“Safe” Refereeing

[Joshref]

I mean, we see this all the time but in this weeks Prem games I really noticed it.

You all know what I mean. A defender in his own corner gets his body in front of the ball and across the attacker. The defender rather theatrically throws himself to the floor. Is it a foul, is it not a foul? You could make a case for either tbf. All down to interpretation. It’s a 50/50 call. However 99.99% of the time the ref is blowing the whistle for a foul as the attacker gets the ball and begins to break.

If it’s the other way around, an attacker goes down in that position, the ref is waving play on a good 90% of the time. Best example was when I was watching Palace game. Palace won a number of free kicks in their half for this. When they were attacking United, one does the same thing, allowing McTominay to bring him down, and the ref calls play on this time. It’s what I think is called safe refereeing

What’s your thoughts on this? On the one hand, we should be applying LOTG consistently across the whole field of play. However I’m not an idiot. To be at this level reffing you’ve got to be able to manage what is essentially a spectacle, and this is an easy way to manage it. Are people going to remember a slightly dodgy foul in the defensive third? Or are they going to remember an actual foul leading to a goal?

You could make a case that in the age of VAR, this isn’t needed. But these are just the little fouls. If a ref wants to make a case that it’s either a foul or no foul, they’ve got my support. So it’s not a clear and obvious error, meaning VAR still wouldn’t likely help. On the similar logic though, seeing as they’re such subjective calls, you could argue the ref is calling it as he sees it all the time, although I do imagine it’s no coincidence that they tend to be called more in the defensive third.

It’s no different I guess to giving benefit of doubt to defensive team in a 50/50 when ball is out of play. Safe refereeing is a debatable term I guess, perhaps it’s just smart refereeing. It’s a bit frustrating as a fan but as from a ref perspective I can understand the call.

So what’s your thoughts on this so called safe refereeing? Good or bad? Do you even think it exists? Is it only at the top level? Do you apply it in your games?

 

[Big Cat]

I mean, we see this all the time but in this weeks Prem games I really noticed it.

You all know what I mean. A defender in his own corner gets his body in front of the ball and across the attacker. The defender rather theatrically throws himself to the floor. Is it a foul, is it not a foul? You could make a case for either tbf. All down to interpretation. It’s a 50/50 call. However 99.99% of the time the ref is blowing the whistle for a foul as the attacker gets the ball and begins to break.

If it’s the other way around, an attacker goes down in that position, the ref is waving play on a good 90% of the time. Best example was when I was watching Palace game. Palace won a number of free kicks in their half for this. When they were attacking United, one does the same thing, allowing McTominay to bring him down, and the ref calls play on this time. It’s what I think is called safe refereeing

What’s your thoughts on this? On the one hand, we should be applying LOTG consistently across the whole field of play. However I’m not an idiot. To be at this level reffing you’ve got to be able to manage what is essentially a spectacle, and this is an easy way to manage it. Are people going to remember a slightly dodgy foul in the defensive third? Or are they going to remember an actual foul leading to a goal?

You could make a case that in the age of VAR, this isn’t needed. But these are just the little fouls. If a ref wants to make a case that it’s either a foul or no foul, they’ve got my support. So it’s not a clear and obvious error, meaning VAR still wouldn’t likely help. On the similar logic though, seeing as they’re such subjective calls, you could argue the ref is calling it as he sees it all the time, although I do imagine it’s no coincidence that they tend to be called more in the defensive third.

It’s no different I guess to giving benefit of doubt to defensive team in a 50/50 when ball is out of play. Safe refereeing is a debatable term I guess, perhaps it’s just smart refereeing. It’s a bit frustrating as a fan but as from a ref perspective I can understand the call.

So what’s your thoughts on this so called safe refereeing? Good or bad? Do you even think it exists? Is it only at the top level? Do you apply it in your games?

