A fair question: What would I have done in Dallas?

    Very soon after I used the example of a rather sad event in Dallas to highlight a deficiency in the education of an inexperienced referee being given his first crack at a pro game, I received several requests for an explanation.  They deserve answers, and so here they are. 

    Miguel asked: “What should the Referee have done?  What could he have done to prevent that?  What would you have done in that situation?”  I can almost sense the challenge and the puzzlement delivered in the questions: It’s easy to be critical, but what could he have done?  And what would you have done?

    Then a national referee candidate wrote to me privately, along similar lines: “Let me ask you how the referee should have avoided it.  I understand from many of your presentations, that the referee should have dealt with the delay of restart immediately in the game (by voice and then by caution if necessary).  But…on the clip, should the referee have issued a caution immediately to the player standing in front of the ball without letting the fouled team having the opportunity to play it fast?  I am sure the referee was vocal to the defender, asking him to back up, and isn’t (that) what buried him…?” 

    And a third, Sean M., was even more forthright, as you can read for yourself in the comments to the blog.  It was the players’ fault, and neither the assignment nor the referee was to blame.  The game should have been abandoned when the referee was pushed down.

    First things first.  The Brazilian player standing in front of the ball in the 39th minute was cheating by delaying (well, hoping to delay) the taking of the kick until his teammates were organized in defence.  And from the moment that the referee blew the whistle to indicate the infraction (a foul from behind), he did nothing to insist that the defender get away from the ball.

    As long as the referee does nothing about enforcing the law, it should be no surprise to anyone that the player stands his ground, breaking the law.  The referee is almost giving him permission to do so!  This free kick was in the 39th minute and was not the first free kick in the match.  The referee should have made it quite clear before then, starting with the very first free kick in the contest, that he was not going to allow delays at any stoppage.

    And if this was not the first time that #7 had encroached and delayed, then a caution is in order.  The unfortunate thing about that is that you have to delay the kick to get the caution administered, thereby preventing the score.  BUT, and this is important, what you are trying to create by assertively administering the law, is a later opportunity for attackers to have a truly FREE kick (free from interference).

    Players delay free kicks only with the complicity of the referee.  In this game in Dallas, an inexperienced and ill-educated official made a shambles of a free kick, and we all regret that he paid a terrible price for it.  By the way, at first he did abandon the game, but then under suasion, he agreed to play on, thereby enhancing the aura of weakness he displayed at the free kick.  Another gap in his knowledge...

    An experienced, knowledgeable instructor/assessor could have the problem sorted in a couple of games.  I hope they send one to his next few matches, before they put him in the middle of another pro game.  So, Sean, I believe the assignment was wrong.  You don't send an amateur pilot to fly an airliner, a Sunday driver to compete in Formula One, a first-year medical student to do brain-surgery...well, you get the picture.

Comments

[Dennis Wickham]

The video for the entire first half, reveals several earlier opportunities for the referee to have dealt with the 10 yard/quick kick delays.

I'm told the Brazillians might have believed from his accent that the referee was from Argentina. That could raise additional cultural issues that the assignor should consider.

[Sean M.]

Thank you very much for the reply. I appreciate the back and forth you have with those on the blog.

I certainly agree with everything you wrote here, especially disagreement with the referee's decision not to abandon the match.

My harsh remarks in the last post go to the idea that an assault on the referee can be the referee's fault. While a bad referee can certainly inflame tempers or make a situation worse, it is ultimately the players that choose to surround a referee and push him to the ground. They bear the ultimate responsibility for that choice, not referee or the assignment.

My real concern is the attitude that a referee's mistake can justify player misconduct. This perhaps not as bad at the pro levels where referees aren't supposed to make big mistakes, but it is troubling at lower levels, such as youth games, where coaches, parents, and players feel they are allowed to verbally abuse referees who are making a mess of the match. (At one game, a parent behind me said about her team's coach that was screaming at our center -- "Well, I can't blame him, with this ref.")

Again, I didn't think you agreed with this attitude, but it is one I hear quite a bit as a youth league referee and one that I react strongly to.

[JMatthew]

Before I got to be National,I was fortunate to have the opportunity to do many,many games in the top amateur leagues in my state. Many different nationalities from South and Central America and many countries in Europe. I saw some very good referees handle similar situations. I learned from them and also learned from mistakes by other referees where similar things shown on the tape occurred. I never wanted that to happen in my games. The referee didn't have experience. I was waiting anxiously to see "when" he was going to stop the milling around. There was enough time already passed to have the Americans an advantage. But that time passed in 2-3 seconds. At THAT second he should have SHOWN himself at that spot to "everyone" with a HARD whistle that there will be a statutory free kick. When the referee sees this tape, I think he too will see the "anxious seconds pass by" with no action on his part. The results will stay with him for a long time. It could be the best thing that could have happened to him.

[jgardner]

There are 2 actions by the players that indicated they wanted the CR to intervene. First when the CAP #7 looked at the official and held his hand up to his mouth asking for a whistle - that is begging for a YC for delay. The second is when FCD #6 looks at the CR and points at CAP #7 and motions that he wants him moved - that is the attacking team asking for a ceremonial kick. Why didn't he step in when the playes for both teams clearly indicated they wanted him to? From the video it seems the CR did nothing to acknowledge or address either player. Poor management of this set piece.

[ref47]

these delaying tactics are the norm in any pro level match one views. the league does not matter - italy, spain, england, etc. - they all look alike at this level. the refs seldom prevent dr. so, why expect it from this referee? just last night i attended the chi-dc match and watched one of our fifa refs let delay after delay happen. i don't know when, if ever, it will be stopped.