Category: Law 5 – Referee

Law 5 – Referee

"Inventive" Refs

REFEREES COACHING AND COACHES REFEREEING

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Question:
In a recent U12 boys game we played a great team and lost.

The kids had lots of Fun, However my question is: How much Coaching should the Referee do during the game? He started out just commenting on fouls and explaining why he made a call or non-call. He did a fine job as a referee, but the Ref’s Coaching got progressively more in-depth as the game went on. How can a coach respectfully tell this kind of Referee to NOT coach at all. It was annoying and I wasn’t always able to hear what he was saying to my players. I think I deserve to Know if he is giving a warning or coaching. In my league in eastern PA we do have some fine Referees, But If I see this Ref again how do communicate to him that I don’t appreciate any instruction he has to offer. Referees should be impartial, right? I am not saying I want to argue his calls, I really don’t have any desire for that, but does the Ref have the authority to coach and advise players on the field? and what would be considered reasonable?

USSF answer (November 16, 2010):
Other than in some youth competitions where the competition encourages it, the referee should avoid coaching altogether. The referee can give compliments, as long as he or she ensures that each team gets a fair share, and can do normal referee things, such as chiding or warning players who are behaving improperly.

Coaches don’t want the referee coaching and referees certainly don’t want the coaches refereeing. Both are troublesome.…

Coach

INDOOR PLAYER/COACH EXPELLED

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Question:
During a game I argued a call to the referee (no foul language)….I asked him what game was he watching? He came over to the bench (I was acting as a coach) and pointed to the door and said leave. So I left. He later took my player card and said that he is giving me a red card.

Can he give me a red card after the fact? He asked me to leave….no warning. Can he just decide that that is a red card offense after the fact? Plus we were not sent down a man (indoor) indicating an offense has taken place.

Is this a traditional banning then?

USSF answer (November 10, 2010):
In point of fact, the referee should not show a coach a card of any color in any form of soccer, indoor or outdoor; it is against the Laws. However, there may be some facility rule regarding this. Many indoor facilities have their own rules that take no notice of the Laws of the Game.

In your role as a player/coach, the referee could legally send you off and even show you the red card, because you were dressed as a player. In our opinion, the send-off as a player is extremely questionable if the situation was as you describe it, because your behavior does not seem to have gone beyond dissent (a cautionable offense). In our experience the red “after the fact” is not out of the realm of normalcy for indoor soccer — and the referee does not have to warn a player (or coach) at all, no matter whether indoor or outdoor. If you were expelled as a coach, there would have been no time penalty.

Under the Laws of the Game the only reason to send off a coach is for irresponsible behavior, and what you describe could fit that category, depending on your tone of voice and what else had been happening in the game. It would appear that the referee decided “that’s enough” and expelled you for exceeding the acceptable bounds of competitive enthusiasm.…

Law 5 - Referee

REFEREE UNIFORM AT TOURNAMENTS

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Question:
I saw your answer to the question [of October 21, 2010] regarding new and old style referee uniforms.

All referees at the 2010 Far West Regionals were required to have the new style uniform. Some of the referees had to spend hundreds of dollars on new uniforms.

Additionally referees in the finals wore the Adidas kits.

Take a look at the photos at http://www.regioniv.com/regional10/reg-photos.htm

Referees are being forced to use the new style OSI gear despite what USSF says officially and Adidas is sneaking in. USSF needs to be more sensitive to the costs associated with refereeing. We don’t need new styles and we don’t need 5 colors. This especially impacts our new and youth referees who can barely afford one color jersey. In addition to being a referee I’m also an assignor, so I see the impact on the youngsters.

Thanks for listening to me whine.

USSF answer (November 5, 2010):
We understand the problems of economy and regulation, but there are good reasons for the requirements at the Far West Regionals.

1. Adidas is one of the national sponsors of USYS, the organization that runs the youth regional tournaments. It is traditional that their uniforms are worn for the finals at USYS regional youth tournaments.

2. Official Sports International (OSI) is the official supplier of referee uniforms to U. S. Soccer and the longest-standing sponsor of the referee program. We encourage all referees to buy uniforms and equipment from them as much as possible. From the pictures on the website, it appears that the referees wore only OSI uniforms for the preliminary and semifinal games.

3. It is traditional that each referee wears nothing but the most up-to-date gear at the regional tournaments, which are a showcase for the players who have qualified and a great honor for the referees who have been selected. It is regrettable that some referees had to spend a considerable amount of money to purchase new uniforms, but they also had the right to turn down the opportunity to go the the Regionals.

4. As noted in the answer of October 21, referees may use the “old” OSI uniforms for as long as they are presentable. If any referee has a problem with uniform requirements for tournaments, he or she should call Adrian Garibay, the Federation’s Director of Registration and Referee Administration, at 312-528-1275.…

Coach

HOW A COACH SHOULD APPROACH THE REFEREE

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Question:
as coach a do have the right to ask for stop the game if there is no safe environment for my team?

which specific circumstances are allow to ask for stop game and is this subject to sanction or disciplinary action?

if there is racial treatment on field coach can ask referees to stop game?

