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Set-Pieces - The Kick-Off    By Julian Carosi.
(A series of articles on how to officiate in a proactive way by improving how you deal with specific incidents and how to become a better Referee).                       

The Kick-Off 
Careful preparation, and finding a routine that works for you, is an important part of a Referee's approach to each game, as it allows you to focus on other matters, as the game gets underway. Below is a checklist that incorporates most of the things that a Referee will need to think about as he prepares to leave the changing room and whilst he completes the coin-tossing ceremony. 

Itinerary: Leaving an important item of equipment in the changing rooms, will effect the concentration and state of readiness of a Referee. For example, leaving your coin or red and yellow cards behind will cause you embarrassment and distract you. Therefore, before you leave the changing rooms, check that you have all the items required, i.e. two whistles, pencils and notebook, cards, two watches, coin and handkerchief etc. Test out your whistles at home and in the changing room before you enter the field of play. As a last resort (e.g. if you have left your coin in the changing rooms) pick up a piece of grass and hide it behind you in a closed fist - then ask one of the Captains to chose which hand is holding the piece of grass, if he guesses correctly, then he wins and chooses which goal his team will attack in the first half of the match. Most Referees have used this method more than once during their careers.

Image projection: As soon as leave the changing room to begin the game, you must change into ultra-official mode. You should project yourself in a professional way. Conveying a positive attitude is beneficial. To emphasise the importance of image projection, an astute match assessor is able to predict with great accuracy, the level of match performance that a Referee will achieve, when the Referee steps out of his car on arrival. A smartly dressed, punctual and positive attitude, even at that early stage, is easy to perceive. This is why it is very important for the Referee and his team, to go into ultra 'work' (referee) mode when they leave the changing room. Because it is then, that the players will suss out the vulnerability of the Referee. For example, if a Referee looks shabby, is late, chewing gum, dribbling the ball at his feet and smoking a cigarette, the players will see this as a weakness to be exploited. Whereas a Referee who is very smartly dressed, ready on time, assertive and has a positive attitude, will make players think twice about questioning his ability. If you are unable, or unwilling to achieve a professional entrance for EVERY game, then you should question why you are a Referee at all. The players really do want you to be professional - do you?

Entry onto the field of play: Below are several ideas that may be of interest to you.

The Captains: Be pleasant in your manner to the Captains, wish them well and be sincere. The coin-tossing ceremony identifies both of the team captains and allows the opportunity to shake their hands. This is an important piece of man-management on behalf of the Referee. The Referee should offer the captains a strong, firm handshake, and not a hand that simulates a 'wet fish'. A strong handshake imparts a clear message to the captains that the Referee today means business! 

Introduce yourself to the captains and attempt to break the ice by using a few suitable conversational words such as, "Good afternoon gentlemen, my name is John. Looks like it is going to be a nice afternoon, and I hope that you all enjoy your game." It doesn't matter what you talk about, and the more trivial it is, the easier it is for all of you to nod and agree. You need to show them, that despite rumours to the contrary, Referees are human. But you need to do it in such a way that also reminds the captains that you are here to manage the game, and not to make new social friends. Look the captains straight in the eye when you speak to them. Show them that you are not afraid of them. The captains will be looking for this early signal, to suss out just how strong you will be when it really matters. Confident eye contact at this early stage can project so much more than any amount of words can ever do. If you want the captains to see you as a weedy Referee, then all you need to do, is to look at the ground when you are speaking to them, and shy away from them when they attempt to suss you out in the centre circle. It is very much like what two lions might do when facing up to each other in competition for leadership of a pride. 

There is a lot of unconscious, subtle postulating going on, most of it done harmlessly, naturally and spontaneously. This is what you need to do as a Referee before the game starts. You have been thrown into the lions' den, and you will be sussed out (whether you like it or not) before the confrontation begins. This is when you instantly become a Samuel by dynamic leadership or a Kentucky fried chicken! Which one are you going to be?

Instructions to Captains: Some Referees read the captains a 'bed time story' of what is expected of them and their teams. Other Referees say nothing more than 'Hello'. Some Referees give special instructions about the way the game will be officiated, allowing the captains the opportunity to pass this information onto their managers, coaches and teammates.
BUT………………………

Less instruction - more match control flexibility.

Referees are often at a quandary as to what extent of instructions should they impart to the captains before the kick-off. There is a very easy concept to adopt here. The less instruction you impart, the more flexibility that you will have as a Referee as the game progresses. The more that you lay down the Law, the greater difficulty you will have in its flexibility. For example; if you say to the captains, "I will not tolerate bad language, and it will be punished with a red card." It leaves you with no alternative, than to send off a player, if after his accidental collision with a goal post, he shouts out a few strong words in pain. The more that a Referee puts his head above the parapet (in terms of laying down the Law) the easier it is for players to take a pop-shot at him. Keep the instructional conversation to the very barest minimum required. It could go something like this, "Try and keep the language down lads, and don't approach my Assistants, else I will not be too happy." You don't have to remind players of their responsibilities; so don't make a big deal of it. But you can tell the Captains that you expect the game to be played in a good sporting manner. If there are any local dictates, then keep these short and to the point. Remember…………..
Less instruction - more match-control flexibility. 
More instruction - World War 3.
A note of both of the captains' numbers should be made in you notebook. This can prove invaluable should you need to identify them during the game.

