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John Tudor, an experienced 1970's goal-scoring forward of Newcastle United, Coventry and Sheffield United once said, that:

‘Players need most of all to know what to expect from Referees. Players go into a match with three things on their minds: 1 - to weigh up the opposition; 2 - decide what to do about them; 3 - test out the Referee.’

Colin Waldron, the Burnley captain of the same era, also said:

‘Most players do try early on to push along and try their hand to see if the Referee is lenient. They look, in other words, for the Referee to set his own standard, and to guide the players.’

A Referee's own standard and capability can be ascertained inside the first 10 minutes of a game. This is where a Referee either establishes himself or not. The first 10 minutes provides every Referee with an opportunity to cement his control on the players. Don't let the players set the standards – set them high yourself. And set them quickly.

Referees adjust the way that they control the game, in response to the way that the match is being played by the participants. As the players 'heat up' during periods of the game, the Referee will need to amend or 'fine tune' the way he officiates accordingly. 
This is not being inconsistent, but merely changing the level of control in tandem with and in response to the players’ reactions.

There are many levels of control that a Referee uses when managing a game of football. They range from strict adherence and application of the Laws as they are written (let’s call this level 10), to a very relaxed and more lenient approach that allows for a maximum interpretation of the Laws to be applied by the Referee (let’s call this level 1). 

Level 10 is used when the temperature of the game is at it’s very highest, i.e. when tempers are being lost, the foul-count and severity is at boiling point, and the team manager has lost all self-control in the technical area. 

Level 1 is used when the players actually want to play a game of football in a sporting manner. The foul-count is very low; the challenges are made to win the ball fairly, rather than to break an opponent’s leg etc…

In every fully contested game, an astute Referee will probably use the full control range from levels 10 to 1. In short, to be successful as a Referee, you need to be able to read the game and understand the ambience, which is better known as ‘The Spirit of the Game’. A good Referee is able to read the game, and adjust his management of the game accordingly, so that he always retains control of the players. 

To manage a game in a flexible and efficient way, a Referee will need to constantly vary his degree of involvement, based on the fluctuating temperature of the game, and the allowance of leniency he shows to players. As an analogy, consider riding a frisky horse. To gain initial control of the horse, a rider will concentrate on using his riding skills to constantly pull in the reins when the horse misbehaves itself in any small way. Once the horse has 'got the message', the rider can release his grip on the reins thus allowing both the horse and the rider to relax. If later on, the horse starts to misbehave, the rider can pull in the reins again for a short period until the horse is back under the control of the rider. Using this method allows the rider to demonstrate to the horse what he can, and what he cannot get away with! It is much the same with refereeing players in a game of football. The Referee is the rider and the player is the horse. The rider controls the horse. The horse does not control the ride! The Referee can allow players some leeway, but not too much.

There will be periods in most games when teams are in their most heightened state of battle (for example, following a flash point i.e. a sending-off), when the Referee will need to be authoritative. This can be achieved by applying strict Law to control (or regain control of) the game; for example: (a) Allow no advantage and stop play for every foul. (b) Work much harder at identifying and being near the confrontation areas. (c) Warn players in a more open and public way. (d) Discipline players in strict accordance of the Laws. (e) Deal swiftly with acts of dissent. etc…We will cover these in more detail later.

Conversely, during less confrontational periods, the Referee can relax his control by being more lenient (such as applying greater use of the advantage clause, and being more openly friendly towards the players), thus increasing the flow and enjoyment of the game for all. 

A study at Cardiff University in Wales, revealed that there are important 10-minute periods in each game of football, that nearly always require stricter policing by the Referee. For example, the first 10 minutes of a game; the five minute period immediately before and immediately after half time, and the last ten minutes of the game. It was found that a large proportion of problems occurred within these periods. In addition to this, further variable ten-minute periods (for example, following an incident trouble flash-point or the scoring of an important goal) were also identified as periods where confrontation and trouble abounded.

