Day 5: Not everyone is a winner - deal with it

So as the tournament wears on, there are some things that will become more clear if they were not already. Not everyone finishes first. Now this comes in a number of different forms that the referee has to deal with. Here are some ways to consider:

Teams that do not qualify for a final.
There is an old axiom that the toughest match is the semi final. Well that is generally true. Some equally tough matches are those for a chance to get into a semi-final. Those can be brutal. So before you start ANY MATCH, look at the standings and understand what each team has to win ... or lose. This foresight can be invaluable as you prepare for a match.

Parents of players on teams that do not qualify for a final.
This is somewhat corollary from the above, but has its own flavor. Regionals are a place that college coaches come to watch promising young players, and those players that a parent has berated a coach into coming to watch. I've said it before, college is expensive, and any edge that can be had, a parent will look for. As with any match, determine who those stars may be and protect them. It may be their chance to shine in front of a college coach. This is not to say that they deserve special treatment, all players are equal. However things may get a little more animated than usual ... and this may be a reason why. Just a thought.

Not all referees will get a final.
This is an obvious, but sometimes painful fact of a tournament like this. It may leave a referee sitting on the touchline for the whole day of finals. It may leave whole teams of referees from the same state sitting on the touchline. It can hurt ... and as I have personally experienced, it does hurt. Especially when you thought it should have been you doing that U-19 final.

Now I can not even begin to explain what goes into assigning stuff like this, It is a real black art to me and one I just assume leave that way. It is more than ability, more that politics, more than luck. It is just the way it is and a referee has to be aware of that.

My thought is to support your compatriots or one who are going out there that day. They will appreciate the support and remember it forever. It is truly an event to be selected for a final at the regionals, and that referee carries everyone from the state with them. Show them your support.

Referees are generally competitive animals and it can sting when one is not first. Just remember that these referees that you may feel competition with one day, are your brothers and sisters for all time. These relationships you make, can last a lifetime and tranced the game and everything attached to it.

Embrace the competitive spirit, but remember the human element and support your friends when they need it most. They will in turn, do the same when your time comes ... to be first.

MA SYRA to tweet semi-final and final assignments live!

As those who follow us know, as the round robin matches are over, the real nail-biting begins for the referees as the assignment for semi-final and final assignments are coming out tonight and tomorrow.

Each can be seen as an acknowledgement of a "job well done" for those referees who are selected.

Follow the Massachusetts SYRA (State Youth Refreee Administrator) here to keep up to date on all the action.

Stay tuned, this are getting good as we come down to the wire.

Day 4: Smile ... it can avoid fireworks

So on this day for fun and fireworks, one thing that may help to keep in mind is that a smile is very disarming. Now I am not here to say that it takes less muscles to smile than frown or some such nonsense. I am hear to say that a smile can go a long way in a tense situation. As we all know as referees we find ourselves in tense situations.

Now this is not to say that smiling is appropriate all the time, because it is not. But it is another fiber in the tapestry that a referee must spin to have a successful match. You are there as an ambassador of the game, and those who you deal with are human and have emotions too. Sharing yours will help the overall cause. Besides, people who have fun tend to smile ... and you are having fun refereeing right? An assessor is asking themselves those questions as they watch you ... or at least this one is.

Try it ... Next time a player is starting to get on your case, talk to them and smile. You may be surprised of the result.

Now for those who want to go into some of the other more psychological and physiological reasons for smiling, here is a handful of them for your enjoyment:

1. Smiling Makes Us Attractive
2. Smiling Changes Our Mood
3. Smiling Is Contagious
4. Smiling Relieves Stress
5. Smiling Boosts Your Immune System
6. Smiling Lowers Your Blood Pressure
7. Smiling Releases Endorphins, Natural Pain Killers and Serotonin
8. Smiling Lifts the Face and Makes You Look Younger
9. Smiling Makes You Seem Successful
10. Smiling Helps You Stay Positive

A full reading is here, courtesy of about.com. =)

Day 2 of matches is down ... yet we are all still standing

I have to say that the area we are in for the Region I Championship is really beautiful. Above is a shot from both of the mornings here. Let me tell you that it gets *cold* here in the morning as the fog would indicate.

