you are the ref: a guide to good refereeing

Note: whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the content of this book is as technically accurate and as sound as possible, neither the author nor the publishers can accept responsibility for any injury or loss sustained as a result of the use of this material.

Published by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc50 Bedford SquareLondon WC1B 3DPwww.bloomsbury.com

Copyright © 2013 Paul Trevillion and Keith Hackett

ISBN (print): 978 1 408 1 5886 9ISBN (Epub): 978 1 408 1 8171 3ISBN (EPDF): 978 1 408 1 8170 6

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means – graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or information storage and retrieval systems – without the prior permission in writing of the publishers.Keith Hackett and Paul Trevillion have asserted their rights under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the authors of this work.A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.AcknowledgementsAll illustrations © Paul Trevillion 2012All text © Keith Hackett and Paul Trevillion 2012Commissioning Editor: Charlotte CroftEdited by: Justyn BarnesProject Editor: Sarah ColeDesigner: James Watson

Note: throughout the book players and officials are referred to as ‘he’. This should, of course, be taken to mean ‘he or she’ where applicable.This book is produced using paper that is made from wood grown in managed, sustainable forests. It is natural, renewable and recyclable. The logging and manufacturing processes conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. Typeset in11.7pt on 9.75 pt Din regular by James Watson1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

you_are_the _ref_9781408158869.indd 2 20/12/2012 16:27

3THE REFEREE

YOU ARETHE REF

A Guide to Good RefeReeinGBY PAuL tReViLLion And KeitH HACKett


CONTENTSForeword by Howard Webb 6Introduction 8A brief history of a cult football classic 10

01 THE REFEREE 1202 MATCH DAY PROCEDURE 2203 THE ASSISTANT REFEREE 3404 MANAGEMENT SKILLS 4405 COMMUNICATION SKILLS 5806 DECISION MAKING 6607 RESTARTS 7608 THE THROW IN 8409 INDIRECT FREE-KICK 9010 DIRECT FREE-KICK 9611 MANAGING FREE-KICKS 10212 THE CORNER KICK 10613 THE PENALTY KICK 11014 THE OFFSIDE LAW 118

15 HANDBALL 12416 SIMULATION 13217 STRONG ARM OF THE LAW 13618 DISSENT 14019 MASS CONFRONTATION 14420 INJURY TIME 15021 UNSPORTING AND BIzARRE 15422 THE DIFFERENCE 16023 REFFING MARvELS 16424 THE FUTURE 18225 BALL OR THE PLAYER 188

About the authors 204Acknowledgements 206Index 207


FOrEwOrd The 1981 FA Cup Final between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur always sticks out in my memory. I was only nine at the time, but I vividly recall that pulsating final played out over two games, and of course the amazing solo match-winning goal scored by Ricky villa. But that wasn’t the only thing I remember about that final. What also sticks out in my mind was the imposing figure cut by the match referee, Keith Hackett. Keith was everything that a referee should be – tall, powerful, no-nonsense. I wasn’t the least bit interested in refereeing in 1981 but Keith Hackett made such an impression, my mind was changed.

When I started refereeing in 1989 I desperately wanted to be like Keith Hackett. I had the build, the height and his South Yorkshire accent. But of course what I didn’t have was the experience and expertise that he had built up over many years at the highest level of the game. It wasn’t until some 21 years later that I had the privilege of having Keith as my coach on a referee development team, aimed at turning raw enthusiastic Football League referees into Premier League models. That was my opportunity to work alongside this giant of refereeing, to tap into his experience and knowledge of what makes a top referee. Keith Hackett

YOU ARE THE REF6


7FOREWORD

was instrumental in moulding me into a Premier League referee, ultimately guiding me all the way to the 2010 World Cup Final in South Africa. I’m delighted that he is now sharing his knowledge, experiences and expertise in the art of refereeing, in this truly wonderful book.

And who better to bring Keith’s words to life than the amazing talent that is Paul Trevillion. The term ‘genius’ is probably over-used, but, in Paul’s case, it doesn’t do him justice. For many years I’d seen Paul’s work in ‘You are the Ref’ strips and marvelled at what he produces. To have recently had the chance to meet Paul, to see at first hand the passion he has for his work and football, was a genuine privilege. Paul is a special man with a special gift.

Whether you are an aspiring Premier League referee, a lover of football, admirer of great art or a combination of all three, I know you will enjoy owning, reading and learning from this amazing publication.

Howard Webb MBEReferee, 2010 FIFA World Cup Final

If the referee’s position impedes your run to the ball and you do not use excessive force – hand off – then it’s a goal


YOU ARE THE REF8

INTrOduCTIONRefereeing has given me a great deal of pleasure over the years and I have been fortunate to officiate in many famous stadiums around the world. There’s no better venue than Wembley, and the Football Association allowed me to fulfil my ambition of refereeing an FA Cup final there in 1981.

