Referees to be either side of the Referee as he walks out onto the field of play. Carry your flag in the outside hand as you flank the Referee. This adds balance to the team image and looks professional.
At the higher levels of Refereeing, the officiating team will all be wearing exactly the same kit. Even at the lower levels, try at least to wear the same type of sock as the Referee, as it will add more credence to how you are perceived as a team. For example, if the Referee only has one band of white at the top of his socks, then wear the same style yourself. It does not cost very much to have a few different styles of socks on your kit bag. It is the small details such as this, that will get you noticed, and help you with your career.

Introducing yourself to the technical area before the game starts:
If you are patrolling the Technical Area touchline, as you make your way to your starting point, try quickly introducing yourself to the Technical Area occupants just before the game commences. This establishes the first level of communication and creates a positive rapport that can sometimes prove beneficial to Assistant Referees.
For example, "Good afternoon gentlemen, my name's Tristan, please let me know when you want to make a substitution." etc. etc.
It doesn't matter too much what you say - just say something polite.
Introducing yourself shows that despite rumours to the contrary, Referees are actually human, and will help to break the ice in readiness for the pressures of the game. Let the Referee know what you intend to do, so that he can allow you a few more seconds to reach your starting position; this is something that you can discuss and agree with the Referee during his pre-match brief to you.

Kick off position:
Place yourself in line with the second last defender whenever a kick off is about to take place at the beginning if each half, or after a goal has been scored. Face the field of play and make eye contact with the Referee. Limber up for a few seconds so that you don't pull a muscle when you begin your first sprint up the touchline.

Making the first decisions in each half:
It is vitally important that you get the first few decisions correct in each half, as it will set the scene for the remainder of the half. These first few moments are crucial in how the players perceive your ability. If you make early mistakes, the players will moan at you for the rest of the half. If you can achieve a high accuracy with your very first few decisions, it will gain you some credibility in the players' eyes. Players will accept a few mistakes being made during a game, but not the very first decisions! Raise your concentration levels to maximum, and work very hard to ensure that when you signal for the first few throw-ins, goal kicks, corners or offside, that the decisions are correct, and you are in a creditable position to make them. If you make mistakes early in each half, it impinges on your confidence and will make it more difficult for you to gain the players' trust. Also, aim to set a high standard, by making your first few decisions in harmony with the level of control that the Referee is using.

Flag facing in towards the field of play:
The Assistant Referee's flag must always be visible to the Referee, unfurled and still whilst running. When running up and down the touchline and when standing still, it is imperative that the flag is always held facing towards the field of play so that the Referee can see it. This means that as you turn to run the opposite direction along your touchline, you will need to change hands. Always hold the flag in the hand nearest to the touchline.

Crabbing technique:
As a general rule, the Assistant Referee should face the pitch whilst running. Side-to-side crabbing movement should be used for short distances. This is especially important when judging offside and gives the assistant referee a better line of vision.
Crabbing involves shuffling along the touchline by moving your feet from side to side whilst you are facing square onto the field of play. This allows you to increase your focus and angle of view by straightening your line of sight. Crabbing greatly increases your accuracy for remaining adjacent to the second last defender whilst monitoring the offside line when the immediate play action is at a moderate or slow tempo. It also projects a stronger image of concentration, focus, commitment and professionalism. It is a useful method to adopt, particularly when monitoring the offside line at the extremes of your patrol path, near the halfway line and the penalty area.
But be aware that crabbing along the touchline is an unnatural movement; if you are not used to it, overuse can lead to injury in the long term. Limit its use to when you are monitoring the offside line, be selective in its use, and run naturally at the other times. Increase the usage of Crabbing as you become more efficient.

Flag surface area visibility:
The reason why flags are luminous, are so that Referees can see them much easier. Put yourself in the Referee's position, and repeatedly ask yourself as the game progresses, if your flag surface area is easy for him to see.
If you hold the flag downwards, it severely limits the visible surface area. Try to always show a maximum flag surface area at all times when either sprinting or crabbing along the touchline. Rather then holding the flag straight downward, or pumping it up and down as you run, try to increase the angle of your arm slightly so that the flag opens out. Hold the flag as rigidly as you can when you are moving (like pushing along a lawn mower!), so that the surface area remains as open as possible. If you watch top-level Assistant Referees, their flags look as though they have been starched, and rarely does the cloth furl up, even when they are sprinting. This is the standard that you should aim for. This technique allows the Referee to more easily see (or to spot) the flag surface area in the corner of his eye as he focuses on his immediate responsibilities. The aim is not to angle the flag so that it looks like a signal, but to increase the angle very slightly, so that instead of only 20 percent of the flag surface area being visible, at least 80 or more percentage can be seen by the Referee.
Do this also when you are standing still. If you can increase the bright surface visibly area of the flag, by either tipping it slightly if you are holding the flag with both hands, or slightly increasing the angle of your arm if holding the flag in one hand - the material will open out naturally. This makes it much easier for the Referee to see and enable him to quickly clock your position out of the corner of his eye, on the touchline.

Placing the flag in the correct hand before signalling:
Before signalling with your flag, place the flag in the correct hand before raising it above your head. Move the flag to the opposite hand below the waist. Use this method when signalling direction for a throw-in, or a free kick. The simple act of moving the flag into the correct hand before it is raised, can also be spotted by the Referee, and will help him to signal in unison with you when the flag is raised. This technique is very useful if you are indicating the decision instead of the Referee. Raising the flag in the correct hand looks more professional, rather than having to awkwardly swap hands after the flag has been raised. If circumstances change, then the other hand must be used for the next signal.

Standing at the halfway line - concentration levels:
The easiest place to lose concentration, is when play is at the far end of the field, and you are standing still watching the action at the halfway line. It is during these times of non-action, that you will need to force yourself to remain vigilant. Very often, the ball will suddenly come into your half, and if your concentration has lapsed, you will not be ready to react quickly enough. When standing at the halfway line, face the field of play with legs apart, and keep your body moving to and fro by gently swaying from one leg to the other. This will keep you on your toes and sharpen your focus on the game. It is very easy for an assessor to see when an Assistant Referee remains focused and ready to react. The body language is strong, the head is raised and eye contact is maintained, following the playing action. You need to be ready to leap out of the traps like a 100 metre sprinter at the beginning of his race. Watch the good Assistant Referees; you will notice that their levels of concentration and their state of readiness, is just as high when they are passive, as when they are active.

Halfway line flag holding:
Whilst standing at the halfway line, always place your flag in the hand that is nearest to the halfway line. This ensures that when you turn to sprint back along your touchline patrol path, the flag will already be in the correct hand (i.e. it will be facing in towards the field of play).
Whilst this may seem finicky, it is a technique expected of Assistant Referees. This also helps to minimise those occasions when you may drop your flag whilst changing hands in a hurry!