In general, Referees already adjust the level of control they use in a game, but this is normally done in a random unconscious manner. The 'Ten Minute Refereeing' method is a more structured and conscious way to gain initial control of a game when it matters, and to adjust the level of control following 'flash-point' incidents. This allows the Referee to maximise his capability by focusing his (fitness and mental) resources into gaining proper control of the game in those periods identified as being more troublesome than others. And then relaxing to rebuild his resources during the quieter periods of the game.

The '10-Minute-Refereeing' management control method, involves all the match officials, and not just the Referee.
When a Referee is officiating with Assistant Referees, there are two signals that the Referee can use to let his Assistants know when he intends to start (or finish) a 'Ten Minute Refereeing' period. 

There will be times, when 10 minutes of tight control is just not enough time to establish or to regain control, and the Referee will need to extend the period. In fact, in some games, the 10 minutes can become 90 minutes! If this is the case, then the Referee will need to give his Assistant Referees the clenched fist signal from time to time. But in general, a full 10 minutes is usually sufficient to get players to calm down.

10- Minute Refereeing should also be used during the first part of the second half. When players come out for they second half, they will probably have been psyched-up by their manager, and are very often unable to retain full control of themselves for a few minutes or so. Hence, using the 10- Minute Refereeing method will calm tempers down and refocus the players’ minds on the contest, rather than on aggressive acts.

OK, so how can I (a Referee) establish myself in an assertive and professional way?

Below are some ideas that can be used to set a high standard, and to show players that you are a capable Referee. 

Decision-Making: Make your first decisions the right decisions. This is just as important for Assistant Referees. As the game takes off, be highly focused and work very hard to be nearby when making your first few decisions. For it is here, that your competence as a Referee will be judged. If your first decisions are the wrong decisions, it is very difficult to gain the respect of the players. If your first decisions are the right decisions, players will be more tolerant if you make a mistake or two later on. Incorporate the following ‘Bossing’ advice into your early decision-making.

Bossing the first incidents in each half: Look out for early throw-ins. 
As soon as you blow the whistle to start each half, be prepared to make your first decisions. This will more than often be a throw-in decision (or a goal kick). Sprint adjacent to where the ball has left the field of play, and 'boss' the situation by providing assertive instructions as to where the throw-in should be taken, and by whom. Use whistle, vocal instructions and arm signals to position the restart correctly. 

This action subtly sets the scene of the referee's capacity and demonstrates his enthusiasm for the game. It prevents future foul throws, and encourages players to look towards the referee for positive confirmation at subsequent throw-ins. This simple action does a hundred other positive subtle things, too many to write down here, all of which can only benefit the game as a whole. The aim is not to be a dictator and dominate the situation, but to be assertive, polite and enthusiastic. If you want to demonstrate to players how efficient you are, then early stoppages are a good time for you to show it. If you want to show players how useless you are, and how lethargic you are, then this is also a good time to show it. Players are very astute at being able to identify the ability and weaknesses of a Referee within a matter of minutes, and then attempt to exploit any weaknesses to their advantage. To build up a good rapport with players takes 90 minutes of your effort. If you can begin by creating a positive image of yourself when making the first decisions in each half of the game, then you will make life much easier for yourself and the players.

The Technical Area - an early opportunity: To show the technical area occupants that you are human, try introducing yourself as you make your way onto the field of play just prior to the kick-off. 
A quick, ‘Hello’, my name is ???. If there is an injury, please wait for my signal before you come onto the field of play. And if you want to make a substitution. Please can you make sure that the substitutes are ready before you contact my Assistant? Oh, and please try to keep the language down! I hope that you all enjoy the game…..etc.”
Making early contact with the technical area is a good way to break the ice and shows that you are not just The Man In Black or an FA autocrat. 

Once the game commences, look out for an early opportunity in the first 10 minutes, to remind the technical area occupants to curb their language. There are usually a few emitted barbed comments as the game settles down. If you can remind the occupants early, on how they should behave, it will make them think twice about using increased bad language. 
Brief your Assistant Referees on what you intend to do with technical area perpetrators, so that they know what’s coming! Ask your Assistant Referees to also take a proactive role, by stamping down on any technical area misbehaviour in the early stages of the game. The longer that you allow technical area occupants to misbehave, the harder it is to control them as the game heats up. 

