Refereeing Magazine - Vol 03 - Spring 07

RefereeingJoint Publication of The FA and The RA

/FALearning

Spring/Summer 2007

INTERVIEW WITH

AMY RAYNERJULIAN CAROSI

MANAGING THE GAMEIAN BLANCHARD

BE A REFEREE AND BE A FRIENDDAVID BARBER

YOU WOULD MISS USANDREW WARD

2487_Refereeing AW 8/6/07 14:44 Page 1

Page 3REFEREEING Spring/Summer 2007

Foreword

Contents Page

Foreword Neale Barry 03

Features

Managing the Game Ian Blanchard 04

The Referee - A Master of the Silent Assist Julian Carosi 10

Be a Referee and Be a Friend - The Fans' Viewpoint David Barber 14

Review of Basic Training and Examination Process Janie Frampton 20

UEFA and FIFA - Where do we stand in World Refereeing? David Elleray 24

Interview with Amy Rayner Julian Carosi 26

You would miss us Andrew Ward 30

Regional Referee Coaches for Level Three Referees Neale Barry 36

Keeping yourself fit in the Close Season Simon Breivik 38

News and Events

A successful FAMOA Partnership Alan Wilkie 42

RA News 44

There is more than one ‘e’ in Learning Jonathan Wilson 46

An Evening at the Emirates Alan Wilkie 48

Society Spotlight West Middlesex Ray Herb 49

FA Policy on Age Legislation Neale Barry 50

I am delighted to be given the opportunity to write theforeword for this issue of the joint Football Association/Referees' Association (FA/RA) magazine, as it emphasises thevery close relationship between the two bodies in helping toimprove the quality and quantity of training and education, inorder to develop referees at every level of the game.

The first two issues have been very well received, with positivefeedback being received on the style of the magazine and thequality of the articles; it is vital, therefore, that the editorialteam strive to ensure that every level of referee is catered for.

We are now entering that very interesting and exciting part ofthe season, where many games take on extra importance withregards to promotion, relegation or involvement in the finalstages of cup competitions. It is also the time when decisionsare taken, in terms of referee promotion and retention at alllevels and those all important Cup Final appointments, whichadd that bit of extra pressure from a match official’sperspective.

There is no doubt that referees at the semi-professional andprofessional levels of the game are under more scrutiny thanever before, not only from the ever-present eye of the media,and from the refereeing authorities, who are constantlydemanding the highest levels of performance, but also fromfellow referees of every level, who aspire to those higheststandards themselves.

It is clear that a great level of commitment and professionalismis required from those referees who want to progress throughto the highest levels of the game in this country, but equally,the opportunities to do so are also far greater than everbefore.

The Football Association has invested a large amount of moneyin supporting referees, particularly at Contributory League andSupply League level, in terms of an increased number ofassessments and the introduction of Regional Referee Coachesat Level 3. I would like to take this opportunity to thank allthose assessors, coaches and instructors who are helping toimprove and develop our referees; their contribution, a lot of itvoluntary and unnoticed, is very much appreciated.

There is a huge amount of talent within the Supply andContributory Leagues’ system, which we need to develop.Whilst needing to nurture our younger referees for the futureand give them support and advice, we will ensure that everyreferee, whatever their age or experience, is given theopportunity to improve and develop.

I hope you find the variety of articles in this magazineinteresting. The Editorial Team always welcomes feedback inan effort to improve the quality of each issue.

Neale Barry is Head of Senior Referee Development at The FA and heads up the semi professional and PGMO refereeing section at The [email protected]

Refereeing Forewordby Neale Barry

‘Refereeing’ is the official joint magazine of The Football Associationand the Referees’ Association

Editorial Team: Ian Blanchard, Antonia Hagemann,Cassandra Rees, Ed Stone, Neale Barry, Emma Wands,Arthur Smith, David Elleray, Alan Poulain and Julian Carosi

Acknowledgements: The contents of “Refereeing” are copyrightof The Football Association. No articles, features or any aspectscan be reproduced or photocopied without written permissionof The Football Association.

The views expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of The Football Association.

Published by: FA Learning, 25 Soho Square, London, W1D 4FA

Website: www.TheFA.com/Refereeing

Email: [email protected]

The FA Crest is a registered trade mark of The Football Association© The Football Association 2004


REFEREEING Spring/Summer 2007 Page 5

MANAGINGTHE GAME

by Ian Blanchard


Page 7

Self-ManagementSome of the main areas for consideration are:

• Is your kit clean and tidy, have your boots been polished? –Remember first impressions do count.

• Do you have the tools of the trade, whistles, notebook,coins, pencils, cards, flags etc?

• Have you checked travel arrangements, location of theground as well as the time it will take for you to get there?

• Research – what do you know about the two teams? Haveyou refereed these teams before? Who are the personalities,what are their league positions?

• Weather conditions play a big part in not only determiningyour travel arrangements, but also in the manner in whichyou conduct a field of play inspection.

• What food do you eat before the game? A great deal ofemphasis has been placed on diet at a senior level; ensuringcarbohydrates are in place to burn off. This is equally importantat local football. Ensuring you have appropriate fluids onhand at half-time and full-time enables you to re-hydrate.

CommunicationNormally, a few days before your game, you will receive atelephone call from the home team's secretary. This is your firstgolden opportunity to positively manage what in simple termsis a quick but highly important contact.

It's not just a case of confirming that you are the matchreferee, be prepared to ask a few questions. For example:

• “Can I just confirm what time kick-off is please?”• What colours do you play in?• What colours do your opponents play in?• What state is the pitch in?• Can you provide directions?"• And finally, "I intend to arrive at about?"

Letting the secretary know when you are aiming to arrive,reinforces your preparation and management of the game.You've also used this first contact as an opportunity to imparta positive and professional impression.

In this very simple dialogue, you have listened, been very openand asked highly relevant questions relating to the game. Youhave shown an interest in the teams, and in what you are doing.But more importantly, you have given a good first impressionof yourself. The club secretary will be thinking, “we’ve got agood one here”, not the opposite!

You may be operating with assistant referees; therefore there isan inference that the referee should always make early contactwith the rest of his team. Once again this is a highly importantaspect of self-management. What you say and how you say itto your team, says a lot about you. Being polite, expressing adesire to work with your team's assistance, showing an interestin what they do in refereeing terms creates a good foundation.Remember, your initial management of your team will manifestitself when they go out onto the field of play to work andsupport you.

REFEREEING Spring/Summer 2007

The ability of a referee to successfully manage a feisty gameof football can only be admired. How they control players,communicate with them, deal with incidents and resolvesituations, all fall under the auspices of man-management.Another important aspect to think about is self-management.Consideration has to be given on how to prepare for a game,who to contact, how to meet and greet people, what to sayto secretaries and other club personnel.

This is the first of a series of three articles that will focus on therequirements of how a referee can manage people, and dealwith situations before the game, during the game and after thegame has finished. The articles will offer advice, tips and debatesituations that may arise in everyday football, and hopefully,provide you with some ideas that will help your management.

In this first article we will consider the term ‘management’ inthe context of refereeing, and identify ways in which you caninteract positively with people, prior to blowing the whistlethat starts that all-important match.

I suppose the first thing we need to understand is, “what dowe mean by the word ‘managing’ in refereeing terms?” If youlook in any dictionary, there are clues to be had that include:to handle, to be in charge, to succeed; to have room or timeand to exercise control.

This article will focus on how you, the referee, prepare for thatbig game, and how you manage yourself.

Managing the Gameby Ian Blanchard

Features



Features

First ImpressionsI am sure you have heard the saying, “First impressions count”.Well it’s true. And you only get one chance to make a firstimpression.

Your appearance, smart and kitted-out in appropriate clothingsays a lot about you. Having a positive and approachable manner,which serves to create good working relationships, is imperative.A good firm handshake, with confident eye contact and a politegreeting, “Pleased to meet you, I am really looking forward tothe game,” works wonders. Immediately, key people such asclub secretaries recognise your motivation, professionalism anddesire to referee their game.

The way you interface with club assistant referees is also vitallyimportant. It is another interaction that needs to be managedpositively. When operating by yourself, try to identify theindividuals early and call them together. Introduce yourself,shake hands and ascertain whether they have had any trainingto do the job of an assistant referee or ask them how muchexperience they have had at running a line. Give them theflags, and then clearly spell out their duties. I have to mentionthat in some localities, tradition, or competition rules requireclub assistant referees to judge offside situations! Be mindfulof this. Allow for any questions and explain that you wish tosee them after the game to thank them for their contributionhowever bad they may prove to be.

RoutinesPart of effective self-management may involve having a setroutine before each game. You might like to have your kit laidout in the dressing room before getting changed. You may liketo be ready at a set time, or you may need to go out for awarm-up twenty minutes before kick-off. If such routines areimportant to you, then so be it, but remember, that when youare operating as part of a team, always invite them to join youif they so wish, rather than imposing your routines onto others.So if you are leaving the dressing room to go for a warm-up onyour own, let them know what you are doing.

When warming up, do so properly. A number of people willbe watching you and are already making up their minds aboutyour competence as a referee. The way that you warm up,carry out stretching exercises correctly, and your general mobility,will send important signals and lines of communication toobservers. The trick is to ensure that the early signals that youdo impart depict a professional who is taking his responsibilitiesseriously today.

Another consideration that involves self-management is the waythat you offer pre-match instructions to your assistant referees.This aspect of your game is crucial and should serve as yourstandard for communication during the rest of the day. Keepthe pre-match instructions simple, offer clear messages andencourage opportunities to clarify understanding. Remember,once you blow the whistle, it is difficult to clear up any potentialambiguities or uncertainties.

Such instructions should last no longer than ten minutes.As the referee, you should encourage eye contact with the restof your team, and this is the first opportunity for you to do so.If you prefer to carry out your instructions outside, you can pointto relevant areas of the field of play to reinforce key messages.If inside, variation in vocal tone, reinforcing key instructionsand maintaining a good motivational attitude helps your teamto understand what you require of them, as well as motivatingthem to work with you.

When carrying out a field-of-play inspection, you may have aset routine to follow. Check the nets; are the corner flag postsin place, what are the pitch-markings like? Is the playing surfacefree of any hazards? These are just a few of the questions thatyou should be asking yourself. Again, the method of deliveryis an important aspect of your duties, as it imparts an importantmessage to those who are involved and to others who mightbe watching. By taking your time, being confident in yourinspection and finally reporting to the home manager anyproblems, it will ensure that you have begun to build up apositive image, and are effectively and proactively managingthe situation.

If team sheets are handed to you, say, “thank you,” look throughthem, and ensure you have all the information that you needbefore starting the game. Finally, if you are operating withneutral assistants, shake their hands and offer them your bestwishes. I always think that it is useful to impart a positive messagebefore going out, such as, “Have a great game, keep focusedand enjoy the experience”.

A new aspect that has cropped up recently in the refereeingworld is 'The Game Plan'. In essence, this means preparingyourself to the best of your ability, having considered all theparameters of the game you are about to referee. We havementioned some of them in this article.

