RefeReeing offenCeS - The Football Association

Refereeing 

Joint publication of FA Learning and The RA 

Volume 09 April 2009 

IN THIS ISSUE 

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Contributors 

Jane Bateman, David Elleray, 

Ken Ridden, Martin Coy, 

Marvyn Amphlett, Antonio Serrano, 

Neil Davies, Lee Betts, Steve Martin, 

Andy Martin, Andy Davies, 

Matthew Weston, Dean Mohareb, 

Janie Frampton, Sasa Ihringova, 

Natalie Walker, Ray Brown, 

Alan Clayton, Denis Hayes, 

Colin Harris , Neale Barry, 

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Refereeing 

Joint publication of FA Learning and The RA 

Volume 09 April 2009 

yellow 

CARD 

IN THIS ISSUE 

COVER 

OFFENCES 

Editorial Team 

Ian Blanchard, Cassandra Rees, 

Anna Gray, Neale Barry 

and David Elleray. 

Acknowledgements 

The contents of “Refereeing” 

are copyright of The Football 

Association. No articles, features 

or any aspects can be reproduced 

or photocopied without written 

permission of The Football 

Association. 

The views of this journal 

are not necessarily those 

of The Football Association. 

Published by: 

FA Learning, 25 Soho Square, 

London, W1D 4FA. 

Website: 

TheFA.com/Refereeing 

Email: 

FAMOA@TheFA.com 

Foreword Jane Bateman 04 

Introduction David Elleray 06 

Unsporting Behaviour Ken Ridden 08 

Dissent Martin Coy 12 

Persistent Infringing Marvyn Amphlett 16 

Delaying the restart of play Antonio Serrano 20 

Failing to respect distance Neil Davies 22 

Entering and Leaving Field of Play Lee Betts 26 

Martin Bodenham Interview Steve Martin 28 

Level 3 – Coaching Scheme Neale Barry 32 

Level 3 – Coach Andy Martin 34 

Level 3 – Referee Andy Davies 38 

Preparing for Fitness Testing Matthew Weston 40 

Training Colombian Officials Dean Mohareb 42 

Women's World Cup Chile 2008 Janie Frampton, Sasa Ihringova 44 

and Natalie Walker 

The Beautiful Game on Wheels Ray Brown 47 

INAS-FID European Championship Alan Clayton 48 

England's FIFA officials 2009 David Elleray 51 

The Modern Day Assessing Scheme Denis Hayes 52 

What's in a Name? Colin Harris 54 

RA Events Colin Harris 56 

Do You Really Know the Laws? Neale Barry 57 

The FA Crest is a registered 

trademark of The Football 

Association. © The Football 

Association 2004 

40 

Summer 

fitness 

training 

44 

Women's 

world cup 

2 REFEreeing VOLUME 09 3

FOREWORD 

REFEREES 

“Refereeing remains 

one of the mainstays 

of our International 

Development Programme” 

Jane Bateman, 

Director of Campaign 

Operations for England 2018 

When I joined The FA in 1998, my role 

as a member of the 2006 World Cup 

campaign team was to win votes for 

the English Bid from the 24 members of the 

FIFA Executive Committee. It was a fascinating 

era, travelling to all corners of the world to 

garner support for England’s candidature. It 

became evident during our travels, however, 

that The FA, whilst arguably the most famous 

FA in the world, had actually paid fairly little 

attention to other football nations and the 

wider interests of the global game. Sir Stanley 

Rous, President of FIFA in the 1960’s and 

‘70’s, and the late Sir Bert Millichip, a former 

FA Chairman, had been well-known in the 

international community, but in the 2006 

Bid process, we found ourselves short. 

The visits around the world promoting the 

Bid were well-received. We were visiting many 

of the countries for the first time. And it wasn’t 

enough. What was important was that we learnt 

from this Bid, and I believe we did. Firstly, our 

experience demonstrated the importance of 

investing in international relations; secondly, it 

was evident that we could and should be playing 

a greater role in helping to develop the game. It 

was our reaction to these observations in our Bid 

travels which led to what I believe became the 

foundation for The FA’s enhanced position within 

world football – notably the creation of The FA’s 

International Development Programme (‘IDP’). 

As I made the transition from Bid team to Head 

of a new International Relations department, 

one of the key tasks was to define an FA ‘foreign 

policy’. The questions I asked were: how could 

English football play a role in supporting FIFA 

and the confederations in developing the game? 

Could it be an excellent means to promote 

English expertise and a positive image for The 

FA? Wouldn’t it educate our staff, our coaches, 

our referees on the global game? And finally, 

surely doing more would give us a better chance 

of winning future tournament bids? 

In the early days, my focus was on three 

countries designated to The FA under the 

‘UEFA-CAF Meridian Project’, where European 

national associations were partnered with African 

counterparts. England was linked with Botswana, 

Malawi and Lesotho. I will not forget one of my 

first visits to Botswana with a delegation of FA 

Referee Instructors, and the mutual admiration 

which emerged from the training course we ran. 

On the one hand, the fact that a delegation from 

England had made the journey to Botswana was 

much appreciated; on the other, our delegation 

was uplifted by the enthusiasm with which they 

were received, the eagerness to learn, and the 

level of achievement from referees with so little. 

Such impressions have been repeated time 

and time again in all parts of the world since 

we established this Programme, and it makes 

me immensely proud. Evidence of how much 

the Programme has evolved and how much 

respect it now commands in world football 

was encapsulated for me at the end of last 

year when The FA’s Neale Barry and Ray Olivier, 

together with Mike Riley, delivered a training 

course in Brazil – a country of such football 

pedigree that we felt honoured to be invited. 

The FA’s co-operation agreement with 

CONMEBOL, the South American football 

confederation, dates back to 2002 and has 

been a great success. I admit to being surprised, 

given that it was a continent renowned for its 

football brilliance, but our visits there have been 

consistently in demand. We are most frequently 

asked for referee training, and have developed 

excellent relationships with Ecuador through 

our annual referee assistance programme. 

The work in Brazil last November 

complemented this perfectly. Our instructors 

worked with 33 elite Brazilian referees over four 

days. They were receptive to our approach to 

fitness, for example, to discussing the theories 

behind refereeing such as positioning and 

movement, and getting those big decisions 

right. CONMEBOL reported to us afterwards 

that in the six years of our co-operation, 

this was the best course we had organised. 

Praise indeed! 

Refereeing remains one of the mainstays of our 

IDP. In Asia, we work annually with elite referees, 

as well as Asian instructors and assessors. We 

have also worked in South Africa, as the country 

seeks to develop its football infrastructure in 

the run-up to the 2010 World Cup. And our 

instructors have delivered training in far-flung 

countries such as Fiji and the Solomon Islands 

– our partners in the Oceania region. All of 

these experiences are mutually rewarding 

and educational. 

This year sees a shift of emphasis for me, 

as I move on to England’s bid for the 2018 

World Cup. In entering into this Bid, we have 

many strengths, one of which is undoubtedly 

the work of our IDP around the world, the 

knowledge we have accumulated and the 

friendships and partnerships we have 

developed. This work will be a cornerstone of 

our Bid – a key part of our legacy proposals, 

which will be a prerequisite of the bidding 

process. The referees, coaches and tutors who 

have been involved in the IDP continue to play 

their part in promoting England and English 

football; let’s hope we reap the benefits by 

hosting the World Cup in our country in 2018. 


ASSOCIATION OF ENGLAND 

INTRODUCTION 

“Oh, you’re not 

going to book 

me ref!” 

In the early days 

of football the 

players were 

expected to run the 

games themselves 

and they only 

needed an umpire 

or referee to make 

a decision when they 

could not agree. 

Indeed, the word ‘referee’ probably comes 

from the verb ‘to refer’. Only as the game 

developed and became more competitive was 

there a need for someone neutral to become 

proactive in decision-making and also become 

responsible for discipline on the field of play. 

Before the introduction of the yellow card 

players were simply ‘cautioned’ – the term 

implying that they were being warned that 

further misdemeanours would result in the 

ultimate sanction – being dismissed from the 

field of play. When the authorities decided 

to take action against those who had been 

‘cautioned’ referees needed to submit a report 

so they wrote down the offender’s name and 

details of the offence in their book which was 

invariably black! Hence players were ‘booked’. 

The yellow card was introduced to make it clear 

to everyone that a player had been cautioned 

and the need for some form of communication 

became especially apparent during the 1966 

World Cup in England when some players were 

unaware that they have been ‘booked’ until 

well after the game. Ken Aston, FIFA’s Head 

of Refereeing at the time, said that he got the 

inspiration for the coloured cards whilst waiting 

at a set of traffic lights – amber being the 

warning, red being stop (driving/playing). 

The caution is a vital tool for all referees but, 

like the red card, it can only be used to discipline 

players, substitutes and substituted players. 

The following articles have been written to help 

referees decide when to use the caution. 

The most complex revolves around ‘unsporting 

behaviour’ (formerly known as ungentlemanly 

conduct which reflected the sporting roots of 

the game) so who better to tackle this than Ken 

Ridden, former FA Director of Refereeing and 

Vice Chairman of the UEFA Referees Committee. 

The other cautionable offences are dealt with 

by some of our leading Level 3 referees. 

These articles contain much advice but I would 

like you to consider one over-riding philosophy 

when you decide whether or not to bring out 

the yellow plastic. ‘Cautions are best used to 

MAINTAIN CONTROL rather than to regain it’ 

i.e. use the caution as it was originally intended 

– to prevent further trouble. 

David Elleray 


FOREWORD 

FEATURE 

REFEREES 

unsporting 

REFEREES 

REFEREEING AT THE FA 

behaviour 

FITNESS & TRAINING 

Ken Ridden 

Former 

FEATURE 

Director of Refereeing at The FA and former 

Vice Chairman of the UEFA Referee Committee 


THE REFEREES 


THE REFEREES 


For many years, the Laws of the Game made 

mention of the need for a caution for any 

player guilty of ‘Ungentlemanly Conduct’. 

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) 

decided that the terminology should be updated and 

hence "Unsporting Behaviour" appeared and exists 

in the present format. 

In fact, more cautions are now issued each season 

for this specific offence than for any other. 

Does the former definition of ‘Ungentlemanly Conduct’ 

(an action contrary to the spirit of the Laws of the Game) 

cover the new terminology? 

It does, but it needs to be amplified to clarify a number 

of newer unacceptable behaviours that have developed 

with changes in the style, intensity and speed of play 

in the last two or three decades. 


FOREWORD 

FEATURE 

REFEREES 

REFEREES 


more cautions are issued 

each season for this 

specific offence than 

for any other 


FEATURE 


THE REFEREES 


THE REFEREES 


PROFILE 

Ken Ridden 

1977–1992 

FA National Training 

Officer for Referees 

1983–2000 

Attended International 

FA Board 

1986–2006 

Member of UEFA 

Referees Committee 

1992–1998 

FA Premier League 

Director of Referees 

1992–2000 

FA Director of Refereeing 

Awarded UEFA Order 

of Merit for services 

to European Football 

For a long time, the IFAB resisted calls for 

a formal list of ‘Ungentlemanly Conduct’ 

offences, for fear that if some extra new 

unacceptable behaviour occurred (and was 

not listed) it would not be punished by referees 

or would be challenged by players and coaches 

in disciplinary appeals. 

Even after its inception, the ‘new’ offence of 

‘Unsporting Behaviour’ needed careful thought, 

understanding and application, beyond 

knowledge of a simplistic list of things that 

may just happen in the field of play from time 

to time. 

Hence, two basic but linked concepts that 

referees should consider have emerged: 

1. Did the player in question use a deliberate 

trick to circumvent the Law? 

(Law 12, IBD 3) 

2. Did the player in question attempt to gain, 

for himself or his team, a benefit 

as a result of an unfair action? 

Tricks to circumvent the Law or gain benefit 

unfairly include a player passing the ball to his 

own goalkeeper using his head or knee, if the 

referee is convinced such action is merely 

designed to cheat the intention inherent in 

the Law. 

Similarly arising is the now common 

'simulation' offence, whereby a player attempts 

to deceive the referee by feigning injury or 

pretending to have been fouled in order to be 

awarded a free-kick or penalty-kick unfairly. 

Detection is not always easy, but positioning, 

presence and the reading of play (direction of 

movement of the ball after the challenge, etc) 

are all helpful contributors to making a correct 

judgment and reaching the correct decision. 

Continuing the theme of players attempting to 

benefit by unfair means, attention is drawn to the 

very unprofessional actions of those participants 

who wave an imaginary yellow card at a match 

official to try to have an opponent disciplined. 

Any identified ‘Unsporting Behaviour’ must, 

not ‘may’, result in a caution. 

Physical challenges by players need careful 

scrutiny by referees, with concern being shown 

for the safety and welfare of the opponents. 

Here referees often need to ask themselves 

(and find immediate on-field answers) what is 

actually behind a player’s behaviour or attitude? 

Is it a genuine challenge only for the ball? 

Is it a tackle made in the knowledge that it may 

well risk causing injury (manner of challenge)? 

Is it a relatively minor challenge (perhaps 

involving shirt-holding, tripping, etc) or one of 

deliberate handling of the ball but with an unfair 

tactical purpose (circumstances of the challenge)? 

To answer such questions properly and reach 

appropriate and correct solutions, match officials 

need to consider not only the mechanics of such 

tackles or actions, but also think about the 

manner in which they are made, their location 

and their designed purpose. 

