A&H

Policing Verbal Distractions

Silhouette

Silhouette

Target of Abuse
Level 7 Referee
Cant remember if I mentioned this already, but had similar happening this weekend, so going to combine it.

Verbal distractions.

Red subs are standing down the line (correctly) but everytime the young rapid winger tries to cross the ball, they are shouting/blowing raspberries.

I jog over, super casual, give them a little chat about it technically being not allowed in the LOTG. “What? Us Ref? No Ref?”

“Fair enough, but if I hear it again, as active subs – you can still be booked/sent” (Correct?! I hope so!)

Happens a second time, I cant identify which one is doing it though. So I tell them again, enough with the raspberries players, theres no spectators – so I know its you guys “What? Us Ref? No Ref?”

Starting to annoy me now.

They do it a third time, I tell them that I will abandon the game if they continue – as I'm bored of it now. Their team is 6-1 (ish) down at this point, so threatening them with abandonment isn’t really working.

This week,

Defenders keeping shouting “BLAR” when any striker/winger is going to shoot/cross. I give an IDK on the edge of the box a couple of times for this (to try and teach them the LOTG) but they are furious. Accusing me of making up the rule – and all of them are aggressively defensive about it being them. But I can hear it coming from their direction and if it was their own striker trying to put off their own strike buddy – then the shout would be softened (as the striker wouldn’t be facing me) so I'm 100% sure its them – I just don’t catch the player who opens his mouth.

But this is probably in the first 20 minutes – and it kind of set a precedent amongst them for the rest of the game that “This ref is making up rules”. Played a couple of advantages too and pulled it back – firstly, the ‘advantage’ gave a player who was mid falling over – a chance to toe poke/lunge at the ball which dribbled itself to the keeper. I pull it back – they complain it was a “Shot on Target” so cant be pulled back (!?!)

But like I said, its all happened early doors – so the rest of the match was just dissent – regardless of how many cautions I dished out for dissent.

I find that trying to caution players to show that I wont stand for dissent *always* comes back and bites me in the butt. Just enrages them more… to argue more.
 
The Referee Store
Dissent...... book them. Use the captain also. If the dissent turns into ofinabus.... red card.

If someone shouts at a player in order to put him off a cross or shot..... book him also.

Simple.
 
MalB said:
If someone shouts at a player in order to put him off a cross or shot..... book him also.
Click to expand...

I find it really easy to hear someone screaming "Rargh!" at the top of their lungs, but because im watching the ball/play, its hard to then catch who said it...

Especially if its someone with their back to you - like the midfielder he's just skinned and is trying desperately to catch him...
 
Silhouette said:
Cant remember if I mentioned this already, but had similar happening this weekend, so going to combine it.

Verbal distractions.

Red subs are standing down the line (correctly) but everytime the young rapid winger tries to cross the ball, they are shouting/blowing raspberries.
Happens a second time, I cant identify which one is doing it though. So I tell them again, enough with the raspberries players, theres no spectators – so I know its you guys “What? Us Ref? No Ref?”
Starting to annoy me now.
They do it a third time, I tell them that I will abandon the game if they continue – as I'm bored of it now. Their team is 6-1 (ish) down at this point, so threatening them with abandonment isn’t really working.
Click to expand...

It all really depends on the volume and if it was actually having any negative effect on the game.
After warning them once, I would be yellow carding one of the 2 players. If it happens a third time then either yellow the other 'offender' or give a 2nd yellow to the other (and then watch the fireworks!!!)

Silhouette said:
Cant remember if I mentioned this already, but had similar happening this weekend, so going to combine it.
Defenders keeping shouting “BLAR” when any striker/winger is going to shoot/cross. I give an IDK on the edge of the box a couple of times for this (to try and teach them the LOTG) but they are furious.
Click to expand...

What part of the LOTG were you trying to teach them?? No wonder they are furious, you are incorrectly applying the LOTG. The IDFK can only be given if you have cautioned the offender.

The IDFK is not the punishment in this case, merely the appropriate restart after the caution has been given
 
These are always difficult. My approach would probably be to give the IDFK (unless there's an advantage, in which case the next time the ball's out of play), call the captain and chief suspect(s) over and explain that such behaviour isn't acceptable and to tell them that cautions may follow if it happens again (I always use 'may', as otherwise you can be certain they'll look for you to caution an opponent any time they open their mouths!). That way you aren't ignoring the infringement but aren't in danger of unfairness through not being sure who did it. Then try to be in a wide position to see with some certainty who the culprit is if it happens again. If it does, you're in a much stronger position to take action.

Alternatively, but more risky, I sometimes call over 'yes please' to the players in the area that committed the offence when I'm not sure who actually did it. 9 times out of 10 the guilty one will come over - your problem is the time when no-one moves, in which case you have to single out your main suspect anyway! Also (though I'm not great at this myself) be sceptical about them implying they don't know what they should and shouldn't do - it's clearly unsporting behaviour and can be explained to them as such anyway.

If you can be proactive about these things (and step them up through the 'quiet word - public word - caution' approach that can help. Emphasis on the 'can'!
 
Martiju said:
These are always difficult. My approach would probably be to give the IDFK (unless there's an advantage, in which case the next time the ball's out of play), call the captain and chief suspect(s) over and explain that such behaviour isn't acceptable and to tell them that cautions may follow if it happens again
Click to expand...

Which of the 4 IDFK offences listed in the LOTG are you awarding it for??
 
When you know its happening but are not sure who..... grip the captains immediately. Tell them to nip it in the bud and if it happens again... someone is getting a caution!... the captain if needs be.... This usually works... using captains is a good tool.