Despite this fact, by 11AM the heat is up ... and we are ALL baking.

Over the first two days it has been a stark reminder just how much fitness is required at a multi-day tournament like this. Each referee is generally asked to serve as a referee, and then generally as an AR for (2) more matches. These can include shorter halves for younger ages (e.g. U12) or "regular" halves for the older ages.

Now while refereeing multiple youth matches is nothing really new for a referee who has been through "the program" (a euphemism I sometimes employ to describe a referee who has transitioned from the youth to other levels of the game), to do so at this very high level of play can be daunting, and require amazing focus. It can be read in their faces and gait as they walk to a field.

That noted, the spirits are buoyed and it is so clear they love what they do.

Now sometimes silliness sets in as it did tonight at dinner and while we were waiting for the presentations to begin, some members of some delegations were counting how long it took for a plate from the buffet table to be picked up when it was done being eaten from.

No folks you just can't make this stuff up either.

It was timed to take from 8 seconds, to 22 minutes 36 seconds. We guessed an average was under 4 minutes though. It was pretty amazing, the staff at Marshall University is terrific. For the record too, we were not teasing these folks we were legitimately eating dinner and came up with  this silly game to pass the time. It worked, and was indeed very silly.

Something tells me as the week continues to wear on, we will get more tired and we will have more silly games to report on.

Stay tuned ... more to come as day 3 is on the horizon.

Day 3: Be ready for THAT question ...

So (Mr. or Ms. referee or AR), what did YOU think about the match?

Be ready with an answer to that one after each and every match. It can help jump start an assessment, and can be used as a tool to lead an assessor down a path that you as referee want to go down. Now, it may be short lived as if there is a topic an assessor wants to cover, they are going to cover it, but you can start things off on the right foot for your team by helping the discussion down the right path.

Here are some answers I would avoid, however each is free to use them at their own peril:

I was AWESOME today!!

I really stunk today, just fail me now.

Well aren't YOU supposed to tell me how I did today?

From a previous post I offered some thoughts about how to handle what might be a tense situation with an assessor. Taking a look back, here are the basic points:

1. Be calm. Assessors (believe it or not) are there to help, not to berate you. Engage in a dialog to understand where the assessor is coming from, and where you as referee, are coming from.

2. Be honest. If you blew it, say you blew it. If you did't, say you didn't. If you don't know, say you don't know. Nothing will get you into hotter water faster than saying something that is obviously not true to an assessor. Some may buy the BS ... the best will know better.

3. Ask - What would you have done? You might just get a blank look indicating they have no idea. Other braver assessors may say they don't know. The best will have a thought for you to ponder, as a single correct solution rarely presents itself in this game.

4. Say - Thank you. Assessors, as I said before are there to help, not just hang around. You can disagree with the assessment, think they got it all wrong in all aspects, and that they were a blind, clueless, ex-referee trying to relive their career through you. That might be true, every word ... but they took the time to try and help. Appreciate that fact if nothing else.

5. Think about it. There are times when a point in an assessment will not make sense until much later in life. Review those older assessment and rethink about that situation and how you would solve it the next time. It may just happen again.

6. Be your worst assessor. I became an assessor at a young age to try to think like an assessor and understand what they were after. I would perform my own self-assessment and try to come up with the questions they would ask. Sometimes I got it right, sometimes I got it wrong, but in all cases I was thinking about the match, and how I could make my performance better next time.


Getting an assessment after a whole day on the pitch can be no fun. I know this, been there, done that. Just be ready to answer THAT question, and consider the above points, and you'll be just fine.

Feeling hot, Hot, HOT!!!

Things have definitely heated up from this morning!

For any following on Twitter, we were seriously socked in this morning. You could not see one SIDE of the field from the other. It was crazy. But, just as the first kick was getting underway, the heavens parted and the sun shined in. It was a glorious day ... for about 3 hours, then frankly it got pretty freaking hot.

Lots of sunscreen passed around. I actually drained a 3oz tube on myself, yet to no avail as I am lobster red. I have a bunch of moisturizer and other balms and salves to see if I can salvage the situation. Rumour has it there is a pix floating around of it, so when I have it I will send it along.

