You are glued to the screen, and your mental health depends on the result of your favorite team. That's when you realize that the fate of the match is in the hands of the referee - literally! Since the referee is a key player in football, responsible for maintaining order and respecting the rules, it is very important for real fans to be able to understand what he has seen and what he wants to indicate. Here is a quick course on "Referees".
Steps
Step 1. Listen to the whistle
A whistling referee has seen something, often a foul, or a stoppage of play, that requires his or her intervention to stop the game and resolve the situation. The tone of the whistle can often be an indication of the extent of the infringement. A short, quick whistle can indicate a minor foul punished by a free kick, while longer, more intense whistles result in fouls punishable by a card or penalty kick.
Step 2. Pay attention to the advantage rule
A referee who, without whistling, extends both arms, has seen a foul but has decided to apply the advantage rule. In this case, the referee delays the call because he believes that the foul team will benefit from the continuation of the game. Typically the referee will take about three seconds to assess the situation and understand which team has the inertia of the action on his side. If at the end of the three seconds, the team that was fouled has gained an advantage, for example by maintaining possession or scoring a goal, the foul will be ignored. If the foul deserved a card, however, the penalty will be given at the first stoppage of play.
Step 3. Identify the free kicks from earlier
To indicate a first free kick, a referee blows his whistle and points his raised arm in the direction of the goal of the offending team. A first penalty is awarded when one of the players commits one of the ten most serious irregularities against an opponent. It is possible to score directly by kicking on goal from a first free kick.
Step 4. Identify second free kicks
If after signaling a free kick the referee keeps his hand above his head, he is indicating a second free kick. This type of punishment is awarded following a foul that is not a major offense, or a foul not committed against an opponent. It is not possible to score a goal directly from a second free kick, but another player's touch is required. In the event of a second penalty, the referee will keep his hand raised until the ball is hit and touched by another player.
Step 5. Identify Penalties
An official pointing directly to the penalty spot indicates that a player has committed a foul which is liable to a first penalty inside the area, and has decided to award a penalty kick.
Step 6. Look at the yellow cards
A referee showing a player a yellow card indicates that that player has committed one of the seven offenses punishable by this sanction. A player who has received a yellow card is marked in the referee's notebook, and if he receives a second one he is sent off.
Step 7. Look at the red cards
A referee who shows a player the red card indicates that that player has committed a serious offense, one of seven that deserve this sanction, and must immediately leave the pitch and its surroundings (in professional competitions this means that he will return to the locker room)..
Step 8. Watch for other signs
An official indicating the goal line with his arm extended parallel to the ground is signaling a goal kick. A referee pointing at the corner kick flag with his arm pointing up is pointing for a corner kick.
Step 9. Watch for a goal signal
There is no official signal for a goal. A referee may point towards the center of the field with his arm pointing down, however, to indicate that the ball has completely crossed the goal line and no offense has been committed by the attacking team. He will also usually whistle, as this signal indicates the interruption and resumption of play. In some cases, however, at the moment of the goal, the game stops naturally, and the whistle can be omitted.
Advice
- Never protest the referee's decisions
- The referee will disqualify by showing the red card to a player who:
- he is guilty of a serious foul
- he was guilty of violent conduct
- spits on an opponent or another person
- denies a goal to the opposing team or interrupts a clear scoring opportunity, voluntarily using his hands
- denies a clear scoring opportunity by fouling a player heading towards the goal
- uses offensive language or gestures, insults or verbally abuses another person
- receives a second caution during a match
- The referee will give a yellow card to a player who:
- is guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct
- protest with words or deeds
- commits fouls repeatedly
- delays the resumption of the game
- fails to respect the required distance following a free kick, corner kick or lineout
- enters or re-enters the field without the referee's authorization
- voluntarily leaves the field without the referee's permission.
- There are seven fouls that can be punished by the referee with a first free kick, if a player is unwary, inexperienced or too eager:
- when he kicks or tries to hit an opponent
- when he trips an opponent or tries to do so
- when jumping against an opponent
- when charging an opponent
- when he hits or tries to hit an opponent
- when pushing an opponent
- when slipping on an opponent
- The other three fouls involving a direct free kick are:
- withheld
- spitting on an opponent
- hand ball
- There are eight offenses that can be punished with a second free kick:
- the goalkeeper takes more than 6 seconds to control the ball with his hands before releasing possession
- the goalkeeper touches the ball again with his hands after releasing possession and the ball has not been touched by any other player
- the goalkeeper touches the ball with his hands following a voluntary back pass by a team-mate
- the goalkeeper touches the ball with his hands following a throw-in with the hands of a team-mate
- Dangerous game
- Obstruction to resume play
- Obstruction of the goalkeeper's throw
- Any foul committed whereby the game is stopped
- The referee's job is to enforce the rules of the game. His vantage point is often the best, and he is trained to notice infractions. You may find it helpful to ask for an explanation of a calling or politely discuss a rule. It is NEVER useful, however, to protest against his decisions.
- Never try to challenge the referee, regardless of his decision. In football, the referee's word is law, even if his decision is patently wrong. Protesting often only leads to a yellow card.
- If you are a defender or goalkeeper, don't raise your arm to ask for an offside and don't point your hand to ask for a hand ball. You risk distracting yourself and conceding a goal by not being able to do everything to stop the opposing team, and it's much worse than the possible distraction of the referee.
- Most referees will explain a call or rule, if the question is asked politely, and may even correct themselves if the rule has not been applied correctly. However, if the questions become too frequent, he may decide to stop all forms of communication.
