The Ref Stop

Instructions to Match Officials for the 2023/24 Season

lincs22

Supply League Observer
Staff member
Observer/Tutor
A message for the Step 2 - 6 observers:
Observing colleagues,

Ahead of the big kick off I thought I would provide you all with a short overview of the areas of technical focus in time for the new season. The below should come as no surprise to any of you as we ask you to focus your minds ready for the new season and for us to keep pace with the growth and evolve of the modern-day game that our officials work within. We are also in the process of sharing the below with the clubs, leagues and competitions from Step 2 – 6 to ensure that everybody is aware.
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Laws of the Game amendments

Whilst largely minor, small and cosmetic in detail please make sure that you have taken the time to read, digest and fully understand the IFAB law amendments for the season. These have been delivered (and are being delivered) to all referees at Step 2 – 6, Step 2 Observers, FA CORE referees. The link can be found here. https://www.theifab.com/law-changes/latest/

Physical threshold on foul challenges

Player safety will always remain our number one priority. Whilst there can be occasions where our actions as referees prevents misconduct sometimes, we acknowledge that this is not always possible. We therefore must strive to ensure that our decision-making accuracy and appropriate issue of sanction to be of a really high standard.

During the 2022/23 season we saw examples of where our sanctions were sometimes too severe and equally some occasions where our disciplinary sanction was not accurate and severe enough. To aid and assist your learning, understanding and provide clarity of view we are sharing a number of foul challenge and expected outcome clips via the FA Refereeing community.

Time delay and time consumption tactics

From the top of the game downwards there is a real drive and focus on the address of players who commit clear and deliberate tactics to consume/waste time. Football stakeholders are aligned in their views in wanting referees to take strong actions against players where we deduce their actions are clear, deliberate and impactful on delaying the restart of the game and wasting time for tactical advantage. Clips and expected outcomes will be loaded onto the FA Community to aid and develop understanding.

Participant behaviour

We are at a point in time in the game where everybody is aligned with their view that it is no longer acceptable to accept the unacceptable. For far too long we have normalised the poor behaviour towards match officials from some of the game's participants. Whilst there is still a strong need for pro-active communication and preventative management, there is need for match officials to be stronger generally in their address of players and coaches who are confronting them in an angry, aggressive and confrontational manner.

Players and coaches who make a conscious choice to run at match officials at speed to question, challenge and be critical of decisions and or performance should be dealt with accordingly. Clips and expected outcomes will be loaded onto The FA Community to aid and develop understanding.

Stricter calculation of added time

You will perhaps be aware that there is a strong push from the top level of the game for match officials to take a more accurate and stricter calculation of added time. Whilst at step 2 – 6 we are perhaps not anticipating a total replication of what we will see in the Premier league/Women’s super league and international competition we must work hard to be aligned with the ethos and principle that guess work from officials on the time needed to be added needs to stop. Where possible please be more accurate with the time added on at this level of the game.

With pro-active player management and the address of time consumption tactics the need to add additional time should naturally reduce but we do anticipate a slight increase at least for a short-term period whilst players and coaches adjust their behaviour. We will continue to monitor this through the review of observation/club reports, matchday coaching and development visits from our professional workforce.

Caution and send off procedure

The old process of taking each caution/send-off procedure as an opportunity to slow the game unnecessarily is obsolete, outdated, unhelpful and no longer recommended. The Laws of the Game provide no prescriptive way of which a referee should follow when cautioning and sending off players and we therefore remind everybody to be aware that the emphasis should be on identification (be clear who is being cautioned), the disciplinary sanction being issued, and the relevant and accurate note being taken. Other than in the exceptional need of where a referee may need to calm the temperate of the game down – the routine procedure of cautioning and send off of any player should take a matter of seconds. This does not compromise the administration of denoting name/number etc which is still required to be completed before the game is restarted.

The issue of quick and efficient sanction to a player with minimal communication is often more powerful, sends a stronger message to other participants as well as defusing the incident and potentially guarding against the escalation of the situation and further misconduct developing.

Further clarification regarding observer expectations regarding the management of the cautioning procedure is being shared on The FA Observer Community and within the appendix of the Steps 3-6 Match Observer Report Writing Manual.
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The Ref Stop
As I understand it, on participant behaviour, there is to be a top-down clamp down right through the English game.
It's something that lower refs have cried out for, for a longtime, and hopefully will be successful in dramatically improving the game across the board.
 
"To aid and assist your learning, understanding and provide clarity of view we are sharing a number of foul challenge and expected outcome clips via the FA Refereeing community" Any idea where to find these?
 
I just watched the technical video. Interesting that it says that any referee being surrounded by players should be submitted a misconduct report as well as utilising the sin bin process.
 
I just watched the technical video. Interesting that it says that any referee being surrounded by players should be submitted a misconduct report as well as utilising the sin bin process.
Can you share the link as have looked on the community website and cannot easily find them?
 
As I understand it, on participant behaviour, there is to be a top-down clamp down right through the English game.
It's something that lower refs have cried out for, for a longtime, and hopefully will be successful in dramatically improving the game across the board.
Believe it when I see it.

Step 2 means what? You can still behave badly in the top how many divisions?
 
Top Down.... Clamp Down
Only way for change IMO
So it's come from FIFA/IFAB? No? Be intersting therefore to see PGMOL refs go it alone. I'll have no issues running with a lower bar cos it's easy observation marks and it'll be a good laugh seeing the reaction of our unsuspecting friends in the TA
 
The academy league for MLS instituted a three minute rule for injuries in 2022 to great effect. Those players truly hurt are going to get subbed anyway and those who are just trying to slow the game down seem to magically pop up within 15 seconds.

I wouldn't mind seeing them meet in the middle. Perhaps 60 or 90 seconds?
 
What’s everybody’s thoughts on the cautioning procedure? I’m slightly confused by what an observer may be looking for. Definitely not a flashed yellow but it seems to sit somewhere in the middle of taking the opportunity to defuse the situation with a slow card.

I’m therefore we assuming we should isolate, get the details written down, explain briefly and issue the card but at a faster pace than before.
 
What’s everybody’s thoughts on the cautioning procedure? I’m slightly confused by what an observer may be looking for. Definitely not a flashed yellow but it seems to sit somewhere in the middle of taking the opportunity to defuse the situation with a slow card.

I’m therefore we assuming we should isolate, get the details written down, explain briefly and issue the card but at a faster pace than before.
They're looking for a procedure in sync with the temperature and expectations of the game/incident so it won't always be the same.
 
What’s everybody’s thoughts on the cautioning procedure? I’m slightly confused by what an observer may be looking for. Definitely not a flashed yellow but it seems to sit somewhere in the middle of taking the opportunity to defuse the situation with a slow card.

I’m therefore we assuming we should isolate, get the details written down, explain briefly and issue the card but at a faster pace than before.
Particularly in situations such as a GK delaying the restart, the referee should not be contributing to this by running 50 yards, withdrawing a notebook and then going through a needless procedure. At 2B and up, observers will be expecting the flash card on almost every caution. The process can still be used to diffuse where appropriate.
 
What’s everybody’s thoughts on the cautioning procedure? I’m slightly confused by what an observer may be looking for. Definitely not a flashed yellow but it seems to sit somewhere in the middle of taking the opportunity to defuse the situation with a slow card.

I’m therefore we assuming we should isolate, get the details written down, explain briefly and issue the card but at a faster pace than before.
If the game would benefit from a 40-second break, go slowly; if not, same procedure as always, but don't stop for a long chat. Horses for courses.
 
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