In summary, this first of three articles will hopefully have whettedyour appetite to think positively about your own self-management,as well as the build up to management of the players and teamofficials. Exhibit self-control, engage dialogue, and strive tomanage people and situations so that you always give out thatall-important early positive and professional impression.

It is impossible to cover every angle on such a huge topic, butin the second article we will focus more on the management ofplayers by identifying when to talk to them, how to talk to themand how to make use of vital signs that can be used in YOURnext game plan.

Until then, remember that you only get one chance to makea first impression. So why not always make it a positive one?

Ian Blanchard is Head of National Referees’ Development at The [email protected]


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Features


For example, the three words ‘I love you’, are very simple tosay - three powerful and meaningful words. Conversely,silence can have the complete opposite effect. ‘I love you’unsaid can become ‘I don’t love you’ out loud.

A referee can sometimes feel uneasy about ‘doing nothing’.It is as if ‘doing nothing’ has become an enemy. Referees oftenfeel that they must ‘do something’. Doing nothing sometimesunnerves them. In reality, ‘doing nothing’ is another tool toexpand in the armoury of a referee’s skill-set; and can, if it’sused at the right times, have a beneficial effect, by increasingthe standard of officiating.

Below are three examples where ‘doing nothing’ enables areferee to be master of the ‘silent assist’.

What should you say to the captains?Even a single misjudged pre-match dictate can land a refereein trouble. It forces the referee to take a certain action on aspecific incident, even before the incident has happened. Itcan also limit match control flexibility.

Referee to captains: “Good afternoon captains, please letyour players know that anyone who swears will be goingstraight into my book”.

Despite the gallant sentiments of this referee, the instructionleaves no flexibility in managing colourful language. Therefore,when a player accidentally bashes his head on the goal-postand lets out a few colourful words - the referee is in aquandary. If he cautions or sends-off this player, the refereewill be seen negatively as an over-strict dictator. If the refereedecides not to caution or send-off this player, he reneges onhis pre-match instruction, and the players will see him as beingweak and unable to keep to his word.

By saying very little during the coin-tossing ceremony,apart from communicating the essentials, the referee retainsthe full flexibility to either ‘interpret,’ or to ‘apply’ strict Lawfor each occurrence.

When someone asked World Cup (1974) referee Jack Taylor todescribe what he thought the art of refereeing was, he replied:“Making your mistakes when no one is looking and knowingwhen not to make decisions”. (Jack Taylor’s World Soccer Referee, published 1976)

Although referees spend a great deal of time running aroundchasing players and following the path of the ball, they rarelyneed to communicate anything - vocally or via body language.Yet, conversely, there are many occasions when the fact thatthe referee ‘does nothing’ actually imparts a message that saysmuch more than any other form of visual message or soundcan communicate. On most occasions all the referee needs todo is to be there.

A referee went to his instructor and said, “I’m having troublecontrolling players. Whenever I confront them, it always seemsto end in a bad-tempered argument that leaves both theplayers and myself in a bad mood for the rest of the game.Can you give me a remedy for it?”

The instructor said, “Certainly,” and gave the referee a packetof chewing gum, explaining, “These are charmed pieces of FAchewing gum. When you officiate your next games, put onepiece of gum in your mouth.”

The referee took the advice given and found to his surprisethat there was no quarrelling with players during the next fewgames. A month later the referee asked the instructor toexplain how the charmed pieces of FA chewing gum worked.

The instructor answered, “The chewing gum is not necessary.Silence is all that is needed. You have become the master ofthe ‘silent assist’.”

This teaches us that very often we quarrel and invite conflictonly because of our speech, or because we do somethingwhen it’s better do nothing. Silence, or doing nothing, is agreat communicator, and when used during certain matchsituations very often has a greater impact in delivering themessage or diffusing situations than any number of wordsor actions can.

“Making your mistakeswhen no one is lookingand knowing when notto make decisions”.Jack Taylor’s World Soccer Referee, published 1976

The Referee - Master of the Silent Assistby Julian Carosi


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Features


The higher that a referee puts his head above the parapetof pre-match instructions, the easier it is for players to takea pop-shot! An astute referee who leaves his head below theparapet, by keeping pre-match instructions to the essentialminimum, has the ability to look up over the parapet as manytimes as he likes, without fear of making himself an easy target.

Doing something at free-kicks when it is very often muchbetter to do nothing. There is a simple free-kick managementconcept used by referees called the ‘GIVE AND GO’ or ‘GIVEAND SORT’ technique (Mike Gardiner FAMOA MagazineMay 2003).

‘GIVE AND SORT’ means that the referee ‘GIVES’ a free-kick,and then makes his way quickly to the scene to ‘SORT’ out aproblem by doing something. The referee ‘GIVES’ the freekick and ‘SORTS’ out the problem.

‘GIVE AND GO’ means that there is no issue to resolve, andthe free-kick can take place without any need for the refereeto do anything, or to remain nearby.

The referee ‘GIVES’ the free-kick, and uses the (dead-ball)stoppage time to take up a position for the next phase of play.‘GIVE’ the free-kick (do nothing further) and ‘GO’ sprint to therestart position. Doing this means that moaning players havenobody to moan at; the motion of the referee running to hisrestart position encourages play to restart quickly; the absenceof the referee focuses the players’ minds on the game, ratherthan on the referee; it keeps the referee alert and focused; andthe game is subtly restarted on the referee’s terms and not theplayers’!

‘Doing nothing’ can indicate that no offence has occurredThe old adage, ‘a good referee is one that you don’t notice,’has a modicum of truth in it. Yet conversely, in the moderngame the growing armoury of non-standard signals that seemto be constantly delivered by referees sometimes takes theplayers’ and spectators’ focus away from the game itself,which in a lot of cases will happily progress without anyinvolvement from the referee.

To indicate that no offence has occurred, when shouts of ‘Foul Ref?’ are heard, the old school of refereeing advocatedholding their hands behind their backs. This stops the movementof the referee and is becoming outdated. An alternative signalwould be to ‘do nothing’? This is a simple universal messagethat all players understand; and covers a multitude of scenarios.‘Doing nothing’ also generates positive reaction from team-mates,with shouts towards their colleagues of, ‘Play to the whistle’.This is something that has worked very well for over a hundredyears, but has almost disappeared, because players are nowbeginning to look more often towards the referee for someform of outward signal, when very often no signal is needed.

Whilst some players do ‘play to the whistle,’ others areconstantly looking for an outward signal from the referee.There are a myriad of unofficial ‘no foul’ signals, which cancause confusion and may impact on player safety byunnecessarily distracting their attention. Playing to the whistleby ‘doing nothing’ can very often deliver a clearer uniformmessage than by ‘doing something’. Players should continueto be encouraged to play to the whistle.

Not reacting to the crowdThe ability to seem completely unaware of derisive commentsfrom the spectators is a skill that has to be quickly mastered bynew referees, and more especially by assistant referees. Eventhe slightest acknowledgement that a referee has registered aspectator’s troublesome comment can be enough to enticefurther vitriol. This problem is heightened the nearer that thereferee is to the touchline and to the boisterous crowd. It canbe very tempting for a referee who has received abuse fromthe sideline to react in one form or another. Most referees intheir early career will have reacted at one time or another -and quickly learnt from the consequences!

When a referee ‘does nothing’, it delivers the strongestmessage that can be communicated to the perpetrators. Itclearly shows that the referee has not been affected by thecomments; demonstrates a professional demeanour; minimisesconflict; discourages further comment; displays strength andnot a weakness; allows the referee to retain focus on the gameand encourages the referee to try even harder to fulfil hisduties and responsibilities.

ConclusionWhilst the increase in outward communication between thereferee and the players is not in itself a bad thing, ‘doingnothing’ in certain circumstances is also a very clear and mucheasier way to get the message over, without detracting fromthe focus of the game itself. Let’s not lose this skill.

Knowing when not to make decisions, is just as important asknowing when to make decisions.

Refereeing is much more about thinking, rather than doing.There are many match situations where a referee can becomethe master of the ‘silent assist’ by ‘doing nothing’. An astutereferee does not blow the whistle every time the ball goes outfor a throw-in or a goal-kick or corner-kick. The astute refereesaves up the effect for when it really is needed, thusmaximising its impact. This principle also applies to bodylanguage and verbal communication - ‘do nothing’ whennothing needs doing. And ‘do something’ only whensomething needs to be done.

Doing nothing at the right time allows the ‘picture to tellits own story!’

Can YOU become a master of the silent assist?

Julian Carosi is a member of the RA and an FA Referees’ Licensed Instructor,and Assessor from the county of Wiltshire.



BE A REFEREEAND BE A FRIEND

- The Fans’ Viewpointby David Barber



Features

I went to my 5,267th football match yesterday. It might be aworld record. I went to my first match in 1960, when I wasnine and in short trousers.

I am one of those fortunate people whose hobby is also his job.I have been on the full-time staff of The FA at Lancaster Gateand Soho Square for 32 years. Now FA Historian andPublications Editor, I’ve compiled more than 150 books onfootball over the years, and acted as liaison officer to 48visiting national teams.

I have football in my veins. Like my Dad, like my Grandad.I love going through the turnstiles, or more likely through a gapin the hedge, into that “altogether more splendid kind of life,”as JB Priestley called it.

It follows, of course, that I’ve seen 5,267 referees. Or, moreaccurately, 5,267 refereeing performances – because I’ve seensome officials more than once. I’ve been asked to comment onwhat a football crowd expects from a referee and what in theireyes would constitute a “good” referee. Conversely, whatfrustrates spectators about a referee? Is it just when decisionsgo against their team, or are there other factors?

I’ll try to remember some funny incidents too. There’s a lot ofhumour in football and that’s one of its attractions. I’ve never hadany ambition to qualify properly, but I did referee UniversitySunday League matches more or less every week when I wasa philosophy student in Liverpool during the 1970s.

Jean-Paul Sartre said: “In football, everything is complicated bythe presence of an opposing team”. He must have supportedWest Ham.

I think you have to be something of a masochist to be a footballreferee. You know that you’re going to have problems. At the toplevel you could walk into a ground knowing, or feeling, thatonly four people out of a crowd of 75,000 aren’t desperate forone team to win. That’s you, your two assistants and the fourthofficial. It can be quite lonely out there.

It can be lonely in a different sense if you’re refereeing a Sundaymorning match in a local park. Then your assistants may be“club linesmen” who, more often than not, are merely substituteswaiting to come on. They can be a liability, intentionally orotherwise. I once saw an Intermediate Cup match where someonewas substituted, both as a player because he was awful and asa linesman because he was even worse. I’ve also seen alinesman who was on crutches for the whole match. Under thecircumstances, he didn’t do that badly.

In any football crowd, most people will be prejudiced againstthe referee before the match even starts. Why? Becausepotentially, he applies rules that can stop their team fromwinning. In other words the referee can stop them fromgetting what they want. They are unlikely to know the refereeor have met him socially, so it’s quite impersonal. The refereeis simply “the man in black”. He’s an easy target. You can saywhat you like to him. He’s wrong; you’re right. He “doesn’tknow what he’s doing”.