They did a reasonably good job at reversing this trend at the Euros. Unfortunately however, the EPL Refs are letting things slip back to where they were. Excessively 'safe refereeing' equates to 'bad refereeing' (or allowing the players to ref the game for you). It certainly detracts from the game, but needs collective persistence to reverse, something I doubt PGMOL can achieve

 

[Anubis]

In my games, without sounding too blase, I go through the motions for 75% of the game, might get a throw wrong, might miss a handball on halfway etc

I certainly think ahead, whats happens if?
what happens when I ?

presented with the opportunity to give a defensive fk, am taking it. I rather this than it leads to a goal. Disclaimer, am not looking for the fk. But if its there, am taking it, striker be upset for ten secs, rather that than a whole team chasing me when it leads to a goal. Now here is the key. The important bit, Is to do the same at the other end. Very few can have a gripe if your foul recognition is the same for both teams in the same area of the pitch.

this, is what you allude to, applying the lotg consistantly. The fustration arises when you dont give the same soft fk to one left back as you just did the other five mins ago.

Dont give surprises either, if if looks to all and sundry to be a foul, and only in your head its not, its probably a foul.
if both teams stop following a handball shout, just give it, you wont win an award for remebering ifabs memo subsection 8.2 paragraph 3.

 

[Joshref]

this, is what you allude to, applying the lotg consistantly. The fustration arises when you dont give the same soft fk to one left back as you just did the other five mins ago.

Dont give surprises either, if if looks to all and sundry to be a foul, and only in your head its not, its probably a foul.
if both teams stop following a handball shout, just give it, you wont win an award for remebering ifabs memo subsection 8.2 paragraph 3.

I completely agree with the start of your last paragraph especially. This is the main advice I’d give to new referees; “don’t be the only person on the pitch to see something happen.” You think it’s a clean challenge, everyone stops for a foul; blow it. You think it’s a corner but everyone sets up for a goal kick; go with the flow. Looks like a throw in to away team but home team go towards ball as away run away; you get the point.

You see a lot of new refs in particular being extremely quick on the whistle. There’s no need. Take a second to let things play out in your head and have a look at how the players react. To clarify, not saying base your decision based on players reaction, you know what I mean.

I remember an U12 friendly where I saw what I thought to be the most obvious handball of all. Player, middle of box, plain view, punches it away. Easy pen I think. I get whistle to my mouth and see…the players carrying on, not a single shout from parents (who had been extremely noisy all match!) and a not a single appeal from coaches. It still baffles me how no one else saw what I saw that day. It’s not like the players had view blocked, everyone could see it. I came to the (correct) conclusion that seeing as no one else saw a handball, don’t blow for it!

Anyway, back on topic, just one part of your piece I could criticise. People could question your final sentence, especially in terms of offside. If you know the law and the players don’t, shouldn’t you blow? Or do you make it easy for yourself and keep in control. Imagine it like a defender plays the ball by jumping for a header and it goes off back of him to an offside player. Defender has deliberately played the ball, he’s on. Football expects it to be offside, players expect it to be offside, defenders have stopped, attacking player stops as well. We giving it offside? Or we sacrificing match control by allowing play on because we know the laws? (I have seen this happen irl, luckily not as ref)

But yeh, I agree. Smart refereeing in the end. Match control has got to play a part. Without the ability to control the match, might as well replace a ref with a copy of LOTG that players can look at and let them ref it themselves!

 

[Anubis]

I completely agree with the start of your last paragraph especially. This is the main advice I’d give to new referees; “don’t be the only person on the pitch to see something happen.” You think it’s a clean challenge, everyone stops for a foul; blow it. You think it’s a corner but everyone sets up for a goal kick; go with the flow. Looks like a throw in to away team but home team go towards ball as away run away; you get the point.

You see a lot of new refs in particular being extremely quick on the whistle. There’s no need. Take a second to let things play out in your head and have a look at how the players react. To clarify, not saying base your decision based on players reaction, you know what I mean.

I remember an U12 friendly where I saw what I thought to be the most obvious handball of all. Player, middle of box, plain view, punches it away. Easy pen I think. I get whistle to my mouth and see…the players carrying on, not a single shout from parents (who had been extremely noisy all match!) and a not a single appeal from coaches. It still baffles me how no one else saw what I saw that day. It’s not like the players had view blocked, everyone could see it. I came to the (correct) conclusion that seeing as no one else saw a handball, don’t blow for it!