It has been said many times in Referees’ 

Association meetings and seminars, that not 

every deliberate handball or every intentional 

trip should be automatically punished with a 

free-kick or penalty-kick and a caution, despite 

some people exhorting a referee to react to his 

"It must be a yellow card" cry. 

The manner and specific circumstances are 

both basic but essential factors. 

Referees should consider, for example, 

precisely how a foul might occur when a player 

challenges for the ball. 

Was it a genuine attempt to gain possession 

of the ball? Was the outcome affected by the 

ground conditions or other factors outside the 

player's control? 

Better and more experienced referees try 

to help players to help themselves by being 

proactive in many situations (e.g. if jostling is 

spotted prior to a corner kick being taken, etc) 

and by being seen to communicate a friendly 

word of warning – not immediately issuing a 

formal caution and reaching for the yellow card. 

However, if the verbal warning is not heeded 

and the situation escalates, firm action must 

then follow, with the appropriate punishment 

determined by Law. 

Similarly, if a challenge goes astray due to 

a genuine attempt for the ball being thwarted 

merely by the player mistiming his tackle, with 

no foul intent or malice involved, a free-kick (only) 

is the fair punishment for such ‘careless play’. 

There is no need for a caution and a yellow card. 

Here referees should show understanding 

and tolerance in the spirit of the game and 

consider the appropriate use of a personal 

but formal verbal rebuke to supplement the 

obligatory free-kick award. 

A referee who shows he understands the 

game, and not just the limiting words of the 

Laws, gains respect. 

Beyond playing in a 'careless manner' (free-kick 

only) there is additionally the more sinister 

‘reckless play’, where a player clearly knows the 

challenge may risk injury to his opponent, but 

still chooses to continue the thrust and expose 

the opponent to the known danger. 

Any challenge judged by a referee to be reckless 

must be cautioned for ‘Unsporting Behaviour’. 

However, there are also occasions when 

relatively minor shirt-pulling on a player involved 

in a developing movement toward goal will 

unfairly halt a promising attack. 

The deliberate handling of the ball to prevent 

an opponent gaining possession or being able 

to continue the development of an attack is a 

further example of a circumstance where a 

caution for ‘Unsporting Behaviour’ is demanded, 

i.e. it is an offence committed for the tactical 

purpose of unfairly interfering with, or breaking 

up, a promising attack. 

Of course, there are other offences too, not 

detailed in this article, for which a caution for 

‘Unsporting Behaviour’ is required in Law – 

making unauthorised marks on the field of play, 

verbally distracting an opponent during play or 

at a restart, etc – but attention has been drawn 

to those offences which particularly mar the 

present game from 'ungentlemanly' actions. 

By respecting the Laws and the spirit of the 

Laws, your officiating will be enhanced 

throughout the season and you will gain respect 

from those with goodwill toward the game. 

Good whistling! 


FOREWORD 

FEATURE 

REFEREES 

REFEREES 


YOU WILL GENERALLY KNOW 

WHEN A PLAYER HAS CROSSED 

YOUR TOLERANCE LEVEL 


FEATURE 


THE REFEREES 


THE REFEREES 


Dissent 

Martin Coy 

Football League Assistant Referee 

and Level 3 Referee 

The Law in relation to dissent is clear, 

but dealing with dissent is one of the 

key challenges for referees at all levels, 

particularly at grassroots level and for those 

in the early stages of their refereeing career. 

With the increased emphasis on retaining 

referees it is important that officials have 

the skills they need to deal with dissent. 

What is dissent? 

Football is a passionate and emotional game and 

it is therefore vital that referees can distinguish 

between players showing reasonable frustration 

and disappointment, and those who are 

committing an offence in Law. 

Experience and knowledge of the game will 

help you recognise when a player’s reaction 

is acceptable. If a player reacts quickly and 

instinctively and the incident passes quickly it 

is likely that this is an understandable response. 

A quiet word in passing (after another phase of 

play) may help manage this player and stop his 

actions escalating into dissent. 

You will generally know when a player has 

crossed your tolerance level. A strong and public 

display of disagreement should be considered 

as dissent by word. If you recognise that the 

comment is not made out of frustration or 

disappointment, but it is a direct criticism of you 

or one of your colleagues and may undermine 

your authority, then you should consider this 

dissent by word and caution the offender. 

ref Facts 

Martin Coy 

Age 

24 

Occupation 

PE Teacher 

2003 

Started refereeing 

2007 

Reached Level 3 

2008 

Assistant on FA Vase 

Semi Final 

Promoted to National List 

of Assistant Referees 


FOREWORD 

FEATURE 

REFEREES 

REFEREES 



FEATURE 


THE REFEREES 


THE REFEREES 


The following are clear examples of dissent 

by action and should be dealt with by a caution: 

• Throwing the ball into the ground 

• Throwing or kicking the ball away 

• Running towards the referee or assistant 

to argue with a decision 

• Making a ‘glasses’ signal 

• Sarcastic clapping 

• Crowding around a referee or assistant 

How to deal with verbal and physical 

reactions to decisions 

Normally a stepped approach can be used 

when dealing with verbal or physical reactions 

to decisions. 

1. A quiet word to warn the offender and to 

let him know that you are not happy with 

his behaviour. 

2. A formal rebuke. You need to isolate the 

offender and ensure that he, the other players, 

managers and supporters are aware that you 

are not happy with his behaviour. You may 

consider using the captain at this point. 

A ‘cutting the grass’ signal can also help you 

to ‘sell’ the fact that you are not happy and 

will not accept anymore. 

3. A caution. If a player shows dissent you have 

no option but to caution. If you have gone 

through the stepped approach most players 

and supporters will accept that you have 

warned them and they have only themselves 

to blame. 

At times a player will show serious dissent to 

the refereeing team’s decision. At this stage you 

need to caution the player immediately and it 

will not be possible to use the stepped approach. 

Can we stop dissent? 

It is not always possible to stop dissent 

happening in your game. However, it is important 

that we are pro-active in our approach as 

prevention is better than cure. Here are some 

tips for helping to stop dissent: 

• Do your homework 

Is the game a relegation battle, championship 

decider or local derby? Is there history between 

the two teams? Factors like this can raise the 

tension and intensity of the match, so information 

such as this will help you manage the game. Also, 

are there individual players who are potentially 

difficult? What strategies have other referees 

used to manage the players successfully? 

• Read the signs 

Try to gauge when a player is becoming 

frustrated as this is when dissent is likely. 

Their body language and attitude towards you, 

the opposition and team mates is a key indicator 

that dissent may soon occur. There are also times 

and incidents within games which can heighten 

tension and may ultimately lead to dissent. 

Examples of these times include: the beginning 

of the game, just before and after half-time, 

when a player has been injured, when there has 

been a controversial decision, a last minute goal, 

penalty or a red card. These are all potential 

flashpoint moments which can cause players 

to lose their calm; this can lead to frustration 

and ultimately dissent. It is important that you 

recognise these moments within games and 

then deal with them appropriately. At such times 

you may need to ‘raise your profile’. You need 

to be alert and react appropriately, using all your 

skills to manage the game and avoid dissent. 

• Intervene early 

As a referee you need to be on the lookout for 

players who you feel show dissent. Players who 

are making mistakes, being fouled, missing shots, 

being criticised by the manager and spectators 

are more likely to become frustrated and this 

in turn can lead to dissent. In order to prevent 

this show some sympathy for the player, try 

and ‘work with them’ and get them on your 

side. You may wish to use the captain, this is 

something that many referees have done for a 

long time but is now more actively encouraged 

and appreciated due to the Respect programme. 

If a player will not listen to you maybe the 

captain or a key player can calm the player down? 

• Manage players and the game 

Use your skills and management techniques 

in order to manage the game and players. 

Recognise that some players will respond well 

to a joke to diffuse the tension whereas others 

will need you to take more formal action earlier 

in the game. 

• Quality and accuracy of decision-making 

The best way to minimise dissent is to get 

decisions, especially critical decisions, right. 

Your key refereeing skills of positioning, 

signals and reading the game will help you 

make correct decisions and ‘sell’ your decisions 

confidently which will reduce the amount 

of dissent you experience. 

Conclusion 

Be pro-active in your approach to dissent. 

Don’t take dissent personally and do not allow 

the players to undermine your confidence in your 

decision-making. Develop your overall refereeing 

skills and your ability to deal with dissent and 

you will become a better official and enjoy the 

game more. You have a responsibility to the 

game, yourself and your colleagues to deal with 

dissent. Doing nothing is simply not an option. 

A player who is guilty of dissent 

by protesting (verbally or 

non-verbally) against a referee’s 

decision must be cautioned 


FOREWORD 

FEATURE 

REFEREES 

REFEREES 



FEATURE 


Persistently 

Infringing 

the Laws of the Game 

Marvyn Amphlett 

FA Licensed Referee Instructor 


THE REFEREES 


THE REFEREES 


Each individual circumstance is 

different and often the timing and 

location of the challenges will 

be key components when deciding 

what action to apply 

An important refereeing attribute 

is maintaining a high level of 

concentration and awareness during 

a game, particularly in the opening stages 

of a game when players are often keenly 

contesting possession. Being focused 

during these opening exchanges is crucial 

to confirming match control. 

Identifying players who persistently infringe 

the Laws of the Game is a challenge in itself. 

However, there are many methods you can use 

to ensure that you identify and deal with those 

players who overstep the fair and safe 

environment you should be aiming to maintain. 

The methods used to help detect players who 

may persistently infringe the Laws revolve around: 

a) the location of challenges 

b) characteristics of the player 

committing the offence(s) 

a) For example, free-kicks awarded along the 

attacking left wing will more often than not be 

as a result of unfair challenges from the right 

full-back or right sided midfield player. Making 

a mental note here is useful. When you award 

a free-kick glance up at the offending player 

and if you can’t note the shirt number try and 

identify his restart position. 

b) Another aid is mentally noting player 

characteristics. It may be this player has 

distinguishing facial features, maybe vocally 

or some other unique feature for you to make 

a mental recollection of this player. 

Dealing with persistence inevitably involves 

a stepped approach which, in turn, is influenced 

by a measure of judgment of the seriousness 

of the offences. The first intervention may come 

after the first offence if it is a clear and more 

than routine offence. However, where a player 

commits a number of minor ‘fouls’ or other 

infringements several may occur before the first 

intervention (beyond penalising the offence). 

Once you start to deal with either of these 

persistence categories you will follow a stepped 

approach unless, of course, an offence is serious 

enough in its own right to merit a caution: 

1st Step Quiet verbal advice 

2nd Step Public verbal advice 

(consider using captain) 

3rd Step Caution 

Each individual circumstance is different and 

often the timing and location of the challenges 

will be key components when deciding what 

action to apply. For example, the stepped 

approach is particularly useful should the 

repetition of challenges occur during a 

reasonable period of time, e.g. within 20 or 30 

minutes as this will make the caution easier 

to sell to the player, opponents, club officials 

and spectators alike. 

It is vital that in order to administer a caution 

for ‘persistence’ successfully you use effective 

communication skills and sell the sanctions to 

the ‘wider audience’ – you want to make sure 

the blame lies with the player and does not 

give the impression that you are the villain! 

The first stage of making the player aware 

of his actions with a quiet word can often take 

place either immediately after the challenge, if 

your positioning and control is not compromised, 

or in a passage of play shortly afterwards when 

an opportunity arises, but there is no need to 

make it public. Often the words “be careful’, 

“try and get your timing right on those tackles” 

or similar could be used. 

The second stage is to stop play and make 

it clear to the player that his unfair challenges 

are increasing and a reminder that further 

repetitions will involve stronger action. Doing 

this verbally and using hand signals, such as 

crossing arm gestures indicating ‘no more’, 

ref Facts 

Marvyn Amphlett 

1992 

Qualified as a Referee 

2005 

Attained status 

as an FA Licensed 

Referee Instructor 

2006 

Attained Level 3 status 

Conference South Play-Off 

Final Assistant Referee 


FOREWORD 

FEATURE 

REFEREES 

REFEREES 



FEATURE 


THE REFEREES 


THE REFEREES 


it is vital that you are seen to be dealing 

with those players who are potentially 

breaking up play with unfair challenges, 

which will often frustrate opponents 

and it’s important to be aware of this 

is an effective signal to use. You might also find 

an opportunity to use the captain either with 

the player (if the captain is nearby) or by having 

a quiet word with the captain very soon after 

the public warning, e.g. “Your player’s got to be 

careful, you may also want to remind him”. The 

more pro-active captain will advise the player 

and remind him. Alternatively, a shout over to the 

captain can be effective as it makes other players 

aware of the situation as well. 

The third stage – the caution - should be very 

‘sellable’ if you have carried out the previous 

routine(s). However, to apply further credence 

to your decision to award a caution to the player, 

use hand gestures to point to the previous 

locations and consider an open palm hand 

gesture with both hands down by your side as if 

to say “you leave me no option” and administer 

the caution appropriately. 

Please be aware that if you carry out this 

stepped approach then cautioning the player 

at the third stage is crucial. In other words, 

not carrying out a caution once you have 

actioned a public warning will undermine your 

control and credibility. 

Offences which are classified as ‘persistent’ 

will usually come under the category of ‘careless 

or mistimed’ challenges. Some may be honest 

in intention and often, either due to the playing 

conditions or the speed, skill and agility of the 

opponent, will result in an unfair challenge 

being committed. 

