What makes a "good" referee?

[USSF REF]

People have said that Collina was the best. Some people thought Graham Poll was great but some said he was a joke (I thought he was great).

But one this is for sure, deciding what makes a referee "GREAT" usually comes down to varying degrees of perspective, perception, luck, circumstance, and pre-established reputation.

I'm doing some brainstorming for a piece I'd like to write for my blog. The topic is the same as the question that titles this post.

I am aware that referees will answer this question different from coaches, who differ from players, who differ from spectators. Still, I think your thoughts on this would be helpful and could make a good thread in it's own right (if it catches on.)

Thanks.

[Citiref]

I was working on something to send to the local association on refereeing, so I thought I would post it here since it does a good job of answering your question.

For me, it boils down to two things: knowledge (book smarts and street smarts), and fitness. Both need to be second nature and referees constantly need to seek to improve themselves in those areas. The best piece of advice I ever received was from my mentor, a retired National:
"If I keep the game safe and fair, everything else will take care of itself.”

Fitness.
Fitness is critical. The psychological importance of appearing fit: Players, coaches and fans are more likely to accept a decision or non-decision if you look the part of a referee. That means in part; looking athletic and slim, being in position, and being close to play. Referees need to be fit, not only for presentation, but also because even if you haven't played, it shows the players you are an athlete. You need to train to referee.

Street Smarts.
I asked a National Referee something similar, and this is the reply I received (with an added post from another BS poster with advice from the same National):
You have to be aware of everything that's going on in the match. Meaning: off-the-ball stuff after the ball is played away; conversations between players 40yards behind you that could lead to future problems; comments from the benches to your ARs and 4th; figuring out how the players want the match called (what is trifling, what they're willing to play through, and what they want whistled); knowing who the playmakers and troublemakers are, by face, number and position; staying out of the players' way (know what formation each side is playing so you know where the passing lanes are); knowing how many fouls each player has committed, and how many times each player has been fouled; etc.

And do you get it? Do you know why he fouled the attacker 25 yards out? Do you know why he just subbed the star forward in? Do you know who the star player is for each team and why? You also have to know when and where to run, and make an effort and be able to keep all 22 players in the game, even when they're screaming bloody murder at you.

The key to having a good game is one word. In German, it's fingerspitzengefuel. You have to have a feeling for the game. You won't have to run as much because you know when and where the action is going to happen and where the foul is going to occur.

Other areas important to me:
Fingerspitzengefuel, Law 18, personality, situational awareness, focus, and the areas I listed below.

Understanding.
Understand the game. Understand the emotions. Understand the game and how that same set of laws fits into that particular game on that particular day with those particular players. Understand the players and their roles. Understand how coaches are going to use tactics to exploit their opponents. Understand the speed and tactics of the "new" game, even at the younger levels. Understand the game enough to know what a player may be thinking through out a match. Understand what's happening on the field. Understand what the players are thinking. Understand the game from a player's viewpoint. Understand the overall "big picture" of the match. Understand the role of a captain as it pertains to the team and to the referees. Understand the dynamics of the game within the game.

Communication, Teamwork and Leadership.
1.) Communication and teamwork are a critical part of leadership.
2.) Preparation makes for leadership and leadership is service to the Game.
3.) Courtesy, Professionalism and Respect (CPR) should be given. But don't take crap from the players.

Positioning and Perception.
1.) If you take care of positioning, everything else will fall into place. After that comes perception.

Command Presence.
1.) Uniform appearance is the first sign of command presence.
2.) How you sound and how you look.
3.) Do you look the part? Do you carry yourself with confidence? Do you act the part? Do you speak the part? If you can, then you are developing Command Presence, which will make your job a lot easier.

I just got done reading a book written by a local law enforcement officer, and one thing I learned from it that I think is applicable to refereeing with minor changes in terminology is this: "The Cool Factor." Cool under pressure. Squared away look with polished shoes and not a speck of lint. Cool also has to do with style and grace in contacts with players and how "cool" differs in different scenarios.

Judgment, leadership and sense of fairness players can trust.

[bluedevils]

similar threads have been posted here over the years. you'll probably find some decent info if you can locate them.

one thing that I feel is often overlooked, and lacking in many referees including those wearing badges with 2 words on them, is this:

Someone who knows what a foul is.

[refmedic]

You can have knowledge and fitness, and still be a terrible referee. IMO, the sign of a great referee is your relationship with the players and the game itself. It doesn't matter if you can quote the text in the law book by page and column, or if you can run 4000 meters in 12 minutes, you can still be horrible. You can also be extremely knowledgable and a marathon runner, and be a very good referee. To be one of the great ones, there is more to it, and it usually takes a career to accomplish.