Shortly after the final I was promoted to the FIFA list of International Referees where I stayed for 10 years until the compulsory retirement age of 45. When the Premier League was formed I had the pleasure of refereeing in that competition and watching its formidable growth with games now shown in 211 territories around the world. After 35 years of active refereeing, I retired and took up a post with the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd, becoming its general manager in 2004.

I continue to be the Premier League referee ambassador travelling the world under the banner of Premier Skills Introduction to Refereeing programme, a joint initiative run by the Premier League and the British Council, working with young people around the world encouraging them to become match officials. I am also a member of the UEFA Referee Convention Panel and a UEFA referee observer.

Refereeing at the highest level is more demanding than ever before. Blanket television coverage, the huge financial rewards at stake, and the relentless rise of social media means that every decision is intensely scrutinised. A referee in a World Cup game enters the stadium knowing that he will be operating in front of a minimum of 22 cameras with the game beamed to over 200 territories around the world with billions watching. Crucial, game-changing decision can be replayed or viewed from an angle often not afforded to him or his colleagues, leaving him open to criticism and, even, vilification.

Thankfully, the International Football Association Board has approved the introduction of goal-line technology which I believe is a great advance. Post-match analysis using Prozone technology also provides detailed information on the technical and physical performance of referees and assistant referees. This is welcomed by officials, managers, coaches and players alike because it allows officials to constantly evolve in their demanding roles.

I have channelled all of my experience of refereeing, coaching and managing referees for over 50 years into this book, and Paul Trevillion, the world’s finest football


9INTRODUCTION

illustrator, has assisted me in bringing to life the everyday match situations that I describe. I first met Paul in 1981 having been asked by Peter Stewart, the Editor of Shoot! magazine, to follow in the footsteps of Stanley Lover and Clive Thomas to provide answers to readers’ refereeing queries via the cult classic ‘You are the Ref’ strip. The questions have continued to flow ever since and Paul’s dynamic drawings make sometimes complex scenarios much more easily understandable.

My aim with this book is to highlight how referees at all levels can improve in every aspect. And for those of you who are spectators or players, I hope it will increase your awareness of the Laws of the Game and what it takes to successfully officiate a football match.


10 YOU ARE THE REF

YOu arE ThE rEFa brief history of a cult football classic‘You are the Ref’, celebrating 60 years and now a national institution, is the brainchild of sports artist Paul Trevillion. Showcasing Trevillion’s incomparable illustrations and written by top referees, the strip has been entertaining football fans since its newspaper debut way back in 1957. It features a series of awkward refereeing dilemmas, putting you at the heart of the action and demanding that you react instantly and accurately to the tricky – sometimes bizarre – situations that can arise during a match. How well do you know the Laws of the Game?

The genesis of the strip came in 1952 when Paul, aged 18, sent a general sports quiz to Tottenham Hotspur’s magazine, The Lilywhite. Readers loved it, particularly the one question about a tricky refereeing decision. By 1954, the quiz of 10 questions included more than half on referees.

It set Paul thinking and three years later, after a struggle to convince the national press that the idea would work, the ‘Ref’ brand was born, commissioned by The People, under its original name ‘Hey Ref’. But it wasn’t until the 1958


11YOU ARE THE REF

FA Cup Final, when Bolton’s Nat Lofthouse bundled the ball, still held by Manchester United keeper Harry Gregg, into the back of the net for his side’s second goal, that it became a regular feature. By the late 1950s and early sixties, with Paul also drawing comic art realism stories for Roy of the Rovers, the feature appeared in a new, larger format in the Roy annuals under the title ‘If You Were The Ref’.

In 1969 the strip moved to the newly launched Shoot! magazine and took on referee Stan Lover, head of the London Referees’ Association, to provide the answers. Over the next two decades, working with Stan, Clive ‘The Book’ Thomas and finally Keith Hackett, the strip became a cult classic.

After a few years’ hiatus, The Observer newspaper contacted Paul and Keith to see if they’d be prepared to bring the strip back to life. Both jumped at the chance and, in January 2006, ‘You are the Ref’ was reborn. The enormous success of the weekly strip created the demand for a You are the Ref football annual, which was published by Observer Books in 2009. The 2010 World Cup presented an opportunity for another You are the Ref annual, which became a bestseller, reaching number seven in the Amazon sports books of the year.


14 THE OFFSIDE LAW

Briefly, the player in an offside position will become ‘active’ and declared offside if he:

1 plays or touches the ball2 interferes with an opponent3 gains an advantage.

The Offside Law is the most difficult to put into words or diagrams, but it can be explained using the mnemonic PIG.

P I GOffside far Offside middle Offside near


119THE OFFSIDE LAW

So a player who does not PLAY, INTERFERE or GAIN (PIG) is not active and should not be declared offside.The player has to play or touch the ball to be active. It should be the first thing that officials look for. Assistant referees are asked to ‘wait and see’ if the player becomes active in this instance by playing or touching the ball.