The following advice is taken from Jeffrey Caminsky's brilliant book, The Referee's Survival Guide.

Many referees find it useful to introduce themselves and their crew to the teams or their respective captains before the game. This helps establish a rapport with the players and may even permit a civil word or two before the match begins. It is often easier to keep a match under control if the participants see you as a human being, rather than just a uniform. It is also customary for some referees, particularly beginners, to give a thorough briefing to both teams detailing what will and will not be allowed on the pitch. Generally speaking, this is not a wise thing to do. Invariably, something unexpected will happen on the field, or you will miss something that everyone else has seen, and you are likely to find your words coming back to haunt you. It is, after all, well and good to make a point of protecting the keeper from foul play, but informing the teams that you will be doing so will not spare you grief if the keeper bobbles the ball and a goal scores from the ensuing scramble in the goal mouth. It only gives the unlucky keeper's team someone to blame for the goal, and that someone will be you. Beyond this, however, before the game the players will be concentrating on getting ready for the match and unlikely to listen to anything you have to say. Unless there is a particular reason to do so - a potentially confusing change in the rules, for example, that may have an effect on play - you are usually better off simply wishing them luck and calling for captains as soon as you are ready.

Tossing the coin: Make sure you allow plenty of time to complete the coin tossing ceremony prior to kick-off time. Whatever system you use, use it all of the time. Some Referees like to toss and catch the coin themselves (recommended). Some ask the away team captain to toss the coin. Some like the coin to be tossed and allow it to fall to the ground (not recommended), some like it caught. It really does not matter which system you use. If there are any local protocol instructions / conventions in place (such as "home" team tosses the coin and "away" team calls), then the Referee should follow the expected procedure.

Tip: Drill a small hole in your coin, and clip it to your whistle lanyard. You will never lose it. This also prevents that scourge of all Referees - having the jangling coin dancing about in one of your pockets and distracting you throughout the game. Make sure you have a coin available with you when you meet the Captains in the centre-circle. Making a note of which team kicked-off in the first half is another good idea. This may prevent embarrassment if you forget which team has to kick off in the second half.

Checking the players and Assistant Referees readiness: 
Use this moment just prior to the start of the game, to acknowledge that the persons on the field of play are legal players and the persons wearing a goalkeepers' jerseys are the goalkeepers. Count the number of players in both teams before commencing play. If you want to, hold out an up-stretched arm towards your Assistant Referees and both goalkeepers, to check that they are ready to start. But over elaboration is not necessarily required - a Referee can usually see when everyone is ready. A Referee can gauge the readiness of these participants by just looking at each of them, to ensure they are ready before he blows his whistle to commence play. Your Assistants can communicate their readiness to you by simply unfurling their flags. Check that all of the players are in their half of the field and that the opponents of the team taking the kick-off are at least 9.15 m (10 yds) from the ball until it is in play. Check that the ball is stationary on the centre mark, and give a loud signal on your whistle for the game to commence.

Protocols for organising a minute's silence? There will be occasions when before a game (for example, after a recent death of a player or a league official) a minute's silence is required or requested. You will need to consider the following: When you get to the ground, tell the captains/managers as soon as you can, that you intend to have a '1 minute silence' before the kick off. When you get onto the field of play, do the preliminaries first - in other words toss the coin and meet the captains in the middle before the game starts. Aim to do this a little bit earlier than usual to allow for the minute's silence. In other words, still aim to kick off at the correct time. The players will probably already know the protocol, so all you need to do is stand on the centre circle line (not on the centre spot) and give your whistle a few sharp peeps. This will draw the players towards the centre circle. When the players are positioned around the centre circle, give one sharp (but not too loud) blow on your whistle to mark the commencement of the minute's silence. Keep an eye on your watch (but don't make it look too obvious, because don't forget, you too are observing the minutes silence). During the minute's silence, don't forget to also give a few thoughts to why you are doing it. When the minute is up, give a quiet respectful peep on your whistle, and then you are ready to kick off. If you ever have the unfortunate experience of players (or spectators) not observing the minute's silence, then all you can do is give them the respect they deserve and completely ignore them. Their actions will speak for themselves.

Summary: When a Referee progresses up the promotion ladder, he soon realises that the higher he goes, the less chance there is to get to the next level. Each Referee becomes as capable as the others. The higher you go, the smaller the differences are between promotion failure and promotion success. The main idea of this article, is to encourage you not to 'go through the motions' with any aspect of your Refereeing performances, but to consider each thing that you have to do in more detail. It is only then, that you can incorporate ideas into your processes that make you stand out from the other Referees at your level. Preparing for the kick-off is a process that most Referees go through without thinking about it. This article encourages you, not only to think about your kick-off procedure, but all aspects of your Refereeing. It is only then; that you will rise above the standards reached at each level, and be first in the forever narrowing bottleneck into the next level. The kick-off process ideas above, are just one set of ideas that you can use to gain promotion and to become noticed. The next time that you officiate a game, don't just walk out and do it as you did before, think about how you can make the kick-off procedure work better for both you and the players.

Happy reffing.

Regards, Julian Carosi.