Soccer Refereeing is not a science.
It is an art.
Therefore, it is not right or wrong. It is a referee's
interpretation of Laws of the Game. It's not that the officials are
always right, or even that they necessarily know more soccer than
anyone else at the match does. It's just that various decisions must
be made so that the game doesn't degenerate into an exhibition of
oratory - or WORSE!
It's the officials' job to keep the game flowing
and to make it as safe as possible for the participants and it's not
as easy as many people seem to
think!
The four qualities needed to become a good soccer
referee are:
- Excellent physical condition
- Confidence
- Personality
- Honesty.
The aim is:
- To act as a great referee.
- To impress the players, coaches and fans.
- To appear to know what you are doing, consequently
the players, coaches and fans will believe that you do know what
you are doing.
To attain the aim you must:
- Plan the conduct of the game
- Believe that no game is so tough that it can
not be handled
- Confident in your own ability
- The conduct of the game is decided by the referee's
closeness to the play and his/hers convictions that he/she can manage
it well.
To make the right call, you must:
- Be knowledgeable of the Laws of the Game
Interpret and apply the Laws correctly
- Recognize the offence and situation
- Apply the proper penalties for the proper infractions
- Be in a proper/advantageous position.
Key factors in making a better soccer referee:
- Place heavy emphasis on safety and fair play
- Make sure that the game is played within the
Laws of the Game
- Be consistent through the game
- Establish your authority; use a firm and loud
whistle
- Be fairly close to the play without interfering.
Constantly be on the move
to gain proper positioning
- Look confident, pleasant
- Be properly prepared and attired for the game
- Communicate clearly by giving positive and proper
signals
- Do not explain or justify your calls during the
game
- Do not show emotions
- Adopt your actions accordingly with the age and
maturity of players
- Learn the system of play, the actions of the
team
- Do not get involved in the game. Be a referee
not a spectator
- Ignore the "negative sidelines comments" as
much as you can