When a goal has been scored - or not scored:
When a goal has been scored, and there is no doubt about the decision, don't be too quick in retrieving your notebook to annotate the details of the goal. Firstly, make eye contact with the Referee, and then actively sprint 25-30 metres up the touchline towards halfway without raising your flag. This is the standard body-language technique expected of Assistant Referee. It is now a compulsory part of the Laws and helps the Referee to confirm the goal's legality.
When a goal has been scored, but the ball appears still to be in play, raise your flag to attract the Referee's attention, and then continue with the normal goal procedure of running quickly 25-30 metres along the touchline towards the halfway line.
On occasions when the whole of the ball does not cross completely over the goal line and play continues as normal because a goal has not been scored, make eye contact with the Referee, and if necessary give a discreet hand signal.

Goal Kick signal:
There was a time when Assistant Referees could indicate a goal kick by using body language alone, i.e. by simply standing on the touchline adjacent to the goal area, and facing up towards the halfway line. This method is no longer generally used. A goal kick flag signal is now always expected. When you deliver a goal kick flag signal, also place your body square onto the touchline, so that you are completely facing the field of play. Always use the hand that is nearest to the corner flag when signalling. This will increase your line of sight towards the Referee.

Goal Kick checking:
Firstly stand adjacent to the goal area, check to see if the ball is inside the goal area. If the ball is not placed correctly, do not move from this position, make eye contact with the referee and raise your flag.
Once the ball is placed correctly inside the goal area, move to the edge of the penalty area to check that the ball leaves the penalty area (ball in play) and that all of the attackers are outside.
If the second last defender takes the goal kick, move directly to the edge of the penalty area
Finally, take up a position to check the offside line, which is a priority in any case

Free Kick flagging.
You must raise your flag when a foul or misconduct is committed in your immediate vicinity or out of the Referee's vision. In all other situations, you must wait and offer your opinion if it is required. If this is the case, report what you has seen and heard and which players are involved to the Referee.

Before signalling for an offence, you must determine whether the offence was out of the view of the Referee or the Referee's view was obstructed; or the referee would not have applied advantage if he had seen the offence.

Before raising your flag for a free kick, make sure that you have the flag in the hand that faces towards the direction of the free kick. This gives the referee a clear indication as to who was fouled
For example; for a Red team free kick; if the Red team is attacking the goal to your right, hold the flag in the right hand. If the flag is in the left hand, change hands before you raise your flag, and not after it has been raised. The simple fact of holding (or moving) the flag into the correct hand will be recognised by an astute Referee. He will be able to tell which team the free kick belongs to, even before you have raised your flag. This subtle information is very useful for the Referee if he did not originally see the offence.

When a free kick flag is raised above your head, wave it back and forth above your head (avoiding any excessive or aggressive movement). This signifies that the offence is a free kick (use the electronic beep signal, if necessary). If you wave the flag around too much, it may look like you have awarded a throw-in. Keep the flag upright when waving it. Waggle it upright for a few seconds, make eye contact with the Referee, and when he is looking at you, angle it down slightly so that it points towards the direction of the free kick.

There will be occasions when you must use the "wait and see technique" in order to allow play to continue and not raise your flag when the team against which an offence has been committed will benefit from the advantage. In this case, it is very important for you to make eye contact with the Referee.

Free kick position:
The Assistant Referee's position for a free kick must be in line with the second last defender in order to check the offside line, which is a priority in any case. However, he must be ready to follow the ball by moving down the touchline towards the corner flag if there is a direct shot on goal.

Administering the 9.15 distance at free kicks near to your position:
If a free kick occurs near to you, stand adjacent to where the ball should be placed. This helps players with correct placement of the ball. Instruct players on the correct placement if they attempt to gain illegal ground.
It is very rare that an Assistant Referee will have to enter the field of play to control the 9.15 metre (10 yds) distance at a free kick. This can usually be done from the touchline using vocal instructions.
But Law 6 does state that an Assistant Referee may enter the field of play to help control the 9.15 metre (10 yds) distance. The Referee in his pre-match brief should discuss this subject with you prior to the game. If not, then ask him what he expects you to do.

Wall distance:
When a free kick is awarded very close to the touchline near to your position, you may enter the field of play to help ensure that the wall is positioned 9.15 m from the ball. In this case, the Referee must wait until you are back in position before restarting play.

Goalkeeper releasing the ball from his hands:
When a goalkeeper has the ball in his hands and is preparing to punt it high into the air, take up a monitoring position in line with the edge of the penalty area or a little further along the touchline. Check that the goalkeeper does not touch the ball with his hands outside of the penalty area. Once the goalkeeper has released the ball, take up a position to check the offside line, which is a priority in any case. Check the goalkeeper several times early in each half. Your close monitoring, will inform the goalkeeper that you are looking for any infringements, thereby making him careful about handling outside of his penalty area. After several checks, you can take up a position a little further up the touchline, thereby decreasing the distance that you have to run to reach the offside line monitoring position.

Static signalling:
When making a signal, an Assistant Referee must stop running, face the field of play, make eye contact with the referee and raise the flag with deliberate (not hasty or exaggerated) motions. The flag should be like an extension of the arm.
Therefore, whilst there may be the very rare occasion when you may wish to keep moving towards your stoppage point whenever you raise your flag, try doing it when you are standing still (static) rather than when you are moving. This looks much better, allows the Referee to quickly identify the type of signal, helps you to quickly gain eye contact with the Referee and is generally more effective. For example, if the ball travels out over the touchline for an obvious throw-in some 10 metres away. Sprint to the location, stand still and face the field of play, and raise your flag to indicate the direction of the throw-in. If the ball travels near the touchline some 10 metres away, and there is a doubt whether a throw in has occurred or not, raise your flag immediately to indicate the throw-in, and then sprint to the correct location to indicate the place where the throw-in should take place. In some cases, you will need to adjust the parameters of when static signalling (rather than signalling on the move) is more appropriate. This depends on the speed of the game, how far the ball has travelled away from the field of play and how far you are away from where the ball travelled out over the touchline. In most cases, you will be able to apply static signalling to good effect, particularly on corner kick and throw-in signals. Try to gradually factor static signalling into your performance and adjust its usage accordingly.

Eye contact:
Keeping regular eye contact with the Referee is a difficult task to master. When you are not specifically monitoring the immediate play action, try and locate the Referee from time to time on your radar. This will help you to find him when you need to make quick eye contact with him. When you need to make a decision and raise your flag, try the following simple F.L.A.G. process which encourages you to make eye-contact with the Referee before you raise your flag. Obviously, this is not possible on all occasions, but use the process to guide you into improving your general ability to locate the Referee every time that you make a signal.

