A&H

How not to end the match

santa sangria

santa sangria

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Futsal sorry, so includes the dreaded time out.

Blues are up 5-3. 45 seconds to go. Bar codes want a time out. Tetchy match. Fast match. Good level 20 year olds. Bar codes captain already cautioned for complaining. A couple of warnings to players to stop escalation off the ball. One other YC given. One (easy) non handball decision before a goal. A couple of punished slides. A couple of fair slides. And I had been hit square in the jaw with force by the ball earlier.

Anyway, 45 seconds to go. I know to wait until play is dead and the bar codes have possession before they can have the time out. Blues keep possession, get a couple of kick ins. 10 seconds to go, ball out, I order the time out. My colleague frantically waves. Oh FFS it's still a blue ball. Bar codes have started changing keeper. I now have to undo the time out signal. But with the bar codes GK off due to my mistake I feel I have to let them get the sub on - which was the whole purpose of the time out of course!

Vehement complaints from the blues until the final whistle. Followed by every bar code one by one after the final whistle complaining about something - the hand ball, this slider, that push. I think one even wanted to give back the OG they had benefitted from!

Point being: Match control, communication and movement were actually good, even very good up to that point, given the difficult game, until the last 10 seconds. Then I just signalled too quickly and the house came down - at least no bad language, violence, but still. And of course one of our ref tutors was ref#2 opposite me :(
 
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Well, you're right - given it's your error, you have to delay play to permit the change, otherwise one team is capitalising off your error. I've done the same thing in outdoor - prevented a quick restart because I had mucked things up and it would be unfair.
When I refereed Futsal, when one team was requesting a time out but it wasn't time for it yet, I'd tell them to shout for it when they have possession - all too often I've seen teams say 'we'll have the time out next', but then when the ball goes out they actually just want to keep up momentum. This approach may have stopped any confusion.

Much easier when you have a timekeeper and a 3rd though - but perhaps you could even ask the question, given the delay - 'still want the time out?'

It's an easy mistake that sounds like it didn't actually impact upon the game itself, except for just upsetting players.
 
I don't know Futsal so excuse me if this is me misinterpreting the laws from what you've said.....

Would a fairer restart not have been to get the GK back on. Thus removing their advantage from your mistake. Restart with 10 seconds left.
 
A couple of things don't sit right with me here.

Clearly, you called the time-out in error because the bar codes didn't have possession in order for the time-out to be called but why were they trying to change GK at this stage? Were they looking to play a fly keeper for the last few seconds? If so, why weren't they ready with a substitute in the GK colours, after all a substitution can be made at any time? (Appreciate that's unlikely with the opposition in control of the ball).

And I'm not sure a time-out can help them here. Doesn't Law 7 state a substitutes must stay off the pitch and substitutions may not happen until after the signal to end the time-out? Technically speaking the teams should be straight out and ready to play.

Personally, I think, you should have reset play as they were before your mistake and the bar codes would have to wait until they time-out is allowed in law and the substitution is allowed in law.
 
It's much easier. Law 11 is so simple unlike it's bigger sibling.

"There is no offside in futsal."

Seriously though, good game to ref and learn from.
 
Interesting. I really don't know it - will begin my google lead education now.
 
Very good points above. Answer was: only one GK top that the replacement was trying to put on. The gk got it off and then to him in a nanosecond but then the replacement got all tangled! Due to my error in the confusion - half in half out as the actress said to the bishop.
 
On a related note about the charms of futsal - and counting.

If you didn't know the laws stipulate a four second count at dead balls. There is a counted signal with the hand used for sidelines and GKs and - slightly barmy - a silent count for free kicks, KO and pens.

I say "silent". The laws are clear. But amateur players need reminding. Double but, yesterday's futsal ref doesn't count or forgets, so a lot if refs round my way give a verbal "one". I hate it to be honest. I help players by telling the count is starting if it's not obvious.

Yesterday wasps captain has a DFK. I can see he is totally in the zone and preparing a long run up, and the match has a bit of niggle. So I start to verbally count. I blow after 4 and he is incredulous. His team were screaming at him after 2.

He says to me "you have to count so I can hear"! LOL. I explain the count is supposed to be silent and I WAS actually counting aloud as a warning. The result: wasps won, no handshake from captain, moody final whistle.. And because so many players round my way have now been educated that last week's ref will scream a count in their ear.

I also watched the ref before me stand and just say "one" repeatedly and nothing else. Not a single signal. Barely twitch at any decision. Totally pissed off as you can guess. Especially as I just found out he got promoted above me in the big game. Sorry, ranting:(
 
Who are you more annoyed about the ignorant captain or the other ref getting a better game than you?

Any player who has played futsal for more than 5 minutes will know about the 4 second count and I personally see no need to count aloud. Saying 1,2,3,4 for all to hear gives you absolutely no room to maneouvre when you say "4". What do you do when the player plays the ball on "4"? One side will say it was okay and the other will scream for the possession change. Being silent gives you control and no one can argue against you. You can call it without undue pressure from players or coaches.

For kick ins, goal clearances, corners I will clearly say "play" and start my count. For GK possession, I expect the GK to be aware he has 4 seconds as it's a fundamental law of the game. I have never started a count at a KO because I've never seen anyone waste a second there. I know I can but I usually have more trouble blowing my whistle before they kick the ball. DFKs can be tricky because you don't raise you arm for them and count by your side but your whistle should be sufficient signal to the player that he has 4 seconds to restart play. Hopefully with an IDFK, my fellow ref has his arm raised along with me but again, my whistle should be enough.

I won't waste any time on players like that if I was you but do consider that a silent count is better than being vocal.
 
I totally agree with you.

I am annoyed (was) by my colleagues' lack of training and oversight in this (counting and signalling in futsal) which I think affects us as a group and affects all the matches and atmosphere of the games. However, I've already said to the chiefs and i Know there are other priorities.

Good news. Brilliant match tonight paired with a senior who also assesses. Really good one. Faith restored.
 
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