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Use Caution When Interpreting Case Studies

Hello fellow referees. It has been quite a while since I posted anything new here. I continue to be surprised at how much traffic the site still receives.

Please note that almost all of the case studies here were posted prior to the major rewrite of the Laws of the Game in 2016. I believe there is still a lot of good advice here, but some of the actions taken by referees would be different given the changes to the Laws. This is especially the case for case studies involving denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity (DOGSO). So read on, but if something doesn’t sound right, check your LOTG app!

Mike

Grace Under Pressure

Case Studies

It is very hard to keep your cool when those around you are losing theirs. It is especially difficult when you as the referee are the recipient of the remonstrations.

But, it can be done successfully, as the referees in this montage so professionally demonstrate.

Remember: model the behavior you want the players to follow. If you want them to calm down, you have to be calm.

My favorite is the clip featuring referee Michael Oliver. The player is clearly upset, and Oliver allows him to have his say, all the while making his intentions clear by holding the yellow card low in his hand. He’s allowing the player to blow off steam and enforcing the Laws of the Game with regard to dissent. Just good, common sense refereeing.

New USSF Referee Uniform Details

Gear Reviews

I’ve been in touch with representatives of Official Sports and have some further details about the new USSF referee uniforms.

The new shirt style is a big departure from the outgoing version. Stylistically, there are a lot of similarities with the Adidas referee shirts, with only the stripes under the pockets and on the cuffs of the sleeves recalling the outgoing design. This is in keeping with OSI’s design goal of an “updated, sleek look.”

A Brand New Style

Two breast pockets are closed with velcro and utilize a small black pull tab to open.

The right sleeve features the USSF Referee Program logo, complete with updated US Soccer logo.

Collars on the outgoing-style shirt were prone to not laying flat; the new smaller collar should be less problematic.

The traditional button placket has been replaced with a sleek black zipper. That the zipper is much more narrow than the button placket adds to the modern look of the shirt.

The side panels of the shirt are a mesh material, which should improve airflow through the shirt.

OSI states that the new shirts are lighter in weight and feature a much more athletic cut. After seeing the jersey in person, and speaking with referees who have worn them, I can confirm this is the case. The new shirt is significantly lighter, owing to using less material, and probably to changes to the materials themselves.

Sizing It Up

Sizing of the new shirt is somewhat different, as the cut of the shirt is more narrow in the body and shoulders, and the sleeves are shorter and tighter, according to OSI. Referees are encouraged to check the sizing information on the OSI website before selecting a size. Based on the size guide, I ordered a large, while I wore an extra large in the outgoing style. Even if your shirt size doesn’t change based on the new sizing chart, OSI reports that some referees are moving down a size to achieve a sleeker, more athletic look.

There is finally a women’s version of the shirt. The women’s cut features a tapered bodice, smaller shoulders and shorter sleeves when compared to the men’s version.

Color My World

5 colors will continue to be standard in the new style, with yellow (pictured) replacing gold. The other colors – red, green, black and blue – are similar to the current style, but a bit “brighter” according to OSI.

Pricing and Availability

The new Pro shirt will sell for $48.95 in short-sleeve and $49.95 in long-sleeve. Compared to the current shirt, the new shirt price is an increase of $3 and $4, respectively, over the new styles. The increase of about 7% seems reasonable, given that OSI has not raised prices on shirts in several years. Keep in mind that shipping is not included in the price.

An Economy version of the shirt is available as well, and the feature differences from the Pro version are about the same as the currently style (open, V-neck collar and no velcro closures on the pockets for the downscale version).

The yellow and green short-sleeve version of the shirt is available for order now on the OSI website. The red shirts can be seen on the site, but are not currently available for order. Blue and black versions in both long and short sleeves will be available in November. Long sleeve versions of yellow, green and red are expected in mid-August.

The women’s cut Pro version of the yellow shirt is available now.

Starter Kits

OSI states that all economy starter kit orders will now feature the new style shirt and should start shipping by the end of July. This will aid Referee Instructors and assignors, as we won’t have to tell new referees which shirt to order; new Starter Kit orders will receive the new shirt.

OSI also introduced a Pro Starter Kit, which features the Pro shirt and pro shorts in place of the Economy versions, as well as the USSF two-stripe socks (3 pcs. total). The Pro starter kit pricing offers an effective discount of 12% when compared to buying the items separately.

Keep It Short

The Pro version of the shorts are not changing, save for the updated US Soccer logo embroidered on the right leg. OSI plans to offer a new Women’s Pro Short by the end of August.

USSF Guidance

OSI says that USSF says the current jerseys can be worn through the 2018 season, which is a generous transition period. I confirmed with USSF crews on youth games will be allowed to mix styles, as new referees will have only the new style shirt.

My Impressions

I like the new style. It’s current and fresh and fits much more appropriately for officials who should be reasonably fit. I like the use of the thick/thin stripe as a nod to the outgoing style, which, let’s face it, has been with us for many, many years. (I don’t count the change from the pin stripe to the thick/thin stripe as a major change). The shirt is much lighter and comfortable, and the yellow should rarely be in conflict with a team color. All in all, I welcome these changes as long overdue.

IFAB Website and Social Media Up and Running

LOTG News

The International Football Association Board’s new website is up and fully functional. The IFAB is also present on major social media platforms.