Find(Ref.), Look(at him), Aloft(raise flag to signal), Ground(drop flag when signal is over) F.L.A.G.

Throw-in flag signal:
When flagging for a throw-in, try leaving your direction flag signal in position for a few seconds, rather than whizzing it up and then whooshing it down!
Once your flag is up, count, "ONE AND TWO AND THREE," then drop the flag. This gives more time for your flag signal to be seen.
Use the simple F.L.A.G process repeated below, which encourages you to make eye-contact with the Referee before you raise your flag.
Find(Ref.), Look(at him), Aloft(raise your flag aloft and then signal the throw-in direction), Ground(hold the signal for a few seconds and then drop the flag towards the ground) F.L.A.G.

Try to keep your flagstick straight (in parallel with the touchline) when you hold it out, rather than pointing acutely away from the touchline back towards the spectators. If you place your index finger along the flagstick when you raise it, it will force you to produce a straighter trajectory that maximizes your flag's visibility for the Referee.

When the ball crosses the touchline far from your position, and the throw-in decision is an obvious one, make a direct signal in unison with the Referee to indicate the direction of the throw-in.

Delayed offside flag technique:
Try to factor in a delay, before you raise an offside flag, as this allows time to make any adjustments in your decision-making.
Try saying to yourself something along the lines of, "ONE AND TWO AND FLAG".
Or, "WAIT, WAIT, AND FLAG".
Delaying flag execution will increase delivery accuracy.
There are exceptions to this, for example, do not delay an offside flag if an offside attacker looks like he may collide with the goalkeeper. A quick offside flag and Referee's whistle here, (rather than trying to keep the game flowing) will probably save an unnecessary ugly incident occurring.

Time down signals:
During the last five minutes of each half, the Referee will usually look to you to make what is known as a time-down signal. This enables the Referee to confirm with you, the time remaining in each half. How you provide the time-down signal, is usually something discussed by the Referee in his pre-match brief to you. It normally consists of holding a number of fingers out over either your shorts of jersey. For example, 3 outstretched fingers show that there are 3 minutes of time remaining in the half. Two fingers depict 2 minutes etc. A clenched fist tells the Referee that the full 45 minutes have been played. Keep the signal discrete, and accept that the Referee will probably add on a few more minutes for any time that has been lost during the half.
There have been many occasions when a Referee has looked towards one of his Assistant Referees for a time-down signal, but the Assistant Referee's attention is elsewhere. So try to always be ready in the last five minutes of each half, by making regular eye contact with the Referee for time-down confirmation when he needs it. In other words, be ready to help the Referee when he looks towards you in the later stages of each half.

Corner Kick:
When a corner kick is taking place, position yourself behind the corner flag, in line with the goal line. Check that the ball is inside the corner arc, and do not interfere with the player taking the corner kick.

Corner kick flag signal:
When the ball goes out over the touchline opposite to where you are standing, it is the Referee who very often signals for a corner kick. Use the corner kick flag signal to back him up. Providing supportive flag signals adds greater emphasis to overall team signaling - even though the ball may be on the other side of the field of play.

When the ball crosses the goal line near to you, make the flag signal using the hand that is nearest to the corner flag (better line of vision) to indicate whether it is a goal kick or a corner kick.

Substitution procedure:
When a substitution request is made, check to see if the substitute is actually ready to come on. Very often, when a substitution request is made, the substitute is not yet fully ready to come on; because he has either forgotten to tie up his boots or has yet to put on is jersey etc. You can check the substitute's availability by simply asking the Technical Area if the substitute is ready or not.

If you are on the far touchline to the Technical Area and you see the other Assistant Referee raising his flag to indicate a substitution, but the Referee has not noticed the signal, raise a complementary substitution request flag. This will communicate to the Referee that his Senior Assistant Referee behind him, is signalling for a substitution request.

Sending-offs:
Whenever a player is sent off, watch carefully to see where he goes. It very often happens at the lower levels of football that the perpetrator sits inside the Technical Area or stands on the touchline watching the game. If this has gone unnoticed by the Referee, bring it to his attention.

Bad language from the technical area:
One of the most difficult responsibilities of an Assistant Referee is knowing how to manage the Technical Area without seeming to be a dictator. An astute Assistant Referee will know when to poke his nose into the technical Area, and when to keep his nose out!
But there will be certain times when some form of disciplinary action needs to be taken by the Assistant Referee, rather than taking no action at all.
Normally, a few quiet words of advice usually does the trick when the technical area language starts to heat up.
Otherwise, try adopting the following assertive 3-point stepped approach when calming down heated tempers.
1: On the first occasion, ask the perpetrator to, "Please calm down".
2: Secondly, assertively instruct the perpetrator to, "Behave in a responsible manner, else the Referee will be summoned."
3: Finally - inform the Referee.
In nearly every football match, it is the Technical Area occupants who seem to start the bad feelings. So please don't always ignore them. The Technical Area occupants have to behave in a responsible manner, and it is your job as an Assistant Referee to see that this happens.

Fouls outside the penalty area:
When a foul is committed outside of the penalty area (near the boundary of the penalty area), you should make eye contact with the Referee to see where he is positioned and what action he has taken. You should stand in line with the penalty area and raise your flag if necessary.

In counter-attack situations, you should be able to give information such as whether or not a foul has been committed and whether a foul was committed inside or outside the penalty area, which is a priority in any case, and what disciplinary action must be taken.

Fouls inside the penalty area:
When a foul is committed inside the penalty area out of the vision of the Referee, especially if the incident is near to your position, you must first make eye contact with the Referee to see where he is positioned and what action he has taken. If the Referee has not taken any action, you must raise your flag (and if available, use the electronic beep signal) and then visibly move down the touchline towards the corner flag.

The official advice is shown immediately above, but you may wish to consider the following tip.
When a free kick offence occurs on the edge of the penalty area, the Referee will look to his Assistant Referee to help decide (or to confirm) whether the foul occurred inside or outside of the penalty area.
A subtle way to indicate the position of the offence without using a flag signal is as follows:
The Assistant Referee makes eye contact with the Referee, and stands still on his touchline, adjacent to the edge of the penalty area.
If the Assistant Referee believes that the incident occurred outside of the penalty area, he can either:
(a) Take a small side-step up the touchline towards the halfway line. Or
(b) Place his flag in the hand that is nearest to the halfway line.
Whilst the players will not perceive these actions, the Referee will be able to understand that the Assistant Referee believes that a free kick, and not a penalty kick should be awarded.

