Respect Campaign

saw a (the only?) TV commercial about this last night on Fox Soccer Report. Pretty funny stuff.

 

FA added a new video for the respect program. This one is aimed at parents:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezZ2ZRfSsLY&fml=18"]YouTube - Ray Calls For Respect[/ame]

There is also a guide for parents with several video scenes:

http://www.thefa.com/Respectguide/

Here's the original video:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TEd77NoSGk"]YouTube - The FA Respect Programme[/ame]

 

I must say from watching some EPL on TV this season and catching recaps on Sky Sports News and Fox Soccer Channel fairly regularly, I've noticed no difference in the behavior toward referees of coaches or players. I.e. the behavior is no better and I don't think the respect campaign did a damn bit of difference -- although the first clip with Howard Webb still brings a smile to my face.

 

1 in 3? Damn! I'm moving to England! Lol... Good adverts though. I wouldn't've stood for even a quarter of what Mr. Webb was slinging in the first one though. Too bad that young (or not-so-young) officials get abused so.

[start rant] Unfortunately, I'm afraid that our system is a bit to blame though. It seems like too many kids are going out for the Grade 8 badge and are then just tooling through the match, not seeming to care about doing a properly good job. We need to be more stringent in giving out the Grade 8 badge (76% = passing? Really?!) and properly train those who want to advance in their officiating careers. [/rant]

 

Step 1 for the FA to generate respect for referees from players, coaches, and fans is to lead by example, and stop disrespecting the referees themselves by second-guessing and/or overturning referee's decisions. Until the FA shows it's top referees a little more respect, they should not be surprised to find out that the players, coaches, and fans don't either, from the EPL to the youth level. I think it's a real shame, and quite hypocritical for them to talk out both sides of their mouth.

 

Unfortunately you can't go by test scores! Some of the best refs I know, didn't ace the test. In fact in one class I taught last year, one student got a 97 (or something high like that). I happened to ref with him a month later with him as AR2 for my CR. He was useless, didn't seem to care.

The issue isn't the test, its what happens AFTER the test. Mentor programs are needed so that we don't just throw new refs onto a field to the wolves! Unfortunately all the "mentor refs" are also working games so finding someone to go watch is tough, also assigning a senior ref to a U-little game to work with the younger refs may leave older games un-staffed.

there's no easy answer!

 

I'll say that the problem is even harder to cope with than that. Remember, these are teenagers we're talking about. The type of lackadaisical attitude that you're discussing is pretty common amongst kids those age in a whole host of activities. Just ask your local High School teachers.

There are some kids who really want to do this and focus on doing a good job. Unfortunately, there are far to many others who are doing it as an "easy" way to make money or as an experiment to see if this is something they like doing. Teens these days have almost limitless options in terms of how to spend their free time and most will try lots of different things until they find the one thing that they have a passion for. Until you find a way to fix that in teens, there will always be sports officials (it's not exclusive to soccer) that behave that way.

With that in mind I totally disagree that our system creates this problem or even helps it along. The problem here is simple, parents, players and coaches have got to get over their own competitiveness ans stop projecting their frustrations with the game on anyone they can find to blame (usually the referee but coaches catch some of it too). Mistakes have to be expected and accepted as a part of the game just as errant passes, missed shots and poor throw-ins are. Sure we all work to minimize them but they're going to be a part of the game. The point of sports is to have fun, it's only a very recent phenomenon that sports have emerged as anything more than a recreation activity. Competition can be fun and healthy but when parents, players and coaches make it the first priority of the game it's an issue. This is a cultural issue that will not go away anytime soon. But don't blame the game, the game isn't the problem, it's people's attitudes and the meaning they assign to the game that make the problems.

 

NHRef:

I have to agree with your statements. I got into refereeing 'late' (49 yrs old) and was shocked when I took the Entry Level Course (Grade 8) and it was all classroom. Not one minute of field work; just some indoor mechanics and watching a few short videos, mainly concerning the offside law. All you had to do is pass the test, get your badge, get assigned and "you were the man!"