But the referee is never wrong, because it’s the referee’s opinionthat counts. We have referees because we need someone tomake a decision. Seventy-thousand people, or the majority ofthem, might say, “It wasn’t a penalty,” but the following day’snewspapers and record books in years to come will prove thatit was. Anyone is entitled to an opinion, however crackpot it is,but only the referee’s opinion matters.

I’ve been quite shocked at a couple of matches at semi-professional level this season to see more or less every singlerefereeing decision disputed by one team or the other - by theplayers, by the coaches and by most of the spectators. Thereferee can’t always be “wrong”, surely, so you have to suspecttheir motive. If you criticise every decision, sooner or later thereferee will “give you something”. It’s human nature. We avoidconfrontation, particularly when it’s one person against hundredsor even thousands of people.

So what do we expect from a referee? We expect a referee to look the part. He should turn up inplenty of time, have the proper kit, have a smart appearance,be confident and be friendly. He should not be noticeably“old” or “portly”, he should be fit enough to keep up with playand he shouldn’t have a silly running style. He should be ableto pull out a card without ripping a pocket or spilling sundryitems onto the ground. He should clearly be part of a “team”with his assistants.

We expect a referee to be in control. “I’m the referee – let’splay the game.” He should know the Laws inside out and beconfident enough to deal with any eventuality, even those thingsnot specifically covered by the Laws. He should be preparedto enter into limited and respectful dialogue with players overincidents, but in the end it’s his view that counts.

It can be painful to see a referee lose control. I saw a Sundaymorning match when a player called the referee “a plonker”behind his back at the kick-off after a goal. The referee swunground demanding to know who it was. When no player ownedup, he booked the whole team.

We expect a referee to be impartial. The worst criticism that couldbe directed at a referee is that he is favouring one team. Whatelse could anyone mean when they call the referee a “cheat”?He must be above suspicion. Impartiality at the start could beswayed during the game as the result of pressure from players,coaches or spectators – and that’s what people pick up onvery quickly. But this pressure is “cheating” too, surely?

We expect a referee to be clever. Perhaps “astute” would bea better word. An experienced referee who has handled hundredsof matches is more likely to be astute. He knows what playersare up to, when there is intent to foul or injure and when thereisn’t, when a player is genuinely hurt or not, when to whistleup or when to play advantage and when to step in with a wordor when to let things go. There’s a level of anticipation thatshould come with experience too. An experienced refereeshould be able to see situations developing.

Be a Referee and be a friend- The fans’ viewpointby David Barber


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We expect a referee to be personable. Players and spectatorsrespond favourably if they perceive the referee to be “a goodbloke” - a good bloke doing an honest job. Players often complain,“Why can’t I speak to you, ref?” They should be allowed to,and not in a ‘naughty pupil to teacher' kind of way, if they arerespectful and the aim is clarification over a decision.

There should be limits to this kind of dialogue, of course, andit shouldn’t happen after all or most decisions. Most decisionsare, or should be, clear and indisputable.

Personally, I like a referee who knows his stuff, but can do thejob with a smile on his face. If he knows the players’ first namesand uses them during a match, that’s fine. I recently saw areferee sit on one team’s bench, then the other team’s, andchat during a break in play. That went down very well. I don’tlike the attitude, “I’m the referee and however much I cock itup, there is nothing you can do about it. And, no, you can’tspeak to me”.

I attended a youth match a couple of years ago in which oneplayer was seriously injured. The boy’s parents were there, anambulance was swiftly called and it was quite a fraughtsituation. The referee was incredibly sympathetic, helping theboy onto a stretcher, calming the other players down andmaking it clear he was in no rush to restart the match; gettingcups of tea for the parents and assisting the medics to get theboy safely into the ambulance and away to hospital. He evengave him his match fee.

Be a referee and be a friend. It’s that simple. Players andmatch officials together make a football match. Even thoughtheir roles are fundamentally different, they need each other.And the crowd, whether it’s 75,000 or the proverbial two menand a dog, needs them too.

David Barber is The FA's Historian and Publications Editor. David has beenon the staff at Lancaster Gate and Soho Square for 32 years and hasattended well over 5,000 matches. [email protected]


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Of the current 7,500 candidates who pass the Basic RefereeCourses each year, only 22 per cent actually take uprefereeing. The rest, often take the course as part of aqualification, or just to gain knowledge of the Laws. Not onlydoes this present an unnecessary amount of work for ourvolunteers, but grossly distorts the national retention figureswhich indicate we lose these referees, when in fact they arenever active to start with.

For many years, the Basic Referee Course (aimed primarily atsupporting grassroots football) has been predominately taughtwithin the classroom environment. Whilst this has beenrelatively successful, education has moved on, and new anddynamic methods of teaching can be used to inspirecandidates to equip themselves to meet the demands of themodern game.

The Football Association recognised that there was a need toaddress the balance between knowledge (theoretical) andapplication (practical) training. A National Project Group, madeup of key people from across the country, have been workingover a period of 18 months to produce a ‘fit for purpose’modular based Basic Referees’ Course, tailored more towardsthose who want to actively referee. The FA Referees’Committee has now sanctioned this as our entry level to BasicReferee Training. Pilot courses are now being delivered, with aview to rolling out the revised training methods to all newcandidates for season 2007-2008.

This efficient resource-focused approach will enable us to trainless people, but produce more referees. It will also bring anational uniformity to the course framework. Making betteruse of our instructors, will undoubtedly improve refereeretention, aid the development and feeling of value to ourinstructors, and benefit everyone involved with football.

We will encourage successful candidates to go out onto thefield, officiate in a match and become active referees. This willalleviate the problem for appointment secretaries, who can anddo, make up to twenty telephone calls before they comeacross an ‘active’ referee who may be able to fulfil a fixture.Our aim is to fulfil more fixtures, by focusing on those who areserious about refereeing.

Most current Basic Referee Courses, consist of a fewcandidates who want to take up the whistle seriously, somewho only wish to referee their own club or youth games, thosewho wish to referee small sided football or futsal, thosewanting a certificate e.g. Duke of Edinburgh, and the rest justwanting to find out more about the Laws of AssociationFootball. In the future, a new pre-course questionnaire will begiven to all candidates, so they can be filtered and channelledinto the area of training that meets their specific needs – andjust as important, the FA’s needs!

Rather than candidates receiving in the old 'welcome pack', anew portfolio-based pack has been designed, where sectionswill be added throughout the course and during further in-service training, as the new candidate’s career develops. Wewill only provide relevant sections to those who have achieveda particular stage of their refereeing development. Thus, weadopt a more focused approach and invest only in those whocontinue to referee. The new pack will include the standard FAguides such as the Guide to Misconduct Report Writing, Guideto the Application of Law and the Guide for Newly QualifiedReferees, as well as the Learn the Laws CD Rom etc.Instructors will also benefit, by the provision of Theory DVDsand marking templates, examination papers and answertemplates, Instructor Manuals along with syllabus, copies ofpractical examinations and knowledge Assessment papers, andall relevant teaching materials etc.

To aid transition towards the new training methods, InstructorDevelopment Days have been programmed for the summer of2007 and local County Instructor Panel Meetings will be usedto discuss the logistics pertinent to each County FA. TheRegional Manager and a member of the Basic Training ProjectGroup will lead the Development Days.

There are many positive outcomes that will be generated oncethe new training methods beds in. We will be able to identifywhat course best suits the individual's needs, and then delivera quality learning experience. We will be able to produce moreaccurate data on retention figures, and further develop ourexisting instructors by giving them a greater feeling of value.And finally, we will be able to focus our resources, effort andfunding, by helping those who really do want to be referees.

Review of Basic Trainingand Examination Processby Janie Frampton


“There are many positiveoutcomes that will begenerated once the newtraining methods beds in”.


Features

Procedure for Basic TrainingPre-course activities Prospective candidates should contact their County FootballAssociation to register their interest in becoming a referee.They will be provided with details of local courses, dates andvenues, and will receive a registration form, a questionnaireand a request for payment for completion and return. Onconfirmation of registration, training venue and dates for theBasic Referees' Course will be provided. A current copy of theLaws of Association Football (LOAF) will also be sent, andcandidates will be expected to complete a Pre Course Study.More details on the first stages involved in becoming areferee, can be found on the following FA web site:http://www.thefa.com/GrassrootsNew/Referee/

Once the pre-course requirements have been dealt with, thecandidate will attend the Course Induction, and move throughthe modules as described below:

The Basic Referee Course will comprise of 5 modules.

Module One (2.5 Hours) 'Knowledge of the Laws'The course induction, will introduce candidates to the supportmechanisms available to referees. A DVD promoting thebenefits and opportunities of refereeing will be shown, and a'Knowledge of the Laws' certificate presented to those whopass their Module One ‘Assessment of Knowledge’ paper.Candidates, who do not wish to take up active refereeing, willbe able to exit the course, and those who wish to progressfurther, will move onto Module Two.

Module Two (Minimum 15 hours) 'Application of the Laws'Module 2 will relate theory to practice, and involves on-fieldinteractive activities (if available, if not video clips), and self-evaluation techniques. At some time between Modules 2 and3, Child Protection training will be provided, and candidateswill be required to complete a Criminal Records BureauDisclosure Form.

Module Three (1.5 Hours), 'Examination’Depending on whether the candidates' training waspredominantly theoretical (classroom based) or practical (onthe field of play), the exam process will consist of twoelements from the three listed below. The third element willbecome an assessment throughout the course.

• Written element – application of law (theoretical andpractical course)

• Theory examination via video analysis using DVDor CD Rom (theoretical course, and assessment toolfor the practical course)

• Practical on field assessment in line with new practicalcourse (practical course and assessment tool for thetheoretical course)

Candidates will also be expected to successfully complete amisconduct form, based on a match incident from the theoryexam DVD.

On successful completion of the Basic Referee Training Modules,One, Two and Three, the candidate will become a Level 9Trainee Referee until the completion of Module Four.

Module Four 'Probation Period'During the probation period, Level 9 Trainee Referees mustreferee six times 11 v 11 matches, utilizing a mentor styleappraisal, supported by either a Referee Coach, Assessor orInstructor. Candidates will be assessed via the standardcompetencies in line with the current FA competency basedassessment scheme. They will also be involved with Self-evaluation of their own performance, performance evaluationof others, and video analysis.

Module Five (2 Hours). Newly Qualified RefereesIn-Service TrainingThe Level 9 Trainee Referees will have to attend In-ServiceTraining on subjects incorporating; application of Law,recognition of offences, body language and communication,management of people and situations, fitness awareness,warm-up / cool-down techniques, programmes to meetindividual needs and encouraging training togetherness /bonding.

