UEFA Directives towards referees

[Guest Snorky]

UEFA Referees Development Programme 2007 15th UEFA Advanced Course for Elite and Premier Referees and 16th UEFA Introductory Course for International Referees.

 

5 to 9 February, 2007

 

Rome - Italy

 

General SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS

 

These conclusions form part of the update to the summary of previous course conclusions published in the 2006 edition of the UEFA booklet "Practical Information for Match Officials" which was sent to all National Associations and UEFA Referee Observers in August 2006. An updated version will be published in Summer 2007.

The UEFA Referee Courses in Rome served not only as an opportunity to reinforce the practical information in the booklet but also to identify further recent trends (and offer solutions) and to remind referees of their responsibilities on the field and also as role models for less-experienced officials throughout Europe.

The conclusions and recommendations from the two courses are outlined below.

 

 

1) Advanced Course for Elite and Premier referees.

Concentration

Due to lack of concentration or through being too hasty, mistakes in identification of disciplined players may occur. Consequently, referees were reminded to respect basic principles when issuing disciplinary sanctions:

- Isolating and identifying the player

- All four match officials should note the identity of the player and check if the player has already been cautioned

Only then should play be re-started.

 

Dissent

 

The directives issued by the UEFA Referee Committee after the Advanced Referee course in August 2006 have generally been well applied and an improvement was noted. However, there still remain cases of dissent not being dealt with in a uniform and consistent manner. Consequently, the following points were re-emphasised:

 

Players must be cautioned if they:

- show dissent by running towards the referee or assistant in protest

- show dissent by action or gesture

- verbally or physically demand a yellow card for an opponent

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In cases of players crowding around the referee (mass protests / mobbing) at least one player must be cautioned. In such cases, assistant referees and the 4th official are expected to act according to the guidelines agreed at previous courses. In cases of unsporting physical contact with the referee or assistant referee the player(s) must be sanctioned with a red card.

 

Refer to page 31 of the ?Practical Information for Match Officials? booklet.

 

Protection of players

 

Referees were reminded of their responsibility to protect players from unfair play.

 

Illegal challenges with elbows / arms

? Such challenges appear to be an on-going problem.

? Some improvement was noted following the August 2006 seminar and red cards have been shown in several matches. However, some of the actions/non-actions taken by referees for such challenges were considered to be inappropriate.

? Referees must identify and punish appropriately strong unfair challenges with hands and arms; they should be aware of the particular danger of the deliberate movement of arms and elbows in an unnatural manner.

? Any challenge involving excessive force and therefore endangering the safety of an opponent is serious foul play and must result in a red card.

? The role of assistant referees (and sometimes the 4th official) can be important in such situations.

Strong unfair tackles

? Referees are strongly reminded of their duty to protect players from strong unfair physical contact / tackles.

? Whilst the action taken by many referees in UEFA matches was appropriate, there are still occasions when such challenges have not been dealt with in accordance with previous instructions.

? One aspect which was reiterated was that it makes no difference if the tackle is from behind, the front or the side.

? Where contact is made with the ball and the opponent at speed and without consideration for the potential danger to the opponent, this must be punished appropriately ? normally with a caution, but in cases of serious foul play with a red card.

? Referees are reminded that any tackle involving excessive force and therefore endangering the safety of an opponent is serious foul play and must result in a red card.

 

Holding in the penalty area

While holding outside the penalty area is being punished quite consistently, especially in cases where a promising attack is stopped, illegal use of hands/arms inside the penalty area has become increasingly apparent and is not being dealt with appropriately. This is particularly true prior to the taking of corner kicks and attacking free kicks near to goal.

 

Referees must:

? apply the instructions given in previous courses more stringently. They should be pro-active prior to the taking of corner kicks / attacking free kicks near goal and should be clearly seen to be taking preventative action.

? deal very firmly with any further illegal use of the arms / hands. If this happens before the ball is in play, disciplinary sanctions should be administered. However, in clear cases of holding / pushing after the ball

 

2

 

is in play referees are expected to award a penalty kick (for an offence by a defender) or a free kick (for an offence by an attacker) in addition to possible further disciplinary sanctions.

 

Protecting the image of the game

 

Referees were reminded of their responsibility to protect the image of the game.

 

Confrontation between players

? Mass confrontation involving players from both teams still occurs; participants are not being consistently or firmly sanctioned.

? As detailed on page 30 of the ?Practical Information for Match Officials? booklet, players involved in such incidents must be punished accordingly. It is recommended that at least one player from each team is cautioned and in cases of excessive physical contact the player(s) must be sent off.

? Any player approaching or joining the incident from some distance must be identified and also sanctioned.

? It is recommended that the assistant referee closest to the incident should assist the referee whilst the other assistant should monitor and record events. The fourth official should maintain his position between the technical areas while also monitoring the situation.

? The referee and assistant referee(s), and 4th official if necessary, should communicate with each other before the match re-starts.

Simulation

? Referees should be aware that simulation can occur anywhere on the field of play and they must punish players whose actions are clearly intended to deceive the referee.

? Players who initiate contact with an opponent or use slight contact to deceive the referee must be identified and consistently sanctioned.

? Referees should be aware that players are making the task of the referee extremely difficult and must ensure that when simulation occurs it is not acceptable for it to be recognised but then go unpunished.

Attacking free kicks

? To ensure total control, it is important that once the free kick has been awarded the referee must ensure that the ball is placed in the correct position and the kicker clearly told to wait for a signal from the referee before proceeding (This should be a show of the whistle to the kicker).

