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Page updated Saturday 4th February 2012 |
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Rule changes to be discussed at IFAB Meeting
The 126th Annual General Meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) will take place on Saturday 3 March under the chairmanship of The Football Association in Surrey, England. On the agenda this year are eight proposals and amendments to the Laws of the Game. These include a proposal for a fourth substitution to be allowed for matches that go into extra time; a new text to clarify what action the referee should take if a dropped ball is kicked directly into an opponents’ goal; and a new text to tackle the ‘so-called’ Triple Punishment, following the recommendation by the FIFA Task Force Football 2014. Currently a penalty-kick, expulsion and player suspension are the three sanctions for a player who denies an obvious goalscoring opportunity by an offence punishable by a penalty. Also on the agenda for discussion is an update on the Goal-Line Technology (GLT) testing. The independent test institute EMPA will provide a report on the first test phase held between November and December 2011 with eight GLT companies, as well as outlining the procedures for Phase 2 scheduled between March and June 2012. An update on the Additional Assistant Referee experiment (AAR), a discussion regarding the Hijab following a football seminar in Amman in October 2011, and more information regarding the use of Vanishing Spray by referees at the CONMEBOL 2011 Copa America - to mark out the 9.15m (10 yards) where defending teams have to stand for a free-kick – are also on the agenda, among other topics. Finally, the members will be asked to confirm the date of the Special Meeting of the IFAB as 2 July 2012, where a definitive decision on the future of Goal-Line Technology and Additional Assistant Referees will be taken.
Don't X the Line - Campaign seeks more respect for referees Total Football website
Over the weekend of March 10-11, the Don’t X the Line campaign is working together with The Premier League, referees and assistants to raise awareness for respect in football. A Respect the Referee initiative in grassroots football is aimed at parents and spectators who are at the heart of bad touchline behaviour. The Don’t X the Line campaign has been established since 2003 to support zero tolerance against aggression, verbal abuse, bullying and racist comments on and off the football field. Over the last eight years the campaign has linked closely with a number of Premier League clubs, Mike Riley (General Manager of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited) and ambassadors Chris Foy (Premier League referee) and Liverpool's Jamie Carragher. “It is an honour to be asked to be an ambassador for the Don’t X The Line," said Carragher. "I obviously started myself at grassroots level and I do understand the problem we have with referees and youngsters becoming increasingly under pressure from a minority of pushy spectators whilst participating in grassroots football.” The campaign also receives the full support of former referee Keith Hackett, the Football Association, Premier League and the Professional Footballers Association. Dont X the Line founder Mal Lee said: "I support referees as they make the decisions and that leaves them in the firing line from both sets of supporters. 'Parents were picking up baseball bats' "I started the campaign in December 2003. I have been involved for 30 years in grassroots football and have been involved in committees, as well as running teams. "While I was a manager for an under 10s team I witnessed children crying because their parents were fighting each other, I saw parents in an under 10s game picking up baseball bats to use on each other, referees threatened and chased by irate parents, and committee members leaving because they had been threatened. "I also witnessed a free for all in an under 12s match. Both teams and parents started a battle over a refereeing decision and the referee was chased. "After witnessing these incidents and many more the time was right to start some sort of campaign. "The campaign was developed and over the years has continued to get stronger. We have received fantastic support from our ambassador Keith Hackett, as well as Liverpool FC, Everton FC, Jamie Carragher, the FA, the Premier League, the PFA, the League Management Committee and the PGMOL." Don’t X the Line, the forerunner for the FA’s Respect programme, is a volunteer organisation.