If the Assistant Referee believes that the incident occurred inside of the penalty area, and a penalty kick should be awarded, then all the Assistant Referee has to do, is to either take a small side-step towards the corner flag, or move his flag so that it is held in the hand nearest to the corner flag.
But whatever communication you use, it must be agreed with the Referee prior to the game starting.

Penalty Kick:
When a penalty kick is about to take place, an Assistant Referee places himself at the intersection of the goal line and the penalty area. If the goalkeeper blatantly moves off his goal line before the ball is kicked and a goal is not scored, you should raise your flag to indicate the infringement.

Gestures:
As a general rule, an Assistant Referee must give no obvious hand signals. However, in some instances, a discreet hand signal may give valuable support to the Referee. The hand signal should have a clear meaning. The meaning should have been discussed and agreed upon in the pre-match discussion.

Signal beep:
The signal beep system is an additional signal to be used only when necessary in order to gain the attention of the referee. In most cases, a flag signal is all that is needed.
Situations when the signal beep may be useful include: offside, fouls (outside the view of the referee), throw-in, corner kick or goal kick (tight decisions), goal situations (tight decisions).

Mass confrontation:
In situations of mass confrontation, if you are the nearest Assistant Referee, you may enter the field of play to assist the Referee. The other Assistant Referee must also observe and record details of the incident.

Consultation:
When dealing with disciplinary issues, eye contact and a basic discreet hand signal from the Assistant Referee to the Referee may be enough in some cases.
On occasions, when direct consultation is required, you may advance 2-3 metres onto the field of play if necessary. When talking, the Referee and Assistant Referee should both turn to face the field of play to avoid being heard by others.

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.

Continuing the 'Different Levels of the Game' section from last month's newsletter..........................

Co-ed soccer games, though relatively new, present interesting challenges to the referee, whether veteran or rookie. Since many of the games are played at lower levels of intensity and skill, beginning referees often find themselves asked to officiate at these matches.
On the soccer field, as often in Life, the presence of women tends to exert a civilizing effect on the men around them. Generally, co-ed games are recreational in nature, and are played in a low-keyed environment in which the players are intent mostly on having fun.
There are, however, traps for the unwary referee, even in such otherwise peaceful matches. Most male players tend to shy away from tough physical challenges against female opponents, either for reasons of chivalry or because most referees tend to whistle them for fouls if they do not. In mane cases, the reason for this is simple self-preservation by the referee. As a general rule, the quickest was for a co-ed match to get out of hand is for the men from one team to start bullying the other team's female players. If, rightly or wrongly, this is the perception on the field, their opponents-who will usually refrain from targeting the other team's women-will retaliate directly against the fouling team's men, usually (though not always) against the players who are causing the trouble. Once this happens, things can quickly get out of hand, which is why- some referees `rill avoid the problem altogether by calling fouls very tightly, and sometimes unfairly, against the men.
This does not, of course, address the other source of occasional tension on a co-ed soccer field, namely the tendency of some men to hog the ball, rather than passing it to female players on their own team. This, however, is a problem that the referee is powerless to address.

Mentors, and more experienced officials
Assignors will usually try to pair inexperienced officials with veteran referees. This lets the newcomer benefit from the experience of others and affords a measure of protection during his early days as a referee.
Most experienced officials are proud and flattered to share their experiences with newer ones. Some soccer clubs have established "mentor programs" to help new or younger officials to learn their craft, and many state or local associations sponsor clinics or training programs to pass along information, techniques, and useful tips. The new referee should take advantage of these resources whenever the chance arises.

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

ASSISTANT REFEREES

Until 1996 assistant referees were known as linesmen. The change of name was partly to cater for the increasing number of women coming into refereeing, and partly to acknowledge the key role played by those running the line. `The linesman is, in reality, an assistant referee,' wrote W D Murdoch in the 1952-53 FA Book for Boys.

The term linesman came into being after 1891, when the referee moved from the sidelines to the field of play and the two umpires moved from the pitch to the surrounds. In the 1890s, Football League linesmen were club officials, and `away linesmen' were subject to abuse from the home crowd. Derby County's Charlie Holloway ran the line in knickerbockers and Burnley fans used catapults to pelt his legs. The referee had to stop the game and rescue him.

Neutral linesmen were introduced around 1900. When Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday met in an FA Cup replay, two Wednesday players were sent off (February 1900). Referee John Lewis did not see the second offence but acted on information provided by a neutral linesman.

Clubs continued to provide linesmen in local games. Lovick gave the following advice to referees in his 1920s manual: `During the first five or ten minutes take note of your respective linesmen and decide as to what extent they may be relied on for the remainder of the game.'

In park football the assistant is often a team official or a substitute. Most tackle the task conscientiously but occasionally one has a role conflict: `Come on, lads, we're better than this. Stop wandering at the back, I'm having to watch the line.'

In professional football, neutral assistant referees have acquired more and more responsibility. They indicate whether the ball is in or out of play, and suggest which team is entitled to possession on the restart. They assess offsides, and look for offences and misconduct in areas of the field where they are better placed than the referee. They help with substitutions, take some responsibility at penalty-kicks (e.g.. watching the goalkeeper's feet), and spot whether the ball goes over the line for a goal. These last three points were added to the laws in 2000, although many referees were already briefing their assistants accordingly. Also, since 2000, assistants can enter the field of play to help with encroachment issues.

The linesman's original duties were to point to the place where the ball went into touch, and then stand on one side to watch the throw-in.

Pickford stated it clearly in his early book on refereeing:

In practice the linesman is entrusted with the oversight of the touchline, the referee the goal-line and goal positions. This is a useful division of the work, but it is not a peremptory one - the linesman should keep an active watch on the ball crossing the goal-line so that he can if required help the referee either by signal or by consultation. The linesman should act as far as he can as a goal-judge. To achieve this, the suggestion is made that one linesman should work more along the touchline on one half of the field of play, and the other conversely.

There is a limit to what assistants can do. A Barnsley defender tackled Simon Sturridge (Stoke) near the touchline and accidentally tripped up the sprinting linesman (March 1996). Sturridge's cross resulted in a goal for Sheron (Stoke). Barnsley defenders claimed offside but the linesman was still getting to his feet.

Some referees argue that running the line is harder than refereeing, and the official report on the 2002 FIFA World Cup"' commented that assistant referees made more errors than referees. The basic challenge in the job is to keep one eye on the ball, one eye on the players to assess for fouls and off-theball incidents, and a third eye on the defensive line to check offside positions, all the while sprinting crab-like along a muddy or sanded touchline strip and holding the flag down with a straight arm. An assistant's sprint can be brought to a sudden halt by the sight of a player in an offside position. Then the assistant comes to attention and lifts the flag high (if the player is active in the play). Referees usually acknowledge signals from their assistants, even if
they do not act upon them.

