Share

Hanging Judge: Referees need to keep up to date

accreditation
Dr Errol Sweeney
Dr Errol Sweeney

I was recently interviewed on radio while visiting Johannesburg and I was asked what it took to be a referee.

Does it take a special breed of person who aspires to that task?

My answer was quite simple: Yes, it does. You have to have nerves of steel, have a complete knowledge of the Fifa laws of the game and be extremely fit.

That combination, which is achievable, is the prerequisite for anyone – man or woman – to be a good referee.

You must also have the ambition to get to the top.

Of course, there’s a certain amount of luck – if you believe in luck – plus trying to manoeuvre your way around the various “political” obstacles that, at times, can be a minefield.

The International Football Association Board recently went through the laws of the game like a dose of salts.

The board members revised all 17 laws. It made several changes to some of them and only tweaked others.

Let me give you an example, especially for those of you who were not listening to my radio interview.

A coach enters the field of play and assaults a player from the opposition team.

What should the referee do?

First of all, it’s a red card for the coach (coaches and technical staff members can now get yellow and red cards – in the past, only players and substitutes could).

The next decision is very important.

Depending on where the ball was when the incident happened, the referee has to make a decision regarding how to restart the game.

If the ball was out of play, the ref restarts the game with a goal kick, corner kick or throw-in.

However, if the ball was in play and it was in the penalty area when the incident happend, a penalty kick will be awarded.

Yes, I said a penalty kick.

Likewise, if it was in the centre of the field, then it’s a direct free kick.

I hope that’s clear because I’m wondering how many referees actually know this and, if they do, would they have the courage to give the penalty kick?

The second point I want to make is the decision on whether a pitch is playable or not.

I read this week that a referee wasn’t sure if the game should be played because of bad weather.

He said he consulted both team managers and asked if they wanted to play. He also stated that they both agreed that the game should go ahead. The willingness to proceed seemed to come more from the away team because of the travel involved in making a second trip if the referee decided the game would not go ahead.

In the end, the away team lost –and their coach then complained that the surface of the pitch was bad. He said the game should not have been allowed to go ahead.

Firstly, the referee made a big mistake by consulting the managers. The ref has the final say and I would urge any referees who find themselves in similar situations not to discuss this kind of issue with anyone.

You are the referee and, according law five, it is your responsibility to decide whether to proceed or call off the game.

I know teams will have travelled long distances in some cases, but if a player gets a serious injury because of the playing conditions, the referee will be entirely to blame and no one will forgive him or her for that.

Please feel free to comment or ask questions on this or other issues.

Happy whistling!

  • sports@citypress.co.za
  • thehangingjudge88@gmail.com
  • Follow me on Twitter @dr_errol


We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you believe that the various planned marches against load shedding will prompt government to bring solutions and resolve the power crisis?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes
21% - 103 votes
No
79% - 395 votes
Vote