Collina respected the players, but I think on a level that is different than one that we would expect. Referees are an integral part of the game. Watch some of the great ones, like the one's discussed above, and you will see that the communication between player and referee is not adversarial. There is a mutual respect because when the referee treats the player as a professional, the player will respond in turn. Above all else, a referee must be fair and have impeccable integrity. We need to talk TO the players, and never AT the players. In all of the matches that I have watched, and all of the other footage, I have never seen Collina dress a player down. I don't know if I have seen an EPL referee or a Serie A referee scream at a player on the field. One of the most important aspects of a great referee is the ability to develop that repore with the players, whether over a career or even 90 minutes.

Step one, IMO, for a referee on a path to being a "great" referee, is re-evaluating his or her relationship with the game, from what it was then we first started refereeing. A referee is an integral part of the game, but the referee must understand that the game is not about us. As an instructor and referee, I have spoken with and worked with many new referees who can't wait to get out there and show the players who is boss, and/or to give their first red card. I am equally disappointed that I have worked with many state referees and a very few national referees who still behave that way. There are those who think they are the dictator, or that they are the center of attention. If you are ever in a referee tent at a tournament and overhear a referee talking about how he "took care" of a player, or brag about how many cards he has given in a match, then IMO that referee just doesn't get it, and I make it a point to tell them that, in front of everyone. I make no qualms about telling a referee, from grade 9 all the way up the chain that he needs to change his way of looking at the game. I"m not impressed with the national or state referee who is excited about the pro or amateur match he just did with 13 yellows and 4 reds. The great referee knows that he should do what he can do work WITH a difficult player. Cards are for game and player management, but not to show a player up. We don't hand them out just because we can. The great referees talk about how great it was to get through a match with NO cards, and the satisfaction the get from keeping a difficult player in a game for 90 minutes. They are keenly aware of their place and their purpose in association football, and have a healthy respect for it. They spend as much time thinking about that place and how to maintain it as they do running and reading. The players will see a referee "sometimes referred to as the tyrant style of refereeing" for what he is, and treat him accordingly.

A referee must also understand that despite what coaches, players, fans, and even some assessors may feel, it is important sometimes that a referee affects the outcome of the game. We are there to mete out justice, and call the game fairly. That also means awarding the last-second penalty or sending off the star sweeper in the 2nd minute, if that is what is necessary. Did we effect the outcome of the match? Probably, but we did it because it was necessary. You can be a good referee and still swallow your whistle or keep your card in your pocket because it's easier to do nothing, but we have to have the integrity to do what is right.

I think the great ones have all of these qualities, and I'm sure many other qualities that are important to make it to that level. I"m sure you all have a slightly, or completely different idea of what makes a referee great, and I think that this thread is a great place to talk about them. One thing is for sure, though. Even though we may think a referee is great, we are looking at it from a certain point of view. The truly great ones are universally thought to be great; by the players, coaches, fans, and referees alike. It takes a really special referee to garner that kind of reputation from non-referees.

[Sachsen]

Brain - impeccable knowledge of the game and the Laws

Legs - fitness without fail

Guts - to make the right call every time, no matter the consequence

Eyes and Ears and Mouth - communication is key

Thick Skin - for obvious reasons

Heart - to understand the players and to LOVE THE GAME

[Citiref]

You can have knowledge and fitness, and still be a terrible referee. IMO, the sign of a great referee is your relationship with the players and the game itself. It doesn't matter if you can quote the text in the law book by page and column, or if you can run 4000 meters in 12 minutes, you can still be horrible. You can also be extremely knowledgable and a marathon runner, and be a very good referee. To be one of the great ones, there is more to it, and it usually takes a career to accomplish.
Agreed. I was just listing the bare basics, and I think some of the other areas I listed make up for that. Good post.

[Alberto]

A good referee is one where the players come out feeling the referee was generally fair and protected their safety in the match.

[jkc313]

All the above are important but Alberto sums it up nicely. I know I feel the best when I am told by those associated with the losing side that I did a good job.

[constructor]

I agree with the points posted above, but I'd like to emphasize fitness again. Your past history can be fantastic, but if you're 20+lbs heavy and can't keep up with play, you're doing the match a disservice by taking that center or line when younger, fitter refs can do the job. The excuse of having experience doesn't fly when play is 40+yds away and you can't get more than a few yards out of the center circle. Better to take lower level matches with less experienced refs and work with them to get better.