There are two situations when the player can be declared offside without playing or touching the ball:

1 if the player is the only attacker who can play the ball

2 if there is potential for physical contact with the defender.P


120 YOU ARE THE REF

It is stated in the Laws of the Game that the offside rule includes: ‘Preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision or movements or making a gesture or movement which, in the opinion of the referee, deceives or distracts an opponent.’

So an attacker needs to be clearly obstructing or interfering with the opponent’s line of vision, in particular, the goalkeeper’s. The attacker would need to be close to and in front of the goalkeeper because the further away he is, the wider the angle becomes for the goalkeeper to see the ball and so the obstruction is less clear. If the officials are unsure, then they will ‘play on’ which, nearly always, is the case.

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121THE OFFSIDE LAW

Gaining an advantage is defined in law as playing the ball after it has rebounded to a player from the crossbar, goal post or an opponent such as the goalkeeper. So gaining an advantage can only be from rebounds and he must play the ball.

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122 YOU ARE THE REF

The ‘P’ of PIG will cover most offside decisions. The ‘G’ will cover some occasionally. Rarely is a player declared offside for the ‘I’ of PIG.

An assistant referee will primarily be looking for the player in the offside position playing or touching the ball. He will not be reading the defender’s mind.


123THE OFFSIDE LAW

FlaggINg bEhINdProbably the most famous offside decision occurred under the old interpretation of law when Leeds United faced West Bromwich Albion on 17 April 1971. Tony Brown intercepted a pass with his teammate Colin Suggett standing in an offside position. Brown raced clear of the Leeds United defence and the linesman (assistant referee) immediately raised his flag. Referee Ray Tinkler, known for his terrific use of advantage, rightly waved him down as the ball never went anywhere near Suggett. The linesman saw Ray’s signal, but didn’t move or lower his flag. Because he didn’t attempt to keep up with play or lower his flag, several Leeds players wrongly assumed that play had stopped. The ball eventually ended up in the net and the protests were loud and long from the Leeds’ players.

Given today’s interpretation the assistant would have seen that the attacker was not active and play would have continued with no protest.


19 MASS CONFRONTATIONS

When a referee experiences a mass confrontation between players, he must reimpose his authority as soon as possible. This means issuing a minimum of two yellow cards.

In 1990, I refereed a notorious match at Old Trafford between Manchester United and Arsenal where I found myself physically restraining players in an effort to regain control. These types of incidents were rare and, having issued two yellow cards, I informed both teams that I would be making a detailed report to the Football Association.


145MASS CONFRONTATIONS

A few weeks later I attended a disciplinary hearing at the FA office in London where the outcome was the deduction of points for each team and a large fine. The FA then quickly issued guidelines to referees on how to control these incidents in future games.

The guidelines on the following pages were developed when I was general manager of the PGMOL and have been adopted by officials around the world.


146 YOU ARE THE REF

guIdElINES FOr rEFErEESThe referee should avoid jumping in but stand back and observe the incident. (However, in my career, I must admit I was a referee that could not stand by so I would use my height and strength to intervene, as Howard Webb did in the 2007 Carling Cup Final).

The referee should aim to identify:• The instigators• Any player whose action clearly escalates or inflames the situation • Players who are seen to be striking, kicking or acting aggressively, as

opposed to those who are clearly trying to separate the offenders.

Once the confrontation has subsided and before the game has restarted, the referee should consult with the assistant who has been observing the incident. He may consult with both assistant referees before taking any disciplinary action.

The required disciplinary action should then be taken. Offending players should be moved to a position where all the other players can still be observed. When action requires the dismissal of two or more players, the referee should ensure that they leave the field of play individually to prevent further misconduct.



• The assistant referees should quickly adopt the most appropriate viewing position of the incident. The assistant referee situated closer to the confrontation should move onto the field of play to assist the referee.

• At the conclusion of the incident, the assistant referees should be prepared to offer assistance to the referee in confirming the identity of players involved, their location and any other relevant information.

• The assistant referee patrolling the touchline where the technical area is located may have additional problems with the occupants of the technical area. However, the first priority should be the on-field incident.

guIdElINES FOr aSSISTaNT rEFErEES


148 YOU ARE THE REF

guIdElINES FOr ThE FOurTh OFFICIal• The fourth official assists the referee at all times.• In the event of mass confrontation, the fourth official’s

priority should be the conduct of the occupants of the technical area.

• At the conclusion of the incident, the fourth official should bring to the attention of the referee anything he may wish to report.



Test yourself answerThank the player. Unfortunately, you must also show the player the red card for violent conduct.

A furious fan runs onto the pitch to attack you. A player springs to your aid, punching the spectator and knocking him out. What do you do?

TEST YOURSELF


A Guide to Good Refereeing

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you are the ref: a guide to good refereeing

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