A&H

Advice on Fouls

The Referee Store
Often it’s your gut feeling, it’s something that hopefully comes with practice. Ultimately it’s you call as you set your own bar as to what’s allowable.

A tip I used to use, if it’s a tasty game, set the bar lower, blow for everything, break up play, let them know that you’re on the ball and watching intensely, in a lower key game let them get away with a few, don’t be as fussy. Always though be wary of the nastier stuff...
 
Peter Grove said:
I'd just like to accentuate the point that others have already made. When a manager says this, what he usually means is, "You didn't give my team a foul every time I wanted you to." In general, you can safely ignore such comments.
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I largely agree, but it is not always as simple as wanting calls for my team.

As referees we have to read a game and find where the foul bar needs to be for a fair game. Different players and teams have different tolerance for contact. When two teams have similar levels, drawing the line is relatively easy. When one team wants to play through everything and the other wants every little thing called, well, that's when we really earn our keep in finding a line that can make the game work.

Going back to the OP, you'll get a lot more valuable feedback about your line drawing from the run of play than from coaches or managers after a game. Take anything you hear after the game (both good and bad) with a hefty dose of salt. But if during the game you see players getting regular frustrated with non calls on contact, that can be a clue that you have set the foul bar too high for this game. And if both the fouler and the victim seem surprised by foul calls, that suggests your foul bar is too low for this game. Don't fall into the delusion that a foul is a foul is a foul--there are 100% fouls and 100% fair plays and a bunch of space in between where our greatest skill is figuring out which plays--in today's game--should be called as fouls and which should be passed on as trifling.

The only way to get good at this is experience out on the field. But you can get a little bit of help by watching experienced referees and seeing what they are calling and not calling, and thinking through why they are making the choices they are.
 
socal lurker said:
I largely agree, but it is not always as simple as wanting calls for my team.
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Yes, which is why I twice qualified my answer by use of the words "in general" and "usually," to make it quite clear that this is not necessarily always the case. I wouldn't have thought I needed to go further to accentuate the fact that I was not being categorical in my characterisation of a frequent (but not universal) tendency among managers.
 
Peter Grove said:
Yes, which is why I twice qualified my answer by use of the words "in general" and "usually," to make it quite clear that this is not necessarily always the case. I wouldn't have thought I needed to go further to accentuate the fact that I was not being categorical in my characterisation of a frequent (but not universal) tendency among managers.
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Wasn't meant as critical, just expanding....
 
socal lurker said:
When one team wants to play through everything and the other wants every little thing called, well, that's when we really earn our keep in finding a line that can make the game work.
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Sounds like you're describing some of the Latin America vs Eastern European games we get here in the US. ;)
 
Just an update and thanks from everyones feedback.

I've been standing back from play slightly, which has given me a greater field of vision on the wider game (and off ball instances). This has helped massively. I've also noticed I am covering less overall distance (4 versus 5 miles on average per game) by chasing play less.
 
Definitely pays not to be on top of play. Just saw an earlier post re Manager's comments. My son's coach has been a bit 'shouty' at games and he said to me at the weekend that he'd decided to be more positive and quieter, as per FA RESPECT campaigns. He then said the ref on Saturday was same old league type, e.g. missed loads, not very good - but he wasn't very specific when quizzed. Although the ref missed a couple of calls (who doesn't as they have a different view), I thought he was strong in his actions and managed the game well. And he'd won 7-0 as well. As others have said, pinch of salt with manager's comments.
 
Hi Harey I have had similar feedback when managers have said to me I've missed a lot during the games. Although tempted to thank them for their unqualified opinion, I took it on board. In truth I hadn't missed a lot, I just let it go as I didn't view the tackles were sufficient to stop the game and was trying to allow the game to flow. Instead of blowing the whistle more and stopping the game more, I just got better at communicating with players and putting on a show for the sidelines. 'There's a foul there if you want it?' 'That's okay, you've still got possession' 'Play on' 'Keep going guys' 'I've seen that' and then making a point of talking to the offending player when the ball goes out of play, often so others can hear. That helped the perception of me to improve greatly.
 
I generally ignored managers as they were completely biased and had one eyed views of games. They use all sorts of tactics for you to sway the fine margin decisions their way,, You may well miss something, that will come with practice and a referees sense of fairness to see things impartially. You'll never see everything, learn the sneaky players that do stuff, like tugs and cheeky rabbit punches or slaps, catch them at it and its easy cards!!
It will come with practice!!!

I remember watching a tasty team as an impartial viewer and i knew a certain player was a dirty git especially off the ball, I kept an eye on him from behind and he was up to allsorts that the decent ref on duty didn't see any of.... He could of easily had 4 yellows if he'd of been caught, he was clever though and did it all on the blindside or in the muddle of corners. Chin up, move on!! Next!!
 
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