It is important to re-emphasise that several 

factors will determine when to carry out this 

stepped approach. It may be after the second 

offence that you decide to offer a quiet word, 

the third offence a public warning and the fourth 

offence a caution. It may be the intensity of the 

game, the timing of the challenges spread over 

90 minutes and not 30 minutes – thus less 

obvious to the spectator – that will influence 

your actions. However, it is vital that you are 

seen to be dealing with those players who 

are potentially breaking up play with unfair 

challenges, which will often frustrate opponents 

and it is important to be aware of this. 

Using the start of the second half prior to the 

restart is an opportune and sometimes very 

effective time to remind player(s) of their 

responsibilities. Approach the player with a quiet 

word and/or a polite reminder to the captain. 

Try and come across as wanting to help rather 

than ‘dictating’ – remember you want to try and 

‘work’ with the players, not against them. 

A further method to help your awareness will 

involve your team of match officials and often 

your assistants can help you identify offenders. 

Consulting with your colleagues during the 

half-time interval to ascertain their own 

observations on players committing several 

offences can be very helpful. Equally, as part 

of your pre-match briefing, consider asking 

your assistants to bring to your attention any 

occurrence, where you have publicly rebuked 

and failed to administer a caution, should 

another offence take place by the same player 

before play is restarted – just in case 

of a memory block. 

If you have the services of a fourth official 

this presents an opportunity to maximise their 

involvement and ask them to make a count of 

fouls committed by players, so again this can 

be discussed at half-time. 

SUMMARY 

In summary, mentally noting penalised 

offences to identify players who persistently 

infringe the Laws of the Game requires 

a high level of awareness, communication 

and team skills. You can gain much credence 

and help contribute to a safe, enjoyable and 

fair environment for players and spectators 

alike by dealing sensibly but firmly with 

persistent offenders. 


FOREWORD 

FEATURE 

credibility is everything 

REFEREES 

REFEREES 



FEATURE 

Delaying the 

Restart of Play 

Anthony Serrano 

Level 3 Referee 


THE REFEREES 


THE REFEREES 


Acts which delay the restart of play 

frequently cause tension and frustration 

amongst players. Unfortunately for 

match officials, they can be something of a 

regular occurrence, particularly in matches 

where the outcome has a significant 

importance for either side. 

Offenders adopt such tactics with the sole 

intention of slowing the game in order to gain 

some sort of advantage, whether that be to 

have time to re-organise defensively, impede 

the progress of a promising attack or break up 

sustained periods of pressure (thus lowering 

the tempo of the game). It is important that 

we correctly identify and punish such acts 

in order to ensure the beautiful game is played 

in a fair manner. 

Identifying what constitutes to an act of 

delaying the restart of play 

I am sure many of us have dealt with the 

common instances of players kicking the ball 

away to prevent an opponent from initiating 

an attack. This can be at free-kicks, corners 

or as often is the case, a throw-in. It undeniably 

creates a defensive advantage for the offending 

individual’s team. However, one should also be 

aware that there are a number of other situations 

which must be identified as acts which constitute 

a delay to the restart of play: 

• Players standing on the ball at free-kicks 

and not retreating 

• Holding the ball while retreating or moving 

to a position before returning it to the 

opposition 

• Goalkeepers taking excessive time to take 

a goal-kick or get in position for a penalty-kick 

Remember also that under Law 12, a substitute 

or substituted player can be cautioned if he or 

she is guilty of delaying the restart of play. 

Preventative refereeing 

How often are we aware of a player who is about 

to delay the restart of play, but allow it to happen 

on the field and then use the powers of the Laws 

to serve punishment? We can act using a 

preventative style of refereeing to reduce the 

possibilities of players committing the act in the 

first place. Sometimes, we only act when play 

has stopped, which can be too late. We need to 

be alert and actively manage an area that could 

lead to a potential problem. Waiting for an 

incident to occur before becoming pro-active 

is too late; being aware of the possibility of acts 

to delay the restart is a necessity from the very 

first whistle. 

Control free-kick situations by facing the 

incident and waiting a little longer at the scene 

before moving into position. Recognise potential 

troublesome players who may have a game plan 

to deliberately slow stoppages. Use a mix of your 

voice and whistle to emphasise your presence and 

your requirement for players to retreat without 

interfering with the ball. Communicating verbally 

and with the whistle (with a use of an arm signal) 

is often a good way of dealing with a goalkeeper 

who looks to be deliberately slowing the game 

down at goal-kicks. Heighten your awareness as 

the game moves into its latter stages as offences 

are more likely to occur as teams fight for the 

result they require. Take into account the fatigue 

level of the players, the numbers remaining on 

the field of play and, often of greatest importance, 

the score. Teams winning 4-0 tend not to delay 

(though their opponents might) and those 

clinging on to a one goal lead will usually try 

every tactic possible. 

Quick breaks often produce acts of delay to 

create defensive advantage so try to get as close 

as possible to be in a strong position to manage. 

If you are using neutral assistants consider their 

involvement with your preventive refereeing 

style, particularly with the goalkeeper and 

incidents in their vicinity where they can 

effectively communicate; it may be worth setting 

this out in your pre-match briefing. Co-operation 

with club assistants may be harder and may 

look a little conspicuous if a club assistant 

is constantly shouting for play to be quickly 

resumed. It is therefore important that you 

take full control of the situation yourself, 

keeping up with play to be ready to handle 

any potential incident. 

Using preventative refereeing techniques 

and being pro-active is a big part of being 

a successful match official. Dealing with 

potential acts that delay the restart of play 

is a good example of when these characteristics 

can be applied. Wherever possible take 

preventative steps to reduce such acts to 

ensure that your level of control and presence 

are heightened amongst players, officials, 

spectators and, of course, assessors. 

We cannot prevent everything 

Inevitably, there comes a time where a deliberate 

act occurs that, even with the best preventative 

refereeing ability, merits action being taken. 

The question often facing you as a referee is, 

“do I manage this situation by using a public 

reprimand or is a caution the appropriate 

punishment?”, “Is tapping the ball away a short 

distance in a relaxed game the same as volleying 

it forty yards down field as an opposing team 

seeks to break quickly from a dead ball 

situation?” We must have a seasoned empathy 

for the mood and spirit of the game to try to 

prevent unnecessary ‘technical’ cautions. It must 

be made clear, however, that when the act is a 

blatant attempt to slow the game and gain an 

advantage, action must be taken under Law 12. 

Remember that some acts of kicking the ball 

away may be dissent against your decision and 

should undoubtedly be dealt with using the 

yellow card. If you decide to set your mark early 

with a caution this will then limit your ability to 

sell any management of this offence later in the 

game. Overall, whether managing or cautioning, 

it is crucial that you do not miss the first 

opportunity to act when an offence occurs. 

Doing nothing is not an option and can 

undermine your authority leading to more 

serious problems later in the game. Remember 

credibility is everything and your decision 

whether to manage or not must be understood 

by all concerned. 

ref Facts 

Anthony Serrano 

2001 


2008 

Reached Level 3 status 

2008-9 

Officiated at Football 

League grounds in 

The FA Youth Cup 

Panel Assistant 

2009 

Appointed to first 

Conference South 

game in first year 

as Level 3 referee 


FOREWORD 

FEATURE 

REFEREES 

REFEREES 



FEATURE 


THE REFEREES 


THE REFEREES 


FailURE to 

respect the 

required 

distance 

Neil Davies 


As match officials, we are sometimes in a tricky position when dealing with players 

failing to respect the required distance at a restart of play. On the one hand, players 

and managers do not want to have their attacking play unfairly and frustratingly 

restricted by their opponents. On the other hand, whilst those involved in football are 

generally accepting of referees being strict on physical offences, they are not keen to see 

cards for offences which they perceive to be trivial. So, how do we deal with this problem? 


FOREWORD 

FEATURE 

REFEREES 

To be able to deal with the 

offence, we must be aware of 

players who are infringing 

REFEREES 



FEATURE 


THE REFEREES 


THE REFEREES 


Although Law 12 deals with failing to respect the 

required distance at the taking of a corner-kick, 

a throw-in or a free-kick, this article focuses 

largely on offences that occur at the award of 

a free-kick, although the issues are generally 

consistent across the different restarts. 

Recognition of the offence 

To be able to deal with the offence, we must 

be aware of players who are infringing. In my 

experience there are broadly two categories 

into which offences can be considered. 

The first of these is the test of the referee. 

They are the instances where the player’s 

actions ask, “What will you let me get away 

with?” (to which we must come up with a robust 

answer). Examples of offences in this category 

might include: 

• Players in a defensive wall who shuffle forwards 

(penguin-style) when they think the referee 

is not looking after they have been moved 

to a distance of ten yards from a free-kick. 

• A player who, in the opening minutes of a 

game, with little to gain from slowing the 

game down, is deliberately slow at retreating 

from a free-kick to make it difficult for the 

opposition to restart play. 

The second category contains offences which 

are an attempt to obtain an unfair advantage. 

Examples might include: 

• A player in a defensive wall charging 

towards the ball before a free-kick 

is taken. 

• A player who, in the closing minutes of 

a closely fought match, deliberately fails 

to retreat ten yards from the position 

of a free-kick to prevent an attacking 

opportunity. 

Choosing which category to place an offence 

is not easy, and there may be many factors 

to consider. 

• What stage of the game is it? 

• Are the teams likely to want to slow 

the game down? 

• What is the score? 

• Is one team chasing the game? 

• What is the position of the other players 

on the field of play? 

• Did the failure to respect the required 

distance allow team-mates to get back 

into defensive positions? 

• Has the same player (or several players 

from the same team) already been guilty 

of such tactics? 

Prevention 

There are several tools in the referee’s armoury 

which can be used to try to prevent players 

from failing to respect the required distance 

at a restart of play. When awarding a free-kick, 

consider getting close to the incident and use 

your voice and arms to encourage defending 

players to move away. Similarly, after positioning 

a defensive wall, avoiding turning away and 

talking to the defenders (for example, telling 

them to “hold your position until the free-kick 

is taken”) can assist in preventing creeping 

or charging forwards before the kick is taken. 

In both of these cases, because the players 

are aware of your presence, they are less likely 

to offend. 

Dealing with the offence 

In the event that prevention techniques fail, 

referees need to take strong and effective 

action to deal with offenders. 

If a player commits the offence of failing to 

respect the required distance at a restart of play, 

and it is judged to be a clear attempt to gain 

an unfair advantage, we have no option but to 

caution the offender. Failure to do so is likely 

to frustrate the disadvantaged players and, as a 

result, lack of the correct action could jeopardise 

match control. Calmly issuing the caution, 

making it clear why the player is being penalised, 

will hopefully deter further offenders. However, 

if players persist in infringing the Law, then 

referees must be consistent and caution again. 

When offences have been identified as 

falling into the category of a test of the referee, 

it is important to respond proportionately 

and effectively. If an immediate caution seems 

inappropriate then opt for a public rebuke 

(possibly involving the team captain), which 

makes it clear to the offender and to the other 

players that you will not tolerate such tactics. 

You can judge whether your action is effective 

by asking yourself: 

• Do I need to respond to this challenge to 

my authority to maintain control? 

• Is the offended team unduly frustrated (which 

could affect our control) or disadvantaged? 

If the answer to either of the above questions 

is ‘yes’ then a caution is the only option. 

As much as we may want to avoid so-called 

“soft” cautions for technical offences, players 

and managers should not be in a position to 

complain if they have been sufficiently warned. 

ref Facts 

Neil Davies 

Age 

23 

Occupation 

Actuary 

2000 


2005 

Promoted to Level 4 

Referee (West Cheshire 

League and Hellenic 

League) 

2007 

Referee Cheshire 

FA Youth Cup Final 

Attended USA Cup and 

Norway Cup 

2008 

West Cheshire League 

Pyke Cup Final Referee 

2008 


2009 

Referee Cheshire 

Senior Cup Semi Final 



FEATURE 


THE REFEREES 


THE REFEREES 


Entering and 

Leaving the 

Field without 

Permission 

Lee Betts 

Football League Assistant Referee 


During the course of 90 minutes there are 

many instances where a player may need 

to enter or leave the field of play. 

The referee has a responsibility to make sure 

that these instances are managed correctly 

and in accordance with Law. The challenge for 

the referee is to distinguish clearly between 

deliberate acts of leaving and entering the 

field of play without permission and those that 

are accidental and, as far as possible, prevent 

the deliberate acts before they become 

a cautionable offence. 

Entering or re-entering the field of 

play without the referee’s permission 

There are several situations where a player may 

wish to enter or re-enter the field of play and 

continue their involvement in the game. For 

instance, after a player has received treatment 

for an injury, or has left the field of play to 

correct or change their equipment or because 

they have arrived late to the start of either 

half. An example of the latter was seen at the 

highest level last season when Howard Webb 

correctly cautioned Didier Drogba of Chelsea 

for deliberately entering the field of play without 

permission, following the player’s delayed arrival 

to the start of the second half. 

It is up to the referee to remain alert and aware 

at all times as to which players have left the field 

of play and may soon want to re-join the match. 

This high level of awareness is crucial to detecting 

a player who has re-joined the match without 

consent and the correct sanction administered 

– a caution to the offending player and play 

re-starting with an indirect free-kick from where 

the offence occurred. 