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All the following taken from UEFA website
UEFA referees prepare in Turkey Published: Friday 27 January 2012, by Mark Chaplin
Turkey welcomes Europe's top referees and newcomers to the international list for UEFA's annual winter refereeing courses – with UEFA EURO 2012 one of the key items on the agenda. Europe's top referees travel to Turkey this week for the annual UEFA winter courses – with preparations for UEFA EURO 2012 and the knockout stages of UEFA's club competitions the focal point, as well as introducing international newcomers to their responsibilities at European level. UEFA has decided to hold the 20th UEFA Advanced Course for Top Referees and 21st UEFA Introductory Course for International Referees in the Mediterranean city of Antalya. Winter courses previously took place there in 2001. Europe's football governing body organises two main referee courses a year: a summer gathering where match officials are primed for the new season and given specific instructions for club and national-team duties, and a winter get-together designed to guide the referees into the second half of the campaign. The winter introductory course serves to welcome new international referees to the tasks ahead. FIFA's list of European international referees this year features 43 new names who are representing 28 European national associations, and the introductory course will be their first official experience of the international circuit. Twenty-four of the newcomers have already attended courses at the UEFA Centre of Refereeing Excellence (CORE) in Nyon, which is preparing promising young officials for the future. "Their preparation for officiating at UEFA matches will start here," said UEFA's chief refereeing officer Pierluigi Collina. "Their first appointments as international referees will include youth mini-tournaments or the qualification rounds of the UEFA Europa League or UEFA Champions League." The FIFA novices undertake an extensive medical check-up and take the FIFA fitness test. For the first time, they will have their visual abilities tested by specialised sports optometrists. With referees needing to maintain focus and concentration amid the high pace of the modern elite game, it is essential that they are able to fix their vision on incidents, focus on close or moving objects and react to movement around them. The newcomers will also receive various instructions from the UEFA administration on matters such as writing reports and how to conduct themselves as UEFA representatives at matches. With English the common UEFA refereeing language, members of the UEFA Referees Committee will interview the match officials to evaluate their working knowledge of English. Furthermore, the introductory course will contain presentations by Referees Committee members and video sessions analysing specially prepared footage from UEFA games over the past year. Participants will also learn about specific training sessions, including exercises relevant to their movement during a match. For the advanced course, UEFA has invited the 22 elite category referees and 17 elite development category referees, plus a small selection of first category referees. In addition, five Turkish FIFA referees who are not members of these categories have been invited, to bring the total of delegates to 56. Among this number are the 12 match officials chosen by the Referees Committee in December to take charge of games at UEFA EURO 2012 in Poland and Ukraine this summer, as well as others who will be present at the tournament as additional assistant referees and fourth officials. "Basically, the referees selected will follow the normal preparation that UEFA has for the elite referees," Collina explained to UEFA.com after the EURO appointments were announced. This means that the winter course in Antalya will be followed by the referees resuming their UEFA competition duties in mid-February. The EURO officials will then attend a workshop in Warsaw at the end of April and beginning of May, and will also be given specific preparation by UEFA's expert team under the leadership of referee fitness expert Werner Helsen. Referees in the advanced group will have to pass an intermittent recovery fitness check, and will get instructions from Referees Committee members concerning their assignments in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League knockout stages, in particular with a view to achieving consistency and uniformity in decision-making.
Collina's pep talk for new international referees
Published: Tuesday 31 January 2012, by Mark Chaplin
UEFA's chief refereeing officer Pierluigi Collina has urged Europe's young referees to show courage, be prepared and never stop learning as they embark on their international careers. Europe's new international referees have been given a wealth of invaluable advice by Pierluigi Collina at a UEFA course in Turkey. Collina, who took charge of the biggest fixtures in world and European football during his own distinguished career, is now deploying his vast experience as UEFA's chief refereeing officer. He imparted essential wisdom mixed with well-chosen warnings to 43 newcomers hailing from 28 European national associations at the 21st UEFA Introductory Course for International Referees in the Mediterranean city of Antalya. "It's a great privilege for you," Collina told the match officials. "You are among the top referees in the world – it's also a great responsibility. You have to be proud and you have to be committed. You will be part of the very top in world football. Top football means top referees. "You have to take important decisions on the field of play, and very quickly – in half a second, under pressure – and you have to be ready to take on responsibility," he added. "Be ready to handle crises – you have to be prepared, because if the decision is important, it can have big implications. Your decision will be discussed and scrutinised. You have to be ready to deal with this pressure." The newcomers to the FIFA list were made aware of the necessity to constantly seek improvement and know their strengths and weaknesses. "You can always learn," said Collina. "Try to improve all the time and do not be afraid to change." The referees were urged to create their own success through diligent preparation. "If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail," the