There have been some dramas at the Madejski Stadium this season involving
assistant referees and their part in controversial decisions.
In recent weeks there have been two
occasions which created considerable grief amongst visiting players and management. There was the re-taken penalty kick
against Preston after their goalkeeper had saved the first attempt. Even many Reading
supporters thought the decision was wrong and so apparently from their actions,
did some of the Reading players who shook the Preston goalkeeper by the hand.
Craig Brown the Preston management certainly thought so and continually
abused the assistant referee for which he was sent from the touchline. He knew
that it was the assistant referee's indication that the goalkeeper had moved,
which made the referee have the kick re-taken.
Even more recently at the Wigan game it was the assistant referee who
Indicated, to the fury of the Wigan players and officials, that their goalkeeper,
well out of his area, and trying to prevent a direct run on goal by a
Reading player, had deliberately handled the ball.
This meant of course that the
goalkeeper was shown a red card. Wigan boss, Paul Jewell, who like Craig
Brown before him. was banished from the dugout for the remaining minutes of
the game, said afterwards, "The referee didn't give it until the linesman did, so
he changed his mind and sent our keeper off. Maybe we should issue the
linesmen with whistles instead".
To those who echo the Wigan managers sentiment, I would simply ask this,
are you suggesting that the assistant referees should not carry out their laid down
duties? It's worth taking a look at what those duties are.
We all know that they have to indicate when the ball is out of play and which side is entitled to the
throw-in, comer or goal kick and that a large part of their job is offside,
which m itself can be very contentious. Apart from also indicating when a substitution
is required, that is perhaps where people like Paul Jewell would like their duties
to end. In local football, where the assistants are club officials it probably does
end there, but with neutral qualified assistant referees, there is a lot more
required from them in the laws of the game.
They must indicate when misconduct or any other
incident has occurred out of the view of the referee and also when offences have been committed, whenever
they are nearer to the action than the referee (that can include offences
committed in the penalty area). But that's not all.
At penalty kicks the Law says
that the assistant has to indicate whether the goalkeeper has moved before the
ball has been kicked and if the ball has crossed the line. This shows how
much responsibility assistant referees have. Their indications are subject to the
decision of the referee but it is very much a team effort. The Law says the
referee controls the match, in co-operation with the assistant referees. Three
pairs of eyes instead of just one, all the better for getting more decisions right.
Back in 1976 there was a name change in the Laws of the Game. A linesman
became an assistant referee. This was to emphasise this very point to players,
clubs and even to referees. To get away from this slightly derogatory use of the
word 'linesman' as if they are some lesser being. Here are a team of referees, one
main man with whom the final decision rests and two assistant referees. On the
Football League, both assistants will be referees of many years experience, and
when they are not running the line at Football League games will be refereeing
on the Nationwide Conference.
Assistant referees don't have whistles but why
should their experience not be used to ensure more correct decision making?
Dick Sawdon Smith