Running the line is now recognised as a specialist's job. It used to be that top referees would suddenly find themselves as a linesman for the first time in a year. FIFA referees would have to practise running the line in local matches to resurrect their skills before a major match. Then it was realised (after incidents like the Maradona `hand of God' goal in 1980) that experienced, in-form assistants were needed for top matches.

Neutral assistants usually run the same defence in both halves, switching from one right wing to the other, and club linesmen are usually given their own defence to patrol. Neutral assistants will make a note of cautions, substitutions, sendings-off and goals. Before the advent of the fourth official, the senior linesman would take over if the match official was injured during the game. It is still the case in some competitions.

Neutral assistants will also carry the same equipment as referees. Linesmen's flags were traditionally supplied by the home club, but many referees now carry their own. An early FA instruction to club secretaries was for `light-coloured flags' to be provided. Flags were smarter than handkerchiefs and enabled linesmen to give clearer signals. They have usually been about eighteen inches long (including the handle) and assistants know to keep them unfurled and ready, carrying them at the side of the body, below waist height, while they run. Never wrap a flag around the handle!

There are numerous examples of flags flying off the end of a linesman's stick and floating on to the pitch. A grinning player might return the flag with a choice one-liner: `This your snot-rag, lino?'

Luminous flags were first tried at Villa Park in 1946, and there were experiments with luminous outfits in 1972 after complaints from referees about difficulty spotting linesmen during floodlit matches. A referee halted a game between Leyton Orient and Blackpool, and asked a spectator to move further back in the crowd because his shirt was clashing with the linesman's flag (August 1992). With the coming of replica shirts for fans, it became harder to find suitable flag colours, and a brightly coloured chequered flag became more popular.

Assistant referees are expected to give an opinion on incidents when asked by the referee. Assistants do not make decisions. That is solely the referee's job.
Assistant referees who interfere too much can be dismissed by the referee. Garry Parker (Leicester City) was fined �750 for using foul and abusive language to a referee while acting as an assistant referee during an Oxfordshire Sunday League match (February 1998).

Local clubs can be fined for failing to provide an assistant. Anyone is better than no one. At one Lewes & District Sunday League match, a club assistant referee hopped the line on crutches, somehow managing to raise his flag.

What if assistants are injured during matches? A local referee stepped in when a linesman pulled a muscle in the game between Liverpool and Wolves (October 1970), and Sheffield United substitute David Staniforth deputised for an injured linesman at Chelsea (February 1973).

A replacement was also needed when a linesman wrenched his knee after twelve minutes of a match between Arsenal and Liverpool (September 1972). A loudspeaker appeal brought three responses - an inexperienced referee, an ex-referee in his sixties, and television expert and former player Jimmy Hill, who had studied the laws of the game as a qualified FA coach. When the game resumed, after a fifteen-minute delay, Hill was running the line.

Despite a successful experiment with microphones and buzzers in 1999 and 2000, referees continue to rely on their assistants operating a system of flag signals. Assistants can show offside by holding their flag straight up in the air, in line with where the offence occurred, and they can indicate where the ball should be placed for the resulting indirect free-kick. They can also signal for an infringement (waving the flag and then pointing it in the direction of the offending team's goal), a corner-kick (pointing towards the nearest corner arc), a goal-kick (taking up a position six yards out and pointing across the pitch), a goal (running back towards the halfway-line with a thumbs-up or an arm pointing), a throw-in (waving the flag and signalling the direction of the throw-in), and a substitution (both arms raised with the flag gripped in two hands). Substitutions take place at the halfway-line. At a break in play, the assistant moves to the halfway-line and raises the flag. One player leaves the field, and the substitute enters on a signal from the referee. The assistant checks the substitute's footwear.

There is also a signal for penalty-kicks. It was used by an assistant at Crystal Palace when he saw a push on Wright-Phillips (Manchester City) in September 2004. The assistant, who was closer to the ball than the match referee, immediately waved his flag and then placed it across his chest.

At corner-kicks, linesmen in the early 1980s would stand on the goal-line, about fifteen yards from the corner-flag. In the 2000s it became more fashionable to stand by the corner-flag, a better position from which to judge whether the ball stays in play. Assistants have become much clearer about throw-in signals by switching hands (in the 1950s some linesmen were like contortionists with their efforts to put their flag over their head while holding on to it with their right hand).

Some referees have also used their assistants for emotional support. One time a referee gave an unpopular penalty decision and was surrounded by angry defenders.

`Talk to your linesman, Ref,' the defenders said. The referee ran to the touchline.
`Do you have a watch?' the referee asked.
`Yes,' the linesman replied, nodding his head.
The referee ran back towards the penalty spot, pointing with conviction.
An assistant referee is a referee's best friend.

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

Chaos theory on flight of new balls - by Richard Gray Telegraph 7th September 2008:

The speed at which the football left David Beckham's boot when he scored from a free kick for England against Greece in a World Cup qualifying match in 2001 was 80mph.

Modern footballs give attacking teams an unfair advantage because their design makes it hard for goalkeepers to anticipate where a shot is heading, a scientist has claimed.

Dr Ken Bray, a physicist at Bath University, has studied free-kicks from Premiership, World Cup and European Championship matches and found that top players such as the Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo are exploiting the chaotic flight and speed of modern balls to score goals.

Speaking at the British Association for the Advancement of Science Festival in Liverpool, Dr Bray called on football's governing body, FIFA, to step in with new regulations on aerodynamic qualities of footballs. He argued that FIFA already dictates the size, weight and bounce of footballs used in competitive matches, but does not specify how the ball should behave when it is kicked. With professional players able to kick the modern lightweight balls harder and faster than previous generations, the flight of the ball is an important issue.

Dr Bray said: "FIFA dictates all aspects about ball design apart from the aerodynamics, yet there is no reason why you couldn't design a football so that you know if you shin the ball as much as Beckham for example, you know how much it will swerve in flight."

Ronaldo, 22, is feared for his free-kicks that cause the ball to change direction unpredictably in mid-air, bewildering goalkeepers.

Unlike players such as David Beckham, who mastered the ability to put spin on the ball so that it dipped and swerved into the net, Ronaldo kicks the ball so that it barely spins on any axis. This means that as air rushes over the seams of the ball it creates turbulence that can suddenly change the ball's trajectory at random.

"While Beckham can reasonably predict where his shot will end up, with Ronaldo it is down to the physics of chaos once the ball leaves his foot. It makes it very disconcerting and unfair for goalkeepers," said Dr Bray.