As an instructor (in another job), I know that the best way for people to learn is by doing. I was very surprised that, given the many things that go on during a game, that they would not have run a little practice or scrimmage or something. As for mentoring programs, we are fortunate in Maryland to have a pretty decent program, which I recently became a part of. Although I feel I learn something every game, I'm hoping to continue my referee education.

 

I have to agree rick; I feel a little mock scrimmage would be good. The main problem would be the number of refs, but I think if you put five or so refs out at a time, gave them whistles and cards and let the instructors hack at each other and give them hell, they could get a pretty quick understanding of some of the basics of man management, foul recognition, proper whistling, etc. Also, instructors would be able to critique their posture, demeanor, etc early, rather than waiting until they catch them going 90 minutes with their arms folded across their chest.

 

Amen. Have to give credit to my former ref director (who posts here occasionally) for giving the green light to a referee mentor program we tried out last year. We got about 25 or so newly minted Grade 8's (some adults, but mostly teens) out to give full crews to U9 - U11 teams for early season scrimmages. Got 1 or 2 mentors out at each scrimmage. Each new ref did at least two games, and 95% did at least one half in the center. Even paid the newbies half rate. The coaches loved it and supported it whole-heartedly. The new refs really appreciated an extended teaching environment instead of being thrown into "real" games right away.

 

It's much more than having coaches, players and parents tone down the mouths. You could have a ref make every mistake in the book, but if nobody is there to mentor/talk to the ref, he won't learn.

We've done the scrimmage thing with newer refs, sometimes you get a game where very little actually happens, yes you can teach em to move around etc,

One thing NH is doing, which is GREAT, is in August there is a jamboree for all the fall teams to get on the field. This has also evolved into a ref clinic. It's counted as some of your in-service recertification time, one day is for refs of 1 year or less and the games are 8v8, one day is for refs of more than 1 year and its 11v11 up to U14. Instructors, mentors, assessors are all there and we all get assigned a 4 man crew. Three ref, one is with the mentor. After each game there's a debrief and on the next game the refs rotate to a different slot.

It's gotten great feedback from refs and it does a sole good to watch younger refs "adjust" to what you suggest.

 

See here's my problem with this NHRef, it almost seems as though you guys want to say its understandable that parents, coaches and players react this way. To me it's not. People take these games way to seriously. I don't care if the referee calls back every goal scored in a match, there's no reason any person should be treated the way referees and players get treated in situations like this. Same thing with the players. I've seen parents berate their children to the point of tears on the field. Tell me, when is that EVER acceptable behavior from a parent. I don't care if mommy and daddy spent $2000 on this season, that's still a kid whose ultimately out there to learn the game and have fun.

Parents need to grow up and be parents. Stop living vicariously through their children or thinking that they can strong arm their kids into being the next Ronaldo. It's not going to happen. Coaches have a lot of pressure on them, I know, but at the end of the day their example will have huge impact on the behavior of players and parents.

Referees do need to be professional and always striving to improve their game, I don't disagree with that at all. I don't disagree with the ideas presented here about how to improve refereeing. They're great ideas. I never said that getting parents, coaches and players to tone it down would improve refereeing (although the constant abuse certainly works wonders doesn't it?). But I refuse to accept that referees and players can do anything that causes them to deserve that type of treatment. I mean is this how these people act when the kid at the fast food joint gives them the wrong order or when one of their subordinates at work makes an error that costs the company?

 

Generally speaking, in our area, a newly minted 08 is put on crew with more experienced refs and often, the assignor will watch matches where the newby is working. Post match, there will be a debrief, the crew might rotate positions, depending on the match and repeat the process.

While getting to work a mock scrimmage sounds like a good idea, it would be hard to pull off in practice. I think that the noobs should be assigned to experienced crews working lower level matches. Here's the benefit, it's a true game situation. The experienced guys are getting a rest from the hammer and tongs stuff of high level matches and can parallel process on helping the noob along while still working the match. I know I really don't want a new guy, even as 4th, on a U18 Premier match. I'm ok with it on say, a U14Rec match where there's not too much going on, the game is moving slowly and the tensions are not nearly as high as on Classic and up.