USSF answer (October 25, 2010):
Concern 1: Possible unsafe environment and the referee is not aware or appears not to do anything about it. Note that there are no specific circumstances that dictate a “safe environment.” You will have to define your own safe environment. Different levels of skill and player ages mean different things to everyone. We are assuming this is a youth game, because the normal reaction of a youth coach is to protect his/her players. In an adult game, the players themselves would likely find a way to sort this out. (And possibly not in a pleasant way.)

Our response: We tell our referees to talk to the coach when there is a problem in a youth game. There must be communication between the coach and the referee in youth level games. This is particularly important if the referee is an adult, because a young player will hesitate to bring the problem as it is to the referee.

Concern 2: Players of the other team are making remarks that are racially offensive and the referee has not responded.

Our response: It seems clear that this particular referee had no clue what was going on in this game. Our suggestion is that the coach politely approach the referee at a stoppage — most likely halftime or if the referee gives the coach some other opportunity to speak — and point out the racial remarks. If the remarks continue and are clearly heard by the referee and are not being dealt with, the coach needs to evaluate whether the “atmosphere” of the game is not appropriate and no longer playing is the only option. We would hope that the referee will listen to the polite remarks from the coach, evaluate the situation and his/her previous approach to the game, and act to resolve the situation, thus reinforcing the mutual respect that should exist between the referee, the coaches, and the captains of the teams. The game is for all participants to enjoy and unfair play should not be permitted.

Concern 3. Concern about possible sanctions if coach pulls players off the field:

Our Response: We are not aware of any sanctions or disciplinary action associated with telling the referee that your team will be leaving the field There is certainly nothing about this in the Laws of the Game. You will have to check with the competition authority, that is, the people who run the league, to see what their rules on this are.

When the game is not going well, many communities will react and pull the team from the field. This is considered the most serious demonstration of dissent with the referee and everyone looks at the referee as the guilty party. No referee wants this to happen in his or her game, as it is extremely embarrassing. Approach the referee and make your point politely and firmly. That is the best we can suggest. However, we are aware that some referees do not always seem to know what is best for the game.

Please remember that If the referee is unaware of the issues that the coach sees, then this referee is likely not to be approachable by the coach and any dialogue is going to be difficult.  The key point is that the coach should consider making a polite attempt to contact the referee, either through a team captain, an assistant referee or fourth official (if there is one), or directly (when opportunity arises, such as a stoppage nearby, at halftime, etc).  If all efforts fail, the coach does have an obligation to his players and may take the drastic action of removing his team from the field.  If he does take that action he needs to be prepared to face the consequences as the referee is required to file a game report, and, given the incident, will most likely be asked what happened and will present his own side of the story to the league authorities.…

"Inventive Instructors"

NO CHANGE IN REFEREE UNIFORM REQUIREMENTS!

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Question:
During our adult state cup our state instructor showed us page 37 of the 2010-2011 Referee Administrative Handbook, we were told that only the new style shirts (as shown) would be permitted for wear by USSF referees. Are the old style shirts on longer permitted? Also we were told that the three striped socks were not acceptable for wear anymore, the new “two stripe” sock along with the old “logo” sock are now the socks acceptable for wear.

Can we wear other badges with our new style shirts (special area badges, high school, college,)when not doing USSF sanctioned matches?

Can referee buy the MLS pro referee uniform or uniforms and do lower level games wearing them?

USSF answer (October 21, 2010):
We hope that you misunderstood the instructor, as there has been absolutely no change in the uniform requirements. The designs shown in the Referee Administrative Handbook (p. 37) are for the new design, but the old uniform may still be worn if it is presentable. Referees are still permitted to wear the three white-stripe sock or the black sock with the old U.S. Soccer Referee Department logo, as both are still USSF-approved.

As to wearing the uniform to officiate high school, college, or other competitions, referees must wear apparel that is approved for the competition in which they officiate. If there is no uniform requirement in a competition that is not affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation, then referees may wear what they like, as long as they do not bring dishonor on the uniform or themselves. The uniforms worn by the professional-league referees are NOT approved for any USSF-affiliated competition other than those professional leagues.

The FAQ posted on the USSF website regarding the newer OSI uniforms remains in effect, referees can still wear the old and the new uniforms: http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Referee-Programs/2008/01/New-OSI-Referee-Uniform-Frequently-Asked-Questions.aspx…

Disciplinary Matters

MAY THE PLAYER BE REPLACED?

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Question:
A player on Team A asks the ref repeatedly why a foul was called. He didn’t respond. The same player for Team A was substituted and asked the ref why a foul was called in passing, again the ref ignored his request. The player while exiting the field said “you’re an idiot” not directly to the ref. The ref said “what did you say”. Team A player continued off the field and one of the players from Team B said to the referee he said “You are a ‘Effing’ idiot”.

Player 2 from (the sub) from Team A went on to the field. Referee Red carded the player that said “you’re an idiot”. My question is does Team A have to play a man short?

