Refereeing Mechanics

[The Zebra]

I’d like to reproduce some advice given by Jim Briggs - who has 31 years experience officiating in sport. His book “The Manual of Football Officiating” is a good go-to guide for any official who wishes to improve their game and expand their knowledge of the mechanics of officiating.

I'll reproduce bits and pieces that could well be beneficial to all - starting with some basic principles:

1. Each official must fully understand the Laws. However, the knowledge is not sufficient without the ability to interpret and correctly apply them. These skills can only be acquired by way of considerable effort and study.

2. In addition to the necessary Laws knowledge, the official needs to know where to stand, what to look for, and of course, what to do when he sees it. With these skills, officials can provide impartial administration of one of the most exciting sporting competitions and allow it to proceed smoothly so that skilful play is not spoiled by fouls or unsporting behaviour. It is fundamental that the correct use of mechanics leads to better officiating.

3. Mechanics are two things: responsibilities and positioning. Responsibilities are paramount because without each official performing his assigned duties for a particular part of each game inevitably there will be action that is not observed. To neglect a responsibility is to give players carte blanche to violate the Laws with which it is associated.

Positioning is almost as important, because it is fundamental that an official has the best chance of making a call correctly if he is in a position to get the best view of the action.

4. All officials are encouraged to write a personal checklist of things they must do and look for in each position on all possible game situations. This should be reviewed and updated periodically as a reminder of what they should be doing and how best to achieve it.

5. It must not be forgotten that football is a game played by and watched by people. Football officials must develop an appreciation of the wide variety of human reactions that can arise in the charged atmosphere of a sporting competition. It is only through the development of such an appreciation that officials can learn to gain the respect of the players and coaches, and maintain the discipline so essential in such a physically exciting gams as football.

6. The foundations of officiating:

a. The first foundation of officiating a game is that it is played in a safe environment. The field, its surrounds, and the players and their equipment on it, must not pose an unreasonable risk to the participants, nor make a mockery of the game. This is often taken for granted.

b. The second foundation is the respect that the players and coaches must have for the decisions made by the officials. Without that respect, anything the officials do is unlikely to significantly influence the players’ behaviour. The penalties in the Laws of the Game form an effective deterrent for illegal actions only If they have an impact on the players and the game.

c. Without these foundations it is next to impossible for the officials to apply the Laws effectively to ensure a fair contest.

7. A textbook like this cannot hope to be definitive about every possible situation that might arise in a game of football. It therefore means that the officials have to decide for themselves what is the best response to what happens. That doesn’t mean that officials can “freelance” and do whatever they want. They have responsibilities at all times to their colleagues to be in the expected place and to be covering their priorities. Only by working together can a crew expect to officiate a game successfully. Only by being in the right place at the right time can an individual official play his role in that.

 

[The Zebra]

Officiating Mechanics - Unsporting Behaviour & Dissent

a) Players play with passion and emotion - coaches share the same traits. At various times, players and coaches can be happy or sad, joyous or disappointed, satisfied or frustrated. These are normal human emotions (officials have them as well), but need self control.

b) Players and coaches are entitled to be disappointed. It is only when it becomes excessive or challenges an official’s authority that it becomes dissent.

c) Dissent is when players, coaches or other persons subject to the Laws:

i. Speak in an abusive, aggressive or denigrating manner to an official;

ii. Assert as true something that is contrary to Law or an official’s ruling, or assert as false something that is true;

iii. Continue to argue a proposition after being informed that it is incorrect, or asked to stop; iv. Make denigrating comments about an official or a decision while speaking to each other;

v. Make gestures (with hands or otherwise) that signify frustration or lack of respect at an official; vi. Throw/kick the ball or equipment in disgust; vii. Move aggressively towards and official to remonstrate.