NEW NEWSLETTER FEATURE:

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

Code of Signals for FIFA (by Stanley Lover)

'What's that for, Ref?

In a school match I was puzzled why the referee had called a foul against me, so I asked him, 'What was that for, Ref.?' I'm sure I was not impolite but the answer, 'Don't question my decisions; get on with the game or you'll be in my book', seemed unjust. I was not contesting but asking for information to know what I had done wrong so that I could avoid repeating the offence. After the match I asked the referee again, explaining why I wanted to know. He was more reasonable.

'You put your foot up close to an opponent's knee and I considered it to be Dangerous Play'. I thanked him, adding that I would try to be more careful in future. Then I thought, why didn't he show me at the moment by, say, raising one foot to knee height? I, and all present, would have understood immediately.

When Italy played France in the 2006 World Cup final before a global audience of billions, only one person, the Argentinean referee, Horacio Elizondo, knew the whole story of what went on in those highly emotional two hours of play. Most decisions for stopping the match were obvious, e.g., ball over boundary lines, but others were obscure. The world could only guess why a free-kick was awarded in the run of play. It could have been for any one of many offences listed in the official laws.

Football is often called The People's Game but for over 140 years there have been almost studied conspiracies of silence to avoid helping the people understand their game better.

Do football people care? Well, I'm one of them and I do care. An experience in China showed me I'm not alone. In my book SOCCER RULES EXPLAINED I tell the story of a match in 1965 at The Workers Stadium, Peking before 40,000 excited fans. Most of the applause occurred when the game was stopped and after a man's voice broadcast an announcement. After several incidents I asked my interpreter for an explanation. He pointed to a person seated at a table close to the touchline.

'He is an international referee and is explaining why Doctor Wong, the man in the middle, had awarded a free-kick.' The people appreciated this insight into the game through the eyes of an expert and applauded the officials as much as the players.

The players want to know, the people want to know, and so do television commentators at the big games. As communicators any titbit of information eases their task of presenting the play, adding educational value to their words and, in turn, increasing the pleasure of the audience - as in that Peking (Beijing) match.

Other sports are way ahead of football in communication. Nearly all have an established code of signals to back their rules. Rugby, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, cricket and the rest, all help explain what goes on. Why not in football, the world's most popular sports spectacle? One reason is that the Game of Association Football was created for gentlemen players who imposed an impeccable code of fair play on themselves. The Referee was there only 'to decide disputed points' put to him by the players. Appeals of 'That was unfair, sir!' and the accused villain's response of 'No, I don't think so, sir', were resolved by the neutral official. It was unthinkable that gentlemen should 'show dissent, by word or action,' from any decision given by the Referee (the second of the seven yellow card offences in modern laws). The Referee has never been required to explain or justify decisions because of this gentlemanly ethic - hence, no code of signals. Tradition dies hard in football.

Attempts to move away from obsolete traditions and into the 21st century have, so far, produced little change. Personal research, started in 1970 - involving two years study of referee communication - proves that officials want to be more informative. The only mandatory signal, which indicates that a free-kick is Indirect (Law 13), could apply to any one of a dozen offences - from offside to unsporting behaviour. To be helpful referees use other unofficial signals on average fourteen times per match. An analysis of six matches revealed twenty seven different signals, falling into two categories;

Instinctive - natural gestures miming the offence, e.g., handling the ball, pushing, kicking an opponent, shirt holding, etc., and,
Personalized - individual attempts to indicate offences difficult to mime, e.g., obstruction, offside, dangerous play, etc.

Understanding of the referee's message varied according to the clarity of his body language. Those who attempted to communicate appeared more decisive and efficient than those who made little effort. Negative reaction to a decision, by players and/or spectators, was often stifled when a clear, firm signal was seen.

Based on this research an unofficial experiment was tested in 1972 at a national youth competition final at Crystal Palace, near London. Players and spectators were given a leaflet with a few illustrations showing referee signals they might see and what they would mean. The test was announced over the public address system before the kick-off - it was as near as we could get to the situation in the Beijing match. The experiment was warmly received and created much interest. A typical and frequent comment was, 'Why can't we see this in every game?'

In the same year a paper, detailing the research and the experiment, was submitted to FIFA with recommendations for a basic Code of Signals for football. The Referees' Committee considered the document but shelved the idea. Three years later a memorandum, published in the 1977 FIFA Universal Guide for Referees noted;

'It is not the duty of the referee nor is it a useful function to explain his decisions to the players or spectators. Any attempt to do so can lead to confusion, uncertainty and delay.'

A slight change of attitude in 1991 led to a memorandum which repeats the fear of confusion etc., but states that,

'There are times when a simple gesture ... can aid communication and assist towards greater understanding, and gaining more respect, to the mutual benefit of referees and players.'

That note acknowledges the value of communication. However it made no attempt to help referees explain the many decisions for which only they know the reasoning - the decisions which baffle players and the millions who watch. They and the ever-growing numbers of newcomers attracted to football want to know more about their game. Much of the confusion, dissent and delay, ever-present in the modern game, can be reduced if referees are allowed to express obscure decisions via a simple code of signals.

Miming and other gestures which inform are no problem - referees act instinctively. However, their use might become more widespread if illustrated in a guide to confirm the intention of those frequently observed. The real value of a standard code would be to identify offences which are difficult to mime, Examples are;

Advantage: The traditional 'play on' signal - sweeping both arms forward - provokes unfair criticism when interpreted as, 'I did not see anything wrong - play on.' It can be modified to give a clear message, 'I saw that, but play on.' For example, the referee could point to the offence, make a forward motion with the other arm and, after a few seconds, confirm his decision with the completed standard 'play on, advantage' signal.

Offside: In my research referees attempted to indicate offside with differing gestures. Five signals, from a sweeping movement of one arm across the body to raising both hands above the head, were observed in as many matches. Just one universal gesture would avoid confusion; i.e. both hands raised to shoulder height and moved apart and together with index fingers vertical.

Careless and reckless play; using excessive force: six Direct Free kick offences - pushing, tripping, holding, etc - are judged on these criteria. The current signal, pointing the direction of the kick, provides no clue as to reasoning. Players frequently claim to have tried to play the ball when an opponent is tackled without reasonable care. One simple gesture could cover all three degrees of foul play; i.e. the referee indicates his decision by knocking clenched fists together in front of his chest.

Dangerous play: all actions which unintentionally put an opponent in danger e.g., attempted kick at a head-high ball, can be covered by one signal - suggests an open hand raised vertically to head height - and then confirmed by the existing one-arm raised signal informing all that the free kick is Indirect.