On successful completion of the five Basic Referee TrainingModules, the referee will receive an FA Certificate ofQualification, and progress from a Level 9 (Trainee Referee),to either a Level 8 (Youth Referee) or a Level 7 (JuniorReferee), depending on the age of the candidate

Janie Frampton, Regional Referees’ Manager South. Until 2004 she was aLevel 3 referee as well as operating as an assistant referee in numerouswomen’s games in Europe. She is an experienced educator both in coachingand refereeing. Please feel free to forward your ideas on this subject to:[email protected]

If Successful, registeredas a Level 8 or 7 Referee

Level 9Trainee Referee(registered on CAS)

Basic RefereeTraining

Module FourReferee six times11 v 11 games

Module ThreeExamination1.5 hours

Module TwoApplication of Law– 15 hoursincluding CP

Module OneIntroduction –2.5 hours

Module FiveIn service trainingtwo hours

Knowledge of LawCertificate, Exit route forthose who don’t wish toproceed. What next?

If within a year, thenenter at module two,after one year backto module one

CP and CRB to becompleted duringmodule two and three



Features

The 2007 January meeting of England’s male and femaleFIFA Referees and Assistant Referees included a visit to themagnificent new Wembley Stadium.The spacious seating, executive boxes, press conference roomand restaurant facilities were, of course, hugely interesting butthe officials were much more concerned with their ‘places of work’– the referees’ changing room and the pitch. They discoveredthat there are two changing rooms for referees. Both are relativelysmall but functional and pleasingly, unlike the old stadium,there are no concrete stairs to negotiate to reach the players’tunnel! The pitch looked immaculate with the portable lightmachine being able to move up and down, ensuring enoughlight for grass growth on even on the darkest of January days.The officials’ excitement was palpable and, as was remarkedafterwards, if that visit did not inspire them to work as hard aspossible to earn a chance to officiate in what will undoubtedlybe the world’s finest stadium, then nothing will.

English refereeing has always enjoyed a special position in worldfootball due in part to our historic role in the development ofthe game and, more importantly, the global sense of ‘Englishfair play’. As an International Referee, I was fortunate to travelacross the globe, officiating in an international final on each ofthe four major football continents, and never once was therethe slightest hint of someone trying to influence or bribe me ormy colleagues. Regardless of quality of decisions, Englishreferees are seen as incorruptible and long may it remain so.

But where exactly do we stand in world refereeing these days?On the face of it, the statistics, at least for the male referees,appear to make slightly disappointing reading, because as amajor football nation like Germany, Spain and Italy, we couldhave ten FIFA Referees. Italy actually has eleven and we onlyhave seven. In UEFA we have three referees in the Elite andPremier groups, Graham Poll, Mike Riley and the newly promotedHoward Webb. Steve Bennett was an Elite referee until hisretirement from the FIFA list at the end of 2006, but we couldhave a maximum of four referees in the Elite and Premiercategories combined.

However, as we know, statistics can be deceptive and thecurrent position simply reflects a period of transition. Alreadythis year, Mike Dean and Mark Clattenburg have beenpromoted to category two and, like Rob Styles, are now onlyone step away from the Premier Group. Martin Atkinson hasalso made an impressive start to his international career andhas been selected for UEFA’s Elite Talent group; he will beworking hard for promotion to category two later in the year.

What is significant, is that although we may not yet have thefull complement of FIFA Referees, those we have are veryhighly regarded. The UEFA Referees’ Committee has identified25 referees from whom the referees for the Euro 2008 finals inSwitzerland and Austria will be selected. England is the onlycountry with three referees on that list, Messrs Poll, Riley andWebb. This means that we have six assistant referees underconsideration, as UEFA, unlike FIFA, has decided that a refereeselected for the finals should not lose his place because offitness tests failures by assistants. Thus, once a referee hasbeen selected for the finals, provided he passes the fitness testhe will officiate; if one of his two selected assistants fails, thenhe will be replaced by another.

This sensible move establishes that if the best referees havebeen chosen for the finals, it would be wrong to lose one ofthem because an assistant fails a fitness test.

As far as our female FIFA referees are concerned, England hasnever been stronger. For many years Wendy Toms has beenour sole representative, but our complement has increased for2007 to three with Amy Rayner’s promotion and the arrival inEngland of FIFA Referee Sasha Irhingova from Slovakia who isnow an English International Referee.

In the past, England has provided two World Cup FinalReferees, George Reader in 1950 and Jack Taylor in 1974, andtwo World Cup Final assistants, Mark Warren in 1998 and PhilSharp in 2002. It is the firm determination of The FA and PGMOto add to that list in the coming years with both our male andfemale officials. With FIFA favouring teams of three officialsfrom the same country there is now more of an ‘all or nothing’situation, so the likelihood is that when our roll of honour isadded to, it will be with a referee and two assistants. Theopportunities are there and we hope that our current andfuture international officials will do all they can to achieve theultimate goals in UEFA and FIFA.

The FA and PGMOL will do everything in their power to helpthem achieve these goals. My position as a member of theUEFA Referees’ Committee, Ken Ridden’s role as the TechnicalAdvisor to the UEFA Committee, having served on it withdistinction for 20 years, and Keith Hackett’s presence on theUEFA Instructors’ Panel, means The FA and PGMO arestrongly placed to monitor and develop our internationalofficials. We will be working as hard as the officials themselvesto establish England as the premier refereeing country, so that inthe coming years, clubs and countries from all over the world willnot only want to play at Wembley, but they will want theirmatches controlled by English officials.

David Elleray is the Honorary President of the Referees’ Association England(RAE), former FIFA referee, Vice-Chairman of The FA Referees’ Committeeand a member of the UEFA Referees’ Committee. He works for UEFA, TheFA and Middlesex FA, assessing and developing referees at all levels. He isthe Director of Boarding at Harrow School.

UEFA and FIFA - Where do we stand in World Refereeing?by David Elleray



“It is not until youlook back that youfully appreciate whatan important roleyou have playedin the game.”

AMYRAYNER

Interview with

by Julian Carosi


Page 29

Features


Why did you decide to become a match official?I took the basic referees' course when I was 13 years old, andofficiated my first game on the Sunday after my 14th birthdayin November 1991.

I had always wanted to play football, but never had the chance,because there were hardly any local girls’ football teams aroundin those days. My dad helped to run my brother’s football teamand he passed the referees’ exam to help out when required.It was my dad who suggested the idea of refereeing to me.The £7 match fees sounded a lot better and were more thanthe local paper round, so I went for it!

Do you prefer being involved in men’s or women’s football? I don’t really have a preference as I enjoy both men’s andwomen’s football. However, the men’s game is more professionalthan the women’s game so it offers a greater challenge.Women’s football is growing and improving all the time andhas given me opportunities to be involved at an internationallevel, therefore allowing me to see a different aspect of thegame. I have already officiated in Germany, Sweden, Norway,Belarus and the Ukraine.

Where do you see your career as a referee going? I do not know. I am enjoying what I am doing at the moment,but would love to receive an invite as an Assistant Referee onthe Premiership line, or into the Football League as a referee. I realise that the competition for places is high, as is the casewhen you near the top of any sport. I will keep working ondeveloping my game and fitness, in the hope that I finish inthe top banding, which will give me a chance to be putforward for a promotion interview if selected.

What is your life away from football? I am a Financial Analyst at Rolls Royce in Derby. My boyfriendPaul likes the fact that I am involved in sport, as he is a climber,so has to train three times per week. We often go to the PeakDistrict to climb outdoors. Because of my involvement infootball, I understand his need to train, so it works very well.

When was your most memorable occasion? I will never forget running my first line on the Football Leagueat Boston, and refereeing the The FA Women's Cup Final in 2004.

Who has been your inspiration and why? I do not have a single inspiration. But I am lucky that I live nearPete Jones (ex FIFA referee and now UEFA/PGMOL assessor).Pete has helped me to work on my game and my developmentas a referee. My last training partner Eddie Mitchell was also agreat help in getting me out training, especially during thewinter after a long day at work. When I receive criticism fromthe press, my dad provides a good sounding board by offeringencouragement to keep me going!

Can you tell us a little about your FIFA experiences andyour aspirations?Following five enjoyable years as an assistant on the women’sFIFA list, I have recently been promoted onto the women'sFIFA referee list. I have had opportunities to go to countriesthat I would never have previously visited. These includeBelarus, Ukraine, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The standardof facilities and quality of games can vary.

My aim is to establish my position on the women's FIFAreferee list for the next season. As for the long term, theninvolvement in any major final would be a great achievementwhether it is open age or an U19 competition.

What role and how effective is the contribution made byyour Coach to your career?The role of the coach varies between individuals, as it is dependanton both the level of commitment the coach wants to offer andhow willing the referee is to take up offers of help. I am lucky thatI have a great relationship with my coach Eddie Wolstenholmeand we often have open and honest discussions about not onlymy performances but also those of other referees. I personallyfeel that this has helped me to develop as a referee and pre-emptproblems before they occur. Hopefully this will allow me to reachmy full potential in a shorter amount of time.

Can you give us an insight into a typical week for youas a Referee?Apart from keeping a full time job (normal working hours 8 – 5)I have to juggle with games, training and finding time to go outwith friends as well as keeping my boyfriend and family happy!I usually train four times per week if I do not have a midweekgame and will use Matt Weston’s advice and training plans todetermine what sessions I do. I usually vary my training so thatI incorporate weights, high intensity, speed endurance andsprint sessions. In the past I trained with a Panel Assistant butsince he retired from refereeing I drag my boyfriend out withme to give me that extra bit of motivation and drive!

What aspects do you feel that you have personally broughtinto the game as a Referee?I would like to think that I try to let games flow. Players, managersand spectators want to watch football not the referee so I dotry to look for advantages to play where possible.

What are your views on the progress and success ofwomen Referees?Women referees have the same opportunities as their malecounterparts. To get to officiate at the semi-professional orprofessional level of the game is a great personal achievementfor any referee. The fact that there has been a woman on thePremiership line shows that every woman can have a goal toaim for, assuming they are willing to put in the commitmentrequired to reach them!

What tips can you give to other female referees and assistants? I do not think that it has to be specific to females, but my tipsapply to all people working through the system:

• Keep focused and do not get complacent. Even the gamesconsidered 'easy' on paper have a tendency to createproblems if you are not switched onto the game at the start.

• Ensure that you prepare for every game, including trainingin the week leading up to the match.

• Eat properly to ensure that you are physically fit.

• Prepare mentally for the game by finding out a little bitabout each team, as this may help you on the day.

• Do the best you can, as the players deserve at least that much.

• Listen to advice and don't be afraid to change somethingif it does not work for you.

• Most of all enjoy what you do, as sometimes it is not untilyou look back that you fully appreciate what an importantrole you play in the game.

Amy Rayner is a FIFA Referee, Panel and a National List Referee.

Interview with Amy Raynerby Julian Carosi



YOUWOULDMISS USby Andrew Ward



Features

A few weeks ago, while watching a local match, I had a senseof football in its early days. During the second half, the unofficialreferee pulled up sharply while clutching his torn calf muscle.

‘Can someone take over?’ he asked, limping away.The home-team manager eventually volunteered. It took hima few minutes to get organised.‘I need something to write with,’ he yelled.‘You need to learn how to write first,’ shouted one of his players.

