CLASSIC O N F R O N T

The classic challenge for the ball presents many opportunities for fouls. On this play, here are a few immediate spots where fouls could occur:

1 No. 21 white is holding the opponent’s arm — direct free kick?

2 No. 7 blue may be pushing off with the right arm — intentional or just natural motion?

3 No. 21 might trip No. 7 with the left leg as it moves across the opponent’s body.

4 No. 7 could trip No. 21 with the right leg as she attempts to get to the ball.

5

No. 7’s left arm is making the body unnaturally bigger. If the ball strikes the arm, is it a potential hand ball?

A T I O N

Caseplays

Continuous Motion

Play: Team A is awarded a penalty kick. A1 is identified as the kicker and takes a position so it appears to be a right-footed kick will be taken. After the whistle, A1 moves toward the ball in one continuous motion. Instead of kicking with the right foot, A1 passes by the ball, strikes it with the left foot and scores a goal. Ruling: Goal. A1 moved in one continuous motion, which is legal when taking a penalty kick (NFHS 14-1-4; NCAA 14.2.4; IFAB 14.1).

Stop and Reset

Play: Defender B1 commits a reckless tackle against A2 outside the penalty area. The referee stops play, awards a direct free kick and cautions the defender. Before the yellow card is displayed, A3 takes a quick free kick and has a clear goal-scoring opportunity. Ruling: The referee is to stop play immediately. As soon as B1 was notified to move toward the referee for the cautioning, the defending team did not have the opportunity to be properly ready for the kick to be taken (NFHS 9-1-3; NCAA AR 13.1.2; IFAB 12.3).

Violent Injuries

Play: B1 commits a brutal tackle while challenging A2 for the ball. As a result, both players are injured and need medical attention. Ruling: B1 is given a red card and sent off for serious foul play (in NCAA Violent Behavior II). For NFHS and NCAA matches, A2 must leave the field to be treated since an athletic trainer entered the field. For a match played under IFAB Laws, A2 may stay in the match (NFHS 3-3-2b; NCAA 3.5.9; IFAB Other Advice 6).

Dead Ball

Play: A1 is in the middle of the field and attempts to pass the ball to A2. The ball does not reach A2 because the ball bursts outside their penalty area and then is intercepted by B3. Ruling: The referee stops play and the ball is changed. The match is restarted with a drop ball for team A at the point where A1 touched it. This was the last contact before the ball bursting (NFHS 2-2-4; NCAA 2.3; IFAB 2.2).

As the AR ran to stay with the play with head up and on a swivel, the referee blew his whistle and made the signal for offside. The wing shot daggers at the AR until it was realized that the flag was at the side and had not been raised. The referee made eye contact with the AR giving a clear message the referee was in charge and the AR was merely an accessory. This type of attitude does not create an atmosphere for learning or match control.

Officials reaching a certain level of competence should feel obligated to pass on the nuances of officiating to those on the way up the ladder. The aforementioned official obviously did not because it was clearly about personal ego. Whether realizing it or not, almost certainly not, what was being taught was arrogance, not a useful lesson for any younger official. The fact of the matter is one is almost always a teacher to others.

In most life endeavors, experience matters. Having previously been in situations and seeing those and similar situations clearly is a big advantage in life and in officiating. FIFA referees, USSF referees, NISOA referees, high school referees and youth referees alike all started as a blank slate. Sharing experiences is the heart of a referee becoming a teacher whether directly or indirectly.

Rules are black and white and are taught in clinics, articles and chapter meetings ad infinitum. They are the basics of officiating, and not knowing them cold will prevent one from even reaching competency as an official. However, becoming an accomplished official at any level requires real experiences obtainable primarily by being on the field. All officials take their lumps and learn from them. Hopefully, referees should always ask themselves postgame, “What could I have done today that would have been better for me and the game?”

There is another way to flatten the learning curve. One road to gaining valuable experience involves working with those who are more experienced and willing to share.

On the other hand, those with less experience, however, need to be open to learning. No official emerges fully formed. Everyone at one time or another has to recognize and address situations related to career development.

Pregame conversations are excellent vehicles to pass on or gain experience. Even if the referee is not the most senior or experienced member of the team, discussion among the crew should cover how the game is to be officiated. There are many ways to handle certain situations. Just like every game is a different experience, one can learn something new from such candid conversation. Who may be the teacher and who may be the learner is moot. Once the game begins and thus the split-second decisionmaking that follows, opportunities to pass on experience disappear. How about asking in the pregame if anyone has had an interesting or unusual experience lately? How about asking about the use of a certain tactic? The pros and cons of any strategy then become a matter of discussion and dissection among peers. Does something work well or not and in what particular situation? Asking for advice may lead to a discussion that adds to one’s tool bag.

Consequently, rather than a “see you later” and a quick getaway after the game, postgame is also a great opportunity to review what had been done during the game, what could have been done or what alternate tactics might have been useful. Sharing or brainstorming interesting situations immediately for use later can be very helpful. Handling benches, troublesome players and/or coaches as well as quirky stuff on the field occurs in almost every match. Recognizing a certain situation rather than being surprised by it can make a huge difference in being an effective and confident referee. Since officials on the field don’t have the luxury of pondering a decision, having the second-hand experience to rely on in that split second is critical. Sometimes one may be the teacher and at other times the student regardless of one’s level of experience.

Not all teaching or learning is direct. Modeling can be a very effective alternative. Taking stock of oneself first is the first step to deciding who or what to emulate. One size does not fit all. Everyone needs to figure out what works best relative to who they are. Officials with big personalities are as effective as those who remain more anonymous on the field. Who uses a quiet word to players? Who is a chatterbox all game long? Who becomes stern, perhaps feigning anger, and then reverts quickly to their original calmer self? Knowing oneself leads to adopting tactics that fit. Close observation of all kinds of referee behavior will lead to modeling effective behavior.

A key to improving oneself is to be an open vessel. One’s own attitude as teacher and/or student is critically important. More experienced referees should be open to sharing, and less experienced ones should always be on the lookout for tips, whether overt or observed. No one alive today invented the game, and no one has seen everything there is to see. There is always a new experience waiting just around the corner. Be open to expanding your repertoire of strategies and attitudes.

The nuances of the game, rules aside, need to be mastered to become more than just competent. The number of situations that occur having little to do with knowing the rules and the number of ways officials deal with them is endless. But as personal experience is certainly an effective teacher, perhaps just as effective is the experience of others to flatten the learning curve. Without interaction either by discussion or by observation, the learning curve can be very steep. No one works in a vacuum.

The chain of officials stretches for years in either direction. Many came before; many more will follow. No one officiates forever just as no official emerges out of whole cloth. Having a place in that long line infers an obligation to the game, to those who passed on experiences, and to those who will inevitably follow. Whether it is something said, something done or something observed does not matter. Everyone will, at some point in the continuum, be the teacher or the student. Personal development is enhanced when these roles and opportunities are recognized and utilized.

Dan Rudloff, Chester, Pa., is a NISOA National Referee Emeritus and longtime high school soccer official who has officiated numerous high school state championships and NCAA playoff matches. *