It was pretty amazing though how plugged in the community was. When Brazil we3nt down to Netherlands today, the field were immediately buzzing about it. Similar with Ghana playing Uruguay. You could walk the fields and people were listening live on their smart phones and shouting things like "GOAL", or "RED CARD". It was pretty amazing.

More later, but we are off to dinner and the evenings meetings, debrief, and de-debrief. Which is I hope, brief =).

Hot off the presses from one of our FIFA friends who wanted to make sure this got out to everyone.
My very best regards to the provider of the info.

FIFA drops refs who made biggest mistakes

PRETORIA, South Africa – The World Cup’s worst referees were sent packing on Tuesday as soccer’s governing body tried to cut down on the glaring errors that have plagued the tournament. ...

Full story continues here, courtesy of yahoo sports.

Houston: The Eagle Has Landed

I've always found traveling fun ... I have always found traveling with a group of referees even more fun. The opening volley of flight from BOS to CRW was good and generally uneventful, save a very positive run in with a member of the POTUS medical sweep team.

Each of the referees and assessors (save your overdressed author in the center of the picture) is impressive in each of their own rights. It is truly humbling to be traveling with them and all they have accomplished, and the things they will soon accomplish in this tournament and beyond.

This group seems very cohesive and there is a relaxed tone with a subtle anxiety, which is typical leading up to events such as Regionals.This anxiety has grown slowly for some ... and as I am going through this process as an assessor for my first time, I am not immune to it. As while I pen this before getting up at 5a tomorrow to start a very long day, it mounts for me too.

Weather is beautiful, even a little cold in the overnights but have been sparkling clear days. Even hot in same cases ... and yes I already have too much colour and haven't even been out to a field yet.

All and all however, an excellent start to what will surely be an excellent week.

I was able to find a net connection (in the room no less) and will be blogging when able ... and tweeting via the iPhone much more often.

Stay tuned, the fun is just beginning.

Day 1: As of now, the clock is ticking

To keep on the Top Gun theme for just a minute, Commander Heatherly, call sign "Jester" (played by Michael Ironside) stated, "The clock is ticking, and as of now we are keeping score", the first time everyone was together at Top Gun.

This is as true in tournaments as it is in the movies. Stated another way, as soon as you leave your house for the tournament, you need to be "on", until you return to your home.

Seems like a lot of pressure and provides for very little down time eh. Well, that's the deal.

Even when you are back at your room resting for the next day, you could get a knock at your door from the assignment staff looking for help (it happened).

You could get a knock at your door from an assessor to discuss a point on your assessment (it happened).

You are being sized up by players, fans, assessors, referees and staff most if not all of the time. It happens.

When you travel, how are you dressed? I am going in my dress blues, right down to the federation tie. When you are in a group of folks traveling together, which do you think looks better, a bunch of folks in mis-matched "street clothes", or a group of folks in matching uniforms?

Same thing when you have down time between games. Are you walking around with that old, mustard stained, sleeveless, off color slogan T-Shirt, or do you have a crisp state logo polo shirt on?

You get the point I'm sure. Just keep it mind what Jester said. As of THIS moment, the clock is ticking, and everyone is keeping score.

See everyone on the plane. I'll be the guy in the pressed US Soccer jacket, grey slacks, crisp white shirt, federation tie, and polished dress shoes.

"You two are going to Top Gun ..."

"On March 3, 1969 the United States Navy established an elite school for the top one percent of its pilots. Its purpose was to teach the lost art of aerial combat and to insure that the handful of men who graduated were the best fighter pilots in the world. They succeeded. Today, the Navy calls it Fighter Weapons School. The flyers call it: TOP GUN."


Does anyone remember this, or am I really showing my age? Wait a second, please don't answer that ...


So here we are on the cusp of the 2010 Regional I tournament beginning. I found that in my experience as a referee, the tournament took on a heightened flavor when the World Cup was being played. This is based in my experience of 1994 when I was at regionals and watched the USA v. BRA match (match report) with a group of referees that had just worked really hard all week long ... anyone remember the bicycle kick that just missed the post from Balboa? Here we are again, a World Cup, a Regional Tournament, and I am going ... this time as an assessor.


