The 'R' Factor

The ‘R’ Factor Newsletter for The Northern New South Wales State League Football Referees Association Proudly sponsored by McLanahan Corporation. March 2013 No 73 Tanya De Boer continues to impress internationally with appointments to a World Cup qualifier in Canberra in April and an Asian Cup qualifier in Jordan in June. Well done Tanya! AND SO THE SEASON STARTS! The 2013 football season is now underway. Some competitions have started, some are about to start and trial matches are underway. You have all been training for some time now (you have, haven’t you) and you have read through the Laws of the Game to refresh your knowledge study the changed (you have, haven’t you). Here are some other things you need to do if you haven’t already done so. Check your past performances. Why not go back through your past assessment reports and summarise the points raised and advice given. You may not agree with all of them, but it is still useful to run through them again. If a particular comment comes up several times from different assessors, perhaps you should seriously consider trying any advice given. Also check any circulars and guidelines that have been issued – they may contain something that you could benefit from. Even the items in past newsletters particularly under the heading “From the Grounds” could ring a bell for you – and before you brush them aside as being trivial or basic, remember they have all come from games officiated on by you or your colleagues at all levels. Check your uniform and equipment. Remember that first impressions count. You will be judged from the time you appear at a ground so ensure that you look smart and professional. Clean shoes and neat, appropriate clothing will be noticed and will set a positive tone from the outset. The reverse is true: If you turn up looking scruffy, everyone will be expecting a scruffy performance from you. Equipment: Are your boots in good order or will you need to replace them shortly (the right ones may be difficult to obtain at short notice)? Do both your watches work? Do you have spare, working pens or pencils? Are your whistles in good working order? Are your flags clean and bright or are they faded, creased or dirty? Remember the weather is still warm so don’t forget water bottles and sunscreen. Changed ground conditions. Even if you have regularly visited a ground in the past, check it thoroughly on your first visit this year. Clubs do maintenance during the off-season and may not have remarked the ground properly – particularly penalty spots and corner arcs. One season saw a club returfed the goal-mouths leaving the ground higher and crossbars 6-8 inches too low. And at a trial match last year, both penalty spots and two corner arcs were missing and there was no centre-circle. Nets may have developed holes; flag-posts may be too low or broken. Insist that anything dangerous be fixed immediately and, if necessary, report the defect to the Association Secretary so that your colleagues and the Football Federation can be made aware the problem. Travel. Again, you may have often travelled to a ground previously – but the road and traffic conditions may have changed; or you may have changed your address. Check that you are still able to reach your appointment at the prescribed time. If it is your first visit to a ground, check these aspects but even then make sure you allow for any traffic problems on the way. You are expected to arrive with time to perform all of your pre- match duties but it doesn’t hurt to arrive even earlier than required. Better that than being late. Club duties. The clubs have certain duties to perform – balls and team-sheets to the referee within set time-frames, etc. Now is the time to set the standard. If there is a problem, firmly, but politely, have it rectified and let them know what is expected. Thought for the month. The best way to lose weight is to close your mouth (Something very difficult for politicians) Or Watch your food – just watch it – don’t eat it. Page 1 of 4 LAW 4 - THE PLAYERS' EQUIPMENT Members are reminded of the change to the Laws in relation to players' equipment, which now reads "stockings - if tape or similar material is applied externally it must be the same colour as that part of the stocking it is applied to" The Football Associations want this enforced and now is the time to do it. Some discretion may be allowed if the tape doesn't match exactly but it MUST be close. TEAM OFFICIALS IDENTIFICATION. Similarly, the rule on team officials' identification tags is to be enforced. This rule has been in force for some years now so there is no excuse for it not happening. If the tag is not visible, the person cannot remain on the bench. JEWELLERY. Members are reminded that the ban on wearing any form of jewellery not only applies to players but also to the match officials. If you find that you can no longer remove a ring from your finger, then you should either do more training to lose the extra weight gained or get your ring resized. “SUBSTITUTION” V “INTERCHANGE”. Some competitions allow "interchange" of players instead of the normal "substitution". The rules governing these are basically the same but there are some differences which members should note. The number of substitutions allowed can vary between competitions and once this number is reached no further substitutions are allowed. The number of interchange players allowed can also vary between competitions. As well as this, the number of actual interchanges in a game can vary between "unlimited" to a maximum number in each half. Members should check the rules for the games they are to officiate on when they receive their appointments. For substitutions, the player going onto the field must enter from the half-way line but the field player can go off at any point. For interchanges, the player going onto the field AND the player leaving the field must do so via the specially marked "interchange zone" at the half-way line. For substitutions, the assistant referee is required to move up to the half-way line when the referee has signalled to allow the change, check the substitute's equipment and record the player's number. For interchanges, this is not necessary because of the frequency of changes but the interchange players' equipment has to be checked before the game starts. If the assistant does go to the half-way line, the referee must wait until he is back in position before allowing the game to restart. Other than this the procedure is the same – . All substitutes or interchange players should be on the bench and in uniform. The change can only be made during a stoppage of the game. (Note: This is not just for the ball going out for a throw-in, goal kick or corner kick but can also be for a free kick, etc– something a lot of coaches (and sometimes, unfortunately, referees)don't seem to realise. The player preparing to enter the field has to be at the half-way line and accompanied by a team official before the referee gives permission for the change. (Note: The referee can refuse permission for the change to occur under certain circumstances, e.g. if the substitute is not ready to enter the field of play (page 35 of the 2013 Australian edition of the Laws of the Game, bullet point 7). Once the assistant referee has been advised a team wants to make a change, he should, at the next stoppage, raise his flag in the prescribed signal until the referee acknowledges it and then to drop it. Although some associations may do it differently, this is the prescribed FIFA method and applies to these games. The substitute or interchange player is not allowed to enter the field until the field play leaves. Now is the time for referees and assistant referees to see that the procedures are carried out properly and where necessary enlighten the team officials as to their obligations. Proudly sponsored by Shanahans Financial Planning Pty Ltd Page 2 of 4 ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FROM LAST MONTH. 1. A long ball is played forward into the opponents half of the field. A team-mate of the kicker, who was standing in an offside position when the ball was kicked, is the only player to chase the ball. What action should be taken? The player should be immediately signalled as being offside and an Indirect Free Kick awarded to the opposing team, to be taken from where the offside player was when the ball was kicked. Interpretation of the Laws of the Game and Guidelines for Referees – Law 11, Diagram 4, page 59 of the 2013 Australian edition. 2. From a free kick, the ball is kicked long towards the far post where two team-mates of the kicker are in offside positions. Before the ball reaches either of them, it is cleared by a defender. What action should be taken? None. The referee should play on as neither player has interfered with play, interfered with an opponent or gained an advantage. Interpretation of the Laws of the Game and Guidelines for Referees – Law 11, Diagram 8, page 61 3. I'm standing on the eighteen-yard line in an obvious offside position and someone from my side dribbles the ball through the line, runs past me to draw the keeper out and then passes it back to me.

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