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This Check List is intended for relatively new referees working Youth matches. Much of the advice can be used by any referee at any level, however.
BE AT THE FIELD AT LEAST 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE START TIME OF THE GAME.
Be neatly dressed. Shirt tucked in, socks pulled up, shoes shined, etc.
CONDUCT A PREGAME MEETING
If you have Neutral Assistant Referees, discuss what their duties will be. A sample Pregame Meeting is included in this Handbook.
CHECK FIELD AND NETS.
Look for dangerous conditions; you can remove small objects and fill small holes, but have the home team make larger corrections.
Verify that there are safe poles at the corners (flags are not required on the poles). Replace or discard unsafe poles.
Check the nets; make sure that they will stop a ball entering the goal, keep one from entering through the side, and that they do not interfere with the goalkeeper. Have the home team make corrections.
Review the field markings. If you notice that field markings are incorrect, or that the goal is not the correct size, note the conditions on the Game Card, but unless there is a major deviation, the game should be played.
OBTAIN THE GAME REPORT.
The home team is responsible for this; if their coach has not given the Report to the other coach to complete, ask him/her to do so. When both coaches are finished, take possession of the Report.
Note: Individual tournament rules may differ concerning game sheets and player ID cards.
CHECK EQUIPMENT AND ID CARDS.
Special Note: The coach's opinion (or both coaches' agreement) on equipment, ID cards, jersey color, etc. is totally irrelevant.
Examine the players' ID cards. Coaches do not have the right to examine the other team's ID cards.
Each ID card must meet these requirements:
If the ID cards do not meet all of these, note them on the game report, but let the players participate. (Note: For Amateur matches, TSSAS requires a card to participate.)
Verify that shinguards are being worn. Shinguards are mandatory and must provide a reasonable degree of protection.
Get rid of unsafe items.
CHECK FOR JERSEY CONFLICT.
Note the jersey color of both teams. If they are the same color, the home team must change.
Note the jersey being worn by each goalkeeper. Insure that they are different from both teams' jerseys and, if practical, different from each other.
ASK FOR CLUB ASSISTANTS IF YOU WANT TO USE THEM.
If you do not have two Neutral Assistant Referees, you may ask for club assistant(s).
Don't assume that club assistants know what you want them to do. Ask the coach to provide an assistant for you, and have him/her meet you at the center of the field. Tell them what you expect. Examples:
REQUEST A GAME BALL FROM THE HOME TEAM COACH.
Verify that it is spherical, has the correct inflation, and is of the proper size. Ask the coach to correct any deficiencies. If he is unable, or unwilling, obtain a game ball from the visiting team.
CONDUCT THE COIN TOSS.
Call the team captains to the center of the field for the coin toss. If coaches accompany young players, ask the coach to stand a yard or two away. Show both teams both sides of the coin, clarify which is heads and which is tails.
Traditionally, visitors call the toss. If there is more than one captain for the visiting team, verify which one will make the call. Explain that he will call either heads or tails while the coin is in the air.
The winner of the coin toss selects the end of the field they will attack. The other team kicks off.
If a captain is unsure of the selection to make, allow him to consult with his coach. Write down who is kicking off, and from which end of the field.
START ON TIME.
Call for the teams to take the field 2-3 minutes before the scheduled start time for the game.
Count the number of players on the field. Make sure that they are on their own half of the field.
Place the ball on the center spot.
Write the current time in your book.
Signal for the game to start. Start your watch(es) with the kick off.
AT HALF TIME...
Collect the game ball, and keep it with you.
Keep a proper distance from both teams and from the spectators.
AFTER THE GAME IS OVER...
Stand near the center of the field until both teams complete a handshake and leave the field.
Return the game ball to the coach.
Retrieve your flags.
If they have been damaged, ask the coach for the person's name. Note this in the Game Report and notify the BASRA President.
COMPLETE THE GAME REPORT.
The paperwork is as much of the game as calling the fouls. Scorekeeping and discipline cannot be done properly unless you turn in all game reports and misconduct reports promptly.
If you issued any cautions, send-offs, or if a player was injured and could not continue to play, note this on the Game Report and copy the players' names onto your notes.
Note all problems you had with the game on the Report, even if you did not issue a caution or send off.
If your flags or other personal property was damaged by players, parents, coaches, etc. it must be listed on the Game Report. BASRA and BAYSA will assist you in obtaining payment for the items only if you have documented it at the time it occurs.
If you are uncomfortable writing about game problems on the Report and handing it to the home coach, you may report any or all problems directly to the BASRA President. Use the Game Evaluation and/or Player/Coach Misconduct Report for this.
Keep the Referee coupon(s), give the Visiting Team Coach his coupon, and give the Report to the Home Team Coach.
COMPLETE THE GAME EVALUATION REPORT AND MAIL IT TO BASRA, PO BOX 57853, WEBSTER, TEXAS 77598.
Above all, HAVE FUN!