This was how it must have been in the 1870s, when each clubappointed an umpire. Eventually a referee was introduced todecide any disputes between the umpires. The referee sat justoutside the touchline near the halfway-line. When the umpiresfailed to agree they walked from the pitch to the touchline andreferred the matter for a final decision. Watching that local gamerecently, standing on the halfway-line myself, I imagined myselfas an early match referee and one was certainly needed becausethe various club officials disagreed on how long was left.

That local match looked like a throwback to olden days, but italso made me realise how much is missing when an amateurdeputises. Refereeing has become a well-established profession.Not only do referees get paid but they have their own distinctiveuniform, their own jargon, their own set of signals, their owncareer development, speciality training courses, a strong codeof ethics and an amazing body of knowledge that has accumulatedover 140 years.

Most importantly, referees represent their profession in all partsof the world. Association football is the most pervasive andfrequently used international legal system on our planet - FIFAhas more signed-up countries than the United Nations - andreferees have been its essential sustenance.

In the beginning, though, there were no referees. According toWilliam Pickford, writing about the first decade of organisedfootball, 'The rules we played under were few and not toodefinite, but certain things were not done. We were rough andbanged each other about like skittles. Occasionally humannature flared up and there was an angry moment, but on thewhole the game controlled itself.'

The nearest sporting example in modern society is UltimateFrisbee, a competitive sport with no referee. The main reasonput forth for not having a referee is the loss of the spirit of thegame. If you leave all decisions to the referee, you take awaypersonal responsibility. When Ultimate Frisbee players disagree,they return to the last set-play position, the equivalent ofplaying a let in tennis.

Association football, of course, has no regular equivalentof the tennis serve. 'Take the corner again' would not pacify many.Indeed, football is probably more dependent on the referee thanalmost any other sport. Football referees make decisions everysecond, if only about where to stand. In sports such as golfand tennis the referee stays hidden for much of the match.

The soccer referee moved from the touchline to the pitch in 1891and the two umpires shifted to the sidelines. The professionhas since developed in earnest. Referees have consolidatedtheir place as the symbol of neutrality in an emotional sportwhere rumour spreads quickly and bias is everywhere.

Not much has changed in terms of equipment. Referees stillneed a watch (or two), a whistle (or two), flags (at least two),a match-ball (or several), a notebook (or card), a pencil anda coin (or two). The uniform has become more and morestreamlined as the athletic effort increased - internationalreferees wore jackets as late as 1960 - and referees now carryred and yellow cards to prepare for disciplinary action.

It would be very difficult to chart the history of abuse againstreferees over the years, but contemporary accounts wouldsuggest two major triggers. An outbreak of unrest followed theintroduction of the penalty-kick offence (1891), and moredisquiet followed the introduction of red and yellow cards toEnglish football (1976). English referees took a six-year breakfrom using red and yellow cards (1981 to 1987) because theywere considered provocative and humiliating to players.

You would miss usby Andrew Ward



Features

Whereas referees like Jack Taylor appeared as television punditsin the 1970s, it is now left to ex-footballers to comment onrefereeing. These modern-day pundits have rarely refereedand they have learned the laws of football in an informal word-of-mouth way. This is the only explanation as to why suchknowledgeable football men as David Pleat and Mark Lawrensonhave been recently referring to a dropped ball as ‘a bounceup’. (A bounce-up disappeared from the laws in 1914. Itinvolved the referee throwing the ball at the ground so that itbounced to head height.)

Television broadcasters would argue that they have helped theprofessional development of referees by forcing officials tothink about eradicating mistakes. Whenever I see film of DiegoMaradona, Argentina, palming a goal against England in 1986,I think of how it concentrated the mind on the need for specialistassistants at the top level. Gone are the days when a top-levelassistant would be running the line for the first time in a year.

The advent of television has also brought about changes whichare distinctive to top-level professional football – four, sometimesfive, referees at one match, a marked technical area, the use ofvideo in misconduct cases, microphone link-ups, electronic boardsto show minimum stoppage-time, the sponsorship of referees,full-time employment for top-class referees, and much higherprofiles for top officials. In 2001, the FA of Wales warned IFABthat it was greatly concerned about the prospect of a two-tierfootball system.

Another major change to refereeing has been the increase inwomen officials. Female referees were actively recruited in 1976-77when a shortage of referees coincided with the 1975 SexDiscrimination Act, and Pat Dunn became the first woman toreferee a competitive men's match in the Dorset County SundayLeague. More recently, Sonia Denoncourt, Canada, has refereedtop men's league matches in Brazil, and Nicole Petignat,Switzerland, refereed a UEFA Cup tie in Sweden in 2003.

Part of football’s mass appeal is that it is refereed far betterthan other parts of society. Offences are punished more readilyon football pitches than they are, say, on roads, in tax returns,or on computer downloads. When I saw those unofficialreferees in action recently, my main thought was of howfootball would be unsustainable without qualified referees.They are the neutrons you don't see, the spaces between thewords in a sentence, the things you would miss most aboutthe game if they weren't there.

Andrew Ward, an ex-referee, is a writer and an avid historian of the Lawsof the Game. He has written several books including 'Ward's Soccerpedia'(2006), an in-depth look at the history of the Laws, and 'Football's Strangest Matches'.

Football still has only 17 laws but they have grown in complexity.Three examples illustrate the game's increasing legal sophistication:substitutes were not allowed in competitive matches until 1959(and then only at the discretion of the relevant national orinternational football association) but the 2006 FIFA Questionsand Answers now lists 23 items on substitutions; the offsidelaw's 'interfering with play' clause has become an elaboratealgorithm whereas until the 1970s it meant virtually anyone inan offside position; and the offence of denying a goal scoringopportunity was introduced as recently as 1990.

More than ever, the referee is the person on the field who knowsthe Laws better than anyone else. Matches are only replayed ifthere is a proven technical error (an error in the Laws), and refereeshave fared much better than judges when it comes to appeals.A relatively recent example of a replay was the Uzbekistan-Bahrain match in September 2005, when the referee orderedan indirect free-kick to Bahrain after an Uzbekistan player hadentered the penalty area while his team-mate was scoring froma penalty-kick. (The decision should have been a retake.)

The history of the referee is, of course, also the history ofeverything else. The biggest change in the past 50 years hasbeen the mass adoption of television. Turning-points includethe Coronation year of 1953, when the number of British setsincreased from 300,000 to three million, the introduction ofBBC’s Match of the Day highlights programme in 1964, soonto attract a ten million audience, the simultaneous broadcastingof League matches starting in 1983, and the large televisioncontracts of the 1990s.

In 1970, the law-making International Football AssociationBoard (IFAB) recorded a somewhat optimistic minute: 'TheBoard deprecated the emphasis placed in television recordingsand television comment which challenged the authority of thereferee. It was agreed to request the television authorities torefrain from any slow-motion play-back which reflected, ormight reflect, adversely, on any decision of the referee.' Withina year, however, the BBC was vilifying the referee of a LeedsUnited-West Brom match for not taking note of the linesman'sflag when Suggett (West Brom) was in an offside position.



Features

It is widely recognised that referee coaches and mentors havea positive effect on referee performance and development.Coaches or mentors currently operate with great success atPanel List, National List and UEFA levels. Indeed, some of thecountry’s leading referees, Howard Webb, Mark Clattenburgand now Martin Atkinson, have benefited from the work andsupport of their UEFA mentors. The Football Association iscommitted to delivering high quality and effective training,education and support to referees at all levels and this seasonhas specifically targeted Level 3 referees. In November 2006,ten Regional Level 3 Referee Coaches were appointed to workfor the remainder of the season with those referees new toLevel 3. From next season, they will work with the next newgroup of Level 3 referees and a group of current Level 3referees deemed to have the potential to progress to higherlevels. The details of the scheme are outlined here:

Aims• Raise the standard of refereeing at Level 3 (Contributory League)

• Assist referees newly promoted to Level 3 to settle in quickly and effectively

• Identify and develop those referees showing thepotential/talent to progress to higher levels

• Identify and assist those referees struggling at Level 3

• Identify development areas for all Level 3 referees andassistant referees

Monitoring the schemeThe effectiveness of the scheme will be judged using dataderived from:

• Club and assessor marks

• Subjective views of clubs and leagues

• Rates of retention at Level 3

• Promotion and progress of leading Level 3 referees; ultimately the number moving to the FootballLeague/Premiership League (FL/PL) and FIFA

• Feedback from Level 3 referees

• Impact on referees lower down the pyramid who aspire toLevel 3 and beyond

The CoachesThe ten coaches appointed have significant experience aseducators and referees: three are former FIFA Referees, fourare or have been National List Referees and three are formerNational List Assistant Referees.

Due to geographical considerations, seven of the coacheswork with referees in their own and other counties, whilstthree coaches will work with referees in counties adjacentor close to the coach’s own county.

For the remainder of season 2006-07 the ten coaches and thecounties from which their coaching group is drawn are:

• Phil Prosser - North Riding, Durham, Northumberland

• Steve Lodge - East Riding, West Riding, Sheffield and Hallamshire, Manchester

• Matt Messias – Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire

• George Cain - Lancashire, Liverpool and Cumbria

• Andy Martin – Staffordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire

• Martin Cassidy – Somerset, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Worcestershire, Berks & Bucks

• Phil Joslin – Leicestershire, Birmingham, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire

• John Elwin – Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Bedfordshire

• Martin Bodenham – Kent, Sussex, Surrey and London

• Dave Frampton – Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall

Operating the SchemeSeason 2006-07Because the scheme started in mid-season, the coaches arefocusing primarily on the 110 referees newly promoted toLevel 3. However, those referees identified as strongcandidates for promotion to Level 2 will also receive somedevelopment assistance from the coaches.

Season 2007-08 and beyondEach coach will have a number of new Level 3 referees,probably five to six, and around ten referees who, by theirperformance in season 2006-07, are identified as having thetalent/potential to progress up the pyramid.

During the season any referee whose performance indicatesthe possibility of advancement will be brought into a coachinggroup. Equally, a referee who does not appear to beembracing or benefiting from the scheme may be droppedfrom a coaching group.

Role of the coachAll coaches operate within the same framework, under thedirect guidance of Neale Barry, FA Head of Senior RefereeDevelopment and David Elleray, Vice Chairman of The FAReferees Committee. The coaches are expected to:

• Discuss with each referee an individual development plan which will include targets for performance, fitness and administration

• Watch each referee in their group at least three timeseach season

• Have regular contact with referees – particularly before and after key matches

• Where appropriate, take a referee to watch a match either when the coach is assessing or when another group member is officiating

• Assist referees within the group if they encounter problems with fitness, health, administration, availability or any other issue where the referee may benefit fromadvice/intervention/assistance

• Arrange occasional meetings of the whole coaching group

• Receive and analyse all assessments on referees within his group

• Submit regular reports on each referee to the Head of Senior Referee Development; submit recommendations for promotion from Level 3 and for movement into/out of a coaching group

• Where possible, watch a referee from another coaching group if requested.