Recall that the IFAB is now its own legal entity, separate and apart from FIFA. The primary responsibility of IFAB is to act as the steward of the Laws of the Game, to include updating, revising and publishing the Laws as necessary. In fact, the 2016/17 Laws of the Game are published directly by IFAB (they were previously published by FIFA).

Links to all things IFAB:

Website: http://theifab.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/theifab
Twitter: https://twitter.com/theifab @theifab

Gear Review: RefsWorld Gear Organizer

Gear Reviews

When wrapping up a new referee certification course, I always emphasize the need to stay organized. When you’re on the field for three games (or more) on a weekend day, it’s easy to lose track of all the bits and bobs you need on the day.

The Organizer from RefsWorld fits the bill nicely, and appears to be the only organizer created specially for referees. (For me, the gear organizer from Official Sports always felt like a shaving kit with an extra piece of nylon attached to it.)

The black nylon case features a tri-fold design, and is kept closed by a sturdy velcro strip. When opened, each of the three panels are covered with containers, all with see through plastic coverings, and each closed with either a zipper or velcro strap.

The entire left panel is comprised of a single container, perfect for storing law/rule books and other large, mostly flat items. The middle panel features two small rectangular pouches at the top – perfect for storing your cards – while the bottom of the middle panel features another large pocket for medium-sized items. Finally, the right panel features two long and narrow rectangular zippered pouches, where my whistles and writing implements found a convenient home.

I managed to get the 25 items shown the gallery below in the Organizer, with room to spare. Only my SPINTSO referee watch gave me a problem; it’s so large an inflexible that the Organizer wouldn’t close when I tried to include the SPINTSO.

The Organizer is well built and the see through plastic on all containers makes finding what you’re looking for a snap.

RefsWorld is an Australia-based referee gear manufacturer and supplier, and the The Top Ref is the exclusive North American distributor.

Only the relatively expensive price (USD 17) keeps the Organizer from receiving a perfect 5-star review.

2016/17 IFAB Laws of the Game Now Available

Blog

The 2016-17 IFAB Laws of the Game are now available for download. If you want to skip the summary and go straight to the download, you can click here.

The Only Thing That’s Changed Is Everything

Publisher. Document organization. Formatting. Download options. Law titles. Law content and wording. Apart from those small items, not much has changed!

The new Laws are published directly by the International Football Association Board and not FIFA. The IFAB is now setup as a Swiss corporation in its own right, separate and apart from FIFA. As a result, the new IFAB logo is prominently featured on the cover, while the logos of the IFAB members – including FIFA – are displayed below the IFAB logo.

As previously reported, the Interpretations are now incorporated directly into the Laws themselves. This makes the interpretations part of the Laws and makes it much easier to use the Laws book as a reference guide.

All of the graphics and fonts have been updated with a more modern look.

The IFAB website (and here on iTOOTR) now offers downloads of the Laws in three formats: PDF, Word (DOCX) and E-Book (coming soon).

Two new sections of the book summarize and detail changes to the Laws for 2016/17.

New Law Titles

The names of three of the Laws have been updated to reflect changes to the Laws themselves.

Law 3. Was: The Number of Players. Now: The Players

Law 6, Was: The Assistant Referee. Now: The Other Match Officials

Law 10. Was: The Method of Scoring. Now: Determining The Outcome of a Match

Law Changes and Clarifications

In total, there are 57 changes and clarifications to the Laws. These range in importance from very significant (changes to misconduct application for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity) to relatively minor (that a match shall not continue if a team is reduced to fewer than 7 players is now officially part of the Laws rather than a suggestion of the IFAB).

Among the more interesting changes not previously mentioned:

Interference by a substitute or team official will result in a direct FK for the opponents (Law 03)
Ball must “clearly move” to be in play for all kicked restarts (Law 08)
Attempted violent conduct shall be punished with a send-off, even if no contact occurred (Law 12)
Striking an opponent in the face/head when not challenging for the ball shall be punished with a send-off (Law 12)
Impeding with contact results in a Direct Free Kick (Law 12)

There are many other changes (52 others, in fact), so fire up the downloads and get to studying!

In Memoriam: Robert (Bob) Evans, 1939-2016

Uncategorized

I learned today of the sad news that American refereeing pioneer Bob Evans died Tuesday, March 30th, 2016, at the age of 76.

Bob was one the true pillars of American soccer refereeing, and had a significant hand in creating the U.S. Soccer Refereeing program.

He was born in England, grew up Wales, and moved to Texas, where he spent much of his life. He became a naturalized American citizen, and one of the first American FIFA Referee Instructors. He refereed in the original North American Soccer League and received many, many awards through his distinguished career.

But Bob’s greatest contribution to the game, at least as far as this referee is concerned, is his seminal book on how to referee entitled “For The Good Of The Game”. Co-authored by longtime colleague Ed Bellion, this book is now out of print, but I encourage you to search for a copy and buy it. It is truly indispensable.

As a nascent blogger, I mentioned Evans and Bellion in one of my early posts about alternative corner kick positioning. I never dreamed that Bob Evans himself would actually comment on my post. But when he did, and was supportive of my position (which was really his position), well, I thought “that’s it then; no need to continue blogging because it will never get better than this!” It’s a moment I will always remember. You can read that post here. Scroll to the bottom to see Bob’s comments.

May you Rest in Peace Mr. Evans. Thank you for your many wonderful contributions to our game.

You can (and should) read a full biography, written in part by Ed Bellion, here.