Call it Both Ways - Coach Panel for Referee Education

L

Lee Robert

BRONZE
Here is the link to the October 2022 Referee In Service recording with Advice from Five Coaches to the referees. Game day highlights included.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DINqg9TWflmh_HMbmOxDgp_pPjTwSH-x/view?usp=sharing
Start at minute 4:30 for an important message. Then jump to 17:25 for the start of the coach panel discussions.

and survey, if you would like to share your input:
https://forms.gle/KYpEztsuasoArVNh6

Here are some of the survey results from those that attended the live webinar:
What are your three takeaways from the Coach Panel and Polls?
Respect, fair and consistent calls
Build relationship with coach early, respect, communicate
1: Establish an understanding and respectful relationship prior to the match. 2: It's ok to admit that you didn't see a play. 3: Do the best you can to communicate why you made your call and help educate the players.
Make time to establish a rapport with the coaches before the game. Stay close to play with good angles to view what is happening, talk to the players to establish a rapport with them as well
1. Establish a positive relationship with the coaches before the game. 2. Don't be afraid to call the foul if the foul is there. We are there to do our best to ensure safety for the players. 3. If a match is truly getting out of hand, it may be wise to suspend the match to speak with the coaches and captains and allow time to lower the temperature before continuing.
To gain a better understanding of how to interact with coaches, to create a better experience for the players, coaches, spectators and other referees, match control is important for the safety of the players
Positive approach to the coach, stay consistent in calling fouls, and always have a positive attitude while refereeing the game
Relationship building, humility and courtesy all go a long way towards making our jobs easier.
1. Be respectful 2. Recognize we are all here for the same reason. 3. Be fair and consistent.
Pre game meeting with coaches. Respect for each other. Educate players.
 
Some great stuff in the webinar, it's good to listen to the coach's perspective.

I think something that many coaches and parents don't realize is that the play is moving so quickly and how hard it is to make the correct call. A couple of the video examples were easy to make the right call after watching them a few times. Non-referees need to understand that what we saw may not always be what exactly happened. I know that sounds crazy, but until someone referees a few games, they do not understand what I am saying.

Also, when non-referees think a referee is not being consistent, they also don't realize the nuances of each play. One example is shoulder-to-shoulder contact versus shoulder to just behind the shoulder. In real-time, it may look the same, but often, we see the nuance, and call the foul on the shoulder to the back. Or even within a shoulder-to-shoulder contact, sometimes it's not with the intent to even play the ball, but to knock the other guy completely off.
 
Soccer Dad & Ref said:
Some great stuff in the webinar, it's good to listen to the coach's perspective.

I think something that many coaches and parents don't realize is that the play is moving so quickly and how hard it is to make the correct call. A couple of the video examples were easy to make the right call after watching them a few times. Non-referees need to understand that what we saw may not always be what exactly happened. I know that sounds crazy, but until someone referees a few games, they do not understand what I am saying.

Also, when non-referees think a referee is not being consistent, they also don't realize the nuances of each play. One example is shoulder-to-shoulder contact versus shoulder to just behind the shoulder. In real-time, it may look the same, but often, we see the nuance, and call the foul on the shoulder to the back. Or even within a shoulder-to-shoulder contact, sometimes it's not with the intent to even play the ball, but to knock the other guy completely off.
Click to expand...

The bigger issue though is there are two competing philosophies in the laws of the game, and it's not just here in the United States and extends all the way up to the lower level pros. There's the honor the laws school, and the let them play school of referee. The LoG allow a referee a lot of leeway to call a foul or not. Then there's the issue of "trifling" fouls, which actually does not appear in the LoG themselves, but in the guidance (and the guidance has disappeared from year to year...I'm not even sure if the guidance was reissued this year). Trifling means the referee shouldn't interrupt the flow of the game for every little foul thereby disrupting what's supposed to be a continuous flow with perpetual whistles. But how this is interpreted has developed into two very large poles (it's actually more of a spectrum and any ref may fall somewhere on that spectrum and they may even differ as to how strictly something is called based on their own prejudices...e.g. goalkeeper fouls or fouls on the goalkeeper). So you have a school that's developed that the laws are there for a reason and should be used to manage and control the game and is really hung up on the letters of the law. And you have a school that doesn't want to call anything or minimally (either because they are classicists and don't believe the flow of the game should be interrupted or are too skittish to blow the whistle and show cards). This makes it hard for parents because they show up and they see referees calling the game differently based on whoever you may get by luck of the draw. They don't understand the subtle distinction of what's going on...one referee is constantly blowing DFKs and even awarding Pks, the other referee doesn't know what a PK is and won't call it unless it's a very obvious DOGSO.

Add to this: soccer is a very low scoring game and an errant PK call (considering the very high PK conversion rate) may swing the decision of the game, penalties are severe for cards and some leagues/org specifically dissuade refs from using cards at the younger ages, a referee may see one critical play on one side and then not another for the other team and all of a sudden the referee is now labelled as "bias". It makes it harder for the referee, who might already be quesey about calling things, to actually blow the whistle.

the biggest problem with the "let them play" refs is that they can lose control of the match unless they are very experienced in game management. Given the referee shortage, it's a challenge.
 
I was an intermediate referee. Some observations in watching some Flight 1 matches - Most referees are severely out of shape and generally don't travel more than 10 yds. from the center circle. They are always trailing the play with poor angles. They cannot keep up with the pace of play. Very reluctant to call fouls until the play is out of hand. Miss too many fouls in the back. This is always very dangerous and needs to be a foul. Physical play is ok but never from behind. Unfortunately, this is a thankless job and there is always a shortage of referees. I am not sure I have a solution.
 
Grace T. said:
The bigger issue though is there are two competing philosophies in the laws of the game, and it's not just here in the United States and extends all the way up to the lower level pros. There's the honor the laws school, and the let them play school of referee. The LoG allow a referee a lot of leeway to call a foul or not. Then there's the issue of "trifling" fouls, which actually does not appear in the LoG themselves, but in the guidance (and the guidance has disappeared from year to year...I'm not even sure if the guidance was reissued this year). Trifling means the referee shouldn't interrupt the flow of the game for every little foul thereby disrupting what's supposed to be a continuous flow with perpetual whistles. But how this is interpreted has developed into two very large poles (it's actually more of a spectrum and any ref may fall somewhere on that spectrum and they may even differ as to how strictly something is called based on their own prejudices...e.g. goalkeeper fouls or fouls on the goalkeeper). So you have a school that's developed that the laws are there for a reason and should be used to manage and control the game and is really hung up on the letters of the law. And you have a school that doesn't want to call anything or minimally (either because they are classicists and don't believe the flow of the game should be interrupted or are too skittish to blow the whistle and show cards). This makes it hard for parents because they show up and they see referees calling the game differently based on whoever you may get by luck of the draw. They don't understand the subtle distinction of what's going on...one referee is constantly blowing DFKs and even awarding Pks, the other referee doesn't know what a PK is and won't call it unless it's a very obvious DOGSO.

Add to this: soccer is a very low scoring game and an errant PK call (considering the very high PK conversion rate) may swing the decision of the game, penalties are severe for cards and some leagues/org specifically dissuade refs from using cards at the younger ages, a referee may see one critical play on one side and then not another for the other team and all of a sudden the referee is now labelled as "bias". It makes it harder for the referee, who might already be quesey about calling things, to actually blow the whistle.

the biggest problem with the "let them play" refs is that they can lose control of the match unless they are very experienced in game management. Given the referee shortage, it's a challenge.
Click to expand...
All good points, but to me there are only 2 types of referees - the one who understands the game and the one that don't.
 
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