There's no better way to learn than doing, and if that doing is monitored and commented on by experienced people in a constructive manner, the end result can only be to become much better at what you're doing. When I was really green, I found quickly that there were experienced refs who were genuinely interested in helping me improve. I also found that there were experienced refs who were on their own little power trips and only interested in making themselves look good rather than teaching. Some refs are pretty good at reffing, but horrible teachers.

 

I'd also have to agree with Intech about the parent thing. Nothing will devestate a new young ref more than that mouthy parent or coach. I've found that it really helps the young guy (I'm an old geez) to tell them pregame,-

"the players are here to have fun, we're here to do a job, and to also have fun. If a spectator or anybody else is giving you grief and you want it stopped, let me know and I will deal with it."

This way you're telling that kid, "hey, I'm here with you and will help. You're not powerless to deal with situations" New refs, especially kids, still see adults as something of an authority figure. At a match, if you're the CR and also an adult, you're viewed somewhat the same way by that new ref. It will give them great confidence if you show that you have confidence in them and are willing to back them and help them improve as a ref and will shield them from the static until they are ready to handle it on their own.

 

While I agree it SHOULD not be that way, unless you've got a magic wand, it IS that way and will be that way into the future. That really is the point of the "Respect campaign" in the UK--to try to change the fundamental assumptions about what behaviors are acceptable. But since we are not even trying to do that in the US, these suggestions for mentoring are the only tools we have to try to toughen the hide of new refs in the US.

Like Rick (above), I started as an adult, and was shocked by the lack of significant "real" preparation at the initial cert class. What struck me when I actually reached the field was that I didn't even know how to start a game. What pieces of paper go where, how to run a coin toss, what to write down and when, etc. Not to mention having a rudimentary pre-game with the other refs. Just feeling comfortable as you walk out the the center makes a big difference.

Then there is the whole dealing with the idiots thing. To me, that should be THE focus of the recert class (since it wasn't even touched on in the Intro class). Give the kids, (and the elders, too) some role-playing on what they REALLY need!

Just to make this post actually useful, I will paste here something I got from a different list that is the kind of help needed. The poster was quoting someone else, so I don't know who to attribute it to. (The first person in the speech is not me, and I am not claiming authorship, but it makes it easier to read.)

I think a useful recert would have every ref recite this several times to someone acting like a fuming coach.


When I encounter a situation of a coach/fan who is causing a problem, I stop the game, and walk calmly over to the coach. When I reach him/her, I stand to their side, rather than face them in a confrontational pose, and calmly state that while I understand their emotion, I cannot allow them to continue to be abusive, as it tends to be contagious to the players and fans. If the coach protests that I made a bad call (usually the case), I tell them that I made the call based on what I saw, and that while it's possible I may not have seen everything, I had a better view than he did, and did my best to be fair. In any case, though, he is not entitled to loudly dissent, either, and that if it continues, he will not like the result.

All of this is given in a calm tone of voice at a level that is quieter than my normal speaking voice. It seems to avoid the typical macho response (with male coaches, at least) to someone challenging them in their face, which is to become more antagonistic. I end the conversation with "Do you understand what I've just said?", which always elicits a positive response, and then I return to the pitch and restart the game.

All of the players, fans, and opposing coaches/team see clearly that I am not going to take abuse, and will remain in control of the game.

 

Ummmm, if I said anything that gave you that impression, boy did it come across wrong! It's NEVER ok or acceptable for parents, players, coaches do act this way, ever!

My only point was that saying a ref learns by doing, isn't always right, you do learn by doing, but you learn by someone letting you know what to do different. If there's nobody there to tell the ref what to change, and by "nobody" I mean more experienced refs, not parents, coaches or players, then a ref can never make progress. Some will, some won't.

As someone above said, in my standard pre-game, especially with your ARs, is the line about if anyone is giving them grief to let me know.

 

If you have ever tried this as an instructor it doesn't work. Always sounds nice but never works. Way too many referee candidates to function this way and get a game with any sort of real flow to get all of those things you list. There are better ways for the field practical. Instructors just need to drop that stupid outline for that night supplied by USSF.

 

Probably true - I suppose it'd be better for recert clinics than intro, as we'd at least know how to heckle each other.