• If requested, watch a Level 4 referee who has beenidentified as a strong candidate for promotion to Level 3

• Identify trends within the group which can become thefocus of attention/development for all Level 3 referees

• Submit to regular appraisal by the Head of SeniorReferee Development and Vice Chairmanof The FA Referees Committee.

I have no doubt that this scheme will have an important andvery positive impact on the quality of refereeing at Level 3 andat higher levels of football in the coming years. Football needsreferees and the more we can do to support, encourage andeducate them, the healthier our national game will be.

Regional Referee Coaches for Level Three Refereesby Neale Barry



Features

Unlike professional athletes, who have time to dedicatethemselves to being fit for their sport, match officials havefamilies and full-time jobs to sustain, leaving them withlimited time to train and recover.

But whether you love training or despise it, there are physicaldemands associated with officiating football and it is your dutyto live up to them, which means training to be fit for purpose.And with the fitness of players rising and the pace of the gameincreasing, your task on a Saturday afternoon is becomingincreasingly challenging – making your training more importantthan ever.

Team Averages Season Season Season Season(Km) 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06

High Intensity 8.15 8.85 9.17 9.50

Distance Covered

No of Sprints Performed 137 287 315 352

Distance Covered in sprints 1.79 2.19 2.31 2.49

Table 1. Premier League Player’s Work Rate over last FourSeasons (ProZone®).

Contrary to popular belief, improving your training does notnecessarily mean training more often. If your training lacksquality and variety, your fitness levels will remain stagnant andnon-match-specific. So, crucially, it is not just the amount oftraining that is important to your fitness – the quality of yourtraining is actually more influential.

By training more scientifically, you will enjoy your training more,save valuable time and gain match-specific fitness. The summerfitness test will become a simple formality, not a concern.

TrainingAccording to last season’s ProZone statistics, Football-Leaguereferees covered an average distance of 12.1kilometres (7.5miles) per game – 858 meters of which was performed atspeeds of above 19.8km/h. They performed an average of 23sprints in each game and recorded an average top speed ofabove 30 km/h. And because officials change their movementpattern on the pitch every four to five seconds, agility mustalso be considered.

Diagram 1. Your Fitness Needs: The componentsof your ‘match-fitness’.

The aim of your fitness training programme should be to addresseach fitness component by providing you with trainingsessions or exercises designed to target and enhance each of them.

Your training must push you beyond your comfort zone(‘overload’) in order for you to make progress. A mistake oftenmade by those performing monotonous training programmesis that the required overload does not take place and, as aresult, improvements in fitness do not occur.

Training must be carefully structured around each calendaryear so that you are achieving peak fitness for the start of theseason, maintaining your fitness throughout the season andreceiving time at the end of the season to rest and recuperate.

For those of you keen to transform your training for next season,the perfect starting point is the period between the end of thecurrent season and the start of the next – May to August.

The Non-Competitive Period Transition Phase (May)Your last game of the season should be followed by three tofour weeks of light, non-refereeing-related exercise. Thisperiod – also termed a ‘transition phase’ – provides you with a

break from football and allows you to recover psychologicallyas well as physiologically from the stresses of the past season.Trying to continuously increase your fitness all year round canlead to staleness and potential injury.

“Having the balance of an off-season and regularly programmeddowntime enabled me to never have to struggle for motivationwhen I needed it. You have to know when to step on the gasand when to break.”Lance Armstrong (7 times Tour de France winner)

But doing nothing should also be avoided. Performingenjoyable activities with an aerobic emphasis, such as tennis,cycling, squash or five-a-side during the transition phase willprevent excess fitness loss. And since a loss of fitness followedby an abrupt increase in training load has been associated withan increased risk of injury, remaining active during thetransition phase should be seen as a safety mechanism for theprevention of injuries in the pre-season period.

By the end of the transition period you should be feelingregenerated and motivated to tackle pre-season match-specifictraining once again.

Pre-Season Training Phase(June, July and the beginning of August)The pre-season period is of particular importance. The earlystages will provide you with a foundation of fitness on whichto build and the later stages will allow you to focus on themore match-specific components of your fitness. If you do nottrain well during this period, you will struggle to gain adequatematch-fitness during the season ahead.

Injuries are more prevalent during the pre-season period than anyother time of the year – probably due to a combination of a suddenincrease in training volume, poor foot-wear and hard trainingsurfaces. So it is important to make sure that you wear suitablefoot-wear with adequate cushioning that are suited to your runningmechanics and that you increase your training volume and intensityvery gradually as you head towards the start of the season.

Week one and two (four sessions per week)During the first couple of weeks in June you should start towork on your general aerobic fitness. A mixture of cycling,crosstraining and jogging three to four times a week at an intensity

of between 75 per cent and 85 per cent of your maximumheart rate (moderate to somewhat hard) for between 20 and30 minutes is a good starting point. In the second week, increasethe duration of your exercise to between 30 and 40 minutes atthe same intensity but run more and cycle and crosstrain less.

Week three and four (four sessions per week)During this two-week block you should increase the intensityof your aerobic training. Replace a medium-intensity sessioneach week with a shorter and ‘sharper’ session, such as 25 minutescontinuously at 85-90 per cent of your maximum heart rate(hard), two times ten minutes at 88 per cent HRmax with threeminutes recovery between each repetition or four times fiveminutes at 88-92 per cent of your maximum (hard to very hard).

The medium-intensity sessions, of which you should still performone per week, should simply increase a touch in length to 45minutes at 80-85 per cent of your maximum heart rate (moderateto somewhat hard).

Week five and six (three sessions per week)By the last week in June you should replace some of your aerobictraining with speed and agility sessions (SP/AG). Speed traininginvolves performing 15 to 20 maximal sprints at distancesbetween 10 meters and 40meters. It is important that youreceive complete recovery between each of your sprints sothat you can sustain a maximal effort throughout the sessionand thus gain the full benefit. You should rest for 15 timeslonger than you sprint between sprints.

To incorporate agility, simply perform the maximal sprintsthrough a series of obstacles, such as fast feet through agilityladders and ‘zig zagging’ around cones.

Perform one of these sessions per week during week five andtwo per week during week six.

Your aerobic training should take a further step up during thisperiod whereby the intensity is increased but the intervallength is decreased, making it more match-specific. Examplesinclude eight times two minutes running at 90-92 per cent ofyour maximum heart rate (very hard) with one minute ofjogging between each effort and fifteen times one minute at afaster pace with one minute recovery between each effort.

Keeping Yourself Fit in the Close Seasonby Simon Breivik

MatchFitness

RepeatedSprintAbility

Aerobic

BodyComposition

Speedand

Agility

Flexibility

Strength


Page 41

Features


Week Seven and Eight (three sessions per week)By the later stages of pre-season training you should be readyto work on improving your ability to perform repeated sprints– ‘speed endurance’ (SE). These sessions are similar to speedtraining sessions but with near-maximal sprints instead ofmaximal sprints and without complete recovery betweensprints. Instead of a work-to-rest ratio of 1:15, you should usea work-to-rest ratio of 1:3. This will make the session far harderand give rise to peak heart rates of above 90% HRmax. Tryperforming one of these a week in week seven and eight.

Also in weeks seven and eight, try to further increase theintensity of your aerobic training by performing shorterintervals, such as 30s of near-maximal effort with the samelength of time to recover X 20.

Continue to perform a pure speed training session once aweek also.

Week nine and ten (two sessions per week)By the end of July and the beginning of August you should bethinking about tapering your training down in preparation forthe first game of the season. The sessions you perform shouldbe of a high intensity but low volume, such as speed andagility training.

By this time you will also have been officiating warm-up games,which will help condition your legs for 90 minutes of runningso that it does not come as a surprise when the season starts.

General AdviceFor both injury prevention and performance purposes, youshould always warm up before games and training sessions.Your warm up should start with between five and ten minutesof jogging followed by dynamic stretching – i.e. skipping, sidestepping, grapevine, high knees, heel flicks.

You should also cool down after each training session or game(not always possible due to logistics) with a five-minute jogfollowed by a thorough static stretch. You should stretch eachmuscle, especially the lower-body muscles, for 25 seconds ata time at least twice.

Make use of ‘Recovery Training’ sessions to promote recoveryfollowing a hard training session or game. ‘Active recovery’ is amore effective way of recovering from fatigue than doing nothingat all. You should cycle or swim (jog if you have not got accessto a gym or pool) at between 65 and 70 per cent of your maximumheart rate (Easy) for 25 minutes at a continuous pace.

Training smartly will save you valuable time as well as moreefficiently improve your match-specific fitness. A qualitytraining session can be performed in just 30 minutes and withthe short and intense interval runs, you will spend less timepounding thus saving your lower limbs from over-use injury.

Striking the balance between overload and recovery is a fineart so always listen to your body and rest/recover when youfeel it is necessary.

Enjoy your training and your season ahead.

Simon Breivik, a Sports Scientist who previously worked at Lilleshall NationalSports Centre, is currently employed full-time by the PGMOL to look afterthe fitness of our Premier League and Football-League match officials.

SP/AG MatchSpecificTraining

NonSpecificTraining

SE

Interval HI AREOBIC

Continuous HI AREOBIC

MI AREOBIC

Volume (Time)

Inte

nsity

% H

Rm

ax

Diagram 2. The Continuum from Pre-Season Training toMatch-Specific Training.



News and Events

“Well done,” is the first thing to say. That is, well doneto everyone concerned in the first series of FootballAssociation Match Officials' Association (FAMOA)events which have been double-badged as a FootballAssociation and County Football Association jointinitiative. And thank you to all of you who attended.

As Regional Manager with prime responsibility for the FAMOAevents, I am absolutely delighted with the response from allthose who joined in and staged the 43 events throughout thecountry. The reason that we decided to involve the County FAmore in the arranging of these events was with a hope that wecould increase attendances and pass on education, socialinteraction and the chance to meet new colleagues to agreater audience.

One word describes the outcome of our liaison, and that wordis ‘SUCCESS’.

Together, we have achieved an increase in attendance overall,by 154 per cent (2,805 delegates). This is made up of thefollowing Regional area increases:

North East 325 per cent (456 delegates)North West 181 per cent (340 delegates)Midlands 230 per cent (474 delegates)East 300 per cent (414 delegates)South East 410 per cent (498 delegates)South 262 per cent (368 delegates)South West 210 per cent (255 delegates)

The style of delivery varied throughout, ranging from anall-day event (incorporating outdoor workshops and activities),a half-day event (incorporating outdoor activities andpresentations), and finally, a more formal presentationsevening. All events were closed with a keynote speaker fromvarious backgrounds, including the Head of National RefereeDevelopment and International Referees.

So the challenge was made and surpassed, but with everysuccess story comes hard work and effort again. Whilstoffering thanks to everyone for their achievement, I lay afurther challenge.

You embraced the FAMOA events and achieved success.I would ask those involved in planning for the new eventsto begin planning now, as some have done already. This willensure that there is an improvement in the next series. I haveproduced a planning document, which is available from myself,or your Regional Manager, along with appropriate marketingand early notification advice. Let's make an effort to break the3,000 barrier. I would ask those who attended the events tocontact either your County Training Officer or County FA; orcheck The FA website for details (thefa.com) - and ensure youaccept the challenge to turn up at your local event.

