Often times you see referees get used by one team or another. There are 22 players and one CR and from time to time you see the 11 of the 22 play smart enough to get the referee to become part of the game. I think it would be helpful to read some examples of ways that referees have been "played" to one team's advantage. Second how have YOU recognized that a team was doing things to get you to stop thinking as objectively as you normally do. PS - If you referee adult games and think it's never happened to you then it has.
The two most common examples of being "played" by a team in my experience are: 1) being told that I made a good call; hinting that I should make more calls for their team and receive more positive reinforcement for such behavior. 2) immediately after a player fouls an opponent knocking him/her to the ground, the player looks at the referee to see that the foul is going against him/her, and only then tries to help the other player back up as if to tell the referee what a great show of sportsmanship he/she was making. I find that I am a little apprehensive when some players come up before a match and greet the referee. I have to wonder if they are "playing" the ref and setting him/her up for the match.
I've reffed several players that compliment me on calls both ways and tell his teammates that you can't get away with pushing (tripping or whatever) with this ref. Of course, on close calls, he always willing to provide advice.
Another example of getting played is the team that will constantly touch the ball away on a free kick -- not kick it away, just move it back 2 or 3 yards. Also, when the guys will stand over the ball right away for a free kick. These will all continue until you card a guy for doing it.
Men try to play the ref every time. However, most of their antics are pretty obvious. I have a lot of "friends" when I start the game until they find out I'm not going to bias my decisions. Actually it can be humorous at times -- I do have a few players on a specific team that I encounter quite a bit in both indoor and outdoor soccer. Every time we meet there is a genuine friendship between us, and sometimes they think this will work in their favor. It's always a good reminder that I'm still their referee in the game when I have to give a blue (indoor) or yellow (outdoor) to one of them. They glare at me at the time but we always laugh about it after the game and look forward to the next one. It's perfectly fine to have comraderie with the players so long as you don't let it affect your decisions or the other team doesn't feel it is biasing your view. With women things are a little different. Right now I'm still in my prime and some players see the game as an opportunity to try and flirt to win my favor. Just as with the men there are a few women I do enjoy reffing that I have a good rapport with but won't hesitate to book them or call a foul if that's what is necessary. I think once you establish an understanding with them that you are there to do what is best for the game they will have more respect for you as a person. They know when they do something wrong and expect to be booked, and when I book them it's just part of the job -- nothing personal. Walking the thin line between good rapport and biasing your calls is what distinguishes being a good ref from a not so good ref.
This is exactly why I learned to NEVER turn my back on the ball when setting up for a free kick. At first I suspected leprechauns but then I tumbled to the truth. As amazing as it may seem, the defending team was always trying to move the ball back. This is one of my hot buttons because unless you squash it immediately they will nickle and dime you all match. On one occasion I jogged up alongside a repeat offender and quetly asked him if he thought he would be able to tell the right placing for the ball from outside of "sight and sound" of the pitch. He looked to see if I was serious - I gave him my most sincere smile. Jim
Uhhhhhh - Statesman, I think you are gonna have to file some supporting affidavits for this contention. Or promise to notify us immediately when you've inched past it! Jim
I'm surprised this topic isn't getting more reponses. (Aren't all BS posters surprised when they don't get more than 100 responses? ) Is this because referees don't want to talk about it or because they don't see it as a big problem? I would think that if the players you normally ref learn your "hot button" issues then they would figure out when to push them. True? Not true?