If a player wants to enter or re-enter the field 

of play they must seek permission from the 

referee and wait on the touchline. The referee 

must make sure that ‘permission’ is interpreted 

as an unmistakable signal so there is no doubt 

that that a player can re-join the game in 

accordance with Law. Such a signal would 

normally be in the form of a clear hand gesture 

beckoning the player onto the pitch along with 

verbal communication. Also the referee has the 

opportunity to be pro-active and remind the 

player as they leave the pitch to wait for a clear 

signal before re-joining play which may help to 

prevent the player from re-entering prematurely 

and thus avoid a possible caution. 

Remember the referee need not wait for a 

stoppage in play to grant permission for a player 

to re-enter the field of play except in a case 

where that individual has been told to rectify 

or remove a dangerous item or is returning 

following a blood injury. In both cases the referee 

must fully check the player before permission 

can be granted. 

It is up to the referee to remain alert 

and aware at all times as to which 

players have left the field of play 

Deliberately leaving the field of 

play without the referee’s permission. 

A deliberate act of leaving the field of play has 

to be seen by the referee as being fully intentional. 

A player may seek to leave the playing area for 

a variety of reasons such as to receive treatment, 

to change or correct their equipment or to 

receive instructions from the touchline. In any 

such case, a player must get permission from the 

referee, no matter how temporary the absence 

from the playing area is, and failure to do so 

should result in a caution. 

In addition, players have also been seen to 

leave the field of play deliberately in an attempt 

to place an opponent in an offside position. In 

this instance play should be allowed to continue 

and the offending player cautioned during the 

next break in play. 

It should be remembered that for the purposes 

of offside, a defender who goes temporarily off 

the field is still considered ‘on the field’ for the 

purpose of offside as seen in the Netherlands 

v Italy match in the Euro 2008 finals. However, 

it is not an offence for an attacking player, who 

is in an offside position, to step off the field of 

play for tactical reasons thus showing the referee 

that they are not involved in active play. However, 

that player must then seek the permission from 

the referee to re-enter the playing area. 

A player who has left the field of play 

accidentally should not be sanctioned, but the 

referee should make sure the player is making 

a concerted effort to re-enter the playing area 

as soon as possible. For example, a player could 

unintentionally leave the field of play due to their 

natural momentum in running or challenging 

for the ball or due to a physical challenge by an 

opponent. Similarly, a player in possession of the 

ball may also pass over the goal line or touch 

line in order to beat an opponent but as this is 

considered part of the natural playing movement 

it should not be seen as a deliberate act. 

REF Facts 

Lee Betts 

2002 


2006 


2007 

Norfolk Senior Cup Final 

Referee 

2008 

FA County Youth Cup Final 

Assistant Referee 


of Assistant Referees 



FEATURE 


THE REFEREES 


THE REFEREES 


Martin Bodenham (right), 

Warwickshire v Gloucestershire, Edgbaston 

Bodenham joins 

2009 Umpires’ list 

Steve Martin 

National List Assistant Referee 

and Contributory League Referee 

Martin Bodenham is the first person 

to officiate at the top level in both 

football and in cricket. Steve Martin 

caught up with him and found out what it 

takes to be a top cricket umpire. 

SM: What made you make the transition 

from refereeing football to umpiring cricket? 

MB: I played 2nd XI championship and league 

cricket so when I finished refereeing, it was 

a natural progression to take up umpiring. 

I managed to get the top grading in the Sussex 

League and became the local umpire for 2nd 

XI championship matches. The Sussex coach, 

Peter Moores, encouraged me to go on to the 

ECB Reserve List. 

SM: Is there a camaraderie between cricket 

umpires, similar to referees? 

MB: Like refereeing, it’s very much a team 

game and you have to give support and 

assistance to your colleague, particularly if he 

has had a difficult period of play, i.e. he has had 

all the major incidents and numerous appeals. 

SM: How does the increased use of 

technology in cricket affect you? 

MB: It’s fairly straightforward. I’ve done two 

TV replays as the third umpire in one day games 

and it has worked fine. I have not been the 

on-field umpire yet but I am looking forward 

to being involved as it’s all about getting the 

major decisions right. 

Like refereeing… it’s all 

about getting the major 

decisions right 

SM: Are there any umpire fitness tests 

you have to undergo? 

MB: We have tests at Loughborough which 

include hearing, eyesight, a 12 minute bench 

step up, and positioning yourself behind the 

stumps and then moving quickly sideways 

to judge run outs. 

SM: Is your fitness monitored throughout 

the season? 

MB: If reports from our coaches or the team 

captains suggest that there may be a fitness 

issue, you could have a mid-season test, not 

too dissimilar to football refereeing. 

SM: Do you have any specific training on what 

to do in certain situations – if you are not sure 

if he has been run out for instance? 

MB: It’s not too dissimilar to offside; if it’s 

inconclusive the decision goes to the batsman 

just like the advantage goes to the attacker in 

football. However, there are freeze frames etc, 

so 99% of the time the information is there for 

you to make a correct judgement and there 

isn’t a problem. 


FOREWORD 

FEATURE 

REFEREES 

REFEREES 


when vinnie jones played you were 

always in for an interesting 90 minutes! 


FEATURE 


THE REFEREES 


THE REFEREES 


SM: How do you think technology can be best 

brought in with football? 

MB: I agree with David Elleray, I’d like to see 

a sin bin for yellow cards so the player would 

be penalised for that specific incident rather 

than another team benefitting from him being 

suspended in another game. I’d also like to see 

goal line technology and possibly two or three 

referrals for anything else that the referee/team 

may wish to be reviewed. I would not want 

a ‘stop-start’ game as we want to see a game 

of football that is always in progress. In cricket 

we can do that because there is a natural delay 

from one ball to the next. In football it is different. 

I appreciate that we have to get the major 

decisions correct, it’s just how far do we go? 

SM: Could you describe a typical day 

as a cricket umpire? 

MB: The night before is spent in a local hotel. 

I am at the ground two and a half hours before 

the start and checking the sight screens, the 

wicket, field of play, creases etc. I familiarise 

myself with the rules and regulations/local rules 

for that particular venue, e.g. at Canterbury there 

is a tree inside the boundary and if the ball hits 

it then it is a four. The matches start at 11am and 

go on until 6pm. At the end of a day’s play, 

I reflect on what went well for me and the areas 

I need to improve on. As with refereeing I do a 

self assessment which is sent to my umpire coach. 

SM: What are your thoughts on the new 

Association for Elite Sports Officials – AESO? 

MB: I attended the inaugural meeting and it was 

fascinating to hear and share ideas with officials 

in other sports. The sports that form the 

association are football, cricket, rugby union and 

rugby league. The aim is to exchange ideas and 

techniques and also promote a positive image 

of sports officials. It really is an eye opener into 

what goes on behind the scenes in these sports. 

SM: Are there any memorable moments 

from your refereeing career? 

MB: The main games that stand out are the three 

FA Cup Semi-Finals that I refereed and the 

League Cup Final. I was also 4th official in the 

AC Milan v Barcelona 1994 European Cup Final. 

What also stands out most for me is the 

six months I spent in Japan teaching and 

refereeing in the first year of the J League. 

It was a fantastic experience. 

SM: Is there anything that stands 

out for you from the Final in 1994? 

MB: The interesting thing about that game was 

that we weren’t appointed to the match until 

three days before it was due to be played when 

UEFA decided to change the Dutch match 

officials because of Dutch players in the 

Barcelona team. In Athens we were taken off 

the plane and through a special gate missing 

out customs and passport control. 

SM: When you were active, what were the 

relationships between players, managers 

and referees like in comparison to how they 

are today? 

MB: I don’t think there’s too much difference. 

Football is a passionate game and occasionally 

people overreact. There is lot more money 

involved now and with it comes added pressure. 

As a referee you have to earn respect and 

mustn’t be complacent. My aim was to always 

give the game a chance and to let players 

express themselves. I only intervened when 

I felt it was necessary and I don’t think that’s 

a bad benchmark to work on. 

SM: As a referee, what personal qualities do 

you think you need to have to be a professional 

referee? 

MB: You need to have commitment and be fit, 

even more so these days. The game is quicker 

now and I know that the referees are fitter than 

ever before. It’s important to be fit but at the 

end of the day you have to obtain the optimum 

viewing position to judge incidents. If you are 

two yards from an incident, you will not get the 

same view if you were ten yards away as your 

field of vision would be different. It is essential 

for a referee to be a good man-manager, have 

a thorough knowledge of the Laws of the Game 

and be a good communicator both on and off 

the field of play. 

SM: Was there a particular player whom you 

found harder to deal with when you were an 

active referee? 

MB: When Vinnie Jones played you were always 

in for an interesting 90 minutes but he was one 

of the nicest people you’d ever wish to meet off 

the field of play. 

SM: Which League ground did you most enjoy 

officiating at? 

MB: St. James’ Park, White Hart Lane and 

Highbury because of the atmosphere. In addition 

the games generally also went well for me at 

those grounds which was a help! 

SM: If you could give advice to a referee who 

is just starting out what would it be? 

MB: The most important thing is enjoyment. You 

must also be ambitious and the Level 3 referees 

in my coaching group all set themselves realistic 

targets; if these are achieved then anything 

above should be looked at as a bonus. 

SM: To comply with European Law we have 

no retirement age in refereeing. What is your 

opinion of this and are there similar restrictions 

in cricket umpiring? 

MB: With cricket umpiring, you retire at 65; there 

are no extensions any more. As for refereeing, 

I would like to see an age limit to avoid blocking 

the system for new referees coming on the list. 

SM: If you could change one thing about your 

refereeing career what would it be? 

MB: I wish I could have been a stone lighter 

and a bit faster. I was a pretty good reader of 

the game and had an ability to be in the right 

place at the right time; I had plenty of stamina 

but I just wasn’t the quickest. 

SM: Which local RA Societies do you attend? 

MB: I am an associate member of my local 

Worthing RA and Vice President of Brighton 

RA. The meetings are always great fun and it 

is good to catch up with colleagues and share 

experiences. The RA meetings are the perfect 

opportunity to meet referees and I can pass 

on advice and experience and hopefully help 

referees reach the higher echelons of the game. 

SM: What are your goals for the coming 

cricket season? 

MB: To enjoy my first year and get established. 

I have been umpiring championship and one 

day cricket for the past year so it’s not 

completely new. 


FOREWORD 

FEATURE 

REFEREES 


REFEREES 

Coaching Scheme 



Neale Barry 

FA Head of Senior 

Referee FEATUREDevelopment 


THE REFEREES 


THE REFEREES 


The Level 3 Referees Coaching scheme was introduced in 2006 and its aims are to: 

• 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 the potential/talent to progress to higher levels 

• Identify and assist those referees struggling at Level 3 

• Identify development areas for all Level 3 referees and assistant referees 

The scheme is monitored using 

the following criteria: 

• 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 

Football League/Premier League and FIFA 

• Feedback from Level 3 referees 

• Impact on referees lower down the pyramid 

who aspire to Level 3 and beyond 

There are ten coaches who are responsible for 

the referees in particular counties. For season 

2008/9 they are: 

• Phil Prosser – Bedfordshire, Oxfordshire, 

Middlesex, London, AFA 

• Steve Lodge – West Riding, Sheffield 

& Hallamshire 

• Barry Sygmuta – Durham, Northumberland, 

East Riding, North Riding, Cumberland 

• George Cain – Lancashire, Liverpool, 

Manchester 

• Andy Martin – Staffordshire, Shropshire, 

Cheshire, Birmingham 

• Martin Cassidy – Somerset, Gloucestershire, 

Devon, Cornwall, Worcestershire 

• Phil Joslin – Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, 

Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, 

Lincolnshire 

• Peter Walton – Norfolk, Essex, 

Huntingdonshire, Hertfordshire and Suffolk 

• Martin Bodenham – Kent, Sussex, Surrey 

• Dave Frampton – Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, 

Berks & Bucks 

Each coach has a number of new Level 3 referees 

(approx six-seven) and around five-six referees 

who, by their performance in season 2007-8, 

were identified as having the talent/potential 

to progress up the pyramid. 

This season there are 122 referees 

in the coaching scheme: 

• 67 new Level 3 referees 

• 40 Year 2 referees 

• 15 Year 3 and above referees 

During the season any referee whose performance 

indicates the possibility of advancement will be 

brought into a coaching group. Equally, a referee 

who does not appear to be embracing or 

benefitting from the scheme may be dropped 

from a coaching group. 

Role of the coach 

All coaches operate within the same framework 

under the direct guidance of myself as Head of 

Senior Referee Development and David Elleray, 

Vice Chairman of The FA Referees Committee. 

The coaches: 

• 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 times each 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 from advice/ 

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 and 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 been identified as a strong candidate 

for promotion to Level 3 

• Identify trends within the group which can 

become the focus of attention/development 

for all Level 3 referees and assistants 

• Submit to regular appraisal by the Head of 

Senior Referee Development and Vice 

Chairman of The FA Referees Committee 

The impact of the scheme has already been 

very good, with many clubs commenting 

positively on this key FA initiative. The referees 

are also benefitting as demonstrated by the 

merit tables and their growing confidence 

and competence. It is hoped the scheme will 

be extended for the 2009/10 season. 


FOREWORD 

FEATURE 

REFEREES 

REFEREES 

managing expectations is very important 



FEATURE 


THE REFEREES 


Level 3 Referee Coach 

Andy Martin 

THE REFEREES 


I 

am one of The FA’s ten Level 3 Referee 

Coaches. I have twelve referees in 

my coaching group and, like my fellow 

coaches, some are in their first season 

as a Level 3 referee. 