Advantage: In terms of this particular piece of advice, advantage means the ability to let the game flow, without blowing the whistle every single time that opponents physically touch each other. If you apply advantage too liberally in the first 5 to 10 minutes of a game, it will eventually cause you problems. It is much better to gradually increase the application of advantage over a short period of time (10 minutes). There are many benefits in taking a gradual approach, not least the early message imparted to players that they should play in a sporting manner.
In each game, (more particularly if the Referee does not know the teams) it will take some time for the Referee to gauge how the contest will be fought. This can range from a leasurly match full of sportsmanship, to a full-blown war between two aggressive teams. In the latter case, it would be madness for the Referee to allow the first challenges (no mater how minor they may seem) to take place without his intervention. As a general rule, it is best to stop play for all infringements (including minor ones) in the first few minutes of a game. In time, the players will understand that they must be more careful when challenging for the ball. Once the players have understood this, you can allow more physical contact during challenges. Use the first 10 minutes of each half, to gradually build up a physical contact level that suits both teams. In other words, they will eventually show you what level of physical contact they are both happy with. Your job is to get them there gradually, but by keep the reins fully under your control. This concept is explored further below. 

Free Kicks: As the game begins, do not be too lenient with your tolerance levels on free kicks. Begin by stopping play for every single foul, not matter how trivial. Use a strong loud whistle to denote a foul has occurred. Once you have ascertained the level of physical contact that both teams are happy to accept (and you can easily do this by listening to the level of moaning after each foul), then slowly allow more physical tolerance as the fouls occur. Build this up gradually, until the moaning generally stops from both sides. It is then, that you will have achieved the foul acceptance level of both teams. Once this has been achieved, be consistent with both teams when stopping play or when allowing play to continue after physical contact is made; and come down a notch or two with the loudness of your whistle. 
If the temperature of the game heats up too much later on in the contest, use the process above to regain control. The idea is to start off applying the Laws strictly as they are written, gradually working towards allowing more interpretation, by permitting more physical contact to take place, without having to stop the game on every single occasion. 
Football is a physical contact sport and players do accept that there will be a few bruises at the end of the day. But if you allow too much physical contact during fouls in the early stages, it is nearly impossible to regain control and coax in the players. Start with a very tight rein and release it slowly. In your pre-mach brief to your Assistant Referees, make sure that when you are tightly controlling the game, they must do the same. It will not look good, if you (the Referee) are stopping play for every foul, when your Assistant’s are more lenient. 
Your Team – You and your Assistant Referees: 
It is important in the early stages of every half, (also when Club Assistants are being used) to bond your team together from the onset. Look out for the very first decision made by each of your Assistants (usually a throw-in or a goal kick), and make an effort to acknowledge their contribution by giving them a subtle thumbs-up or verbal thank you. Adjust your patrol path so that you can be near to them when you deliver your acknowledgement. Do this 2 or 3 times in the first ten minutes, and again occasionally throughout the game. The idea is to get (and to keep) your Assistants on your side; by making them feel constantly wanted. There is nothing worse for an Assistant Referee, than to be completely ignored by the Referee. An ignored Assistant Referee will in turn (on occasions) ignore the Referee, and this is not good for overall match control. The small effort that it takes to acknowledge your Assistants will be paid back in kind, many times over in the game.

Summary: Rather than just going through the motions in your next games, try improving your control and management of players by incorporating some of the ideas above into your game-plan. You can control players by using and understanding the benefits of flexible management. But don’t just wait until something happens to react, use the first ten minutes of each half to be proactive in setting out the standards you expect from players. It’s easy to do, and players will respond to you if are assertive enough. Ten-minute Refereeing requires all of the match officials to contribute at the same time, else it becomes a farce. Each game will be different, and will require various levels of control. 

Referees are not meant to be Law books on legs – are you? 

Can you set your own standard, and guide the players. Or will the players guide you? 


Happy reffing.

Regards, Julian Carosi.