USSF has published the Guide to Procedures for Referees, Assistant Referees and Fourth Officials. Copies are provided at Entry Level Clinics or can be purchased from USSF. An electronic copy is available at http://www.io.com/tssas/pg/index.htm.
Extracted from the Guide to Procedures:
GENERAL MECHANICS
The full text of this section, and all the USSF recommended procedures can be found in the Guide.
The Pregame Meeting should cover the duties, responsibilities, and means of communication for the referee crew. Depending on the familiarity of the crew members, the level of competition, and the importance of the match, the Pregame can take from 30 minutes to several hours.
A typical Pregame would discuss:
The keys to being a successful team are preparation and communication.
The first requirement for game control is that you, the referee, must control yourself. If you are not in control of yourself, you will not be able to control the game or anything else.
Be mentally prepared for each and every game before you reach the field. Before you start the game, make sure that you are ready, and that you are in control of yourself.
Don't lose control of yourself no matter what happens.
Avoid irritants. If the crowd on one sideline is irritating you, work from the other side of the field for a while.
Don't do things that will aggravate people. Some examples are:
The second aspect of game control is to control the players. The players rightfully expect you to protect them. If you fail to do so, the players will provide their own protection, and you will have an uncontrolled game.
Be consistent. Make a conscious effort to consistently make the same calls through out the game. Inconsistency will confuse the players, and will create an atmosphere of favoritism. If, during the course of a game, you find that you must call a tighter game, don't loosen back up after things calm down. Consistently make calls at the tighter level for the remainder of the game.
Call fouls. If a referee allows fouls to go unchallenged, players will begin to get even and the violence will rapidly escalate. If advantage is appropriate, announce your decision to allow the advantage with both hand signal and verbally. In this manner, you are declaring that the foul was both observed and was called.
Correctly apply Advantage. If you believe the team would prefer the free kick, stop play and award the kick. If you believe the offended team would prefer to continue to play, then allow advantage.
Don't call trifling fouls, and don't signal or claim advantage when they occur. Other than being wrong, such signals create the appearance of inconsistency, and can appear ridiculous when obviously no advantage existed for the fouled team.
Talk to the players. Warn the players of unsatisfactory conduct. Remember who you have talked to; don't repeatedly warn the same player, or different players on a team committing the same offense. Don't make idle threats. If you tell a player that you will caution or send him off for an infraction, and he doesn't heed the warning, then follow through with your promise. Don't talk down to players, but tell them what you expect, and hold them to it. Note the players who are committing fouls, and stop persistent offenders.
The third aspect is to control the coaches. In a youth game, assume that parents who wander up and down the touchline are coaches and expect them to behave as such. Do not tolerate dissent from the coaches. Don't pay any attention to disagreement to a call, but if they begin to repeatedly address dissenting remarks to you, or for you to hear, stop the game, warn the coach to control them. If he fails to do so then caution or send him off as appropriate for failing to do so.
Finally, control the fans through the coach. If the fans are behaving, it is probably best to ignore them as long as they are not disrupting the game. If they are advocating violence or mayhem or otherwise causing problems with the game, warn the coach to control them. If he fails to do so then caution or dismiss him as appropriate for failing to do so.
Note: In all youth games, if the coach is dismissed, another adult must assume the responsibilities for the team if the game is to continue. If no adult will replace the coach, then the referee must terminate the game.
If you had trouble with a coach during a game, don't enter into a discussion with him or his team after the game.
A technique for warning a coach is as follows:
Remember there is no set way to deal with people. If the above technique works for you, use it. If it doesn't, use one that does.
As a referee you must handle the situation with positive action. Don't ignore it and hope it goes away; the only thing that is likely to go away is your control of the game.
Dissent: An audible or visible disagreement with the referee's decision which reflects negatively on the official's fairness or competency.
Dissent is disruptive to the players and the game and destructive to game control, if not in the short term, then in its long-range effect on the Game.
All referees need to be aware of their responsibility to, not only the game in which they are involved, but to the Game itself. All referees need to consider not only the effect on themselves when dissent occurs, but also the effect on their linesmen and the officials who will referee these players in the future.
Lack of consistency in handling dissent is unfair to the players, as well as to your fellow officials. "The referee who allows dissent, encourages dissent."
These guidelines are intended to aid you in your individual games and to aid referees, as a group, to become more consistent in dealing with dissent.
Remember: Abusive dissent does not have to involve offensive or insulting language, and when it is directed toward your Assistant Referees, demands quick, firm action.
The control of coach and spectator dissent is a key element in assuring that players, spectators, and referees alike can enjoy the sport of soccer.
It is expected that coaches, parents, and spectators will have a sportsman-like attitude toward the game and will show respect for the Referee. No matter how great the supposed inaccuracy of a Referee's decision, there is NO reason to berate the efforts of that referee. Verbal abuse from the sidelines by coaches, parents, or spectators, whether directed at the Referee or players, is NOT to be tolerated.