It got me thinking about being selected for such a tournament and the emotions that went into it for me. It is very stirring, exciting and scary all at the same time. Maybe like Maverick and Goose going to Top Gun. Well, maybe like Goose going to Top Gun ...

Now you may have been thinking I was speaking purely about this from a refereeing perspective. I was not. I feel that way today as an assessor. Like referees, assessors are chosen for a variety of reasons, but among them, I would opine, is ability as an assessor to help guide referees.

This is a pretty awesome responsibility when I sit down and think about it. There are a great many lessons learned from the pitch as a referee. Many that I personally carry forward to this day off of my life. To offer such guidance to these developing referees takes some careful thought.

Over the next (6) days we will have a bit of a mini-series in things I learned from tournament play as well as some reporting on the goings on of the tournament itself. These posts are not "do as I do", but to provoke thought about what may make sense in a multi-day tournament context. Each reader is on their own to figure out how to use the information, and I offer it in that vein.

So sit back, relax, and come with me on a 6 day voyage to one of the premier youth soccer tournaments in the United States today, and all it has to offer.

President: FIFA will consider refereeing questions

FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter stated at a 2010 FIFA World Cup media round table today that the file on goal-line technology would be reopened. President Blatter also gave his views on the standard of football so far and the FIFA World Cup’s lasting legacy in South Africa. 


Full story here, courtesy of FIFA.com.

Bye - Bye Uruguay?

We've all see this image or some form of it by now in the refereeing world from the GER v. ENG match (report here). A relevant question may be, is this the end of the Uruguayan penta-refereeing team? (All 5 are from Uruguay) Will we see them again in this World Cup?

Similar to before, I'm not going to answer, nor am I going to go into (right now anyway) the howls for technology to become more a part of the modern game. I will also not go into depth of some of the absolute ludicrous commentary that is floating around. One piece of note is here. There were two quotes from this article that I found interesting.

Fact: Espinosa should have seen it. Practically everyone else did, without the need for video technology. It was visible with the naked eye. 

Okayee ... the juxtaposition of "Fact:" and "... should have seen it." are odd to me as clearly the JAR did not see that the ball crossed the line. I would be interested to know where the author was sitting for that one. Granted the ESPN coverage I was watching did clearly show it, but you had to be looking for it.

The non-goal was also edited out of a 2-minute highlight reel of the match on FIFA's website.

Ewwww ... I am with the author on that one, I don't like that at all. Yeah the refereeing team got it wrong, but hiding it does not help.

In the spirit of learning, what could we as referees change in this case?

When the ball was played the JAR was in the exact correct position, level with the second to last defender just about on the edge of the 18 yard box. The referee too seemed to be in a good position, with the play mostly penned in between he and his AR, trailing about 10 yards behind when the ball was struck.

It was at this point that LAMPARD struck the ball which rang off the crossbar, the ball deflected down, over the line, by about the diameter of a ball ... or about 9 inches, maybe a smudge more, but not much, then right out to the goal keeper.

Now the timing. The clock at the shot was at 37:43. This was when the JAR and referee were in the positions see above. By the time NEUER had the ball in his hands after bouncing out of the net, it was 37:45 as see below.

So, the JAR had to travel 18 yards in 2 seconds ... that is about 18.41 MPH or 29.63 KPH, faster than the fastest player on the ENG side, which happened to be LAMPARD at 29.41 KPH (report here). Keep in mind, this is from a dead stop as the JAR was in exactly the correct position at the taking of the shot. Is this even possible? Also, the time the ball was over the line was about half of that 2 seconds, really meaning we are talking about an AR moving 18 yards in a second, or at about 60 KPH to be in the perfect position. Now THAT is not possible. From the tape and the commentary the JAR was able to get about 10 yards from the goal line by the time the goalkeeper had the ball in his hands.

The referee was about 25ish yards back when the ball deflected down over the line and back out. He was also coming in straight on and had the worst possible angle.

So what do we do here?

Here is my prophetic answer ... I don't know.

This is tremendously unlucky for ENG and the refereeing team, and tremendously lucky for GER ... and honestly extraordinarily well played by NEUER to not let on at all what may, or may not have happened. I don't think that even he knew where the ball had been.