Dissent differs from a player or coach asking a genuine question.

d) If a player or coach shows the official respect, then the official will show them the same level of respect in return.

e) We distinguish between overt dissent and covert dissent. The former is conspicuous, usually because the speech is loud enough for many people to hear, or the gestures are clear and in the open. Covert dissent is where only the official hears it and can be treated slightly differently.

f) There are six levels of response to dissent:

i) Ignore it. If the dissent is minor, and is the first example from that player or team, then it can be ignored. It might be an isolated incident, never to happen again. However, there is always a risk that ignoring dissent will give encouragement to the participants to repeat it. Ignoring it is certainly not the appropriate response to repeated dissent.

ii) Pretend you didn’t hear it. Ask the player or coach to repeat their comment (“what did you say?”). If it was inappropriate, they will likely not repeat it. If they do, then there is no doubt that you must respond firmly, professionally and rapidly.

iii) Quiet word. A quiet word with a player or coach is often more beneficial than an immediate penalising of the team. It shows your commitment to resolving the issue without recourse to a strict application of the Laws of the Game.

iv) Public rebuke. Sometimes, the player or coach needs to be spoken to loudly enough that their teammates are aware. This may be necessary in order to help solicit their help in controlling their emotions.

v) Caution. If dissent repeated again (or in a fashion conspicuous to spectators) then it needs to be penalised as dissent with a caution. This should include all actions that involve thrown equipment (such as the ball, etc.), or running towards an official.

vi) Dismissal. If a player is further penalised for a conspicuous show of dissent or it is deemed that their second show of dissent towards an official is serious enough to impinge control of the game - then they should be dismissed from the field. In extreme cases, an act of dissent may be so flagrant as to require immediate dismissal.

There is no need to go through these levels in order. A serious (and conspicuous) act of dissent may require immediate cautioning, and possibly even dismissal.

g) The following acts by a participant should always result in a caution being issued.

i. Making an aggressive gesture towards an official;

ii. Speaking in a denigrating manner to an official that can be heard clearly by spectators; iii. Making “demonstrative disagreement”, such as raising hands in incredulity; iv. Running directly at an official to complain about a call;

v. Making excessive enquiries about a call, even in a civilised tone.

h) Failing to deal with dissent is letting your colleagues and the sport down. Not only does dissent undermine officials, it can also severely disrupt the atmosphere and flow of a game.

i) If you hear dissent directed at another official, you deal with it. An important part of officiating teamwork is to back up your colleagues in this way.

j) Engage with the captains and coaches to make clear it is their responsibility to control their players, to prevent dissent or to stamp it out at first sign. Doing this shows that the official is attempting to work with the teams rather than penalise.

k) If left unchecked, dissent is like a disease that will grow and undermine your authority.

Violent Conduct / Mass Confrontation

a) If action is deemed to be that of “fighting” then the player must be dismissed. It is not fighting if players are merely pushing each other (i.e. no deliberate punches, kicks or blows are struck or aimed). If in doubt, it is not fighting.

b) During a mass confrontation, try to distinguish between those players (on the field at the start of the incident), substitutes and coaches who actively participate in a confrontation and those who are trying only to separate the combatants. The latter should not be dismissed.

c) Only dismiss a player if you are certain of his number. Do not guess!

d) If in doubt as to whether a player has intentionally elbowed an opponent, look at the player’s hand. It is a natural reaction to make a fist before striking with the elbow deliberately. An open hand probably indicates unintentional contact.

 

[Beezer]

Very concise .

 

[deusex]

Although the author clearly means well and wants dissent clamped down on the wording of this is too casual and could confuse new refs.

1. "Dissent is when players, coaches or other persons subject to the Laws.....speak in an abusive.... manner to an official"
Only players can commit dissent, and I'm pretty sure speaking to an official in an abusive manner is called something else.

2. "Caution. If dissent repeated again (or in a fashion conspicuous to spectators) then it needs to be penalised as dissent"
This implies that a player gets to commit 2 acts of dissent before being cautioned, which is not the case.

3 "In extreme cases, an act of dissent may be so flagrant as to require immediate dismissal."
Pretty sure there's another name for that as well.

4. "If action is deemed to be that of “fighting” then the player must be dismissed. It is not fighting if players are merely pushing each other"
What is fighting? I fight wth my sister all the time (she's a b*tch). But would not expect an RC for the same behaviour on a pitch. A push in the face is usually a RC.