[Alberto]

I agree with the points posted above, but I'd like to emphasize fitness again. Your past history can be fantastic, but if you're 20+lbs heavy and can't keep up with play, you're doing the match a disservice by taking that center or line when younger, fitter refs can do the job. The excuse of having experience doesn't fly when play is 40+yds away and you can't get more than a few yards out of the center circle. Better to take lower level matches with less experienced refs and work with them to get better.


Fitness is one of the most overrated aspects ascribed to referees. It's cited often since it is so much easier to quantify than say match management. Any fool can run 3000m in less than 12 minutes, but it is more important to recognize fouls and see potential problems before they become major issues. With experience comes wisdom. Way too many referees are being pushed forward onto the FIFA panel or the top professional leagues who have no right being there.

[constructor]

We'll have to agree to disagree on fitness then. I feel that if you aren't keeping up with play, it will be a very hard sell on a call from 40+yards behind the play. Carry that over to the AR position where offside can be impossible to see if you're not dead on 2D or if the ball goes entirely over the goal line, and fitness suddenly becomes very important. Note that I'm not saying that it's the main thing, but it really, really helps.

[andymoss]

Whilst fitness and the ability to run like a racehorse is drilled into us at lower levels of competitive - state championships, etc. - I have heard so many times from national referees and national assessors, etc., that as you move up, it is not how much running you do, but which runs you make.

The separator between good and great for me is awareness; where is the ball going next? What players are going to be contesting for the ball? And most importantly, do I need to be there?

Prus is a perfect example of this - blows the whistle to start the game then promptly disappears.

You never see him again until something happens, then there he is, as if he popped out of a hole in the ground.

Read the game, be fit enough to "get there" if needed, but have been sufficiently aware so that you started to move early, so your 80 yard run wasn't an all out 80 yard sprint.

[Alberto]

We'll have to agree to disagree on fitness then. I feel that if you aren't keeping up with play, it will be a very hard sell on a call from 40+yards behind the play. Carry that over to the AR position where offside can be impossible to see if you're not dead on 2D or if the ball goes entirely over the goal line, and fitness suddenly becomes very important. Note that I'm not saying that it's the main thing, but it really, really helps.

Who the hell said anything about being 40 yards away from play to make a call? Who advocated referees be so out of shape they should only do a high school two man system? As Andy Moss stated you don't have to be a combination marathon and 400m sprinter to referee at the highest level. Instructors naturally assume that if you are close to play you will see things more clearly. Let me tell you that what doesn't happen enough is teaching referees how to recognize misconduct. How anyone as an example could ever allow Wayne Rooney to get away with this action and also fail to sanction it shows that conditioning is not the only issue. Referees need to work on improving what they see.

YouTube - Wayne Rooney ''Karate Kick'' xD

[refmedic]

Prus is a perfect example of this - blows the whistle to start the game then promptly disappears.

You never see him again until something happens, then there he is, as if he popped out of a hole in the ground.



Unless it's a head-butt in front of his face in a REALLY important game. Just because you are aware enough to be there when it happens, or even if it happens when it's IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE, that doesn't mean that you're going to get it correct.

Alberto is right. Although being fit is important, it's no where near the top of the list for me. If you can keep up and be there when you need to be, then I'm fine with it. IMO, its better that you get it right from a little ways away than get it wrong when you're on top of it. I don't care if you can sprint the length and width of the field for 90 minutes and be 3 feet from the ball (and probably in the way) at all times. It's a shame that many of our top referees have had to take up marathon running on the side just to be in sufficient running shape to be acceptable to US Soccer. Being fit is important, but it's not the MOST imortant part of refereeing, and it shouldn't be the part that is most concentrated on. I had the opportunity to speak to a very experienced National Assessor recently and we touched on this. His commentary was interesting. The number of national candidates that are not passing their assessments this year was surpising to him. He said that there are too many that can run til the cows come home, but can't referee a match to save their life. Too much importance has been given to the ability to run forever.

Instead they need to be teaching better foul recognition, misconduct recognition and match management. They need to teach about game flow and reading both the game and the flow of play. They need to be teaching referees to read the play and interact with the players to prevent things from escalating. Regardless of what the "Week in Review" says week in and week out, nothing is being done to prevent the next foul, because the referees don't know how to do it and it's not being taught to them. Communication skills are absent with some of our referees. When I see a new FIFA referee chasing a player down the field screaming at the top of his lungs and wagging his finger, I see what our problem is in this country with refereeing. It's great that he can run for days and sprint for weeks without stopping, but he can't prevent a brawl in his match. When was the last time you watched an Italian or a Spanish first division match and saw mass confrontation the likes of what we saw in MLS this season. It rarely, if ever happens, because the referees in those countries are trained to prevent it. Hell, even the FA produces a video for referees that is supposed to be training for how to communicate with players. With the blatant thuggery that happens in the EPL sometimes, it's still rare to see mass confrontation, or even what US Soccer calls game disrepute (chest-to-chest contact).