To me this is the ARs call all day as the referee has to trail the play here. If this was off a corner kick or other close set piece, my answer is very different, but quick counter attacking play moving forward like this, it is the ARs call.

This is, in my opinion, the single hardest and consequential out of bounds decision an AR has to make. Goal-line in/out is fairly routine albeit consequential, but ball struck on a rope 18 yards away, no defenders nearby and make that call in 2 seconds or less ... well that changes things. All the AR can do is run as fast as they can to the goal line while looking inside the field and see if you can catch a glimpse of the ball going over the line.

We know the AR can not give up his offside position. They have to follow the ball, so the JAR was where he was supposed to be. This leaves it to getting in the correct position just as quickly as possible and hope to get lucky. I'm sure the AR was trying to read the keeper to help determine if it was in or not ... and as stated above NEUER played it perfectly from that regard.

A guess then? No way. You have to be sure. Unlike the offside decision which I would opine has a preponderance standard (if there is doubt, let them go), a goal has a higher standard to bear and must be beyond reasonable doubt. Very plainly the JAR had doubt, so he had to not call it a goal.

Now a further note on mechanics for the referee. If a ball gets played deep as it had in this case, and the AR follows the ball, as they need to, it is imperative that the referee follow up and cover the offside, and remain there until the AR resumes their position. The team can not leave the offside position uncovered at any time in the match when the ball is in play. If the AR is otherwise engaged, the referee must cover.

So back to the match at hand. Was it a goal? Yes. Should the AR have seen it? Tough to say. One thing I know for sure, is that he is going to be thinking about it for a long, long time.

... and the winner is ...

... Viktor Kassai?

Yes. His performance in USA v. GHA was very good in my opinion. Let's take a closer look.

One of the first things I noticed in looking at the report (here) was the number of fouls ... 30 to be exact. Mind you, this was after 120 minutes of play, not the typical 90.

Also of note was that there was only 5 cautions and no send offs in the match. Again this is over the 120 minute span in a knock-out round of the biggest tournament in the world.

Here is the timeline courtesy of FIFA.com:

Each caution was very good and served a purpose. Kassai did not "throw any away". Of particular note was the caution to BOCANEGRA in the 68'. While the foul seemed fairly innocuous, and was his only one of the match, take a look at the position on the field ... it was right in front of the benches ... and KASSAI wanted to make sure that one was taken care of for sure.

Decisions on fouls were accepted by players on both sides. There was not obvious dissent ... there was discussion. Players were talking to the referee and vice versa. Many cut away scenes were of the referee talking or communicating without talking, with a stern look, or a "knock it off" gesture, to players who were accepting the decisions.

Case in point, and the referees moment of truth ... the USA penalty. There was no drama, no whining, no acting from anyone. It was a foul, they went to the spot, and everyone lined up for it. Simple, right? Right! (There is that luck is the residue of hard work thing again) Simple foul, simple call. Had KASSAI not called that one, the match was over, as was his World Cup I would opine.

KASSAI is a players referee. He talks, and works with the players to manage them through the match. He is proactive about dealing with issues (like the caution to BOCA) before they become an issue. He was fit, he was close to play, and he let them play ... can't ask for anything more than that.

Finally he protected the integrity of the game by allowing for extra time when it was being wasted by GHA. Imagine, here is a referee who gave +3 in extra time after 120+ minutes with the losing team pressing hard. GHA may not have liked it, but fans of the game did. KASSAI gave all the players a full opportunity that day.

So for all this was there anything at issue? My big picture answer is no, he was excellent. There were a couple of minor, one very minor things that caught my eye.

First, in the 63' DONOVAN and PRINCE (really BOATENG) were really going at it and in a series of back to back fouls pretty clearly kicked each other pretty freaking hard. Did the players accept it, yes. Did the referee need to get involved more than he did, no. Could it have gotten worse, I though so. This was right in front of the JAR and may have been worth a word, maybe he did. Either way, the decisions were accepted and the players dealt with it.

