A&H

Voice recorder in pocket

smair

smair

Active Member
Level 7 Referee
Today a colleague of mine recommended the idea of securing a small voice recorder/dictaphone into one of my shirt pockets to get around the problem of not remembering the exact words said to me in dissent/OFFINABUS reports and also for reporting language from club officials. He also said he uses it to record match information instead of writing it down. Now in theory this sounds useful as long as the device had a good range of sound and didn't pick up noise from it bouncing up and down. However I have concerns about privacy issues and if the players saw you talking to yourself you'd have to admit to having a recording device in your shirt pocket. Although you see many referees wearing a GoPro or other type of camera without much fuss. What is your opinion?
 
The Referee Store
not a good idea. if players found out they were being recorded it could lead to a whole heap of problems. i doubt the sfa would allow it. and if you were using it to record cautions good luck in a game with 9 cautions trying to remember who has already been done
 
Crap idea. You should remember what was said during an OFFINABUS or in other situations! With regards to recording match details, do it in a match day wallet- much easier and information to hand (instead of trailing through 90mins recording). Oh and then you have privacy, having to lug it around, cost etc...

Play safe - don't use one
 
A friend of mine in the workplace was asked if he wanted a dictaphone. He replied by pointing at me and saying "why, I could just ring him!"

Made me laugh :D
 
I thought it would illicit a negative response and for good reason, seems a bit sneaky to me also. Thanks guys, going to try dissuade him from going any further
 
It is a very bad idea. The referees who have been seen wearing a GoPro, unless for authorised training purposes, have been told not to wear them. They are an unnecessary piece of equipment. Looking past the rights and wrongs of the equipment, why do you have problems remembering the things said to you?
 
woah hold on gents. Legal stance - Public park - you can record what you want. It;s what you do with it that matters (DP Act). You can only colect the recording if you use it for the intended use - getting wording right.

Now the fine line part is this - you are legally allowed to use this recoridng to confim accuracy, by way of TRANSCRIPT - ie writing down what was said. What you can NOT do with it is submit the recording as evidence, or ever play it to anyone else, or for anyone to heat it. Fine line between the two!

Private pitch - you would need pitch owners approval.

All based around that the park is public and anyone can record anything visual or audio for their own use. It;s what it is done with it, how it is stored and disposed of that is the trip wire.

Now, I'm not conding this, infact I agree that it is a bad idea incase you get caught, BUT there is noting to say you can not.

Spin it around - a club wants to record the match. Why? why not? can they? well the only way they can appeal a red is via video evidence, isn't it?

If they want to record it and you are not happy what you going to do? Would you stop them, on what grounds? Public park or private pitch.....?

It becomes a minefield. But froma personal legality you can - but then again you can legally take the life of another and not gt done for it, but in both situations - good luck explaining it and anticipate the in-concequences later down the line.
 
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