Italian emphasised. Part of this preparation, the course delegates heard, included learning as much as possible about the two teams ahead of a match – tactics, players' characteristics, how teams played in certain situations. "This will help you – a good referee is able to read the game," Collina said. "It is important to understand how a match can be played by preparing and studying how a team plays." Collina also called on the referees to protect players against serious foul play, and to protect themselves from player mobbing, reiterating the UEFA message given to referees at the start of this season. Fitness and focus are key weapons in the elite referee's armoury. Collina gave the example of the 1999 UEFA Champions League final between Manchester United FC and FC Bayern München – which he handled – when the English club came from behind to win the trophy with two last-gasp goals. Collina recalled his need to stay on the refereeing ball even when fatigue was creeping in. "Sometimes everything can go well until the end of a match, and then you make a mistake," he said. "You have to stay lucid, focused and concentrated – to be fit enough to take decisions when you are tired." Collina concluded a fascinating hour by reminding the participants of their responsibilities in terms of image. "You have to inspire other people," he said. "The best thing that happens is when someone else decides to be a referee because of you. You are a role model for young referees in your country, and people observe you. You are athletes and should look like athletes – take care of yourselves. "The ultimate goal for a referee is to be accepted – when players and coaches trust you, even if you make a wrong decision. It's a matter of personality, preparation and reliability. Learn from your mistakes and be self-critical. There is always room for improvement. When you make a mistake, look forward, recover, and come back stronger." Ahead of Collina's presentation, UEFA first vice-president Şenes Erzik opened the course by congratulating the young referees. "You deserve to be here," he said. "You have the most difficult job in football. UEFA is determined and committed to offering you the best education possibilities. You are here to share experiences and learn. There is no limit to learning – it is the key asset. I wish you every success in your careers
Referees foster team spirit in Turkey Published: Wednesday 1 February 2012, by Mark Chaplin
Leading European referees welcome UEFA's winter course as an ideal opportunity to bond as a unit – in particular those who will be the 17th team at UEFA EURO 2012. Top European referees have emphasised not only how UEFA's winter course prepares them diligently for assignments in the knockout stages of Europe's major competitions – but also how such gatherings help them to knit together as a European team, exchange ideas, and learn. The Mediterranean resort of Antalya in Turkey is playing host this week to the referees who will see action in the closing phase of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League this spring, as well as the select dozen who will officiate at UEFA EURO 2012 in the summer. The referees examine match situations, test their fitness and swap experiences, all with the aim of improving the standards that have helped them reach the summit of their chosen profession. "The winter course is one of the highlights of the year," said Englishman Howard Webb, who took charge of the FIFA World Cup final and UEFA Champions League final in 2010, and will be a member of the EURO team in Poland and Ukraine. "It comes at a really crucial stage of the UEFA season, because the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League all begin again in mid-February after the winter break. "There are some crucial games coming up, so getting together at the end of January gives us a chance to review what has happened in the group stages so far, to share good practice, and we learn from things that have happened. We can chat with colleagues and it's good to see some friends as well." One of the messages underlined by UEFA to the referees is uniformity in decision-making – a purpose of this, the 20th UEFA Advanced Course for Top Referees, which Scotland's Craig Thomson, another EURO match official, fully supports. "This course is important in terms of consistency," he explained. "That's what the clubs want, it's what the players want, and it's what the spectators want. A consistent level of approach in decision-making – it's good that we can come together as a group of referees and get the expertise that is passed onto us." The UEFA winter course also serves as an ideal team-bonding exercise for the elite match officials, many of whom know each other from past tournaments. "We get on very well as a group," Thomson added. "It's good to come back and see each other and share stories. We don't see each other too often, because we're obviously not in the same national association. Here, it's a more relaxed and informal atmosphere than perhaps in a tournament." The referees are all conscious that they must never stop learning and be meticulously equipped for what many see as the most difficult job in football. "There are elements in the course that can always help us improve for the coming games," Germany's Wolfgang Stark reflected as he looks forward to club competition appointments and UEFA EURO 2012. "For example, through the use of video reviews [of match situations]. And we're all motivated to keep on developing, to be as well prepared as possible." Viktor Kassai, the Hungarian who handled the 2011 UEFA Champions League final and who is relishing the opportunity to referee at the EURO, feels that the UEFA winter gathering also gives younger arbiters an ideal chance to meet and learn from more experienced colleagues. Part of the winter course programme is set aside for newcomers to the FIFA international list – 43 of whom are in Antalya. "There is a human part – to get the top referees together with the new referees," he said. "When I was a young referee in 2003, [UEFA's chief refereeing officer] Pierluigi Collina was an active referee – and a lot of other big referees were also involved. For me and my colleagues, it was a proud moment and a big pleasure to be with them – so now I think we also need to be open with the new, young referees and be there to help them."
