A&H

Open Age Telling players to ‘shut up’.

dylan22

New Member
Level 7 Referee
I caught the last ten minutes of the match next to mine, they kicked off late, on Sunday morning.

One of the teams I know quite well, and they’re pretty difficult to say the least in terms of dissent and just general fouling, they mainly seem to be there to see how many cards they could accrue in a single morning.

Anyway, the ref was having a tough time of it, I presumed there had been a few bookings, some meaty tackles going in, lots of chatter/dissent from the home team, the ref had clearly had enough, he was telling the players to ‘go away’ or ‘shut up’ and they were complaining that he couldn’t speak to them like that etc.

What’re the thoughts on this type of approach/reaction?
 
The Referee Store
Shut it, shut up, zip it, zipping gesture on the lips all would have negative impact in the context of the OP. None show authority but convey frustration on the referee part.

There are rare time a referee can use them with authority and a positive impact. The only time I have seen it is when the referee and the player knew each other well and it was said in a friendly advice way.
 
Shut it, shut up, zip it, zipping gesture on the lips all would have negative impact in the context of the OP. None show authority but convey frustration on the referee part.

There are rare time a referee can use them with authority and a positive impact. The only time I have seen it is when the referee and the player knew each other well and it was said in a friendly advice way.
Yup, shows the ref has transitioned from assertion to aggression. Controlling one's own emotions is the most important aspect of influencing someone else's
 
Finger on the lips, even zipping the lips, they hate that when they are looking for an argument, treat them like a little schoolchild, saves the explosive reaction to being told to shut up that some react badly to!
 
What’re the thoughts on this type of approach/reaction?

Best not.

They have the tools in terms of the cards to deal with it and I think it is important to try and maintain your composure and professionalism even in the face of withering, relentless dissent. Which isn't easy obviously.
 
Ugh, I agree with Padfoot. If he's lost his temper and is telling them to shut up in frustration, he should have been accompanying it with cards.
 
Simple rule for me when communicating with players, is never to say anything, to use a tone of voice, or a gesture, that would have me considering the stepped approach to prevent, or the actual sanction for Dissent. Stick to this and you can't find yourself in a position were your behaviour could be deemed by an impartial observer as the same level or worse than the players.

Players will happily call you every name under the sun, wave their arms around in frustration and a whole host of other things, and as Padfoot says, we have the tools to deal with this. As the referee you need to remain calm and composed and be the one keeping your head whilst everyone else loses theirs.
 
Maybe instead of telling them to shut up he should’ve started cautioning them......
When I get to the that point I say something along the lines of you are now crossing a line if yiou carry on I will caution you so please stop. The card normally comes out as they don't normally stop!
 
When I get to the that point I say something along the lines of you are now crossing a line if yiou carry on I will caution you so please stop. The card normally comes out as they don't normally stop!

How about ‘you’ve crossed the line so I’m going to caution you’....?

If you really feel like giving them a chance then it’s ‘you’re getting close to the line, pack it in before I have to caution you’

Why wait until they have crossed the line before warning them.....like closing the stable door etc etc
 
Whilst I don't use "shut up" and "zip it" to players, if I'm playing football and was in the refs ear too much, I can't have any complaints.

Ref tells you to shut up? You shut up, unless you'd prefer a ten pound fine with a caution.
 
Well Danny Rose just shouted "you're f****** s*** at the referee twice just then and from 2 yards away from him and he didn't receive any form of punishment. It's infuriating that it's allowed at the top level. How can respect campaigns etc succeed when such blatant dissent is ignored at the top level for all to see. It's complete negligence
 
Well Danny Rose just shouted "you're f****** s*** at the referee twice just then and from 2 yards away from him and he didn't receive any form of punishment. It's infuriating that it's allowed at the top level. How can respect campaigns etc succeed when such blatant dissent is ignored at the top level for all to see. It's complete negligence

Referee probably didn’t hear it.....noisy in the big stadiums.

That’s the excuse several PGMOL officials have trotted out whenever we’ve discussed it.
 
Well Danny Rose just shouted "you're f****** s*** at the referee twice just then and from 2 yards away from him and he didn't receive any form of punishment. It's infuriating that it's allowed at the top level. How can respect campaigns etc succeed when such blatant dissent is ignored at the top level for all to see. It's complete negligence
I raised this point with a Premier League ref at an event Surrey FA put on a couple of years back. He replied that the idea that Premier League refs must not punish dissent is a myth. To my dying day I will not believe him.
 
I haven't refereed at the top level, but I've done games in front of big crowds. I don't really care whether people believe me or not, but I can honestly say that if 1000 people behind me are singing, or more likely chanting you don't know what you're doing, I can't hear what a player 10 yards away from me is saying. It's a bit like when you are in a noisy pub and you can't hear what your mates stood next to your are saying - distant collective noise drowns out local noise.

I'm not saying that they haven't heard things and ignored it, but I do have sympathy with the view that they don't always hear it.
 
Back
Top