USSF answer (October 19, 2010):
Because the referee waited until the substitute entered the field and became a player, the former player’s dismissal for using offensive, insulting or abusive language does not result in Team A having to play short. If the referee had acted before allowing the new player to enter, then Team A would have to play short.

The harder question is this: suppose the referee is 100% sure that the second player who provided the answer embellished on the first player’s remark. Should the referee ignore the embellishment (“Effing idiot” vs just “idiot”)? It is probably best to let it go but let the player know that you know. …

Advantage

APPLYING THE ADVANTAGE ON A GOALSCORING OPPORTUNITY

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Question:
Could you please clarify this for me?

A player with an obvious goalscoring opportunity gets tripped by the goalkeeper outside the penalty area. The ball falls to a teammate who has a good chance to score. The referee allows the advantage. The teammate misses the net. Should the goalkeeper be sent off or just cautioned?

USSF answer (October 12, 2010):
If the referee applies the advantage and the advantage does not materialize in this case, no goal can be awarded. The referee gave the advantage for a foul outside the penalty area, the ball moves to a teammate of the fouled player. The teammate shoots and misses. Life is hard. The advantage has been squandered, because the teammate was not interfered with or otherwise discomfited by a member of the opposing team.

Caution the goalkeeper and restart with a goal kick.…

"Inventive" Refs

REFEREE RESCINDS GOAL AFTER CALLING THE GAME COMPLETE

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Question:
With time running out in the 2nd half and the home team down by a goal, a corner kick is taken by the home team and the ball bounces off of a player and then a home team player heads it into the goal. The CR signals the goal scored and then blows a long whistle signaling the end of the game.

The home team players celebrate and walks off the field and the visiting players also walk off the field. As the teams get ready to exchange post-game handshake, refs approach both coaches and reverses the last goal as a ‘no goal’ citing an offside violation against a home team scorer and declares the visiting team as winner by a goal.

Can the refs reverse call(s) or non-call(s) made during the game after officially ending the game? If so, then is there a time limit or restriction on what type of calls or non-calls can be reversed?

USSF answer (October 4, 2010):
Law 5 (The Referee) tells us:

Decisions of the Referee
The decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play, including whether or not a goal is scored and the result of the match, are final.
The referee may only change a decision on realizing that it is incorrect or, at his discretion, on the advice of an assistant referee or the fourth official, provided that he has not restarted play or TERMINATED THE MATCH. [Emphasis added.]

Since the referee had terminated the match, the goal decision has to stand and the decision to change it was in error (as well as protestable, because the referee “set aside a Law of the Game”). After including full details in the match report and submitting it to the appropriate authorities, all that remains is for the referee to either learn from this or turn in his badge.…

Guide to Procedures

REFEREE-AR COMMUNICATION

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Question:
I was refereeing a U15 Boys game and I was an Assistant Referee. A situation arose in which “gold” kicked the ball toward “whites” goal. The ball went far to the right, and landed on the goal line still in, but barely. It was on the goal line inside the penalty area and since it was still in bounds, I never signaled goal kick.

However the keeper came over, dribbled the ball back to the 6 yard box, and took what he thought was a goal kick.The keeper kicked it, but it never left the box and gold, the keeper’s opponent, shot the ball into the goal. I tucked my flag an ran up the line to signal a goal, but the referee disallowed it thinking it was a goal kick, even though I never signaled for one. This, to me was a pure case of bad communication but is there any way it could have been handled better?

Thanks.

USSF answer (October 1, 2010):
This was a matter of the referee not paying attention to what you, the AR, were telling him — that the ball was still in play. Two thoughts occur, both proactive in nature:
• You could have told the goalkeeper that the ball was still in play, loudly enough for others to hear it, or
• You could have kept the referee informed that the ball was still in play by using a supplementary signal, such as the unapproved but widely used one-handed “advantage” signal, to show this. This should have been discussed in the pregame conference. (To quote the Guide to Procedures: “Other signals or methods of communication intended to supplement those described here are permitted only if they do not conflict with established procedures and only if they do not intrude on the game, are not distracting, are limited in number and purpose and are carefully discussed within the officiating team prior to the commencement of the match.”)…

Law 18 - Common Sense

MISCONDUCT WELL AFTER THE GAME HAS ENDED

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Question:
Is there a period of time before and after a match whereby an incident involving a player and ref is no longer related to the match. An example would be where a player swore at a referee two hours after the match had ended.

I understand the Respect element however I want to ensure the disciplinary is dealt with in the correct context.

Many thanks.

USSF answer (September 14, 2010):
The referee’s authority ends after he (or she) and the players and other team personnel have left the vicinity of the field. Any misconduct committed by players or substitutes after the field has been cleared must be described in the game report and reported to the competition authority. The referee may display cards as long as he or she remains on the field of play after the game is over. Referees are advised to avoid remaining in the area of the field unnecessarily, as this can lead to the sort of situation you describe.

After two hours, the statute of limitations on including this matter in the match report has run out. We would suggest that you submit a separate report on the matter to the competition authority and to the state association.…