Denying a goal scoring opportunity: a complex judgement call, with severe consequences, merits a special signal. One possibility - is to plaace the arms crossed in front of the chest.

These five aspects of play are common to practically every football match. They are judged by the referee but others are mystified and irritated when his decisions are unclear.

In discussions with referees at all levels and in various countries the idea of easing their task with a standard code of signals has always been welcomed with enthusiasm; they are keen to give it a try. The illustrated signals are not definitive; they are suggestions which could form the basis of an experimental code of signals to be tried and evaluated in a suitable competition.

FIFA and the International Football Association Board (IFAB) can score a winning goal for all football people by encouraging referees to share their insight into the game.

Yours in sport,
Stanley Lover
�Stanley Lover 2008

THE MADHOUSE

It is common knowledge that from the Contributory League (England) and upwards, a letter has been sent to officials asking them to deal with indiscretions from those wonderful people that inhabit the Dugout.

After all these years, the FA have just decided that they are becoming a problem, from Premiership down, I presume this directive is designed to produce more revenue in the form of increased fines , which will solve absolutely nothing.
It must have escaped the powers that be, that referees and assistants actually have a game going on at the same time, and in a fast competitive game the assistant has enough on field action to deal with without trying to keep a third eye on the dugouts to make sure no more that two occupants are standing.
Instead of fines for abusive language to match officials, which goes on for ninety plus minutes, why not put the onus on the club and deduct points, make them responsible instead of putting added pressure on match officials.

They should have a sign over the top that says Toilets instead of Home and Away, because the amount of effluent that issues from them on match days is immense. There is another step that the FA could take to help, put a microphone in there, then tape the occupants and play it back to their families after the game.

What really matters to clubs, is points not money, if the FA really want to stop it; then every time a team manager is sent from the dugout, deduct the club a point and you would stop it within a month. Implement that instead of having assessors saying," I thought you could have done more because on several occasions there were three standing, " how ridiculous is that.

The ref does not want to know, because its just an added problem and would affect his club mark, the assessor is now going to mark the assistant down and the FA is losing money, what a sad state of affairs, and because this is what's expected the norm; the assistant referee then carries the can for not having eyes in the back of his head. Does this ring a bell with Level 4s?

The dreaded club mark: Who do I upset; the assessor for not dishing out deserved cautions or the club by issuing red and yellow cards, do we laughingly man-manage by seeing some things and not others and by pretending we did not hear the stream of four letter words screamed at us from all corners of the ground in this beautiful game of ours.

We appear to be a necessary evil only tolerated until we have left the ground, why do we tolerate such impositions gentleman, do we have no say in all this, is it ambition; will I make the "Elite Group", are we all robotic morons led with a carrot and a stick?
Ask yourselves these questions then you decide whether enough is enough. Respect yeah right.

Many thanks to Keith Goulding for his thoughts. Cheers Keith, from Julian.

YOU MUST BE JOKING REF?

CAR TROUBLE
A referee pushes his BMW car into a petrol station. He tells the mechanic it died. After t he mechaninc works on it for a few minutes, it is idling smoothly.
The referee says, "What's the story?"
The mechanic replies, "Just cr*p in the carburettor"
The referee asks, "How often do I have to do that?"

RIVER WALK
There's this referee out for a walk. He comes to a river and sees another referee on the opposite bank. "Yoo-hoo!" he shouts,
"How can I get to the other side?"
The second referee looks up the river then down the river and shouts back, "You ARE on the other side."

AT THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE
A football player goes into the doctor's office and said that his body hurt wherever he touched it.
"Impossible!" says the doctor. "Show me."
The player took his finger, pushed his elbow and screamed, he pushed his knee and screamed; likewise he pushed his ankle and screamed. Everywhere he touched made him scream.
The doctor said, "You're not really a player are you?
"Well, no" he said, "I'm actually a referee."
"I thought so," the doctor said. "Your finger is broken."

KNITTING
A highway patrolman pulled alongside a speeding car on the motorway. Glancing at the car, he was astounded to see that the referee behind the wheel was knitting! Realizing that the referee was oblivious to his flashing lights and siren, the police man cranked down his window, turned on his bullhorn and yelled, "PULL OVER!"
"NO!" the referee yelled back, "IT'S A SCARF!"

IN A VACUUM
A referee was playing Trivial Pursuit one night. It was his turn. He rolled the dice and he landed on Science & Nature.
His question was, "If you are in a vacuum and someone calls your name, can you hear it?"
He thought for a time and then asked, "Is it on or off?"

AND FINALLY
An assistant referee was visiting his referee friend, who had just acquired two new dogs, and asked him what their names were. The referee responded by saying that one was named Rolex and one was named Timex.
The assistant referee said, "Whoever heard of someone naming dogs like that?"
"HELLLOOOOOOO......," answered the referee, "They're watch dogs! I always have one in each hand."

THIS MONTH'S QUESTION and ANSWER TOPICS:

Question 1: As per this season's revised LOAF 08/09.

'If a player makes unauthorised marks on the field of play with his foot, he must be cautioned for unsporting behaviour. If the referee notices this being done during the match, he must caution the offending player for unsporting behaviour when the ball next goes out of play.'

Honestly struggling to think of a scenario where/why/how this would happen???

Answer 1: This used to be a real problem a few years ago, specifically when goalkeepers used to gouge a furow down the middle of their penalty areas to aid them with their positioning when they came out from their goal.

The reason why the compulsory caution punishment was put into the Laws, was to stop this unnecessary habit form escalating (and also to prevent worsening damage to the field). The Law inclusion has almost wiped out this type of thing happening.

If Referees now started to relax on this issue, it will soon come back. Hence, a mandatory caution must be issued to stamp out any thought of revival.

Question 2: An attacker goes past the goalkeeper and kicks the ball towards the open goal. A defender KICKS (no throws with his hands) a boot, a shoe pr similar object, which strikes the ball and prevents it entering the goal. What action does the referee take? Why?

Answer 2: Deliberately handling the ball includes hitting the ball with a thrown object.
Why? See the 2008/2009 Law book page 110. Therefore, if the ball is prevented from entering the goal, a penalty kick should be awarded to the attacking team.

Question 3: A player, including the goalkeeper, hanging from the crossbar to play the ball away with his body (no with his hands), prevents the ball entering the goal. What action does the referee take? Why?

Answer 3: Hanging from the crossbar is not how football is supposed to be played and shows a lack of respect for the game, and as such, players be cautioned (see page 114 of the 2008/2009 Law book).
Play should be stopped and an indirect free kick awarded.
Why? Because you have stopped play to issue a caution. (See 2008/2009 Law book 12 page 34).

