Soccer
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...
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...
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...
Discretion Available For Dangerous Play
T
he prohibition against engaging in play that is dangerous or likely to cause injury to oneself or an opponent has been a part of...
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...
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;...
Soccer Sideline Management Simplified
Depending on your level of training and experience as a referee, communication may not seem to be a top priority for officiating games. However,...
Tactical Restart Response
Restart management is difficult enough without considering the various ways that defenders could seek to play psychological tricks on both their opponents and the referee. Given that defenders are...
Assessing the Legality of Tackles
"I got ball, ref!” has been a response to a whistle for a slide tackle foul since the early days of football. Often misunderstood, challenges on the ground...
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...
The Art of Assessments
Carl, I think I’m becoming a softy at assessments.”
Matt Slovacek is a referee and assessor from Michigan.
That was the way the email started. He...
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...
Permission to Leave the Field
One might think that leaving the field is such a simple, straightforward and obvious act as to not need anything further said about it....
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...
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...
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...
“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...
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...
Useful Tips
Arrive early, park your car wisely (don’t allow yourself to be blocked in), be dressed in a clean and proper uniform, inspect the field...
Formal Check or Not, Illegal Equipment Deserves Attention in NFHS Play
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FHS rule 4-3 requires an illegally equipped player to leave the field and not return until the next legal substitution opportunity. For the first...
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...
Pre-match Recon
It is common practice that you should closely watch player behavior during a match in order to be prepared for what comes next, to adjust and modify your...
Very First Laws To Know
As a rookie official, what are the very first laws to know? How can you translate that knowledge into judgment and action on the...
Similarities Between Fishing and Soccer Officiating
On the surface, the title of this article seems to be rather confusing. However, individuals who arbitrate the rules/Laws of soccer on a regular...