My major role is to help these new Level 3 

referees settle into refereeing football at this 

level but I also have to decide at the end of the 

season which ones I think The FA should keep 

in the coaching scheme. Apart from the new 

Level 3 referees, I also have some who have 

shown in recent seasons that they have the 

potential to progress. My role is to motivate 

them and refine their skills. 

Overall, whether a referee is a new Level 3 

or someone with more experience, my 

responsibility is to monitor their performance 

levels and challenge each referee within my 

coaching group to work towards achieving 

an optimum performance level. 

I work with my referees in a number of ways. 

We have several group meetings which include 

discussion sessions and also give me the 

opportunity for a one-to-one, face-to-face 

review with each of them. Most of my work, 

however, is on an individual basis by phone, 

e-mail or watching games. 

Every Friday I email all the referees in my 

coaching group to give them a particular topic 

which has been raised in assessments, in 

The RA/FA magazine or in a recent high profile 

incident. I challenge them to think about the 

topic but I am not expecting them to go out 

and change their style of refereeing. I just want 

them to be thinking about it and to be aware 

of refereeing issues whether they are national 

or specific to themselves. 

If I decide to go to a game as referee coach 

(which I do most weekends) I let the referee 

know and try and help him or her (I have one 

female referee in my group) ensure they are 

totally focused and prepared. I normally arrive 

at the ground at 1.45pm, meet the home and 

away Club Secretaries and briefly explain my 

role. I will also meet up with the assessor if there 

is one. I do not go to the match officials’ dressing 

room until after the exchange of team sheets 

but I ensure I am there well before the officials’ 

pre-match warm-up as I do not want to interrupt 

or interfere with their preparations. I have 

a quick look at the team sheets and discuss any 

issues relating to the weather, pitch, team tactics 

etc. I then run through a previously agreed short 

game plan with the referee and ensure that the 

referee and assistants are focused and ready 

for the game. I try to inspire confidence in 

them all. 

REF Facts 

Andy Martin 

1986 – 2005 


1991 - 2005 

National List and Select 

Group Assistant Referee 

1997 

FA Vase Final Assistant 

Referee 

2002 

FA Match of Unity in Kabul 


11 European Appointments 

as Assistant Referee 

34 REFEreeing VOLUME 09 35 

35

FOREWORD 

FEATURE 

REFEREES 

REFEREES 



FEATURE 


THE REFEREES 


THE REFEREES 


Referees who want to progress 

must become highly self critical 

if they are to improve 

If there is an assessor at the match I usually 

sit with him but make sure that he appreciates 

that he is the key person. I do not go into the 

dressing room at half-time unless I feel it is 

absolutely necessary (I have only gone in twice 

this season, on both occasions I knew the referee 

needed help and support). 

I accompany the assessor to the officials’ 

dressing room about ten minutes after the final 

whistle. I listen to the assessor’s de–brief and 

I am always very interested to see the referee’s 

response. If invited by the assessor to do so, 

I add my own observations. If there is no 

assessor I carry out a ten minute de-brief with 

the referee and include some strengths and 

development points for the assistants. The 

referee and I will also agree the best time on 

Sunday afternoon to talk through the game 

in detail. 

On Sunday afternoon I phone all my referees 

who had a Contributory game the day before. 

We briefly discuss the key incidents and 

developmental points which arose in the game. 

Crucially, each referee then completes a detailed 

self-assessment form which must reach me 

by the Monday following a Saturday game. 

Self-assessments are so important at Level 3 

where not all games are assessed (though the 

number covered has greatly increased in the 

last couple of years) as referees who want to 

progress must become highly self-critical if 

they are to improve. 

Once I have studied a self-assessment I email 

a detailed response highlighting any areas of 

concern (on or off the field) and offer advice. 

If the referee was assessed I will also have a 

detailed discussion (usually over the phone) 

about the assessment, focusing particularly 

on the strengths and even more importantly, 

the areas raised for development. Each referee 

keeps a log spreadsheet of the game, 

assessment mark, three strengths and three 

areas for development. This is forwarded to me 

on a monthly basis and assists me in compiling 

my referee coaching reports for The FA Head 

of Senior Referee Development, Neale Barry. 

The spreadsheet also encourages referees to 

take responsibility for their own refereeing 

and personal development. I use this data for 

my one to one discussions with them as part 

of each referee’s performance management. 

I also encourage each referee to look toward 

their next game. This may involve the referee 

phoning other referees who have officiated 

those teams recently to find out about individual 

players, pitch conditions, playing styles etc. 

Some of the referees also do their homework 

by checking team websites and reading 

local papers. 

Another vital role comes when the banding 

letters are sent out. Some referees need building 

up, some need motivating and some need help 

keeping their feet on the ground. Managing 

expectations is very important, no matter where 

a referee is on the merit order and I find setting 

them short and medium term targets usually 

proves very beneficial. 

As well as my direct work with the referees 

I also have regular contact with Neale Barry, 

the Level 3 Appointment Officers, Support Staff 

in The FA Referees Department and other Level 

3 Referee Coaches. We frequently talk to each 

other about issues we have noticed in our games 

and it also helps us to prepare for the group 

meetings, presentations at Level 3 and 4 

meetings and the Annual Conference. Twice a 

year my performance is formally appraised by 

Neale Barry and David Elleray (Vice Chairman, 

The FA Referees Committee). 

I get huge satisfaction from helping the new 

referees to settle in and working with those who 

have the potential to rise through the ranks to 

the highest levels. It more than makes up for 

no longer being an active official. 



FEATURE 


THE REFEREES 


Level THE REFEREES 3 Referee 


Andy Davies 

In my first season as a Level 3 referee, 

I was invited onto the new Coaching Scheme 

by The FA. The scheme was introduced 

in October of the 2006/07 season and the 

candidates were all first year referees who were 

to be given a great opportunity to develop 

their skills with the help and guidance of an 

experienced referees coach. 

I was appointed to the Southern region group, 

which was headed by Dave Frampton. Dave 

manages a group of up to 15 referees at any 

one time. Both Dave and The FA decide on the 

retention of each individual over a period of 

time depending on performance, development 

and potential to progress through the 

refereeing pyramid. 

My personal experience of being in the 

coaching group has been a very positive one 

and there are a number of aspects which have 

played a prominent part in my progress over 

the past two seasons. 

The initial task of the referee /coach 

relationship was to establish achievable goals 

for the coming season both long and short term 

and to put into place a plan that would enable 

Dave and me to analyse all performances and 

assessments after every game to help achieve 

those goals. Below are the three main areas 

that we cover both pre and post-match: 

Self-assessment (SA) 

I complete an FA self-assessment form after 

every game and submit it to Dave for feedback. 

The self-assessment has a number of headings 

which include pre-match, decision-making, 

man-management, discipline, advantage and 

post-match duties. For the self-assessment to 

be of any use, it is essential that you are 100% 

honest with yourself. If used correctly the 

self-assessment can be an excellent learning 

tool. I then receive feedback from Dave and his 

thoughts on how I can use the experiences in 

each game to improve in my next performance. 

Assessment review 

After every assessment I review the mark, 

the strengths and development areas with Dave. 

Reading assessments can be a very emotional 

task, so having Dave to talk through every aspect 

both positive and otherwise is a great help. 

Dave's role is to keep my feet on the ground 

when things are going well and, more importantly, 

to be honest and upfront if an improvement 

needs to be made in a certain area. 

Contact with the coach 

Having a coach with whom I can interact freely 

and easily is the most beneficial part of being 

in the coaching group. I have contact with Dave 

before and after every game I referee. If Dave 

is not in the stand watching, I will speak to him 

whilst travelling. We will go through my latest 

performances and aspects of my game that I 

need to concentrate on in the 90 minutes that 

lay ahead. Also, it is very important to remember 

what you are good at doing and having contact 

with my coach is a great way of reminding me 

of how well I am refereeing and giving me the 

confidence and self-belief that we all need 

to go out and referee at this level of football. 

Dave tries to see all the referees in the group 

as often as possible. My match day routine is not 

altered at all when he is present at one of my 

games. He is always invited to my pre-match 

briefing along with the match assessor as he 

is as much apart of my team on the day as the 

other members. One aspect of my match day 

routine that I was not comfortable with early 

on in my career was my pre-match brief. Dave 

and I spent time getting my brief correct and 

I am now very comfortable giving my instructions 

and motivating my team. Dave will come to 

the de-brief after the game (if invited by the 

assessor) and we have our own de-brief 24 hours 

later to discuss our thoughts on how the game 

went. I receive a coach’s report which includes 

strengths and development areas to discuss 

and work on. 

The coaching group meets at least twice a 

season and these are really good opportunities 

to spend time with the other referees and 

discuss our different experiences and progress. 

The meetings normally include a presentation 

on a certain aspect of refereeing which Dave 

feels we will all benefit from and we finish off 

with a discussion group. Alongside the group 

meetings, I will have a minimum of two 

one-on-one appraisal style meetings with 

Dave and we discuss where I am with regards 

my season’s targets. We also have several 

informal meetings throughout the season 

where we can both be honest on how I can 

improve my performances and marks. 

Being part of the coaching group is a 

fantastic opportunity for anybody but it takes 

honesty and commitment to make it work. The 

relationship with your coach must be two way 

and it is imperative that you are both as honest 

and open as possible. 

If you are lucky enough to be offered the 

opportunity, grab it with both hands, work 

hard and do not take your position for granted. 

You will enjoy the rewards. 

REF Facts 

Andy Davies 

2003 

Started Refereeing 

2004/5 


2005/6 


2006/7 


2007/8 


Assistant Referees. 

Paul Simpson, Shrewsbury Town Manager. 



FEATURE 


THE REFEREES 


THE REFEREES 


FOREWORD 

SUMMER FITNESS 

TRAINING passing the fitness test 

REFEREES 

Matthew Weston BSc (Hons) MSc CSCS 

After long periods of preparation, hard 

work and stressful competition, any 

athlete needs time to recover and it is 

no different for a football referee at the end 

of a long and arduous season. Therefore, a rest 

period after the end of the season is required in 

order to provide a referee with an opportunity 

to ‘recharge their batteries’. 

However, with rest comes the physiological 

process of ‘detraining’. This is where the 

cessation or reduction of training leads to a 

partial or complete reversal of training induced 

adaptations. Many studies have demonstrated 

that significant rest periods lead to reductions 

in physical fitness. Therefore to counter this the 

rest phase (ideally two to four weeks) should 

facilitate psychological rest, relaxation and 

biological regeneration, whilst maintaining 

an acceptable level of general physical 

conditioning. This can be achieved via one to 

three low intensity sessions per week utilising 

activities that are different in nature to those 

used during the regular training season. 

Once training resumes, one of the most 

important fixtures in any referee’s calendar 

during the summer months is their fitness 

test and in order to be successful on the day, 

a thorough preparation period must be 

followed. This article outlines some of the 

key principles of fitness training that should 

be followed in order to ensure success when 

it comes to passing the fitness test. 

All fitness training programmes contain 

elements of frequency and intensity. Training 

frequency refers to the number of training 

sessions performed; whereas training intensity 

is the effort required to perform an exercise. 

It is usually referred to as a percentage of 

maximum and common tools used to measure 

exercise intensity are heart rate monitors and 

scales of perceived exertion. 

Improvements in fitness will occur with an 

increase in weekly training frequency. Research 

has demonstrated that a frequency of three 

to five training sessions per week will improve 

cardiovascular (endurance) fitness levels. 

However, the magnitude of the change becomes 

increasingly smaller and tends to plateau after 

a frequency of three sessions per week. The risk 

of injury increases disproportionately if training 

is performed too frequently due to the excessive 

strain applied to the joints, muscles etc. 

Fitness gains 

Injury risk 

x1 x2 x3 x4 

Weekly training frequency 

x5 x6 x7 

When considering which of the two elements, 

training frequency or intensity, has the greater 

effect upon fitness levels, it is the intensity 

at which exercise is performed that counts, 

although a structured training programme 

should allow for both. 

A recent study examined the effects of 24 

weeks of moderate and high intensity training 

on the cardiovascular fitness of previously 

untrained, middle aged men. The group who 

undertook the moderate intensity training 

improved their fitness by an impressive 14%. 

However, the group who performed the high 

intensity training improved their fitness by 

a massive 22%, despite both groups training 

at a frequency of three sessions per week! 

Therefore, in terms of percentage gains per 

minute of training performed, training intensity 

has the greater impact. That’s more 

improvement in less training time! This has 

significant implications for those referees who 

find it hard to train three times per week due 

to work, family and geographical constraints. 

Therefore, if your training frequency needs to 

be decreased, then simply increase the intensity 

of your remaining sessions. 

However, a word of warning in that high intensity 

training can also be associated with an increased 

risk of overtraining, i.e. a decrease in physical 

performance despite continued training, as high 

intensity training takes more out of the body and 

consequently takes longer to recover from – you 

should not commence your next training session 

until the body has recovered from the previous 

one. High intensity training also requires a good 

level of initial fitness in order to perform effectively. 

The principle of specificity plays a major 

role in the changes to fitness levels that occur 

following exercise training, as adaptations are 

Fitness test week 

Impact on fitness 

Overtraining risk 

55 65 80 85 

Training intensity (%HR max 

) 

90 95 100 

highly specific to the nature of the training 

performed. Ideally, training should mirror as 

closely as possible the movements and energy 

systems employed during refereeing in order 

to maximise gains. Referees run and the fitness 

tests involve running – therefore, most of your 

training should be running. 