My sense, at least from my own experience and from observing the experiences of the referees with whom I work and assign, is that, once burned, a referee learns to recognize when players are working him or her and deals with it. Those who cannot handle it, leave or are dropped from the ranks. Another aspect is that referees really shouldn't have "hot buttons", but rather have the flexibility to adapt to whatever game they encounter. A good sense of humor helps as well. Remember it is a game. Sherman
Its all in good fun or it should be I agree Whipple adapt, keep an open mind and smile with a wink now and then is good tonic in most any match. Players can be like children trying to get candy from mom. They will ask polietly, they will whine or snivel or scream and throw fits or try and take it without asking. Or they will wait quietly until Mom decides it is time as they know she will not change her mind and they will be grounded if they do otherwise as the ground rules are clearly laid out from repeated sticktoitivness. A friendly greeting does not neccessarily mean,"Hey ref give me a break.", but neither does it hurt to give credit for a job well done. "Good Call Ref!" may well mean what it means, more a "hey fellows he seems fair!" than a set up to go easy. Nativity can not go totally unexploited as it begs lets see what the middle is made of. Those players that choose to disguise an unjust act or use psychological intimidation is part of this winning at all costs attitude that inevitably means bending the rules from time to time. Playing the referee also means playing the opposition. Players will hone in on any weaknesses displayed by the Referee as they needle the opposition. If we appear indecisive or easily flustered, these issues we can only ever favour one team. The other team will naturally feel aggrieved. So the Referee is a "loser" whichever way he goes.. In another thread we touched on the use of factory language (socialy used foul language) that has increased in the way a referee can be targeted or abused. Players will take every possible opportunity to undermine the authority of the Referee during the game. We can no longer rely on the integrity of players as they will strive to appear as the injured party even when they are the perpetrator. Be it a holding and rubbing the shoulder as the player walks close to delay the opposing free kick muttering Can I get a sub referee I am hurt. To the falling down over nothing and come up waving for a card. To rolling the ball over about a 5 meter square on a free kick or the keeper walking over to the PK spot to inspect the location instead of taking his position on the goaline. These challanges to the referee authority can be subtle and mild to a steady drone of escalating craziness that feeds on its self. Squabbling about line calls, ball in or out, handballs, the extra grabs, tugs and pushes you fail to see or choose to ignore. Each is an assault on your demeanour as they probe for a weakness. If they find few chinks in the armour, they settle and get on with it. The more get on with it you have chances are the better things are flowing. The aim to misdirect the attention especially in retailitory situations as to who is to blame. Legit gripes aside, Hey we got a bad break and you owe us will be tried. Guilt, if you feel it, then they have succeeded in their efforts to dislodge those chinks.. Cards are always a option but firm words, an eye stare and shake of the head with positive body language and verbal reinforcement. Each time the players push that envelope send it back return to sender. Cheers
Some excellent points by Griz and Sherman. Perhaps "hot button" was the wrong word because it infers an automatic reaction regardless of the provocation and I didn't mean that. What I meant is that there are a couple of situations that I am particularly sensitive to because through experience I have found that failure to recognize and respond to them immediately leads to trouble pretty quickly. One of those is intentional encroachment or delay of a free kick - rolling the ball away, standing over the ball to move the wall, jogging slowly past the ball ostensibly on the way to position. or lining up the wall 4 yards from the ball. If the team taking the kick sees that there is reaction by the referee they are encouraged to either do the same or take matters into their own hands - neither to be encouraged. An inflexible ref would caution someone the first time and I don't necessarily agree with that. But I will step over to the offender or offenders and speak in a very firm tone and tell them that I know what they are doing and this had best be the last time they do it. Part of reading the dynamics of the game - a vital part of refereeing maturity - is recognizing the fouls or actions that will not be accepted by the other side as being "just part of the game", but as caculated attempts to cheat - because it is those that bring retaliation or counter conduct and your game goes South in a hurry. A good ref knows when he or she is being challenged or tested and when the players are simply playing the game. Routine fouls and errors rate routine whistles, tone of voice and gesture. Testing behavior rate firm whistles, firm tone, and possible cautions. A long response to a post I agree with I know, but I didn't want to be mistaken for a "no tolerance" ref. Jim
Had a coach that I "know" well last weekend loudly tell his team "these are good reffs" before the game started. I said to my crew "dont worry, he will change his tune" and sure enough, in less then 10 minutes we had verbally cautioned him for dissent. Same type of thing described above...If you have been at this more then a week it is pretty obvious. Cant let it bother or control you any more then the fans.