What do you watch: the Game or the Ref?

[bluedevils]

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I don't remember seeing it.

When you turn on the TV and a soccer match is playing, how do you divide your attention? Do you watch the game as a soccer fan, or do you focus on the referee exclusively? Or is it somewhere in between? If so, how much of each?

[IASocFan]

Mostly the game, but I keep an eye on what the refereeS are doing and evaluate their decisions.

And after spending the last three days at Youth Nationals as a Field Marshall, I also watch the 4th Official.

[gosellit]

Games on TV, I watch the match but keep an eye of the ref(s). When I am at the field, I will pay more attention to the ref(s).

[usatowin]

Option 3. I can't help it. If I try Option 1, I fail.

[Englishref]

When it involves Arsenal or England, I'm generally watching the action, and will only notice the referee when he makes a decision. Otherwise, I tend to pay more attention to the referee than I do otherwise.

[DadOf6]

I have season tickets for Real Salt Lake. At first I watched the refs a lot. Now I watch the game but I am aware of the refs. I happen to sit near several local refs and people around us have noticed that we cheer differently than the other fans.

We cheer several seconds after everyone else (we check the CR and AR first :) )

Four times a season there is a meeting after the RSL game where the local refs can meet with the game officials and ask them questions. I watch the refs more closely on these games.

[pasoccerdave]

Great question. I always used to keep an eye on the refs to see if offside, fouls, etc. were being called. For some reason, I was always ahead of everyone around me at seeing what they were doing. Now that I do referee some, I watch them more for positioning, anticipation, and game management.

[GKbenji]

The poll really isn't complete. I might watch a game with several hats on, sometimes switching back and forth in a single game:

1) Watch as a referee: observe positioning, demeanor and mechanics as well as the foul calls.

2) Watch as a fan: just cheering on the home team.

3) Watch as a player: look for the cool moves, the fakes, the skills.

4) Watch as a coach: analyze the teams' tactics and game plan.

[usatowin]

The poll really isn't complete. I might watch a game with several hats on, sometimes switching back and forth in a single game:

1) Watch as a referee: observe positioning, demeanor and mechanics as well as the foul calls.

2) Watch as a fan: just cheering on the home team.

3) Watch as a player: look for the cool moves, the fakes, the skills.

4) Watch as a coach: analyze the teams' tactics and game plan.

Hmm... Let's think of possible reasons for the limitations of this poll.

1) This is the referee forum.
2) Since this is the referee forum, watch as referee is the "positive answer" and all of your other hats are the "negative answer".

[kemari]

I will watch him, if he is ref'ing.

http://www.vidilife.com/video_play_729796_dancing_referee.htm

[usatowin]

I will watch him, if he is ref'ing.

http://www.vidilife.com/video_play_729796_dancing_referee.htm

(Before looking) If that's the Brazilian I'm going to shoot you.

(After looking) For your sake, I hope the FIFA Mod is up to standards.

[bluedevils]

The poll really isn't complete. I might watch a game with several hats on, sometimes switching back and forth in a single game:

1) Watch as a referee: observe positioning, demeanor and mechanics as well as the foul calls.

2) Watch as a fan: just cheering on the home team.

3) Watch as a player: look for the cool moves, the fakes, the skills.

4) Watch as a coach: analyze the teams' tactics and game plan.

I definitely could have sliced the choices more finely, but figured 4 was a good number. You gotta draw the line somewhere.

[tmaker]

When it involves Arsenal or England, I'm generally watching the action, and will only notice the referee when he makes a decision. Otherwise, I tend to pay more attention to the referee than I do otherwise.

Substitute Seattle Sounders for England here, and it's my own post. One has to be deranged to go to a game and watch a referee without pay ;)

[Funkfoot]

On TV, you watch whatever the TV is showing you. In person, I split between watching the game, watching the refs, and watching for the beer man.

[FIFARay007]

I generally watch the game first, but keep a bit of an eye on the ref. Especially when a goal is scored, before cheering I check the linesman, if he's running back towards the midfield line, then I cheer. :)

[intechpc]

I guess or me it depends. Sometimes I'll turn on a game I don't really care about just to watch the referees, but if I've got interest in the game itself then I don't pay too much attention to what the refs are doing.