Second, KASSAI was in a passing lane more than a few times. Don't get me wrong, his fitness was excellent ... maybe too good as he was able to get in behind the play fairly easily. A few players had to either pass, or make a run around him to get at the ball. This seemed to happen most in the middle 1/3 as play was settling in around the 18 yard box. Not a real effect, just noted ... as did the fact that he was not hit with the ball.

Third, I would have *loved* to see KASSAI get more animated when the GHA players were slowing it down or lying around in the 2nd ET. While they likely would not have picked up the pace, and it would not have changed the amount of extra time given, a more public gesture may have gone that much further.

Finally, and I am picking nits here, why were the ARs wearing long sleeves, and the referee short? I know, I know, silly little point and certainly does not take away from anything ... it just looked weird to me and would have expected the ARs to follow the referees lead. Those guys were working hard too, figured they migh enjoy the shorter sleeve. This from a guy who always wears long.

All and all, KASSAI was very good, and I believe he secured himself a place in the 1/4 finals with that performance. While to me he has only an outside shot of doing the final for reasons I will share later, he has certainly done well to advance himself on the world's stage.

Is Viktor Hungary for USA v. GHA?

All puns intended, our referee for the USA v. GHA match on 26-JUN is Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai. (FIFA bio here)

A FIFA referee since 2003, Kassai hails from Tatabanya and has worked the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup where he served as referee for (2) matches. Kassai also served in the 2008 Summer Olympics and was the referee for the final between Nigeria and Argentina (report here), as well as serving in UEFA Euro 2008.

Kassai does have a lucky star shining on him (some would say it is the resedue of hard work - I am among them) as in 2007 he was assigned to the U-21 Eurpoean Championship Finals in the Netherlands, but had to decline, as noted above he was also asked to attend the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Kassai is a travel agent by trade and in a notable moment he was criticized for sending off Lisbon's Simon Vukcevic in a Champion's League match after Vukcevic scored the equalizer. Some circles believe that Kassai is a book referee unable to bend the book when needed.

Here is what I could find regarding statistics:

So while at the helm of 47 matches, he had 140 cautions (~3 per match) and 5 send offs (~.1 per match). Again these are just numbers, but given the match breakdown, it would to me be a strong indicator militating AWAY from the opinion he is a book referee.

Note however, he is clearly not as experienced as the USA's last referee Frank De Bleeckere, but I would opine is clearly a up and coming star on the international scene.

This next match will be an interesting test of how high that star may climb.

FIFA brings out the big stick

Ladies and Gentlemen, your referee for the pivotal 3rd group match between USA and Algeria, Mr. Frank De Bleeckere. A referee since 1984, and FIFA since 1998, and appointed to the 2006 World Cup. See here for his FIFA profile.

He is one of the most respected referees in Europe and has several international and international friendlies to his credit. This includes 2002 World Cup Qualification, UEFA 2004 Qualification, 2003 FIFA World Youth Championships, UEFA Euro 2004, 2006 World Cup Qualification, 2005 FIFA World Cup U-17 Championship, 2006 FIFA World Cup. UEFA Euro 2008 Qualification, UEFA Euro 2008, 2010 World Cup, and a host of international friendlies.

A complete list as well as other details can be found here.

So what kind of referee is he? Well it would seem clear that discipline is critical to him. Take the following statistics into account:

From the 2006 World Cup:

Event	Games
2006 FIFA World Cup	4	19	0	0

From European play since 2007:

Event	Games
European Play	23	95	0	6

This is an average of 4.22 cautions per match and .26 send offs per match.

Keep in mind, this is just a number. More importantly, by the respect he is given in European circles, he knows how to use the misconduct to manage the players.

What may show more is his approach to the game on Wednesday. Here is a quote from him:

“I don’t look at reputation or anything that has gone before (...) I will watch the previous games of USA and Algeria to help me understand their tactics and work on my positioning. But I will watch ‘Gladiator’ first.”

(Full article from Yahoo sports is here).

Clearly both FIFA and De Bleeckere are preparing for a Gladiator style match on Wednesday as the USA takes the grounds against Algeria. We shall see who comes to fight that day, where De Bleeckere will act as summa rudis. One shall be named victorious and awarded a palm branch, possibly even a rudis, the other, likely goes home.

