Welcome to LHGCL Assessor Corner
 

Team Evaluations of Officials  

The Spring season got underway February 17th with the U11 and U14 divisions. Teams are sending their Game Reports and through Wednesday March 24th there were 249 games played and 210 game reports received. The game reports are very positive, more than 80% of the reports received rate the referees Very Good (4), or Excellent (5). This reflects well upon those of you who have done those games. It is a tough crowd, keep up the good work!
The bar has been raised on the quality of refereeing and subsequently, the teams have a high expectation of the referees.

***

There have been two incidents this Spring where spectators have been dismissed from the touchline by referees, and in the A&D hearing it is all edged that the wrong individual has been cited for the disturbance. Referees are instructed to work with the coach in dealing with spectator distractions from the touchline. Let the coach know that it is part of his responsibility manage the spectators on his touchline.

The playing rules of the LHGCL (section IV D.) state that all coaches, spectators and players will stay within 10 yards of the halfway line and 5 feet from the touchline.

Law 5 The Referee 
Law 5 confines referees authority to manage touchline conduct to players and team officials who are charged with the responsibility to conduct themselves in a responsible manner. The referee at his discretion may expel players or team officials from the field of play or its immediate surroundings for improper behavior on the touchline.

Let's let the coach do his job and manage his spectators.

***

Securing Your Equipment  

Referees have reported that money and wallets have been taken from their equipment bags at UTD this Spring. Take a moment to give some thought to your valuables before leaving the car for the field.

        a) Leave all unnecessary valuables locked in the car.
        b) Take the door key and leave the remote locked in the car. Keep the key in your pocket.
        c) Place your bags near a neutral corner out of the way of pedestrian traffic, or ask a team manager
           if you can place your closed bag near enough to the teams bench to be observed by team officials.

We know that a game fee will not replace a referee shirt. Let's be security conscious as well as good referees.

Again, keep up the good work!
Thanx
Theo Freeman
Below is Assessor Corner from the beginning of the season, if you would like to review. 
The Fall season was successfully completed with many of you receiving Developmental Assessments. As the name implies, developmental assessments are performance evaluations designed to give the referee a snapshot of his work in that particular game with feedback from the Assessor, indicating the strengths and weaknesses in the official's management of that game. The strengths of the referee are to be commended and refined. The suspect areas of the officials game management need to be addressed and corrected by the official so that they do not become a source of problems in future matches.

There are eight sections to the assessment form;

1. Dress and Appearance
2. Pre-Game
3. Fitness
4. Attitude
5. Courage/Character/Consistency
6. Position/Mechanics/Signals
7. Accuracy of Decisions
8. Game Control

  
A review of all Fall assessments point to three areas of concern:
     1. Fitness
     5. Position/Mechanics/Signals
     8. Game Control
 
Most of the fouls and infractions of the Laws of the Game observed by officials are acknowledged by Referees and Assistant Referees. The fouls are called or Advantage given and offside enforced. However infractions of the Laws of the
Game not called due to poor positioning caused by a lack of fitness or improper mechanics by members of the officiating team affect all of us and contribute to most of the yellow cards issued for dissent. The fouls not seen because the Referee did not go wide enough or deep enough, or could not keep up with the pace of the quick counter attack to be in position to
observe the offender commit the foul. It's the missed Offside call due to a lack of speed or proper alignment or both of the Assistant Referee. These two factors cause most of the problems experienced by the officiating crew.

Fitness 
Referees - if you make a conscious decision not to go wide or deep to cover a set play or an attack on goal because you are afraid that you may not be able to recover on a quick counter attack, you need to consider doing one of two things:
  1) Work on your speed and endurance
  2) or consider officiating at a lower age group or less competitive soccer league.
Assistant Referees - If you make a conscious decision to position yourself ahead of the 2nd to last defender because you feel that you may not be able to keep up with the pace of the players on a fast attack on goal or you decide not to follow the ball all the way to the goal line, you need to consider doing one of two things:
  1) Work on your speed and Offside alignment
  2) or consider officiating at a lower age group or less competitive soccer league. 
Officials in good physical condition add to the fun and enjoyment of soccer; for the players who can count on the referee being near the action, the coaches who can depend on the officials seeing the first foul and being close enough to play to prevent retaliation (protecting the players) and league officials who know that a league is only as good as the competition it provides and good referees attract strong competition.
 
Position/Mechanics/Signals   
Referees - Our mechanics are getting better, our arm signals are straighter, whistles are being blown with more conviction and overall our positioning in general is better. However there is still much room for improvement.
  1) Keeping the lead Asst. Referee in sight at the beginning of re-starts
  2) Getting down field and wide on Goal Kicks and Free Kicks
  3) Making sure that two of the three critical areas are covered on re-starts
  near the goal
    a. The Wall
    b. Offside   
    c. Goal Line
Asst. Referees - Staying square to the field and in line with the 2nd to last defender is still the Assessor's primary complaint. Following the ball all the way to the goal line is next.

Game Control 
In the midst of chaos and confusion the Referee MUST be the source of calm, the restorer of peace and tranquility on the pitch, not a lightning rod for controversy. Let us not add to Touch Line dissent by antagonizing coaches and spectators with harsh words or threats when dealing with incidents caused by the coach or spectators. When you have to deal with a coach, be cordial, try a few firm but quite words regarding what you expect from the coach and return to the match. If the distraction is a spectator, tell the coach what you want to happen and let the coach deal with the issue.
Conduct of the spectators on his touch line is his responsibility.
Finally let us leave the sharp one-liners and snappy comebacks to those who are better equipped to deliver them, David Letterman and Jay Leno!

Professionalism 
http://www.jerrysoc.com/professionalism.html
 

Have a good Spring season.
Thanx
Theo Freeman

http://www.jerrysoc.com/professionalism.html