I played an advantage for a bad foul once.... i then misplaced the offender. I grabbed the captain and simply told him to get that idiot over here now...... he called the offender over .... happy days!.... he got the caution, I thanked the captain... good comments on my assessment.
:)
 
Ah ha my favorite offence , i hate it , yellow card every time for the Raaahs , bangs, your **** and so on .......! The difficult ones for me are are when players put a name on the ball when they are not really gonna win it especially keepers who shout it very loud to put the striker off ! This is where i find the darker area for USB as it seems to be accepted as part of the game ?

Apologies to @Quarryref for the keeper comment , get off your high horse dont want any more excuses :D
 
Do not give an IFK without a caution. If you do that then you ARE making up the laws.

Also, never threaten something you're not going to follow up on. Threaten abandonment here? The first risk is you'll lose all credibility immediately because they'll know it's an unreasonable response. The second risk is that when it happens and you don't abandon, then you've lost all credibility.

Get the coach involved at this point, tell him to control his subs.

If you know something is happening and you're missing it, then you need to change your positioning. Maybe whenever the ball is running down the line, go into the field a bit more level with the player so you're looking in the direction of the bench. If there isn't a challenge then you can freely watch the bench - it's extremely unlikely that anything will happen as somebody is running down the field.

Same with the one that's happening on the field. If they're doing it from some distance away it will probably have no effect, so no huge deal if you miss it. Maybe a loud, general 'that'll do!' let's the players know you've heard something.

Again, if you know it's coming from the middle everytime there's a cross, adjust your positioning to try and have some view of the players in the middle as well. Positioning is about getting into the best position to spot what's happening, and what's about to happen. So don't rigidly stick to normal positioning if you know that won't let you see what's happening.

Dissent is a tough one, and I've had the same experience. There's an art to dealing with dissent, for sure.
 
Just to clear..... you do NOT need to caution when awarding an idfk all instances.
 
Ah, I see. Thanks guys - didnt know I *had* to caution to award the IDK. Will apply going forward

CapnBloodbeard said:
Also, never threaten something you're not going to follow up on. Threaten abandonment here? The first risk is you'll lose all credibility immediately because they'll know it's an unreasonable response. The second risk is that when it happens and you don't abandon, then you've lost all credibility.
Click to expand...

This wouldnt have been an empty threat, I was more than willing to. Also, in response to another reply, I couldnt tell the manager/captain, because he was playing! But I could have brought him in to tell his subs off. Great advice to use the captains. Get them involved, then if it happens again, ill bang the caution (with the captain there) so theres no chance of complaint.

Beezer said:
Ah ha my favorite offence , i hate it , yellow card every time for the Raaahs , bangs, your **** and so on .......! The difficult ones for me are are when players put a name on the ball when they are not really gonna win it especially keepers who shout it very loud to put the striker off ! This is where i find the darker area for USB as it seems to be accepted as part of the game
Click to expand...

This is my favourite grey area, because every player has a different understanding of the rule. Ill let them call for the ball. If the right back is squaring the ball to the central defender - and the other central defender shouts "Leave it", im cool with that too. They're not doing it for an advantage... Theres no opposition around them! But the amount of times people have *actually* picked up the ball and said "They cant say 'Leave it' thats a free kick" - if I had a pound everytime...

...Id have a fiver at least.

I wont let them shout for it if they're never going to get it. Or if its a 50/50 and they'll leave it till the very last seconds and scream "GAVINS" at the top of their voice. Thats intentional - and ill bang that all day long.

Gives me the most stick, but like I said, its because the rule is a bit grey - and its my interpretation of if they are merely communicating as a team - or being unsportmanslike.
 
Mal ....if your stopping play to award a IDF for USB you must produce a yellow card

I think if this didnt happen players could then use the situation to their advantage ?
 
When it comes to the subs... I'd be telling em to dissapeae to another part of the touch like away from the player in question... Assuming you don't have technical areas/benches
 
Personally, I would walk over caution one of the subs and tell them if you hear anything like you have previously heard then the others will be getting booked.

I've done that before when I wasn't 100% sure which sub made a comment towards me.
Worked a charm for me...
 
@CapnBloodbeard and @Beezer yeah... I didn't say anything other than clearing up a point for people that needed it... a caution IS NOT always required for all IDFKs..

Obviously....in some cases a caution is mandatory...

@Beezer you do NOT need to caution all stoppages for usb.
 
Last season, U12's (I think, which makes this even more annoying) 2nd minute of game player goes up for header and defender comes rushing up behind him screaming unintelligibly - clearly done to put the other player off. It was early in the season, a nice sunny day, and they were U12's so - feeling in a generous mood - I blew for it and attempted to educate the offending player ("but ref, I can put my name on it", "indeed you can young man, and if that is what you had done I wouldn't have stopped play"); so just the talking to with no booking, and a drop-ball restart (I know, I know). Unfortunately it ended up in a misconduct report for his manager, who set a great example with his use of the English language in berating the decision, and after the match coming up to me to continue the tirade (I told him that I might have forgiven the swearing, but not the use of the "C" word). I did have a wry smile on my face second half when one of his defenders injures himself going in for a tackle that turned in to a foul (just outside penalty area). He comes dashing on without asking first, pours the magic water on the player's leg, and then starts heading off the FOP. His head almost exploded when I informed him that his player needed to go off as well as he'd come on to treat him, and I'll wave him back on when ready... after the free-kick. Ah, the small pleasures ;)
 
Got you Mal ......was replying to your comment in context to the original post !

Apologies
 
hey @Beezer .. no dramas mate. No need for apologies. Its all about angles and opinions mate.

We learn from each others experiences as well as our own...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top