Three keys to a referee's success Published: Thursday 2 February 2012, by Mark Chaplin
Strength of body, sight and character all take Europe's top referees to the summit and all three traits have been talking points at the UEFA winter referees' gathering in Turkey. Fit in body, mind and sight – three indispensable elements that carry today's top European referees to the summit. All of these aspects have featured at the UEFA winter referees' gathering in Turkey this week. Nowadays, it is not only about making the right decisions – match officials must be 100% on their mettle in so many other ways. Let's take just three. Firstly, watch a major match and its relentless pace and power, and you understand why the officiators have to be in maximum physical condition to cope with their role. Belgian fitness expert Werner Helsen trains referees for UEFA. In Turkey, his team have been screening the referees, measuring weights and calculating fat percentages, and organising a fitness check to ensure the officials are ready for their spring assignments in the European club competitions. "It is indeed the case that the modern-day referee has to be an athlete, as do the players," Helsen told UEFA.com. "There are many more athletes on the field than there were some years ago. It is easy to see that physically, as well as [from] what is actually done in a match. If I compare today's football in terms of refereeing performances even from five or six years ago, it has changed dramatically. An example is in high-intensity running – where the amount has doubled between 2003/04 and last season. Believe me, for the very first time, for example in the English Premier League, the referees produced more high-intensity running than the players. "A referee will run between 10 and 13km [during a game]," Helsen added, "but the biggest difference or the biggest progress has been in the amount of high-intensity running and also in the number of sprints, which have also doubled since 2003, and right now a referee shows approximately 50 sprints in a match which is equal to what players show." UEFA refereeing officer Hugh Dallas reflects on how much has changed since the 1970s. "There's the quote about people watching a rerun of the 1970 FIFA World Cup final and thinking there is a problem with the television, because the game seems to be in slow motion," he said. "Now in the 21st century, you see how fast the game is played – and we have to prepare referees the way that clubs and countries prepare the players. "I think I was one of the first referees to become involved in the new professional approach by UEFA," Dallas explained. "In the twilight of my refereeing career, I was probably fitter than I was at the beginning. This was down to the approach we were encouraged to take. We were now being remotely analysed by physical experts – there was no hiding place." On to the second element. At the course in Antalya, the referees have also undertaken visual tests. They need to be able to fix their vision on incidents, focus on close or moving objects, and react to movement around them. "We test our referees on their expertise in making decisions, and on the physical and psychological aspects," Dallas said, "but we never ever realised just how sharp their eyesight has to be during matches. "Colour-blindness can sometimes be a problem, so we now really leave no stone unturned. We employ specialists to look into the referees' background regarding eyesight. And thankfully we've had no real surprises up to now." Finally, the third element – top officiators equally require great mental strength to do their jobs to the best of their ability. Englishman Howard Webb faces tough challenges every week in his country's Premier League – under the close microscope of the players, coaches, press, TV and public. "The English referees did a piece of university research recently about the life of a professional referee," Webb said. "The main thing that came out was the requirement for mental toughness, and real resolve and self-belief. "They are absolutely key," added the 2010 World Cup and UEFA Champions League final referee. "Without that, you probably won't get to the very top of the game. Part and parcel of the game is understanding that people won't always agree with what you do on the field. The game gets ever quicker and more demanding, and there are pressures. I've learned over a period of time that you have to keep this self-belief." Physically fit, healthy in vision and strong in character. A trio of crucial personal components that help give Europe's men with the whistle their distinguished reputation throughout the football world.
Referee course week ends with key reminders
by Mark Chaplin Published: Friday 3 February 2012,
UEFA's referee course week in Antalya concluded with a series of important messages being reiterated to the European game's leading match officials ahead of tough spring tests. UEFA has repeated a series of key messages to its top referees as they prepare for a testing spring with the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. At the end of the referee course week in Antalya, Turkey, the referees were asked to protect players, nurture football's image, conduct themselves in the appropriate manner as UEFA ambassadors, and report to UEFA any attempted corruption or match-fixing that they may witness – or if they are a target for such practices. Additionally, the delegates were reminded by UEFA referee officer Hugh Dallas of guidelines that UEFA issued at the start of the season. Strict action should be taken in the event of players crowding or mobbing match officials, as well as against reckless challenges and serious foul play. |