Explaining Decisions

[JH]

In the heat of the moment when players aren't happy, I sometimes seem to dig myself a hole with what I say.

Had a double dismissal for VC a while ago and I just remember being questioned by a couple of players and not being clear in what I said which annoyed them as they thought it was therefore unjustified. Thinking back to it, I could have just said "He threw the ball in the opponent's face with force, that's violent conduct...", but when you're on the spot, sometimes it's not that easy.

How do others go about it? Do you explain decisions fully, or just say 'it was violent conduct' for example?

 

[Deleted member 3014]

100% agree, I get it all the time not just with bookings either, it’s purely because your in an uncomfortable position & you’ve got so much going on around you it’s sometimes hard to say what you’ve seen, totally natural in my opinion, for me I’d keep it as short and as sweet as possible I wouldn’t even entertain getting technical or in a debate about it, quite simply “ VC FELLAS THREW THE BALL IN HIS FACE HE’S GOT TO GO”

I think my aim from now on & I was Told this at the start, I want to move on with the game ASAP there isn’t time to get into long discussions regarding your decisions, you don’t have to justify yourself, short sharp explanation & move on. The more you say the more they have to pick holes at & question.

You watch some pro referees they don’t say a word it’s a straight red & then it’s just facial expressions and on with the game.

 

[one]

I had one today. "Which defer put him onside?" I know it didn't matter what I said he wouldn't have accepted it. "The one who was behind him".
Similarly, what was that for ref? It was for a foul.
I do get genuine questions from time to time which I explain but with a bit of experience you just know when a question is just to argue with you.

 

[Deleted member 3014]

Something I’m a little envious of & would love to have an ear piece when they’re talking, is the top referees when they pull a player over & have good old long word with him, open hand gestures calming voice & it looks great, thing is I’d love to know what they say.

I’m terrible for having a word with a player, I know what I want to say but there is no script & sometimes you come out with something completely different.

 

[Sheffields Finest]

Keep it short and sweet and don't go into detail, you don't want an inquest out there and them analysing your long winded version of events!!

Tell him why you're shifting him, bye bye, and don't run all the water off!!

 

[Ciley Myrus]

Any tv game I did the instruction was always clear. Red card for vc is just that. Violent conduct. Give nothing away. And here is why. You start to go into debate about he swung with his left arm and caught the guy in the chest....turns out it was the right arm and so on......yes it might still be vc but, everybody picks up that you have not got in spot on.
Same with the above, offside, who played him on? The second last defender did.
Whys that handball? Because i thought he deliberatley used his hand
Hows that not a foul? I did not deem it to be a foul. Do not say "that was not a foul". As, when you watch it back, what if it clearly was!??? So next time you turn up for that team, hey, bear in mind they have watched the game and incidents back also.....
Ok thats maybe a bit more relevant for higher levels but, communication is vital, but do not over do it.

 

[Sheffields Finest]

'A great man does not seek applause or place; he seeks for truth; he seeks the road to happiness, and what he ascertains, he gives to others'.....

 

[WilliamD]

TBH often my “big long word” with a player is as much for everyone else as for the player so they all know cards are coming. Different if I’m actually trying to calm someone down.

Often I say “this is the public warning” and I point all over the pitch and big hand waving etc. Try not to say too much or they have points to argue.

 

[Sheffields Finest]

I remember getting a long rant of dissent off a player so I went for my pocket, I pulled the yellow out to my side, 1st finger to the lips for a shhhhh, then the closing the zip sign across the lips and then showed the card..... The look on his face was priceless as he was looking for an argument!!

 

[Big Cat]

Communication can be impaired by fatigue also. Some games this winter have been played in weather so cold, I could barely speak anyway

 

[santa sangria]

+1 to all of the above.

In addition, I always tell ARs that I don't want them to get in long conversations with the players. A few words is fine. It's annoying but typically the older ARs don't get it - I know a few that want to argue with players - IMHO it's a key reason why their own middles end up dogged with slanging matches... and a couple of times (older) ARs have ignored me and got into arguments with players - nightmare - instant loss of match control (one memorable one with VC behind my back).

"In my opinion, it was deliberate. It's a direct free kick." Perfect.

Slowing the game down, taking the heat out, as said above, is about taking 20 seconds just to say "calm down" to one player. It doesn't work if you try to probe the player's mind and attempt to remind them about all their misdemeanours.

Working with comms as an AR is brilliant for hearing and understanding what good refs say to players - and different styles.

When and what to say as an AR is an art. The right little proactive warnings are massive boost to the ref's match control. "No holding." Perfect. At lower levels "Both feet on the ground" for problem throw-in-takers and "hands inside the box" for young GKs that are forgetting where the 18 yard box finishes etc.

 

[RobOda]

I remember getting a long rant of dissent off a player so I went for my pocket, I pulled the yellow out to my side, 1st finger to the lips for a shhhhh, then the closing the zip sign across the lips and then showed the card..... The look on his face was priceless as he was looking for an argument!!

Had a great one last month.

Player flew into a tackle, gave the foul and he was ranting and raving. I walked towards him, hand into my pocket, he went silent, looked at me with pleading eyes, and out came the yellow card and his face just dropped. "Ah, we have one of those that doesn't take any nonsense." - Is what I like to think was going through his mind at the time.

My missus was in the crowd that day, she thought it was hilarious, apparently I came off as quite menacing... I think I might need to work on that?

On topic though, I rarely explain a decision if its obvious and they're just wasting my time. I do explain to the captain though if a decision came out of nowhere. For example, one game a corner came in to the far post and a player kicked the opposition by the near post for no reason. Gave the freekick, sent him off. No one saw it beside the two players involved. Naturally, explained it to the captain who asked about it, and he basically was really disappointed in his teammate, who had to be encouraged to leave the field.

Turned out, the lad had just come back from a suspension.