Soccer
Dismissing a Coach, Assistant or Trainer
The Laws of the Game allow for the dismissal of a team official (e.g., coach, assistant coach or athletic trainer) if that person’s behavior...
“Active Inaction” – Say That Again?
The title isn’t a contradiction of terms, at least not if understood correctly. No matter what kind of game you are officiating, there are...
Six Key Factors Assessors Focus On
There are many myths and legends about assessors and their roles and responsibilities. Some officials do not want to be assessed because they do not understand how an...
Officiating is a Family Affair
Nestled between the San Diego Bay and the scenic splendor of the coastal mountain foothills in Southern California are the sprawling sun-kissed expanses of...
Use Player Reactions to Decide Fairness
Gil Weber, USSF National Emeritus referee and contributing author to several USSF publications, described the referee’s task: “Refereeing is all about fairness. It’s balancing...
Filter Player Comments
“C’mon, ref! Open your eyes! He’s fouling me!” We’ve all heard that and similar phrases from frustrated players. Dealing quickly and appropriately with their frustrations and complaints is essential if...
Use Warnings in the Right Situations
Warnings done correctly can be very useful, but if they are used in the wrong situation, they can hurt more than they help game...
Assistant Referee Needs To Get the Rhythm of the Game
National Soccer Hall of Famer Alfred Kleinaitis spoke on the match responsibilities of assistant referees at an Elite Clubs National League event in San...
Gripes Coming From Winning Team?
If you were officiating a soccer match and the score got to 6-0, you might expect a little dissent, right? But would you expect it from the winning...
Communication on Cue Is Key
Appropriate communications (ignore, body language, non-verbal signals including whistle and general accepted hand signals and verbal) are used to match level and skill of...
FIFA Referee Mark Geiger
By his own proud admission, the man is a nerd. Conjure images of that wisp of a kid you remember from high school who...
Penalize Careless, Reckless, Excessive Tackling
There seems to have grown a notion that the Laws of the Game forgives almost anything if you just get the ball.
Not surprisingly, there...
Make the Basics Second Nature
When teaching the entry-level referee course, I often noted to students that, although they needed to know that persistent infringement was one of the...
Handling Dissent
A few years ago, U.S. Soccer made available to all referees a very small clip titled, “Ask, Tell, Dismiss.” Michael Kennedy, former FIFA referee,...
Video Lessons Learned Can Help Going Forward
One of the things we learned from staying home because of the pandemic was the amount of spare time one had when going out...
Can You Compare Refereeing Soccer To Catching A Fish? As a Matter of Fact...
You might not think so, but the individuals who arbitrate the rules or laws of soccer on a regular basis and the individuals who...
Refereeing Gives Skills For Your Lifetime
Through the 27 years and 2,300 games of my officiating career, I've accumulated insights, notions and generalizations I didn’t have before which I can trace back...
Every Game Can Be Your Best Game
A young, motivated and talented official was assigned as the referee in a college D-I highly contested conference game. The two assistant referees were seasoned veterans who have officiated...
Make New Officials Comfortable Before the Match Begins
Any number of factors can affect how effectively a referee team works together, especially if one or both assistant referees are comparatively inexperienced. The center referee’s awareness of possible weaknesses...
5 Minutes With Margaret Domka
Margaret Domka is on the FIFA International Panel of Referees. She is one of a select few officials to ever go onto the FIFA list...
Cell Phones Away or Pregame Meeting Goes Astray
M ost experienced officials have worked with a teammate who has been completely disengaged or distracted during the pregame meeting. We’ve all seen it;...
6 Tips To Better See The Point
Proper positioning is being where you have to be, to see what must be seen, to make the correct decision. That includes seeing the point.
During dynamic...
Not All Throw-Ins Are Created Equally
T
he throw-in, a common restart at all levels of soccer, presents a number of challenges to the officiating team — some of which must...
Big Match Support
Your assigner calls — you got the championship match. Your mentor calls — you just got picked for State Cup. The State Referee Administrator...