In conclusion, the best advice to anyone 

worried about passing their fitness tests is 

simple – get the preparation right. Follow 

a structured training plan that contains the 

appropriate amount of training frequency and 

intensity to improve fitness levels. More is not 

always best. Also, ensure that your training 

is specific as possible to your refereeing, 

as the overall aim should be fit to referee 

not just fit to pass a test. 

Pre-Season and In-Season Training plans 

can be downloaded, free of charge, from 

www.refworld.com. An overview of the Select 

Group’s 2008 pre-season training plan 

is provided below. 

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Week PHASE 

1 REST/ACTIVE 

RECOVERY 

2 REST/ACTIVE 

RECOVERY 

3 REST/ACTIVE 

RECOVERY 

30’ MI Cycle CONDITIONING REST 30’ INT Activity FLEXIBILITY 4 GENERAL 

70 - 80%HRmax 70 - 80%HRmax PREPARATORY 

25’ MI Run FLEXIBILITY 30’ MI Cycle (Intermittent CONDITIONING REST 12’30” on 5’ off x2 MI/HI INT REST 5 GENERAL 

76 - 84%HRmax Program) 70 - 80%HRmax PREPARATORY 

30’ MI Cycle (Intermittent FLEXIBILITY 12’ on 4’ off x2 HI INT CONDITIONING 30’ INT Activity 4’ on 1’ off x 5 HI INT REST 6 GENERAL 

Program) 76 - 84%HRmax 86 - 88%HRmax 70 - 80%HRmax 86 - 90%HRmax PREPARATORY 

5x 20m, 5x 25m, 5x 30m CONDITIONING 6’ on 1’ off x 5 HI INT 40’ MI Cycle or Row REST 150-600-150-600m HI INT REST 7 SPECIFIC 

(375m) 3/4 pace 86 - 90%HRmax 70 - 80%HRmax 88 - 92%HRmax PREPARATORY 

2x(8x100m) in 17” REST 4x 2000m on Rower HI INT CONDITIONING 5x 20m, 5x 25m, 5x 30m 3x 1000m, 3x500m HI INT REST 8 SPECIFIC 

Rec 20”/5’ SE 85-90%HRmax Maximal Pace 85 - 95%HRmax PREPARATORY 

90 - 95% maximal speed 

4’ on 3’ off x4 CONDITIONING 5x 25m, 5x 30m, 4x 40m REST 3x 1000m, 4x 500m, 5x 4x (6x 7”sprints) SE REST 9 SPECIFIC 

90-95HRmax (435M) Maximal Pace on Rower 85-90%HRmax 90% maximal speed PREPARATORY 

3x 1000m, 3x500m HI INT CONDITIONING 5x 25m, 5x 30m, 4x 40m REST 2’ on 1’ off x8 4x (5x40m) Sprints SE REST 10 SPECIFIC 

88 - 92%HRmax (435M) Maximal Pace 90-92%HRmax HI INT Maximal speed PREPARATORY 

(1’ on 30” off x8) x2 HI INT CONDITIONING 15x 10m, 6x 40m (390m) REST (30” on 30” off x12) x2 HI INT REST REST 11 SPECIFIC 

90-92%HRmax Maximal Pace 90-92%HRmax PREPARATORY 


REFEREES 

FA deliver training 

to elite officials 

in Colombia 

Dean Mohareb 

Regional Development Officer 

Lancashire FA 

(Left to right): Lucia Sanchez, Ray Olivier, Dean Mohareb and Chris Foy 

Select Group Referee Chris Foy, 

Lancashire FA RDO National List Assistant 

Referee Dean Mohareb and FA Regional 

Manager Ray Olivier were invited by The 

Football Association to deliver a four day 

workshop in Colombia for Elite referees. The FA 

International Relations Manager Lucia Sanchez 

accompanied the delegation on their January 

visit as this was the first time The FA had 

delivered referee training in the country so 

it was an important visit. She was delighted with 

the feedback from the delegates, “It was a great 

experience. The Colombian referees really 

enjoyed it and learned a lot from the workshops. 

All of the feedback has been extremely positive, 

with many complimentary comments.” 

The seminar was highly publicised in the local 

and national media, with television companies, 

radio stations and newspaper journalists present 

throughout. The President of the Colombian 

Football Federation, Mr Luis Bedoya, attended the 

opening ceremony and spoke about the support 

and faith that the organisation had in its match 

officials. Other dignitaries in attendance during 

the visit were The President of The Referees 

Commission, The General Secretary of the 

Federation and a FIFA Observer. 

The workshops were delivered with a mixture of 

theory and practical fitness sessions. All the officials 

were involved and enthusiastic throughout. Topics 

such as ‘Steps Towards Excellence’, ‘Where We Are 

Now’, ‘Offside’, ‘Teamwork’, Player Management’ 

and ‘Getting the Big Decisions Right’ were all 

delivered by Ray, Dean and Chris. 

Practical fitness sessions were run every 

afternoon. Specific high intensity, speed and 

agility, and low intensity (recovery) training was 

introduced each day and the delegates also tried 

the new Yo-Yo Assessment, which has been 

introduced in England this season. Despite the 

high temperature and difficult grass surface, 

the results were extremely impressive. 

The course was very well received by the 

Colombian Federation, the elite officials and 

FIFA. Amelio Andino, the Observer for FIFA, 

commented that the course was excellent, “For 

me, the technical and physical work the English 

instructors have delivered has been unbelievable. 

All of the officials and instructors have been 

impressed with the professional work undertaken. 

They have learned and I have learned.” 

Elite Referee Oscar Ruiz, who has been a FIFA 

Referee since 1995 and represented his country 

at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, spoke very 

highly of the workshop and the instructors who 

delivered it, “The International Instructors have 

taught me many things this week. I have learned 

and developed, and I will improve more so that 

I am a better referee. They must come back – 

the course was not long enough for me.” 

Lancashire FA Referees Development Officer 

and Course Tutor Dean Mohareb was thrilled to 

have been involved in the workshop, “When Ian 

Blanchard telephoned me and asked to deliver 

the workshop I was absolutely dumbstruck. 

Ian has been a fantastic role model in my 

instructional work and to be asked by him 

to deliver abroad was such an honour. David 

Burgess and Eddie Wolstenholme have also fully 

supported me in this line of work. To have the 

backing of the County FA in such a project is a 

great feeling. During the week, working with elite 

officials who have many different pressures and 

different interpretations of some aspects of the 

Law was a real experience. I have not only 

developed as a tutor but also as a match official. 

The seminars were interactive, thought-provoking 

and beneficial to the tutors and the delegates. 

I hope that the work we have done can help the 

Colombian Federation and their match officials 

move forward in the coming season.” 

The theme of the workshop was ‘delivering 

excellence’ and it appears that all of the Elite 

referees, instructors, members of the Referees 

Commission and match inspectors have 

taken this theme on-board in their pursuit 

of continuous development. 

The seminars were interactive, 

thought-provoking and beneficial 

to the tutors and the delegates 


REFEREES 


FIFA U20 


WOMEN'S World Cup 

Chile 2008 

FEATURE 


THE REFEREES 


Janie Frampton, Sasa Ihringova 

and Natalie Walker 

THE REFEREES 


i never imagined i’d be 

officiating at a world cup 

(Left to right): Anna Nystrom (Sweden), Jacqui Melksham (Australia), Sasa Ihringova (England) and Helen Caro (Sweden) 

Janie Frampton (Technical Analyst) 

The second FIFA U20 Women’s World 

Cup (formerly U19 World Cup) was 

held in Chile from the 19 November to 

7 December 2008 in four different locations 

of the Country – Santiago, Chillan, Temuco 

and Coquimbo. Sixteen countries had qualified 

through their own Confederations. 

The tournament was supported by the 

appointment of 14 Referees and 28 Assistant 

Referees from five Confederations and 25 

different countries. The FA was delighted 

that Sasa Ihringova and Natalie Walker were 

appointed to the tournament as referee and 

assistant referee respectively. This is a first, 

as England has never had any women referees 

appointed to a FIFA World Cup. 

The referees and assistants arrived on 13 

November to take part in a pre-tournament 

workshop. This was structured around fitness 

training, technical training and theory sessions 

on Law application, regulations and match 

preparations. This was also concentrated 

around the importance of teamwork, showing 

examples of best practice and how to manage 

the expectations placed upon referees and 

assistant referees in controlling the game. 

During the workshop the FIFA women’s fitness 

test was carried out under the guidance of 

Jean-Baptist Bultynck, a Sports Scientist from 

Belgium working under Professor Werner 

Helsen. The conditions were incredibly hot 

and humid which undoubtedly affected the 

performance of some of the girls. Unfortunately 

five assistants failed the fitness tests and 

departed for home the next day. 

My role was that of Technical Analyst, which 

meant that I watched 30 games and analysed the 

performance of the referees and assistants and 

concluded by preparing the video information 

for the feedback and development of the 

match officials. 

Sasa Ihringova (Referee) 

Receiving an invitation to a FIFA event 

is always a great honour. It is flattering 

to find one’s name next to other referees 

with their impressive refereeing CVs. 

The appointment is just the beginning of the 

journey though – there are rigorous tests to go 

through including daily training sessions and 

meetings. Full concentration is required for the 

duration of the event which in this case was 

one month. 

There is also the gauntlet of debriefs after each 

game. Every referee’s nightmare is to feature 

with a serious mistake on the big screen in front 

of the whole group of referees, instructors 

and FIFA Referees Committee members. I was 

appointed to Japan v Canada and Brazil v Mexico, 

both of which were completely different games, 

requiring different approaches and management. 

On both occasions we seemed to get the balance 

right as we were received well and felt that we 

gave good team performances. 

REF Facts 

Janie Frampton 

Regional Referee Manager 

for the South 

FIFA Referee Instructor 

Leading the strategy 

on Women Referees 

Sasa Ihringova 

A FIFA women's referee 

formerly from Croatia 

Level 3 referee and 

Assistant Referee on 

the National List 

Natalie Walker 

Level 4 referee from 

Blackpool 

Newly appointed FIFA 


Ran the line at the 

FA Women's Cup Final 

in 2008 


REFEREES 



FEATURE 

REFEREEING 

THE 

AT THE FA 

BEAUTIFUL 

THE REFEREES 


GAME ON WHEELS 

THE REFEREES 


Ray Brown 

Referee Development 

Officer, Cornwall FA 

(Left to right): Lada Rojc (Croatia), Carolina Gonzaliz (Chile), Jennifer Bennett (USA) and Natalie Walker (England) 

After the steady performance of our two group 

games, Natalie and I knew we were in the 

running for one of the decisive games. At this 

stage of the tournament it is not only about 

performance, we also knew we needed a little 

luck with who the remaining teams were. Only 

the correct combination of teams would allow 

us to continue to have an opportunity to 

progress. As the teams from Europe usually 

do well in these tournaments, it makes it 

increasingly difficult for UEFA referees to take 

part in the final games. On this occasion luck 

was with us and both teams in the 3rd /4th play 

off were from UEFA (which meant the officials 

could come from UEFA also as there would be 

not perceived bias) and no UEFA teams were 

in the final. 

I was appointed to referee the Final between 

Korea DPR and USA and Natalie was the first 

Assistant Referee on the third place game 

between France and Germany. 

Obviously, I wanted the Final to go really well. 

Fortunately, the teams played very well and 

there were no major incidents or contentious 

decisions. Leaving the field I was pleased with 

the way it went and I was relieved to receive 

confirmation of this from the FIFA staff. 

Officiating on the final day of the U20 Women’s 

World Cup is undoubtedly something we both will 

cherish for the rest of our refereeing careers. This 

game was the pinnacle of a fantastic year with 

three international and two FA Women’s Finals. 

Natalie Walker (Assistant Referee) 

At fourteen years of age, when I first 

began refereeing for pocket money, 

I never imagined that twelve years later 

I would be officiating at a World Cup. Sasa 

Ihringova (Shropshire) and myself (Lancashire) 

were both selected by FIFA as Referee and 

Assistant Referee, respectively, for the FIFA 

U20 Women’s World Cup in Chile. 

We arrived in Santiago on the 13 November and 

successfully passed our fitness tests to then be 

appointed to Canada v Japan in Santiago and 

Brazil v Mexico in Temuko. Sasa was also fourth 

official for Korea DOR v Mexico in Chillan. 

We attended technical and fitness training for 

three hours every morning in temperatures of 

20-30°. It was intense and beneficial to both of 

us and we learnt a lot that we can take into our 

games, both internationally and domestically. 

Sometimes it’s easy to forget how lucky you are 

to be part of such an event, to visit countries 

you may never normally get to and see sights 

you would never see and, after all, this is just 

my hobby! Going to an event like that makes all 

the hard work on a Saturday afternoon in rainy 

England so much more worthwhile and makes 

Contributory League games on New Years’ Day 

a little more bearable. 

Sasa and I were delighted to be appointed 

to the final games, myself as Assistant Referee 

in the third place play-off between France and 

Germany and Sasa as Referee for the Final 

between USA and Korea (current champions). 

Two amazing appointments and we are so 

proud to have represented England and we did 

the best we could to make you all proud of us. 

Iwas first introduced to Power Chair football 

by my local Cornish side, Celtic Storm. The 

game is played on a basketball size court 

with 4 v 4 selected from squads of eight with 

repeated substitutions allowed throughout. 

Having refereed in the National League in 

Kettering for over a year, I was still surprised 

to be nominated to officiate the Powerchair 

Champions League. 

