Pro Clinic notes 3/4 and 3/5 2006

(in no particular order)

Lessons taught at the highest level of officiating, but still applicable at EVERY level.

• Kermit Quissenbery, Angelo Bratsis, Paul Tamberino, Nancy Leigh, Josef Michna
• The facilities, service, accommodations and everything were all first class, A1A!
• Do you ref to stay fit or stay fit to ref? We should be following a regimen which we do running, stretching and weight training.
• We are there to protect the integrity of the game..SEE..Safety, Equality & enjoyment.
• Understand the differences between SFP and VC. Off the ball or when the ball is not in play would be considered VC. SFP must be against an opponent.
• Maintain concentration and awareness at all times.
• Be aware of previous situations which might affect your current game.
• There’s no excuse for the referee team NOT to call stuff off the ball or behind the ref’s back.
• Violence occurs because players have lost control or the ref has lost control.
• Violence is the last link in a chain of events—what were the events leading up to it?
• Fouls….frustration…..dissent…..retaliation…..misconduct…..violence
• YOU have the power and authority. Don’t hesitate to use it. Players must realize you will not hesitate.
• Elbows: watch for careless, reckless and excessive force.
• Throwing or swinging with force, raising to shoulder level or higher, eyes off the ball, clenched fist.
• Was it fair? Did the player need the card? Did the game need the card?
• Closed fist = red
• Yellow cards are used to punish the infraction, modify the behavior, set the standards and control the game.
• Laws 3, 4, 5 and 12 define mandatory cautions. You, and everyone else, know you have no choice!
• Discretionary cautions include USB, DIS and PI and time wasting.
• There are 14 categories of USB including reckless fouls, reckless tackles, tactical fouls, lack of respect, feigning…
• Know your options. You have several which won’t affect your integrity and control.
• Always be thinking….
• Players size up the opposition and test the referee.
• Players try to exploit the weaknesses of not only the opponents, but the referee, too!
• Think before you open your mouth. How/what are the players saying? Take time to listen to angry players.
• Sell your decisions.
• Get more out of your stoppage time by settling players down and regain composure.
• Look into their eyes…NO MORE, NOT NECESSARY AND NOT TOLERATED! Wait till they look at you and get them to believe their card. Don’t just flash it.
• Isolate the player, speak to the player, show the card, look confident and not away.
• Do not show cards aggressively, arrogantly or apologetically.
• A bad card has no effectiveness, appears to be an over reaction and a sign of insecurity.
• Does the # of cautions affect your decision to give, i.e., a player who has already received one?
• Once you establish the boundaries in the first 15 minutes, players will settle down and play.
• If the first caution didn’t modify a player’s behavior, it was ineffective.
• If players feel confident a second yellow won’t come, it won’t change their behavior and will lead to game control difficulty.
• If you referee with an arrogant, dictatorial or show no respect, you will NEVER make it as a referee!
• Offside: Stay in position, concentrate and know the interpretations/applications.
• Should you always be side stepping? No, just stay the same speed at the defenders.
• Maintain concentration and do not be distracted by technical area or spectator distractions.
• HOLD-HOLD-HOLD…Make sure before you raise your flag for offside.
• Talk to yourself to keep/stay in focus.
• Your overall success depends on your refereeing ability, your athleticism and your off the field demeanor.
• Teamwork is built by:

1. Camaraderie, trust, commitment, attitude and respect

2. Your responsibilities of assistance, involvement, concentration and communication

3. this results in confidence and finally

4. the final result of excellence in performance

· AR’s and 4^th officials provide information to the center referee and he makes the decisions.

· The team together must accept the full responsibilities for 2^nd cautions, player #’s, send offs, penalty kicks, # of players on the field and bench, the # of subs used, the record and the sequence of records.

· Remember the order of importance in life: God, family, work, soccer.

· If I raise my flag, will I help the referee?

· Don’t be afraid to get involved.

· 4^th officials: if you want to watch the game, buy a ticket.

· 4^th officials must be non-confrontational.

· Tell coaches…coach: shout…sit..that’s it.

· ALL conditions necessary for a DGSO must be present for a red card. The number of defenders, the distance to the ball, the distance to the goal and the direction of play.

· Contact does NOT mean a dive. Embellishment does not mean a player was not fouled, but it should be addressed with the player.

· Is it a handball? Consider the distance from the ball, unnatural position of the arm or hand and was it reflexive or protective?

WE CONTROL HOW THE PLAYERS PLAY.