Question 4: A substitute warming up behind his own goal notices that his team is in danger of conceding a goal. He enters the field and holds the opponent moving toward (substitute's) goal. What action does the referee take? Why?

Answer 4: If a Substitute enters the field of play without the Referee�s permission, the Referee should stop play, caution the substitute, and awards an indirect free kick.
Why? See Law 3 page 17 and page 61.

Question 5: An attacker has the ball heading into the penalty area the defender starts to challenge for the ball then falls on it then stays there until he can off load the ball to a team mate by moving himself over the ball till he can make a pass with his foot from the ground, whilst stopping the attacker being able to play at the ball.

Answer 5: If a player falls on the ball and covers it with his body, the Referee should stop play immediately to prevent any serious injury occurring. If the Referee believes that the incident is accidental, then a dropped ball is the restart. If the Referee believes that the defending player is purposefully covering the ball to prevent an opponent gaining possession (a very unlikely occurrence), then play should be stopped, the player cautioned for unsporting behaviour and an indirect free kick awarded.

Question 6: Am I correct in saying you can be called offside when a goalkeeper has kicked the ball out of his hands?

Answer 6: Yes you are correct. A goalkeeper who kicks the ball out from out of his hands, is no different to any other team-mate kicking the ball.

Question 7: I experienced following situation in U-12 game. Team A has a direct free kick just outside penalty area. There is a shot on goal and ball goes to the net. A second later player from team A collides with goalkeeper from Team B knocking him down.

What I did: goal allowed- the collision did not had any impact on the goalkeeper intervention.
No card- just a word with the player from Team A- in my opinion he just slide on the wet surface.

My question is should player from Team A be cautioned for his attack?

Answer 7: It would be impossible to say whether a caution was deserved or not without seeing actually being there and seeing the specific incident.
If the challenge was reckless, then a yellow card was the correct punishment. If the challenge was careless, then a warning would suffice.

Below are some notes on how to differentiate between careless, reckless and excessive force challenges.

Careless (a warning), is when a player attempting to challenge for the ball which is in close proximity to an opponent, puts a great deal of honest effort into the challenge, but wildly mis-times it, and in doing so fouls the opponent.

Reckless (a caution) is when a player makes a challenge in a manner where there is a clear risk of endangering an opponent, but pays no regard to the possible consequences and the safety and/or welfare of his opponent.

Excessive force (red card) is when a player makes a challenge which may be malicious or brutal and may be designed to hurt or maim an opponent.

Question 8: Today, Everton's manager David Moyes was sent from the Technical Area, but to my surprise he was still able to communicate with his bench because he went just behind the Technical Area. Is this allowed?

Answer 8: When a Manager is dismissed, he must leave Technical Area confines and the immediate play area (i.e. inside any barriers). The manager is then, no longer permitted to issue instructions directly to his players for the rest of the game.

A dismissed manager remains an official of his Club, and therefore, if his behaviour (whilst outside of the technical area) continues to the detriment of the game and/or the safety of the players, the Referee should ask the home team officials to rectify the problem, and this could include removing the manager from the ground, In other words, the home team are responsible for taking the same action against the Manager, as they would do against a disruptive spectator.

Whist a dismissed Manager is not allowed to convey instructions to his players directly, there are no stipulations that prevent him from contacting his Technical Area team, who in turn, can convey the Manager's instructions to the players. These instructions must be conveyed from the Technical Area in a responsible manner by the new person delivering them, else they may also be dismissed.

There have been incidents, where a dismissed Manager or Coach, has taken up a position near the field boundary, and continues to shout (or provide) instructions directly to his players. This is not allowed. This is more likely to happen in lower levels of football, when no Technical Area confines or barriers are provided. The reason for removing Managers from the Technical Area is to maintain the responsible behaviour of its occupants for the reminder of the game. In fact, in the top levels of football, spare seats are retained specifically for any dismissed Managers for this very purpose.

Whilst spectators can (an do) offer their own instructions to players of their own team, a Club Official (whether he has been dismissed or not) is not allowed to wander outside of the Technical Area confines, bellowing instructions. Therefore, as a general principle, the Laws state that instructions (issued by team officials) must be delivered from within the Technical Area confines, by one person at a time.

Question 9: was wondering what the official line is on outfield players wearing gloves.
My own interpretation is that they can be worn for no other reason than for weather conditions/medical reasons. Also that they should not be made in such a way that gains an advantage at throw ins etc. I know that gloves for outfield players are manufactured with only finger tip areas being gripped to stop the ball slipping out of the gloved hands but my feeling is a fully gripped palm would be against the spirit of the laws.
Some fellow referees on another forum believe it would be ok for outfield players to wear goalkeeper style gloves with full latex palms!!

What is your position on this?

Answer 9: Law 4 The Players' Equipment, lists the basic equipment allowed.

A player may use equipment other than the basic equipment, provided that its sole purpose is to protect him physically, and it poses no danger to him or any other players.

Goalkeeper style gloves with full latex palms are certainly not allowed within the Laws.

Question 10: In last nights game, Aston Villa get a throw in. The Villa player takes his time and is rightly cauitioned for time wasting, but then the throw-in is then given to the opposing team Spurs.
If the thrower wasted time at a free kick, would the kick be given to the opposition. No it would not.
So was the throw-in decision correct, or am I wrong.?

Answer 10: There may have been other circumstances why the Referee made his decision.

But if a player is cautioned for time wasting at a throw-in, the throw-in still belongs to the original team.
The same goes for time wasting time at a free kick or any other stoppage that has occurred.
Else what would YOU do for a goal kick or a corner?

Question 11: If an attacking team takes corner kick, passes it back to their own keeper who misses it and the ball goes in to their own goal, how is the game restarted? Unlikely to happen I know, but I'd like to have the answer.

Answer 11:
Law 17 - The Corner Kick states:

"A goal may be scored directly from a corner kick, but only against the opposing team".

"In the event of any other infringement [not mentioned in Law 17], the kick is retaken".

"The ball is in play when it is kicked and moves".

Therefore, if during a corner kick (when no other Law 17 infringement has occurred) the kicker kicks the ball directly into his own goal, a corner kick should be awarded against the corner kicker's team.

In other words:
Can you score a goal from a corner kick directly into your own goal? NO
Was the corner kick taken correctly? YES
Has any Law 17 infringement occurred? NO
Has the ball has come into play? YES
Who was the last player to touch the ball before it travelled completely over the goal line? THE ORIGINAL CORNER KICK TAKER
What is the restart? A Corner kick to the opposing team!

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..
If you want to contact me, go to my website and select the Contact the Webmaster link under the cartoon on the home page or on the top left of the page.

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

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