Referee designations for matches 33-40

See here for the complete list, courtesy of FIFA.com.

For anyone curious about the USA v. ALG match before looking at the link, here is a hint:

... and the country this referee hails from is particularly known for its waffles.

A full analysis soon, but at a glance FIFA clearly wants to put the final results from the group C matches beyond all doubt. See the brief, but highlighted story here, courtesy of FIFA.com.

Sir ... drop the sandwich

So there I was minding my own business the other day at a match when I hear, "Sir, you can't eat here. Drop the sandwich."

I actually thought it was a joke at first. After a second though it was clear that the sandwich police were in no laughing mood as I was told again in an increasingly irritated and increasing in volume tone that I can't eat on the "synthetics" (i.e. the turf fields).

Resisting my generally smart remark self, understanding I was there in an official capacity, I complied, despite the really rude and remedial tone the field marshal took with me as he further lectured me to toss my chips and 7-Up as well. There is no justice, is there.

During the course of the match I proceeded to the other side of the "synthetic" field and behold, what did I see but kids doing what kids do in the hot sun ... eating ice cream!! It was great, they were having a blast watching the match and eating their treat ... and getting it all over the field. Ah, sweet sticky justice was mine.

Honestly I had to laugh out loud as here was a great example of one part of the field where something was enforced, and another where anything goes. Now for anyone who shares the view of the sandwich police, I understand why there is no eating on the fields, and I am familar with the principle of Ignorantia juris non excusat so I am not condoning my sandwich offence, or the marshals churlish behavior, just using it to make a point about refereeing.

That point being a referee has to be consistent across the whole field, throughout the whole match. If certain offences are not called in a particular part of the field, the players will (a) take advantage of that until it happens, and (b) lose respect for the referee as they are allowing things for some and not for others.

Have you ever seen a referee call a hand ball? Sure, lots of times right?

Now take that same situation and move it inside the defenders penalty area. Have you seen the referee make THAT call? Yes ... but less frequently I would opine.

WHY?

Do the laws of physics change in that 792 square yard space? Why are fouls harder to come by?

I'm not really sure. Maybe a referee does not want to change the outcome of a match by making a call in there understanding what the consequences might be. I can appreciate that. As I stated before, it can take courage to make a match altering decision, like send a player off, or give a PK.

You have to do it though. You will lose the respect from the players if you don't give that foul, or move it outside the box if it was close. Let me give you a hint here, if its on the line of the penalty area, it is a PK. Take a look at Law 1, page 6, for the answer.

To fail to apply the law consistently across the whole field, will lead to issues with players as they will get frustrated and show it in actions or words. They are the ones who need to believe in your decisions as they are the ones who will decide how the match is going to go that day.

Make the tough call if you need to, regardless of where they are on the field. While it may go the wrong way for some players, if it is the right decision, the players will respect you for it.

Time to pack his bags?

With the results of the USA v. SVN behind us, there is a burning question in my head. Are we going to see Coulibaly controlling a match again in this World Cup?

I'm not going to answer it though, or even hint at an opinion. Some of you may cry "FOUL" to this, but as I said before, I am not there, have never been in that particular spot, and did not see what he saw, or did not see. I can not in good conscious second guess a referee that was meters from the play.

Lets let history be our guide. Does anyone know a guy names Esse Baharmast? Does anyone recall what occurred in the 1998 World Cup match he presided over? Well since a picture is worth a thousand words, here is one that some may recall.

You see, a referee can go from villain to hero in a short time. For those interested, the full story is here.

So just to reiterate, I am emphatically not sharing an opinion about the decision in the 86' which pulled a USA goal out of the net. I am however going to talk about how at times assessments can be uncomfortable things. I will opine that this assessment will be uncomfortable for the entire refereeing team.

So there you are, had a big match of some type, and you are being assessed. During the match there was some type of controversy that maybe only you saw, or maybe everyone EXCEPT you saw. The match ends and you and your assistants go to the locker room among shouting fans and players.

You know an assessor is coming ... it was a tough match ... you don't want to get criticized about it. What do you do?

1. Be calm. Assessors (believe it or not) are there to help, not to berate you. Engage in a dialog to understand where the assessor is coming from, and where you as referee, are coming from.

