CONTROL OF THE GAME
“Accuracy”
There is no doubt that correct decisions, made with
confidence and without delay, are the major ingredients in
match control. A Referee must strive to make accurate
decisions that are in accordance with the Laws of the Game.
He/She also needs to convince the players that they have
officiated in ‘one or two’ matches before this particular
game. A major point is being correct in dealing with
physical contact between the players. A Referee has to
determine accurately the players who commit fouls. How do
you achieve this accuracy? It’s quite simple. All you need
are just two ‘small’ items, KNOWLEDGE and EXPERIENCE.
Knowledge clearly comes from study and learning and
experience speaks for itself. I would advise the new or
‘in-experienced’ Referee to watch as many games as he can
both on TV and at local club level. Watch how players make
physical contact with each other and watch the reaction of
both players in the challenge. Watch replays of incidents
from professional and international matches. Talk to
players as they are certainly a good source of information.
The only way to get experience is to Referee matches. As
many as you can and at all levels of football. Analyse the
reaction of players to the decisions that you make. Watch
the faces of players involved in a tackle. Is there a
decision that you make from time to time that causes a
strong reaction from the players? If there is you may be
making the wrong decision. Read all you can about foul
recognition until you have a grasp of some of the methods
that are recommended. Keep striving for knowledge and
understanding, both of which will bring accuracy to your
decisions and credibility to your refereeing.
“The
Five Steps In The Degeneration of the Game”
(How far
down the slippery slope of decay the game goes is
determined by the Referee)
-
The start of the game. Everything is fine. Not a foul has been committed. No problems.
-
First foul is whistled or any other decision made. Try and stay in this position where no misconduct has occurred. Game still very much under control. No serious incidents, maybe a warning or two.
-
Things get a little “heated”. A little less under control and the Referee has to resort to a caution or two. The Referee is still in good control of the game, but he/she has progressed halfway along the five steps to chaos. The Referee may issue some more cautions to keep things under control.
-
There could come a time when the red card has to be pulled out. It is imperative that the Referee keeps the game at this level. The red card is necessary to prevent any further decay. If it does not work and if the Referee reaches the point where the match is totally out of control due to players behaviour or spectators on the pitch etc then the Referee has reaches the final stage.
-
The match has to be abandoned.
This 5 point ‘exercise’ is important to keep in mind when out refereeing. If you go from one stage to the next you will know what lies ahead for you if you don’t keep your mind on what you are doing. It should help you focus if the slightest thing goes wrong. It could help you evaluate each incident to see if it was the event upon which control of the rest of the game might depend. It would perhaps tell you “The Moment Of Truth”, the defining moment in the game. Next time I will try and define “The Moment Of Truth”.
Till The Next Time
Happy Whistling!!!!
Malcolm L
(The Refwatcher)