I made my debut in the competition as 

Assistant Referee to my colleague, Mike Wright, 

in the match between Vaucresson and Villeneuve 

d’Arsq with Villeneuve securing a 2-0 win. 

My refereeing debut came in the game where 

Montauban beat Villeneuve 3-0. I had two 

further appointments in the group stages – 

one as Assistant Referee and another as Referee. 

On to the knock out stages and the English 

delegation took charge of the Montauban v 

Charleroi Semi-Final with myself being appointed 

as Assistant Referee. 

Then came the 7th/8th place Play-Off match 

where again I was appointed assistant referee. 

My final bow in the competition was as 

Assistant Referee for the Charleroi v CRRF 

Kerpape 3rd/4th place Play-Off. CRRF Kerpape 

established a 2-0 lead but MEC Charleroi fought 

back reducing the deficit to 2-1. Having collected 

a souvenir plaque I settled down to watch the 

Final in the knowledge I had refereed the group 

game between the same two sides – Montauban 

v Villeneuve. A close fought match saw 

Montauban win 1-0 thanks to a defensive 

mistake. Montauban were European Champions! 

During the Closing Ceremony and Gala Dinner 

each referee was called individually to the stage 

and presented with a medal and a large trophy. 

I awaited my turn until I heard “Ray Brown- 

England” – a moment I will treasure for a long time. 

I would like to pass on special thanks to my hip 

surgeon, Darren Fern, who twice rescued my 

sporting career with surgery in June 2003 and 

March 2006. Without his support opportunities 

like this would not have come my way. 


REFEREES 



An 

FEATURE 

OFFICIAL’s VIEW 

INAS-FID European 


Learning THE REFEREES DiFFICULTIES 


THE REFEREES 

Championship ASSOCIATION OF ENGLAND 

Manchester 2008 

Alan Clayton 

Level 3 Referee, Cheshire FA 

From July 20th – August 2nd 2008, 

INAS-FID European Championship, 

a tournament for players with Learning 

Difficulties, took place in Manchester. 

Alan Clayton, a new Level 3 from Cheshire, 

was one of the referees who officiated in 

the tournament. He received the honour of 

refereeing the Final between England and 

Holland at Boundary Park, the home of 

Oldham Athletic, in front of a crowd of over 

1,000 spectators. Here is Alan’s account 

of his experiences in the tournament. 

I received an invitation to officiate in this 

tournament through Trevor Massey, Referees 

Development Officer for Cheshire FA. After a 

discussion with my Regional Referees Manager, 

Steve Swallow, I accepted the invitation. This 

turned out to be a wise decision as the entire 

experience set me up nicely for this season. 

Not knowing what to expect or the standard 

of football that was to be played, I attended a 

meeting at Manchester County FA where we had 

a presentation from the Tournament Director, 

Jon Dutton. Jon went through the running order 

for the two weeks and any procedural information 

that we needed to be aware of. We were also 

informed of the matches that we were going 

to be officiating. 

After that I made it down to Sport City at the City 

of Manchester Stadium for the Opening Ceremony 

and game, where the wide variation in standard 

became apparent with England running out 10-0 

winners against France. 

The following night came my first fixture at 

Curzon Ashton FC. I was officiating Poland v 

Sweden with the other members of my team, Pete 

Gibbons, Mark Ashall and Scott Oldham. I was told 

that Poland were a strong side and had an outside 

chance of winning the tournament, while Sweden 

were a young side who were one of the outsiders. 

Man-management had to be approached from a 

completely different point of view because of the 

language barrier. One or two of the Swedish team 

spoke English but that was it so plenty of body 

language was used, along with a lot of smiles and 

the odd frown, to get my message across. 

This approach worked for me on the night as the 

game finished with only one caution. The game 

finished 8-0 to Poland. At the end of the game 

there was quite a lot of paperwork that needed 

to be completed and returned to the tournament 

organisers so by the time this was done we 

didn’t get leave the stadium until late. 

My second game came the following Saturday, 

this time as 4th Official for Scott Oldham at 

Boundary Park for the England v Hungary game. 

It was an excellent experience working for an 

established Level 3 official and gaining some 

valuable knowledge as 4th Official, particularly 

with appointments due to be made this season 

for this role on Panel Leagues. The game passed 

without any major incidents and England ran 

out 3-1 winners to finish top of their group. 

The next day the Semi-Final and Final 

appointments were made. I was appointed to 

referee the Final. To say that I was surprised would 

be a massive understatement! Again I would be 

working with Scott Oldham, who was appointed 

4th Official, along with Trevor Thomas and Alex 

Walker who were my assistants. 

However, in the meantime I was appointed as 4th 

Official for the England v Poland Semi-Final which 

was held at Boundary Park. This was an incident 

packed game. Poland went 2-0 up inside 20 

minutes before England pulled a goal back in time 

added on at the end of the first half, which 

noticeably raised spirits. An equaliser early in the 

second half raised the tempo even further. Joe 

Johnson, who was in charge, had to work hard to 

keep a tight reign on the players. They were now 

really putting in every last effort with it being a 

Semi-Final. An off-the-ball incident led to a Polish 

player having to come off the field to receive 

treatment for a facial injury. This produced a 

number of issues for me to deal with whilst the 

game was still going on. I was receiving protests 

from the Polish management about how the 

incident had occurred, whilst having to ensure that 

the people treating the player did not interfere 

with either play or the assistant as the player was 

REF Facts 

Alan Clayton 

Alan currently lives in 

Hyde, and is registered 

with Cheshire County FA 

2005 

Gained Level 4 status 

2007 

Represented Cheshire 

County FA in The 

Dallas Cup 

2007/08 

Promoted to Level 3 status 


REFEREES 



ENGLAND’S FIFA 

FEATURE 

REFEREEING 

OFFICIALS 

AT THE FA 

2009 

THE REFEREES 


David Elleray 

Vice Chairman of The FA Referees Committee, 

Hon. President of The Referees Association of England 

and Member of the UEFA Referee Committee 

THE REFEREES 


being treated on his active patrol path. The 

player was safely removed for further treatment 

and an honest apology to the Polish Head 

Coach for us having simply not seen the incident 

did settle things down on the touchline but 

temperatures were raised again when a Polish 

player was sent off for his second cautionable 

offence. As he left the field of play he screamed 

directly in to my face. This time it was me 

receiving an apology from the Polish Coach 

for his player’s actions. Poland were now on the 

back foot with a man short so England pressed 

on in search of a winner which duly came to put 

them in the Final. 

On Saturday I was back at Oldham for my third 

visit in a week, this time as referee. The pre-match 

ceremony along with the Fair Play Handshake 

was completed and we kicked off in front of a 

partisan home crowd. After 18 minutes we were 

given our first test. An England player committed 

a reckless tackle using excessive force and 

endangering the safety of an opponent. This 

lead to a mass confrontation in every referee’s 

favourite place – right in front of the dugouts! 

I quickly dismissed the offending player to 

remove him from the situation and then waited 

for things to calm down. Having consulted the 

rest of my team and obtained their observations, 

there were two further cautions and the dismissal 

of the Dutch Head Coach for comments that 

were made towards the original offending player. 

Having gone down to ten men, England went 

on to score and held the lead at half-time. Over 

half-time we discussed the mass confrontation 

and what we could have done differently, 

if anything. This game was a completely 

different affair from the Poland v Sweden game 

as both teams spoke good English. This meant 

that there was constant appealing and some 

quite entertaining, if near to the knuckle, banter. 

Bearing this in mind, we had to keep a very tight 

control of the game following the earlier incident 

so as to ensure that tempers were not raised 

further. Holland’s numerical advantage and 

change in tactics in the second half eventually 

lead to them running out 3-1 winners and 

crowning them Champions. 

Following the game itself I was approached 

by the Polish Head Coach who complimented 

me on my handling of the games that his team 

had been involved in and also on the team work 

on the day of the Final between all four officials. 

It was great to receive some positive feedback 

from one of the teams that I had had most 

contact with. 

So what did I take from this tournament? 

As a newly promoted Level 3 referee this was 

the perfect way to set myself up for this coming 

season. The standard of football varied from 

team to team but the majority of teams that 

I dealt with during the two weeks would be 

representative of what I would come up against 

this season. 

The use of body language, due to the language 

barrier, has not only allowed me to develop 

these skills but I am now also aware of the way 

I portray myself to the supporters as well as the 

players so they are left in no doubt as to what 

the situation is. It also gave me the chance to 

watch three established Level 3’s in Chris 

Kavanagh, Scott Oldham and Joe Johnson and 

learn things from them. Dave Addison, a Liaison 

Officer at some of the games, is a current 

Contributory League Assessor and he offered 

some sound advice which I have used this 

season already. The chance to work as a 4th 

Official will also prove to be invaluable. These 

appointments will stand me in good stead when 

I am appointed as a 4th Official on a Panel 

League game. 

All in all, this tournament was personally very 

successful, especially with the honour of being 

awarded the Final as Referee, but I will continue 

to put into practice what I learned during the 

two weeks and hopefully use the new skills to 

develop my game even further at this new level. 

The FIFA International Referees and Assistant Referees’ Panels were announced 

in mid-December as the FIFA year runs from January to December. 

Men’s Lists 

The FIFA committee took some steps to slow 

the increase in male FIFA referees as there is a 

danger of there being too many officials and not 

enough games for them all to have a reasonable 

number in a year. In Europe the number increased 

by only ten from 261 to 271. Only eight of UEFA’s 

52 countries saw their number of male FIFA 

referees increase and England was thus fortunate 

to have two new FIFA referees – André Marriner 

(Solihull) and Stuart Attwell (Nuneaton). Stuart, 

at 26 years old, becomes Europe’s youngest FIFA 

referee, being four months younger than Dumitru 

Bogaciu from Romania. With no retirements 

England now has nine FIFA referees. 

Simon Beck is a newcomer to the FIFA 

Assistant Referees’ list. 

* New Official 

Women’s Lists 

Helen Fulcher has become a FIFA referee and Sian 

Massey has joined the FIFA Assistant Referees list. 

Alison Chapman has retired from officiating having 

started a family. 

The FA is particularly pleased with the age spread 

of the FIFA promotions. Sian Massey (23), Stuart 

Attwell (26) and Helen Fulcher (29) have all come 

through The FA Young Referees’ Conference and 

demonstrate that youth is not a barrier to promotion 

as is evident at the other end of the spectrum with 

André Marriner’s promotion aged 38, the oldest 

a person can be for first nomination to FIFA. 

Futsal 

Marc Birkett continues as our sole FIFA Futsal Referee. 

Male Referees Male Assistants Male Futsal 

Martin Atkinson 

Stuart Attwell* 

Mark Clattenburg 

Mike Dean 

Andre Marriner* 

Mike Riley 

Rob Styles 

Steve Tanner 

Howard Webb 

Female Referees 

Helen Fulcher* 

Sasa Ihringova 

Amy Rayner 

Simon Beck* 

Darren Cann 

Peter Kirkup 

Mo Matadar 

Mike Mullarkey 

Dave Richardson 

Phil Sharp 

Jez Simpson 

Richard West 

Female Referees 

Emma Everson 

Sian Massey* 

Natalie Walker 

Marc Birkett 


REFEREES 



FEATURE 

The Modern Day 

Assessing Scheme 


THE REFEREES 


THE REFEREES 


Denis Hayes 

FA Contributory League Assessor 

the word is credibility 

It is fair to state that Referee Assessing has 

certainly moved forward for the better in 

recent years, of that there can be no doubt 

at all. Long gone are the days when an assessor 

would attend a game and have no contact 

with the referee, followed by a written report 

dropping through your letter box stating what 

you had done well and what you needed to 

do to improve. The only contact from then on 

would be the Assessing Co-ordinator if you 

needed something clarified. 

Today’s Assessing Scheme is more transparent 

and assessors have to be more accountable for 

the reports they produce which is only right. The 

mark awarded has to equate to the written word 

and this can only be a good thing for credibility, 

both in the eyes of the assessor and the referee 

receiving the report. Strengths and development 

points are now accurately identified and 

discussed in the post-match debrief. It also gives 

the referee the opportunity to answer questions 

and give his/her views with regards to the game 

in a relaxed environment, with constructive 

discussion for the benefit of the officials who 

participated in the game. 

I have been assessing since the mid-1980s 

and can most certainly see the improvement 

in the Assessing Scheme. This is highlighted 

by the detailed instruction given to Assessor 

Training Officers by the way of pre-arranged 

training games for the new assessors and, most 

importantly, the training literature and aides 

produced by The FA. Existing and experienced 

assessors now have to attend a one day training 

Refresher Course normally set up by their local 

County FA under the auspices of the Assessor 

Training Officer or Referee Development Officer. 

These Refresher Courses have to be attended 

by all assessors so as to maintain their FA 

Registration. Failure to attend results in their 

registration being suspended until the individual 

assessor undertakes his/her mandatory duty to 

attend the course. The courses are also aimed 

at recruiting new assessors to the scheme, which 

is vitally important to maintain the numbers. This 

system replaces the old five year registration 

which can only be a good thing because the 

assessor is brought up-to-date with all Law 

changes and assessing techniques which is of 

paramount importance particularly when stating 

Law on written reports. Assessors also have to 

be CRB checked and attend a Child Protection 

workshop in addition to their assessor training. 

At the higher levels, The FA has introduced 

Referee Coaches. Each coach will have a 

number of referees assigned to him – Level 3 

for the Contributory Leagues and Level 2 for 

the Conference (Panel). I see this as a major 

step forward by Neale Barry, Head of Senior 

Refereeing Development at The FA, as this can 

only enhance the performance of the referee. 

