Priority and Player Management

We have 22 players to worry about on the field. So our job is not easy. We have to prioritize. As we know, 2-0 is not a very safe situation for the winnig team. The team without a goal can easily come back and tie or even win the game. The temeprature of the game is higher if there are fewer than 10 minutes left.

So as the referee, we need to think about where need to focuses so that we can manage players well. Watch the clip below. The referee's focus was with the player who was going to take a FK. In the meantime, over 20 yards away, a group of players started extracurricular activities.

Downgrading DOGSO

There once was a time when all DOGSO ended up with a red card. But not any more. If there was a DOGSO offence inside the penalty area and if there was an attempt to play the ball, the red card is downgraded to a yellow card. But if the offence was handball or there was no attempt to play the ball (such as holding, pushing, and pulling), then a red card is still given. So it is very important for the referee to know what the foul was. "It looks like a foul so I will just give a PK" is not good enough. 

Watch the video clip below and consider what color card the referee should give.

SPA review

We have covered this before. So let's refresh our memories. It's about SPA (Stopping a Promising Attack). We don't have 3Ds+C (formerly known as 4Ds) like DOGSO. But we have S+S+O that we can use to help us better judge if a SPA has occured. S+S+O is not the litmus test to dertmine SPA but it is helpful.

Examine speed, space, and options. Would you give a caution for SPA in the following incident?

Movement

When the ball is coming toward you, you are tempted to back peddal so you would not get hit with the ball. But sometimes, because you moved backwards, you get hit. 

Watch this example. In this instance, the attacking team continues to possess the ball. But they are retreating because there are so many defenders inside and around the penalty area. In this case, it can be easily anticipated  that there would be another attack. Rather the moving backwards, adjust your body orientation to observe the play.

Movement and Counter Attack

When there is a counter attack, the referee needs to sprint to keep up with the play. Sometimes the play may slow down for a second or two, but in most cases, the attack continues. So the referee cannot afford to slow down just because the play slowed down temporarily.

Watch the clip below. The referee had a good reaction to the start of the counter attack. However, because he slowed down with the play for a second, he ended up being over 25 meters away from the contact between the attacker and the GK.