Listed below, are the details available so far, and I will beupdating these as and when they become available. Pleaseensure that you keep making enquiries about when your eventwill take place. If you missed the last series, ensure that youmake the effort to attend the next series, as we would love tosee you come along.

Alan Wilkie is a Referee Assessor in both The FA Premiership andFootball League. Alan took his position as Regional Manager -referees forthe North East Region in September 2001. [email protected]

A successful FAMOA Partnershipby Alan Wilkie

County FA Date/venue(If known) Contact Telephone e-mailDurham November 07 John Topping 0191 3872929 [email protected] Northumberland 25/10/07 Bill Darby 0191 2700700 bill.darby@northumberland fa.com East Riding 01/10/07 Geoff Hanson 01482221158 [email protected] Nottinghamshire 14/07/07 David Coote n/a [email protected]

Notts Co FCHerefordshire 06/08/07 Jim Lambert n/a [email protected]

Three Counties HotelHereford

Worcestershire 08/10/07 Bill Allsopp n/a [email protected] County Cricket Ground

Shropshire 15/10/07 David Rowe Na/ [email protected] School

Norfolk Barry Knight 01603 704050 [email protected] Essex Terry Thacker 01245 393086 [email protected] AFA Trevor Syms 0208 3603339 [email protected] Kent London Adrian Shorter 0207 6108375 [email protected] Suffolk Brian Chapman 01284 703558 [email protected] Gloucestershire 14/07/07 Barry Gee 01453 541992 [email protected]

Filton AcademyCornwall 06/0807 Ray Brown 01726 812180 [email protected]

Bodmin FCDevon 13/09/07 Tom Sampson 01752 218159 [email protected]

CulomptonDorset 02/09/07 Lyn Nethercott 01202 891574 [email protected] Wiltshire Sun 5 Aug 2007 Julian Carosi 01249-714552 [email protected]

Melksham House and Kevin Barnes 01793 612470 [email protected]



News and Events

The copy date for our magazine is around three monthsbefore publication so the news we write here will neverbe hot news. However this column gives us the chanceto reach all our English members directly and to updateour colleagues in Wales, Northern Ireland and overseaswho see this. Just as importantly, this gives us the chanceto show all those registered referees who are notmembers of the Referees’ Association of England (RAE)what they are missing. Our Association offers a uniqueopportunity to regularly meet with other referees locallyand nationally. Through this they benefit from personaldevelopment via informal and formal training sessionsconducted within our 300 local Societies as well asmeeting socially to discuss football and refereeing. OurSocieties’ doors are always open to new members socontact us, we’ll be pleased to see you.

Through membership other general benefits accrue such asmembership of the Personal Accident Insurance Scheme, accessto the RA Benevolent Fund, discounted refereeing kit andequipment from RAshop.co.uk and advice or representationon legal and administrational matters. We are here for yourdevelopment, support and welfare.

RA Conference Weekend 8/9 June

Again this year we are based at the Hilton Hotel, Warwick.It is very accessible by car being right by Junction 15 of theM40 and not too far from local railway stations – WarwickParkway is the nearest. The hotel was very hospitable lastyear and has been reserved for our exclusive use over theweekend with normal parking fees waived for attendees.Well before the time this reaches you, the Conferencebookings will be rolling in. Your local Society will have hadfull details and should have publicised the very attractiveprogramme this year. There will be a formal AssociationAGM on the afternoon of Friday 8 June followed in theevening with a buffet reception with entertainment. Duringthe evening a number of RAE Long and Meritorious ServiceAwards will be presented to members.

The Conference itself takes place on Saturday 9 June 2007starting at 10 a.m. Platform presentations by eminentspeakers will be interspersed with more intimate ‘workshopsessions’ that were so successful when we introduced themat the Southport event in 2005. These sessions offer thechance for smaller groups to interact with some of our topreferees and administrators. Those participating this year willinclude: Ian Blanchard, Howard Webb, Mark Clattenburg,Steve Bennett, Martin Atkinson, Mike Riley, Phil Sharp andChris Hoy

As well as these ‘star performers’ there will be other sessionson refereeing at ‘park’ level and an interactive session (perhapsfor our more mature members and RAE administrators)where questions on the Association itself will be debated.Adding these items to the programme means there is reallysomething for everybody to enjoy and to learn from.

Saturday continues in the evening with the Dinner and Dance.The Annual Draw will take place during the interval of thedancing to a live band. Before that, many of our most seniorreferees will be presented with mementos to mark theirappearance at various prestigious cup finals. Come alongand rub shoulders with them.

Entrance to all Conference events is by ticket only. The Saturdaydaytime programme is free to all members but must be pre-booked. Full details and booking forms are available fromyour own Society Secretary and extras may be requestedfrom the head office in Coventry (not from The FA, though).

If you are not already an RAE member, why not join nowand enjoy what the Warwick Conference has to offer?

No increase in RA insurance premium

The premium for 2007-08 remains unchanged at £4 for allmembers aged 14 to 75. Against a background of generallyhigh inflation in insurance premiums, it now offers memberseven better value. They have personal accident cover whileengaged in all football-related activities – not just whilstactually officiating – travelling to and attendance at meetingsis also covered, for instance, so is acting as an assessor,instructor or examiner. The general benefits that may beclaimed, subject to the exact terms of the policy, as a resultof an accident include:

• Up to £20,000 for death, the loss of a limb or an eye,permanent disablement or paralysis

• Medical expenses up to £100

• Dental expenses up to £100

• £100 per week for temporary total disablement

Additionally, theft of refereeing equipment of up to £200may be claimed for, again subject to reasonable conditions.The RA group personal accident insurance policy representsexcellent value and is another good reason for joining us.

National Quiz Final

This takes place on Sunday 29 April at the StonebridgeManor Hotel, off the A45 west of Coventry. Six teamsrepresenting the regions in England will go head-to-headwith challengers from Wales and Northern Ireland in whatpromises to be a keenly-fought contest. It starts at 2 p.m.If you’re nearby – or even if you’re not – why not go alongand watch? It’s a good chance to brush up on yourknowledge on the more obscure parts of the Laws!

The RA website

This is now fully functional thanks to the efforts of severalmembers. It is a source for information on the Associationgenerally with downloads of many standard documents nowavailable. Almost complete is the database of local Societiesso that you can find where and when your local branchmeets and who to contact there. The site provides topicalnews feeds and we are sure you will find them interestingand informative.

The once-troubled Discussion Board is now operating undercontrol and right-minded individuals can sign on and getinvolved. There is also the direct link to our Supplies businessat www.RAshop.co.uk and to other commercial enterprises.

Go to www.footballreferee.org and catch up!

Eve-of-the-Final Rally

The Eve-of-Final Rally returns to London on Friday 18 May2007 at 6 p.m. and we are delighted to announce that thiswill be held at the Emirates Stadium Ashburton Grove, thehome of Arsenal Football Club. The Rally honours The FACup Final Referee and his team. It is a tribute paid to themby their fellow referees to recognise their achievement.Everybody will get a chance to mingle with the match officialsand VIPs before the formalities begin and will receive a souvenirprogramme autographed by The FA Cup Final officials. We aredelighted that Keith Hackett, General Manager of the PGMOL,will be the Guest Speaker.

We say a big ‘thank you’ to our colleagues in Cardiff Societywho have kept the show going so well during the FA’s exilein Wales, and expect that this year we will combine the bestof past rallies in London with the freshness of our Welsh friendsbrought to the events in Cardiff.

Tickets for this event are now on sale at £12.50 each.They can be ordered at http://www.footballreferee.org/or in bulk by ABSs. Demand is expected to be high,so we recommend early application, which will be on a ‘first come/first served’ basis, to avoid disappointment.

RA News



News and Events

When will the course be available?The course will be ready for people to access by the end ofMay 2007.

What are the aims of the course?The course will give referees more confidence in effectivelydealing with players when faced with a variety of circumstanceson the field of play. This should help prevent confrontation onthe pitch and therefore help the game to run more smoothly.

How long will the course take? We anticipate the course will take approx 3 hours to complete,but this can be done over a 6 month period, allowing thelearner to save their work and return to the course at any time.

Do I need to be a computer ‘whiz kid’ to complete the course?No! All the online courses are designed for people will minimalIT experience and if you use a computer to surf the internetyou will be able to register, enrol and complete the course.

What happens if I have a problem with the course?FA Learning provides full support including a telephone hotlineand email service to make sure you have all the answers toyour questions, but don’t worry it’s a very straightforward, notto mention, a fun way to learn!

How many other online courses does The FA manage?We now have 13 online courses covering a range of subjectsincluding psychology, fitness, coaching, learning the laws andchild protection with more on the way in 2007. Since welaunched the courses in 2004 we have enrolled thousands oflearners in more than ten thousand courses with brilliantlypositive feedback.

What the benefits to taking an FA Online Course?• Help to further your skills as a referee• Learn in a new and exciting way• Six months 24/7 access to complete the course• Learn at your own pace and in your own time• Save your work at any time and return to the course

at the same point• FA Certificate sent to your home on completion

of the course

To make sure that you know when the new Referee PlayerManagement course goes live, visit www.TheFA.com/FALearingand register your interest today.

Jonathan Wilson is the Marketing Manager for FA Learning and responsiblefor the continued development of FA Learning’s e-learning strategy.

While the debate continues to rage within football andrefereeing circles about the benefits and drawbacks ofallowing referees to utilise technology to aid decision making,there is one area of technology that The FA is convincedwill support the development of all referees – e-learning!

Within the next few months, FA Learning, the educational divisionof The FA (for which refereeing plays a central role) will launchits first ever online course aimed at and designed for, existing,qualified referees.

The course – Referee Player Management - is designed to supportall referees in the management of difficult situations that are alltoo common on pitches up and down the country.

Whether you are a new, young, aspiring referee, an assistantreferee for the Football League or one of the thousands ofreferees that support the game week in week out across theparks of England, we all know how much of an issue dealingwith difficult players in confrontational situations can be.

As the governing body, we have recognised the need to increaseour efforts in equipping our dedicated referee workforce withthe relevant skills in this area and as part of that programmewe will launch this new interactive online course very shortly.

The course has been designed by Keith Hill and Ray Olivier,FA Regional Referee Development Managers and very experienced,both in officiating at the highest level and working to help developofficials at all levels of the game. With the help of FA Learningand our chosen design agency, First Media, we are very confidentthat the course will improve the skills, knowledge andunderstanding of any referee that decides to take the course.

Having seen the course in development, Ian Blanchardcommented, “I think it looks great and will be of real benefitto the refereeing community. We know the online courseshave worked brilliantly for coaches and parents and I amconvinced this course will be the first of many for referees.”

More about the Referee Player Management courseThe high expectations placed upon the referee by players,team officials, spectators and the media means that refereesnow need an increasingly wide skills set to meet the challengespresented. For some referees 'keeping all the juggling balls inthe air' can be daunting. This innovative and dynamic onlinecourse has been designed to give referees coping strategiesin dealing with real life on-field situations and use strategiesto help them positively deal with these situations.