? Before ?walking? the defending players to the correct 9.15m distance it is essential that all defending players are removed from the area where the offence occurred.

? Any player who refuses to retreat the required minimum distance must be cautioned.

? The referee must ensure that once the ball is placed in the correct position it is not moved.

? Attention must be paid to defending players who encroach before the kick is taken, particularly players within the wall who shuffle forward.

? If encroachment occurs during the taking of the kick and a goal is not scored, the kick should be retaken and the offending player cautioned.

 

3

 

2) Introductory Course for International Referees

Towards a consistent level of punishment

Referees discussed what elements to take into account when deciding on the appropriate level of punishment in cases of unfair physical contacts (nature of the offence, circumstances etc?). Guidance is given on pages 23-25 of the ?Practical Information for Match Officials? booklet.

Managing the team

 

The importance of achieving teamwork and all aspects of possible assistance from assistant referees were discussed. The discussions centred mainly on pages 36 - 43 of the ?Practical Information for Match Officials? booklet.

 

Particular emphasis was given to eye contact being a two-way process and the need to give priority to the flag in case the electronic beep system fails. Referees should remind their assistants of the ?wait and see? technique and the importance of:

- Correct positioning and angle of view

- Cooperation

- Assistance with offences unseen by the referee

- Assistance with fouls near to or in the penalty area

In general, referees should build the confidence of their assistant referees and clearly and openly discuss all aspects of the expected performance to enhance motivation.

Concerns were expressed that some assistant referees still do not consistently follow the UEFA guidelines, agreed at previous assistant referee courses, regarding the use of the flag and discreet signals.

Consistent positive progress

The new international referees were informed of UEFA instructions given to international referees in recent courses, in particular the required actions regarding dissent, confrontation, advantage, illegal use of arms and elbows, advantage and handball.

It is hoped that this general summary and recommendations, read in conjunction with "Practical Information for Match Officials" will be of assistance not only to international referees, assistant referees and referee observers, but to match officials within all UEFA member associations.

UEFA Referees? Committee / February 2007

4

[Michael]

"- verbally or physically demand a yellow card for an opponent"

 

 

So under their rules it's ok to verbally or physically demand a straight red for an opponent?

[Earl Hafler]

Players must be cautioned if they:

- show dissent by running towards the referee or assistant in protest

- show dissent by action or gesture

- verbally or physically demand a yellow card for an opponent

 

About 1 in every 1,000 incidents does a player get a caution for the above.

[ManxRed]

Drogba would've been suspended for most of this season...

[Dee]

Drogba would've been suspended for most of this season...

Rooney would be permanently banned

[Euphrates]

... and Carra with his arm on on a string?

[Cam]

I was talking with my dad about this this evening, they've got to crack down on it all. He'd been watching an old pre-1992 game and it didn't seem to happen then.

 

We decided Wenger's Arsenal started it as a art-form when they were initially just violent thugs and carried it on when desperate to win or retain things (and, of course, the was the infamous Keane face to D'Urso). It may not have changed the ref's mind immediately but put doubt in for later decisions. Then almost every other team followed - the worst now being Arsenal (still), the Mancs (mainly Neville & Rooney), Chelsea (the fecking lot of 'em), Bolton and Everton.

 

The ref ought to just start dishing cards out and the manager will soon stop them. That's all it takes. A few teams to miss big players and it'll all stop. And if they've run 80 yards to scream in a ref's face about a decision they couldn't possibly have seen (Neville, Terry, Lehman) then a straight red for bull-sh*tting.

 

The issue that's getting me at the moment is refusing to walk towards refs. Players have always walked away, they're all thick and that "if I hide in a group or show that I think I shouldn't be booked I'll get away with it" thought is prevalent. Initially Premiership refs would then blow their whistle a couple of times, in an angry fashion. Then they were directed to walk towards the player themselves to diffuse the situation. Now they get to a player and the player walks off again. Pennant and Ashley Cole are the worst for this. Book 'em if they don't come immediately and if they were going to get booked for the foul give 'em both and send the feckers off.

[John am Rhein]

They need to strongly reassert the old principle that ONLY the captain can even politely question a referee's decisions - even in so far as asking for an explanation. Anything else should be punished with an immediate yellow card.

[abc]

They need to strongly reassert the old principle that ONLY the captain can even politely question a referee's decisions - even in so far as asking for an explanation. Anything else should be punished with an immediate yellow card.

 

Tend to agree.

 

Funny incident some years ago in an Italian league match or CL match. Inter IIRC had Pagliuca as their keeper. He ran about 50 yards to speak to the ref about a bad decision, and got booked for his pains. He subsequently pointed to his captain's armband but to no avail.

[Cliff M]

In cases of players crowding around the referee (mass protests / mobbing) at least one player must be cautioned Exception: Manchester United). In such cases, assistant referees and the 4th official are expected to act according to the guidelines agreed at previous courses. In cases of unsporting physical contact with the referee or assistant referee the player(s) must be sanctioned with a red card (Exception: Manchester United).

 

Nice to see it in black and white.

[The Hitman]

I was reading my book on Shanks on the way to work this morning,and got to a section where he told Denis Law to never question the referees decision.He reckoned that the ref was never going to change his mind anyway,and that if you agree with them and get them on-side,then you might benefit.

[John am Rhein]

In what context was Shankly managing Denis Law?

[Guest Scot]

In what context was Shankly managing Denis Law?

 

didn't he have Law at Huddersfield?

[SteveT]

didn't he have Law at Huddersfield?

 

Yes

[John am Rhein]

Aha!