These coaches are very experienced and include 

ex-senior referees such as Martin Bodenham, 

Dave Frampton and Martin Cassidy. Equally, 

I believe as assessors we should have close 

contact with these coaches for the benefit 

of the referee. The Contributory Assessing 

Co-ordinator, Jim Hill, arranged for Phil Prosser, 

Level 3 Referee Coach and ex-Football League 

referee, to attend a Contributory Assessor 

Update meeting in Surrey prior to the start of 

this season. Phil put forward a good presentation 

regarding what the coaches are now instructing 

their referees on, about positioning, awareness 

etc - all the tools required for the modern game 

and modern refereeing techniques. Everybody 

now has to take on board the fact that the 

modern game is faster and that the players are 

like athletes, certainly at the top echelons of 

the non-League game and beyond. Referees 

have to adapt to these modern times, hence the 

end of the old diagonal positioning system and 

the introduction of new methods. It is equally 

important that we as assessors embrace these 

new techniques and move forward for credibility 

of report writing and to avoid confusion by the 

referee as to what is expected performance wise, 

at all levels of the assessing scheme. We all need 

to be singing from the same hymn sheet. 

Referees have a very clear promotion path– 

County League, Supply League, Contributory 

League, Panel etc. At every stage there is an 

Assessing Scheme. The referee relies on good 

constructive advice from assessors right through 

the system at whatever level he/she is operating. 

As assessors we have a profound duty and 

responsibility to ensure that all assessment 

reports reflect the performance of the referee 

on the day, the mark reflects the written report 

and vice versa. It is key to identify and point 

out the development areas and the strengths 

of the referee at whatever level the assessor is 

operating. As assessors we are all in this scheme 

to assist in the advancement of our referees, 

to help enhance their performance and to help 

them achieve their goals. We also need to 

consider that this is a referee’s future career 

at stake. 

I enjoy what I do and take great satisfaction 

in seeing referees promoted through the system 

and achieving success. After all, that is the 

purpose of the Assessing Scheme. 

I wish you all well in your assessing career. 

REF Facts 

Denis Hayes 

FA Contributory Assessor. 

Surrey County FA 

Council Member. 

Referees Committee. 

SCFA 

Disciplinary Committee. 

SCFA 

Regional Assessing 

Coordinator. SCFA 

Surrey County RA 

Delegate to the 

Surrey County FA. 



THE REFEREES 


THE REFEREES 


WHAT’S 

IN A NAME? 

Colin Harris 

The Referees Association of England 

Young Erewash Valley members with 

Premier League referee Alan Wiley 

Guest Speaker Newcastle United goalkeeper 

Steve Harper with Cramlington RA Treasurer 

Ken Newton and Secretary Dave Martin 

Geography was always one of my strongest 

subjects at school. However, following 

my move from Essex to Bristol and taking 

up refereeing new horizons dawned. I needed to 

know where all the local parks and playing fields 

were. Then, as I progressed onto the Western 

League, it was a matter of finding out where 

places like Saltash, Heavitree and Radstock were 

on the map. Becoming more involved in The RA 

on a national basis introduced me to new names 

and places, so I decided to find out more about 

some of the local Societies whose names might 

not be so familiar. 

Most societies are named after the location 

in which they are based, from small villages to 

large cities. Had it not been for The RA, I would 

probably not have heard of the districts of Craven 

and Heavy Woollen in the West Riding District 

of Yorkshire. Similarly, whilst I have heard of the 

Derwent Valley in Derbyshire, the Erewash Valley 

would have remained unknown to me. 

The Erewash Valley Referees’ Society 

The River Erewash (pronounced erry- not er, 

nor air – and definitely not ear-wash) rises near 

Kirkby-in-Ashfield and for much of its length 

forms the boundary between Derbyshire and 

Nottinghamshire before flowing into the River 

Trent, at The Attenborough Nature Reserve 

near Long Eaton, Derbyshire. 

The Erewash Valley Referees’ Society was 

founded in 1942 drawing members from Heanor, 

Ilkeston and the surrounding area. In 1964, W H 

(Harry) Hardy became secretary and still holds 

that office – quite an achievement! At the tender 

age of 82, Harry is a local ‘legend’. He still runs 

the line on the Central Midland League and is a 

well respected referee on the Long Eaton Sunday 

League. In 2007 Harry’s substantial contribution to 

the game was recognised when he was presented 

with his 50 year FA Service Award by Sir Trevor 

Brooking at half-time of the England v Spain 

Under-21 International at Pride Park. Harry is the 

epitome of The RA motto ‘Service before Self’ and 

is a shining example for all our members to follow. 

Harry Hardy receives his FA 50 Year Award at Pride Park from Sir Trevor Brooking and FA Vice Chairman, Barry Bright 

The Society draws members not just from 

the immediate catchment area but also from 

neighbouring Nottinghamshire. It has continued 

to thrive being, by some margin, the largest 

society in Derbyshire with recent years’ 

membership figures exceeding 70. 

EVRS is a vibrant, active society with average 

attendances of between 30 and 40 members at 

its meetings at Ilkeston Town FC, where they are 

able to attract excellent speakers, including Alan 

Wiley, Howard Webb and FA Regional Manager 

Ray Olivier. Members are able to take advantage 

of state of the art audio visual equipment for 

in-house training/information sessions, thanks to 

a grant from SportforAll. This all helps to attract 

many younger referees to the society where they 

receive strong support and encouragement from 

the more experienced members. 

Members are also keen to get involved in social 

events, fostering good relations with other 

societies and are current county five-a-side 

and quiz champions, winning the national quiz 

competition in 2007. 

With thanks to Andy Green 

The Knights Society 

One name that has puzzled me and, I am sure, 

others is Knights, probably the only Society 

whose name is not derived from its geographical 

location; or is it? 

The Knights Society was formed in 1970 

when five referees living around the area of 

Knights Hill in West Norwood got together to 

fill a geographical gap between the Fulham and 

Woolwich Societies in South-East London. They 

were soon joined by other members including 

Peter Theobald, who became the mainstay of the 

Society, especially in his training role and was 

instrumental in the tuition of numerous successful 

referee candidates over the years, as well as with 

London FA In-Service courses. Before moving 

away from the area, current Football League 

referees Phil Crossley and Andy Haines were 

both Knights members. 

Although a relatively young and small Society, 

a number of current members have received 

awards for service from both The RA and 

the London FA. They are more than happy to 

welcome any RA members to their “informal” 

meetings on the third Thursday of the month, 

when the footballing world is surely put in its 

place! After various venues in the area including 

the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, their 

present home is Dulwich Hamlet FC. 

Knights’ five-a-side team give a good account 

of themselves, but admit not that successfully. 

The quiz team has always taken part in the RA 

Quiz in its various formats, qualified for the 

Regional Finals several times and reached the 

National Finals on one occasion in 2007 when 

Erewash Valley were the winners. 

With thanks to Dave Donnelly 

Cramlington RA 

Having made a few visits to Northumberland, 

I have probably passed close to Cramlington 

without realising it. The branch is the secondmost 

northerly apart from its neighbour 

Ashington, which is surely better known in 

footballing circles through the Milburn and 

Charlton families. 

Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg 

began his career at Cramlington RA and 

among the current members is Football League 

Assistant Referee Mark Lawson. Membership of 

Cramlington branch has increased steadily from 

24 in 2001 up to the present-day figure of 53. 

Monthly meetings under the chairmanship 

of Jim Saddler are held at the Cramlington 

Comrades Club. 

With thanks to David Martin 

So when you are travelling around the Country 

and possibly staying away from home, be assured 

that there is an RA branch or society nearby. 

It may even be there is a meeting when you are 

in the area and you are sure of a warm welcome, 

wherever it may be. 



THE REFEREES 


THE REFEREES 


RA 

EVENTS 

Colin Harris 

do you really 

know the LAWs? 

Neale Barry 

FA Head of Senior Referee Development 

To book, or obtain further details for either of these events, please see your Society Secretary 

or The RA website, or contact The RA Head Office. The RA would like to thank the PGMOL, 

for their most generous support of both these events. 

Eve-of-Final Rally 

Friday, 29 May 

MAY 

29 

Hotel Russell, London, WC1B 5BE 

Guest Speaker: Wayne Barnes 

(Top rugby referee) 

The Rally is held to honour The FA Cup Final 

officials and give their fellow referees the 

opportunity to pay tribute to them less than 

24 hours before the ‘match of their lives’, 

as well as meeting other top referees. 

The highlight of the evening is when The Cup 

Final referee addresses the Rally after he and 

his team have received tributes and mementoes 

from Ray Lewis, Chairman of The FA Referees’ 

Committee and our President, David Elleray. The 

guest speaker will be top Rugby Union referee 

Wayne Barnes. 

Tickets priced at £10 each for adults and £5 

for those aged 18 and under are now available 

to non-members, as well as members of the 

RA. You will receive a souvenir programme 

autographed by The FA Cup Final officials. 

Refereeing can be lonely, it’s much easier 

with the help and support of fellow Referees. 

Join your local Referees’ Association where 

you can: 

• Discuss match situations with fellow referees 

• Learn from and with other referees of 

all levels 

• Develop your refereeing skills to maximise 

your enjoyment of the game 

• Have peace of mind knowing that you have 

Personal Accident insurance cover 

• Be sure you are not out there on your own. 

RA Conference 

Saturday 11 July 

JUL 

11 

St. Johns Hotel, Solihull 

Special Guest: John Motson 

Following the success of last year’s Centenary 

event, we are delighted to announce that John 

Motson will be the Guest Speaker at the 2009 

Conference Dinner. 

The 2009 Conference theme is ‘Getting it 

Right’ and we will follow the popular format of 

recent years with workshops and presentations 

from top Premier League officials, including 

Howard Webb, Mike Riley, Mike Dean, Stuart 

Attwell and Steve Bennett plus the chance 

to meet colleagues from all levels of the 

game. This year’s workshops are being 

designed to include a significant degree 

of audience involvement. 

Quote from Steve Bennett, Barclays Premier 

League and ex-FIFA Referee: 

“In 1984, I sat and passed my referees’ examination in Dartford, Kent. 

A month later I attended a meeting of the Bromley branch of the Kent 

Referees’ Association and became a member. Joining my local RA was 

one of the first decisions that I made as a referee and probably one of 

the best decisions that I made in my career.” 

For further details, please contact General Secretary Arthur Smith at: 

RA Head Office, 1 Westhill Road, 

Coundon, Coventry, CV6 2AD. 

Tel. 02476 601707 

ra@footballreferee.org 

Alternatively your local Society 

can be found on our website 

www.footballreferee.org 

question 1 

You award a direct free-kick just outside the 

penalty area to the attacking team. Having 

taken control of the ball and positioned it for 

the restart, you advise the player taking the 

free-kick that he may only take the kick when 

you blow your whistle which you then hold in the 

air for all to see. As you are pacing out the 9.15m 

minimum distance, the player takes the free-kick. 

What action do you take? 

question 2 

An attacking player standing some eight 

metres from the goal jumps to head the ball 

into goal and simultaneously deliberately uses 

his hand on your ‘blind’ side to help the ball 

into goal. You detect the offence. 


question 3 

Having awarded a throw-in to the defending 

team deep in their own half, an attacking 

player stands about one metre in front of the 

thrower making it difficult for the ball to be 

returned into play. 


question 4 

Close to the touchline, some 35 metres 

from goal with no other defenders in close 

proximity, a defending player holds an 

opponent in possession of the ball by tugging 

at his shirt to prevent him from making 

progress towards goal. 


Find the answers to these questions on the next page. 


One match in three is played without a 

referee because of abuse from players. 

Isn’t it time to show 

some Respect? 

Respect 

Referee 

Game 

Answers to Do You Really Know The Laws? 

Questions on page 57 

Answer 1 

Blow your whistle and caution the player for 

unsporting behaviour and order the free-kick 

to be taken again. Reinforce your message 

that this will only be allowed when you blow 

your whistle. 

Answer 2 

You disallow the goal and caution the offending 

player for unsporting behaviour and restart the 

game with a direct free-kick from where the 

offence occurred as the offence was committed 

outside the goal area. 

Answer 3 

In these circumstances, in the first instance, you 

would ask the player to move at least another 

metre from where he is standing probably using 

your whistle to let everyone know you intend 

to deal with the offender. The Law requires an 

offender to be cautioned for failing to respect 

the required distance but you are encouraged 

to try to manage a situation like this at first but, 

if the player fails to co-operate or repeats his 

action, then you must caution him. 

Answer 4 

As there is clearly a penal offence and no 

advantage is likely to accrue, you must award 

a direct free-kick to the team of the player who 

was held and, as the motives of the defender 

were to take away an advantage from his 

opponent, he must be cautioned for unsporting 

behaviour. This would not amount to denial 

of an obvious goal scoring opportunity as the 

offence occurred too far away from goal and 

there no was likelihood of a goal being scored. 

TheFA.com/Respect 

58

FA Learning 

The Football Association 

25 Soho Square 

London 

W1D 4FA 

T: +44 (0)20 7745 4545 

F: +44 (0)20 7745 4546 

E: info@TheFA.com 

TheFA.com/FALearning 

FA Learning Hotline: 0870 8500424 

The Referees’ Association 

1 Westhill Road 

Coundon 

Coventry 

CV6 2AD 

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4393/09

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