This course has been designed to help you:

• Improve your player management skills• Introduce you to some useful techniques and their benefits• Enhance your match control• Increase your enjoyment as a referee

Although the course isn’t available yet, we have already had morethan 300 referees register their interest in the course so thatthey know the minute the course is live. For all the referees onthe ‘interested’ list, there will be a real benefit to being in thefirst group to enrol on the course. To find out when the coursegoes live and to make sure you gain the exclusive benefits onoffer ‘register an interest’ for the course today.

You can do this by simply visiting www.TheFA.com/FALearning,clicking on the Courses and Conferences button and thenclicking on the ‘Online Courses’ button. Finally just find thecourse on the list and register today!

Questions about the Referee Player Management Courseand e-learning

Who is the course for?The course is predominantly aimed at referees or people involvedin refereeing. The course will assume that the individual willhave some experience refereeing and a basic knowledge ofthe Laws. The course can be taken by referees at all levels,although it is ideal that they have refereeing experience beforethey take it. The course may also be taken by other participantsin the game, such as players, coaches, parents etc as it mayhelp in their understanding of how cooperating on the filed ofplay will improve the running of the game.

There’s more than one ‘e’ in Learningby Jonathan Wilson



News and Events

On 1 February 2007 the penultimate Football AssociationMatch Officials' Association (FAMOA) event in the 2006series took place at the brand new Emirates Stadium inLondon, home of Arsenal Football Club. This event wasplanned and organised by the London Football Association(LFA), in conjunction with Edward Stone, The FA RegionalManager for Referees in the South East.

On arrival it was clear that the huge amount of planning thatmust have gone into organising this event should be highlycommended. London FA's Adrian Shorter and his efficientgroup of volunteers had obviously adopted their bestpractices and lessons learnt from previous FA events stagedwithin the capital. The brand new stadium has a bright andairy feel and this added to the curiosity factor with a largenumber of attendees taking the opportunity to tour aroundthe stadium.

The stadium is mightily impressive, offering a splendiduninterrupted view from each of the 60,000+ seats. And inkeeping with the Arsenal tradition of having a top qualityplaying surface, they have installed special sun lamps on thepitch to ensure continual growth of the turf throughout thewinter months; this generated a great deal of interest.

The event was attended by 224 delegates. This is by far thehighest number of attendees since the County FootballAssociations began to stage the events. It is also the highestnumber since the FAMOA events began.

The evening was designed to inform and stimulate interestin the work of the County FAs. The FA’s own Ed Stone setthe scene for the event and was ably supported by DavidDixon who gave an in-depth outline on the topic entitled“What can your County FA do for you?”

Following this presentation, guest speaker Chris Foypresented a certificate and tunic badge to Peter Gill, toacknowledge Peter's first ten games as a new referee andalso described his part in the proceedings, as one of themore pleasurable duties of a high-profile referee.

Following the presentation of the certificate, Adrian Shorterdelivered a rallying call by presenting a topic entitled, “Whatcan you do for your County?”. The presentation was designedto stimulate interest in delegates, by encouraging them tobecome involved in the three current initiatives of Mentoring,Assessing and Young Referees. To enhance this delivery theLondon FA had provided three booths in an adjoining areawhere interested parties could discuss the individualdisciplines with local coordinators; it was pleasing to notethat these cubicles were very busy during the break.

Keynote speaker Chris Foy, FA Premier League Referee,gave a presentation on the 'Life of a professional referee'.Chris kept the delegates spellbound with his honesty,humour and professionalism for well over an hour, includingdealing with many questions from the floor. The biggestcompliment to Chris is that it only seemed like 10 minutes!

Lockie Bramzell, London FA Referees' Committee Chairman,who must have been a very proud man throughout theevening, closed the event with generous thanks to thosewho were in attendance and to those involved in the event'sorganisation.

As a guest speaker myself, it was a privilege to be at anextremely well organised, well attended and expertlydelivered event. We look forward to seeing you all at thenext FAMOA events throughout the country.

An Evening at the Emiratesby Alan Wilkie

The West Middlesex Referees' Society was founded in 1948by Harold Bunce, Les Kitson, Wally Guyett and Charlie Angliss.Initially, the Society worked in conjunction with the WestMiddlesex Sunday Football League where some of our oldermembers were recruited. These included stalwarts such asAlan Oliver, Derek Stevens, Dennis Martin, Tony Allright,Charlie Woods, Ron Rumsey and Dave Davies, who all hadsome part to play in making the Society successful.

Over time, the Society became more independent, and duringthe 1970s membership grew to over 100, including John Brooks,Keith Burley, Dave Mann, Frank Howlett, George Smith andRay Herb. During this period, the Society had a vibrant socialscene, with Dinner Dances and other social functions beingvery popular.

During the eighties and nineties, the number of referees withinthe Society dropped steadily. The Society’s main claim to famewas the membership of Philip Don, who was the Englishrepresentative at the 1994 World Cup in the United States andlater became the Referees' Manager for the Professional GameMatch Officials Limited (PGMOL).

During the nineties, membership dropped below the fifty mark,and the Society lost key members of its Executive Committeethrough retirement, resignation and bereavement. Newermembers were ‘encouraged’ to take a more active part in therunning of the Society, and Rod Chatfield and Noel Palmerjoined the Executive Committee.

During the early 2000s, the Society took a long, hard look atitself. The Chairman Ray Herb and Vice Chairman RichardSeuke subsequently took the view that the traditional style ofmeetings with numerous reports and a guest speaker neededupdating. A new emphasis was put on training, and two thingswere implemented. Firstly, Richard drastically changed theformat of monthly meetings. Reports were moved to theSociety magazine; a members’ problems section wasincorporated into the agenda and the emphasis switched toinvolving members more at meetings. Secondly, ChrisThompson joined the Training Team. The Team then changedthe format of its courses to include summer courses, weekendcourses, two-tier courses and crash courses.

The impact of these changes slowly began to take effect, andmembership began to increase again from 85 in 2004-05 to 104in 2005-06, which was recognised by the Ken Longhurst Trophyfor the biggest percentage increase amongst 12 other societies.

Training continues to be at the forefront of the Society’ssuccess, and the Training Team has strengthened its numbersto seven over the past three years, including Jo Northey whoattained FA Licensed Instructor status this year. The Societyembarked on a youth-only course in September 2006 andtrained sixteen lads under the age of seventeen. Not contentwith training these lads, the Society then mustered a group ofvolunteers to work alongside the Training Team as mentors.Together, we ensured that every one of these new refereeshad a mentor with him for his first three games. The gamesthemselves were allocated as a result of collaboration betweenthe Society and the Surrey Youth League. The result is that ofthe original sixteen trainees, fourteen continue to referee on aregular basis.

The Society has achieved its success as a result of the dedicationand commitment shown by the Training Team and the ExecutiveCommittee. There is also much stability within the ExecutiveCommittee due to long memberships. In recognition of theirservice to refereeing, Keith Burley and Ray Herb were eachawarded their Referees' Association Long and MeritoriousService awards in 2004.

Notable speakers include Stephen Bennett, Dermot Gallagher,Barry Knight, Rob Styles and Paul Taylor, and the Society isvery fortunate to have use of the excellent facilities offered byBP at their Meadhurst Social Club in Sunbury-on-Thames.

Ray Herb qualified as a referee in 1974 and became Training Officer in1985. Since then he has become an FA Licensed Instructor and FA Assessor.He was Chairman of Middlesex RA for three years before taking the Chair atSociety in 1994. He received his RA Long and Meritorious Service in 2004.

Society Spotlight - West Middlesexby Ray Herb



News and Events

In light of the age discrimination legislation that wasimplemented in England in October 2006, The FAhas reviewed its policy relating to the appointmentof Match Officials.

As you will be aware, under the current system there are anumber of age restrictions for Match Officials in terms oftheir promotion into or removal from levels within therefereeing structure operated by The FA. This starts withpromotion into Level 4 where The FA only takes refereesunder the age of 43.

As a result of the review, The FA has decided that in futuredecisions on the promotion and/or removal of refereesappointed by The FA (i.e. Levels 2 to 4) will be based on arobust performance analysis system that applies to all refereesirrespective of age and accordingly the current agerestrictions will cease to apply .

What this means in practice:

1. Nominations from County FAs for promotionto Supply League (i.e. Level 4)

Age will no longer be a factor to be considered by CountyFAs in deciding which referees to nominate for promotion.

The FA has redesigned the CL1 (Detail) form so that CountyFAs will now be required to provide more detailed informationabout each referee so that promotion to Level 4 is purely onmerit-based accurate information.

2. Rigorous ‘performance analysis’ systemNow that age has been removed as a criterion, to ensure thatreferees with the potential are given the opportunity to moveup the refereeing ladder to the professional game, it is essentialthat The FA has a rigorous ‘performance analysis’ system.This includes performance analysis and fitness testing.

As you are aware, The FA has improved the assessmentschemes operating at Levels 4 and 3 by increasing the numberof assessments and the quality of the feedback to ensurethat we have sufficient detailed information on refereeperformance for both promotion and retention purposes.

3. Feedback to Match Officials In the interests of fairness, The FA has increased thefrequency at which we advise Match Officials of their merittable ranking at Levels 3 and 2. At Level 3 we haveintroduced a new merit ranking system that divides thecurrent 398 referees into groups of 25, which gives refereesa clearer indication of their position. This information is nowsent to the referees four times a year rather than twice ayear as in the past.

This increase to four times a year has also been introducedfor Level 2 referees.

4. Identifying talentWe have introduced a Regional Referee Coaching schemeat Level 3 (Contributory League) to work closely with MatchOfficials to enhance their performance and develop the skillsrequired to achieve the next level.

The Coaching scheme for 2007/08 will involve two groupsof referees.

• The ten coaches will be working with the 60 or so newLevel 3 referees to support them as they are trying toadapt to a higher level of football.

• Around 100 current Level 3 referees who are identified ashaving the potential to progress their refereeing careerswill be selected to form a Talent Group. However, being inthis Talent Group brings no guarantee of promotion andthere will be flexibility to allow the movement of refereesinto and out of the scheme.

The criteria for the talent group are:

• A perceived on-field potential to progress through to ahigher level of refereeing.

• Sufficient time and opportunity to achieve promotion intothe professional game. In general terms it would take areferee 5-6 seasons to gain enough experience to movefrom Level 3 to Level 1, although clearly some refereeswith exceptional talent will move more quickly than thatand some referees may take longer to achieve that promotion)

• A high level of commitment and personal responsibilitytowards the principles of the group

• An undertaking to establish goal/target-setting within anagreed action plan with their coach

• Commitment to attend all the training and educationseminars set up for the group.

Those referees selected for the Regional Referee Coachingscheme for season 2007-08 will be contacted at the end ofthe current playing season.

If you have any questions in relation to the new systemplease contact me at [email protected]

FA Policy on Age Legislationby Neale Barry


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Documents

Refereeing Magazine - Vol 03 - Spring 07