For whatever reason, certain people at the top of the food chain seem to have decided that the only thing that matters is fitness. The problem is that you can be so close to play at all times to have the players crawl up your ass and commit their foul or misconduct, but if you don't recognize it when you see it, or know how to prevent it before it happens, then you would have been just as effective of a referee from 40 yards away.

[MOREFFIN]

This might be oversimplifying this and maybe totally off point but I've worked hard on fitness over the last year and what I'm realizing is that because I'm in better shape, I'm better able to focus on important calls later in the game and later in the day than I was previously because I'm not thinking about surviving physically while trying to make good decisions.

I will add that at 41yo, I doubt I will be able to reach the conditioning level I would really like to be at but it doesn't keep me from working harder away from the game to be better in the game.

I am also working diligently on anticipating the next play and starting my run earlier in order to not have to go as hard to get there.

Fitness is definitely important but only in support of quality decision making, not to replace it.

[USSF REF]

Fitness is very important because it eliminates physical fatigue as a cause for loss of concentration and focus.

If you are fit, you need to work less to cover the same ground. The less you work, the less tired you are.

When you're tired and sucking wind, you're far more likely to make mental errors, and more likely to get into a "panic" as rational thinking in the face of pain and fatigue are much more difficult.

Having excellent fitness and knowing how to run intelligently are two major components to excellent refereeing.

It's not how much you run, how far you go, or how well you do on the fitness test that matter.

The question is... can you be in good positions consistently, without losing your cool beacuse you're too tired to think deliberately and clearly?

[boylanj64]

I think a clarification is called for between officials at the MLS/FIFA level, where fitness should really be an irrelevant concept. If you're reffing those games, it should be a given that you can keep up, and discriminating between degrees of fitness is ludicrous. I agree too much focus goes in to fitness at those levels.

At youth or high school levels though, fitness is a very real issue and probably one of the most important part of a good referee. It is true fitness is useless if you can't talk to a player, but being able to talk to players is useless if you're too far away for them to hear.

I think it can be best expressed as, fitness doesn't make a good referee, but a lack of fitness can certainly make for a bad one.

[whipple]

I see good referees at many levels and while fitness, knowlege and skills are all components, the most significant distinguishing feature for what I would consider a great referee is that they consistently deliver that which Bhudda requested of the hot dog vendor:

"Make me one with everything."

Great referees, whether they are doing a U-14, Club, MLS, EPL or the WC all exhibit a "oneness" with the game and the players. They convey the sense that whateve level or whatever has occurred that it is the most important thing something that deserves their total respect. I see greatness in a little 14 year old grade 9 with red hair, a 55 year old grade 8, and yes, a tall bald headed guy from Bologna.

Share the Karma!

Sherman

[jkc313]

As has been rightly pointed out, you need to be fit enough to keep up with play at the level of game you are in. 5 years ago I could keep up with U19 Select boys. 2 injuries, 30 pounds and 5 years later I stick to U12 rec and lower. But as also has been pointed out, what's the good of being able to keep up with play if you're going to either not see or ignore what you see? A good referee will always be keeping up with play but it's a terrible referee that keeps up with play and has no notion as to what constitutes foul play or hasn't the balls to call what he sees.

[refmedic]

I think a clarification is called for between officials at the MLS/FIFA level, where fitness should really be an irrelevant concept. If you're reffing those games, it should be a given that you can keep up, and discriminating between degrees of fitness is ludicrous. I agree too much focus goes in to fitness at those levels.



It is interesting that you bring this up in this way. Earlier in the season, Alex Ferguson was commenting on what he felt were some problems with the refereeing in the EPL. He mocked the FA's stance and concentration on referee fitness as the barometer for competency of a top-level referee. He said something to the effect of "at this level, we EXPECT a referee to be fit, so stop talking about how important it is. What they need to be teaching is how to get the call right", or something to that effect. It seems to me that the only people who think that marketing referee fitness and using it to determine what referee might be better suited for a particular match are referee administrators. The players and managers only care about fitness insofar as the referee is in the position that he needs to be when something happens. WAY more important that that is that the referee get the call right, no matter the fitness level. Lately it seems that being a physical fitness machine is valued more than actually being able to referee soccer.