Anyway, back on topic, just one part of your piece I could criticise. People could question your final sentence, especially in terms of offside. If you know the law and the players don’t, shouldn’t you blow? Or do you make it easy for yourself and keep in control. Imagine it like a defender plays the ball by jumping for a header and it goes off back of him to an offside player. Defender has deliberately played the ball, he’s on. Football expects it to be offside, players expect it to be offside, defenders have stopped, attacking player stops as well. We giving it offside? Or we sacrificing match control by allowing play on because we know the laws? (I have seen this happen irl, luckily not as ref)

But yeh, I agree. Smart refereeing in the end. Match control has got to play a part. Without the ability to control the match, might as well replace a ref with a copy of LOTG that players can look at and let them ref it themselves!

to give or not give that offside, operating alone, I would want to be in the best position of all time, totally creidible and have it in tandem with my other offside/non offside calls.
The chances of being in that position to make that call, which a referee with champ league standard Ars would struggle to make, are slim.

in short, any bog standard referee knows a foul.
My gran can see when someones been fouled on tv
the key ( imo), is knowing when and, where, to give that foul,
You are now refereeing, instead of simply being a referee

 

[socal lurker]

It is a bit of a tightrope. There can be tension between not calling the unexpected and allowing myths to control the game. There are times to call things that only we recognize, and times not to. Experience is what teaches us the difference.

 

[RustyRef]

It really comes down to expectations, and they differ at different levels. On a Sunday morning if a player feels a hand on his back and throws himself to the floor he is likely to get laughed at, whereas in the Premier League the expectation is that it will be a foul. Soft ones like that are given less now than they where two years ago, but there are still given more than they are at lower levels.

 

[one]

I mean, we see this all the time but in this weeks Prem games I really noticed it.

You all know what I mean. A defender in his own corner gets his body in front of the ball and across the attacker. The defender rather theatrically throws himself to the floor. Is it a foul, is it not a foul? You could make a case for either tbf. All down to interpretation. It’s a 50/50 call. However 99.99% of the time the ref is blowing the whistle for a foul as the attacker gets the ball and begins to break.

If it’s the other way around, an attacker goes down in that position, the ref is waving play on a good 90% of the time. Best example was when I was watching Palace game. Palace won a number of free kicks in their half for this. When they were attacking United, one does the same thing, allowing McTominay to bring him down, and the ref calls play on this time. It’s what I think is called safe refereeing

What’s your thoughts on this? On the one hand, we should be applying LOTG consistently across the whole field of play. However I’m not an idiot. To be at this level reffing you’ve got to be able to manage what is essentially a spectacle, and this is an easy way to manage it. Are people going to remember a slightly dodgy foul in the defensive third? Or are they going to remember an actual foul leading to a goal?

You could make a case that in the age of VAR, this isn’t needed. But these are just the little fouls. If a ref wants to make a case that it’s either a foul or no foul, they’ve got my support. So it’s not a clear and obvious error, meaning VAR still wouldn’t likely help. On the similar logic though, seeing as they’re such subjective calls, you could argue the ref is calling it as he sees it all the time, although I do imagine it’s no coincidence that they tend to be called more in the defensive third.

It’s no different I guess to giving benefit of doubt to defensive team in a 50/50 when ball is out of play. Safe refereeing is a debatable term I guess, perhaps it’s just smart refereeing. It’s a bit frustrating as a fan but as from a ref perspective I can understand the call.

So what’s your thoughts on this so called safe refereeing? Good or bad? Do you even think it exists? Is it only at the top level? Do you apply it in your games?

I wouldn't put this in the safe refereeing basket. I would put it going along with player theatrics basket ( I am being nice). I have seen numerous times where the defender was in genuine in his 'duel' (shielding) for the ball and was charged from behind in what most referees would call a foul but there was no theatrics from the defender, no foul was called.

 

[PinnerPaul]

To expand on the 'player reaction' topic - its a difficult one to teach, without the experience of actually being out there at that specific level.

For example I find that at Isthmian U18s/23s they WILL appeal for some offsides, but not all (a la EFL and PL) - that's not to say I'm sticking my flag up at a big appeal, but the reaction DOES give you some indication how right or wrong you are at the very least.

Wait and see is a good tip above, I've been on the line and thought "That's a red throw", only for blue to pick the ball up, get on with it and no one say a word.

Having said all that, must be very different at the top levels where the players appeal for literally everything - again only experience at that level will enable anyone to 'know' which appeals are more valid than others.

 

[Justylove]

If you give a defensive foul the likelihood is that after the game no one will even mention it (maybe other than the attacker). If you don't give it and the attacking team scores, then you can guess the rest....