2. Be honest. If you blew it, say you blew it. If you did't, say you didn't. If you don't know, say you don't know. Nothing will get you into hotter water faster than saying something that is obviously not true to an assessor. Some may buy the BS ... the best will know better.

3. Ask - What would you have done? You might just get a blank look indicating they have no idea. Other braver assessors may say they don't know. The best will have a thought for you to ponder, as a single correct solution rarely presents itself in this game.

4. Say - Thank you. Assessors, as I said before are there to help, not just hang around. You can disagree with the assessment, think they got it all wrong in all aspects, and that they were a blind, clueless, ex-referee trying to relive their career through you. That might be true, every word ... but they took the time to try and help. Appreciate that fact if nothing else.

5. Think about it. There are times when a point in an assessment will not make sense until much later in life. Review those older assessment and rethink about that situation and how you would solve it the next time. It may just happen again.

6. Be your worst assessor. I became an assessor at a young age to try to think like an assessor and understand what they were after. I would perform my own self-assessment and try to come up with the questions they would ask. Sometimes I got it right, sometimes I got it wrong, but in all cases I was thinking about the match, and how I could make my performance better next time.

Remember, learning about this game is an evolution, not a destination. Nothing impresses this assessor more than honest introspection and a desire to get better next time out regardless of the previous result. I suspect this is the same for most assessors out there today.

Assume the position

I have been impressed with the quality and fitness of the referees in the World Cup through the first 16 matches.  I may not be able to say the same for last night's referee in the Spain v Switzerland match.  English Referee Howard Webb was constantly in the way of the play, unless of course he was nowhere near it.So how does a casual (or even astute) observer tell when watching on TV that the referee positioning is sub-par?   It is easy.  Here are some tell-tale signs of bad positioning, all of which occurred in that game:

• When the player with the ball can reach out and touch the referee, or has to dribble around him.
• When the ball hits the referee, or the referee has to take quick action to jump over the ball or duck to avoid getting hit.
• When there is a long counter attack and the referee is not even in the TV picture because he is struggling to keep up.
• When the referee is positioned between the ball carrier and one of his teammates.
  

That last one may be a little harder to observe, but if you just take ten minutes and look for it you will see a pattern emerge.  Look for this to happen in the middle third of the field.  Does the player with the ball have options to pass to both flanks, or is the referee taking one of those options away?  A smart referee will adjust his position to make sure there is a defender in between himself and the ball carrier.  Webb didn't, and it took away Spain's crisp passing ability, which is one of Spain's best weapons.

USA's Round 2. Who's Making the Calls?

FIFA announced the referees for USA's 2nd match the other day. 
Here they are:



Referee
COULIBALY Koman (MLI)

Assistant Referee 1
ACHIK Redouane (MAR)

Assistant Referee 2
CANDIDO Inacio (ANG)

Fourth Official
MOHD SALLEH Subkhiddin (MAS)

Reserve Assistant Referee
GEK PHENG Jeffrey (SIN)


So we have a Malian referee, assistants from Morocco and Angola, the 4th official from Malaysia, and a Singaporean Reserve Assistant Referee.


Here is a very real question ... What language are they going to speak to each other with?


Here is a follow up to ponder ... Does it matter? Forget fancy headsets, what about eye contact?


COULIBALY'S "official" stats from FIFA are here, and a brief dossier from Wikipedia is here. He is the most experienced of all Malian referees (source).


So, let's look at that experience.


He has apparently worked the USA v. Tajikstan match in the 2007 U-17 World Cup (source), Colombia vs Turkey quarterfinal,and the Colombia v. Spain 3rd place match.


On 31-JAN-2010 he was the referee for the African Cup of Nations where Egypt beat Ghana 1 - 0. See the match report here.


Arguably this is not a complete picture, and there seem to be a bunch of holes that would need to be filled for a complete analysis. It does suffice to say however that the sparseness of the record is a point of note. A referee with a paper trail is far more of a known and may put some folks at ease to see what they are in for, good or bad.


One does not have to be experienced at a particular level to do well in all cases at that level necessarily, and I look forward to a good performance from COULIBALY.


I am sure both teams are as well.