A way of determining verbal abuse/dissent from the sidelines is if you, as a referee, are bothered by the statements being made, and if these statements could degrade the respect for you as the referee on the field, then action toward the coach of the offending team is warranted.
One method younger referees find effective utilizes the captains to notify the coach that the dissent/abuse from the sideline is unacceptable. The young referee then avoids a direct confrontation with the older coach. Use the following steps:
Older or more experienced referees may choose to deal directly with the coach (see Game Control).
If a warning to the coach does not result in the desired effect, the next step is to caution the coach. (Please note: The Laws of the Game do not permit referees to caution or send off anyone other than players. In this discussion, we are talking about the mechanism for informing a coach that his misconduct is being reported to the league, in keeping with the Laws.)
There are three basic steps when giving a caution to a coach:
These three steps can be accomplished in many ways depending on the particular referee and the situation. BASRA suggests the following procedure:
Having been properly cautioned, most coaches will make every attempt to control the verbal abuse from the sidelines. If the abuse/dissent should continue, however, the coach must be sent off. Follow the above procedure for the issuance of a caution, but inform the coach that play will not be restarted until he has left the area.
If a coach is cautioned or sent off, fill out the misconduct report and turn it in. Keep it simple. These reports help us keep track of problems. Weeks later, if questioned, you may have forgotten the incident.
REFEREE ENFORCEMENT GUIDELINES
Every player has the right not to hear offensive, insulting, or abusive language.
A referee's personal standards must be put aside to obtain uniformity for the sake of soccer.
You must be consistent in applying these guidelines to maintain game control for that level of competition.
If you are warning or cautioning, DO NOT use the phrase "offensive, insulting, or abusive" as it is a send off offense.
PROFANITY AND OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE
Profanity and offensive language include gestures.
When an outburst is:
you should
When the outburst is:
you should
When the outburst is:
you should
When the outburst is:
you should
When the outburst is:
you must
Insulting or abusive language can be a word, phrase, or gesture not in the spirit of the game. It is directed toward someone and it is intended to insult, abuse, degrade, ridicule, humiliate, or intimidate. It can deal with sex, race, national origin, religion, or physical appearance or ability.
When the player's outburst meets the above criteria, send off on the first offense by a player.
OFFENSES BY NON-PLAYERS
When considering outbursts by people on the touchline, since these people are not participating in the game:
by Steve Oliver
Many soccer enthusiasts love to recite all the special "rights" of the goalkeeper, when in fact, a goalkeeper only has one absolute right directly granted by the Laws of the Game. They allow the keeper to play the ball with his hands while within his own penalty area. Even this right has restrictions as for example releasing and regaining hand possession before being played by an opposing player.
As with any other player, the goalkeeper also has the right to exhibit skills without unfair interference by an opponent, and the referee will not permit foul play against the keeper. However, the referee may be more sensitive to ensure that the goalkeeper is not intentionally bumped, pushed, or otherwise ill-done-by while off his feet, or in an extended body position, where reflexive reaction to recover his balance may cause him injury, or may prevent the keeper from landing in control.
Most of the attitudes about goalkeeper's rights have evolved over the years as interpretations of the "spirit" of the law. It really boils down to whether or not an action was fair or unfair. Since the keeper is constantly exposed to robust play, which may cause him injury, referees are predisposed to making certain allowances for the goalkeeper. The most common occurrence is allowing the goalkeeper to place himself in danger during the course of doing his job! The referee will rarely penalize a goalkeeper for playing in a dangerous manner unless an opponent of the goalkeeper is blatantly endangered.
It is the referee's duty to ensure that the player's game proceeds in a proper order, and to protect all players from unfair or dangerous challenges and foul play. Sometimes, a player may feel justified in thinking, "If the ref doesn't protect me, I will protect myself!" It is then that players, especially goalkeepers, often abuse the allowance made by the referee.
Under the guise of protection of self, the keeper may exhibit aggressive behavior. For instance, the goalkeeper may, instead of presenting his torso and hip to the oncoming opponent, bring his knee up sharply just prior to possible contact by an opponent for that opponent to run into. The knee is a formidable weapon! When the referee first observes this tendency, he should clearly advise the keeper that this is unacceptable behavior.
An even more blatant offense is the goalkeeper bringing the knee up late into the opponent. If, in the opinion of the referee, these actions are intentional, a penalty kick may be properly awarded, and the goalkeeper is at risk of being cautioned or sent off. Similar logic prevails in cases of bent elbows or feet when returning to earth into a crowded goal-area, always in the name of self-defense. In these cases the referee may well have the opinion that the goalkeeper's actions are striking or kicking or an attempt to do so.
Admittedly, the referee's opinion is not often shared by players and spectators unless the decision is in favor of their side, but the referee is trained to concentrate, observe, interpret and to render just decisions to the best of his ability and experience, and most importantly to be neutral.
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Last page update October 18, 2000