Our latest course for new referees has just ended and all twenty three candidates were successful in passing the examinations. This is now a total of exactly sixty, who have successfully been
through our courses here in Reading this season.
It's a funny thing when we run these courses but we can always tell those who have played football at a reasonable level. They are the ones who start arguing over what you tell them about certain situations, which they have probably argued with referees about during their playing days. More likely than not, it is something they have been encouraged to do by their coaches.
One such situation is the tactic of standing in front of the opposing goalkeeper, particularly at corner kicks but also sometimes at free kicks. The original and classic perpetrator of this tactic was Jackie Charlton, if you can remember that far back, inspired by his Leeds manager, Don Revie.
The argument we get on the courses, is the same as players have made to me on the field when I have penalised them. 'Surely, at corners, a player can stand where he likes?' The answer is yes and no. Defenders of course cannot stand within ten yards of the corner arc until the kick is taken but there is no restriction on attackers, as it is not possible to be offside from a corner. Therefore, an attacker could stand on the goal line in front of the goalkeeper. But once the ball has been kicked, if he remains there and prevents the goalkeeper getting to the ball, he is clearly impeding the goalkeeper.
'It's up to him to get around me,' the players plead in their defence but the question has to be asked, 'why is the player standing there?' The answer is that he is there for one reason only - to block the movement of the goalkeeper. The law quite clearly states that it is an offence to impede the progress of an opponent.
Out on the field of play, players can get away with impeding, what we used to call obstruction, if they are in control of the ball and shielding it from the opponent. Here there is no such excuse. Referees watch for this offence but what could be a new worry in these situations, is the deliberate blocking of an opposing outfield player from getting to the ball.
John Terry of Chelsea did it quite blatantly in a match recently on television. The referee, with so much else to watch in the penalty area, missed it completely and the ball went to another Chelsea player who was able to score unchallenged. John Terry admitted afterwards that it was something they had practised on the training ground.
People sometimes wonder why I criticise coach's attitude to the game but when players rehearse totally illegal moves like this, I think it speaks for itself. I wonder if in a few years time on one of our courses, ex-players will argue why such moves should be penalised.
Anyone interested in becoming a referee might like to know that our next course in Reading, will start in September. I believe there are still vacancies for over-sixteens. Unfortunately we are now restricted by the Berks & Bucks FA, as to the number we can include on any course who are between the age of fourteen, which is the minimum age to qualify and sixteen, which is the age referees can take adult games.
More details from Brian Wratten on 978
2681. If you don't want to be a referee but sometimes have to referee your local team because no official is appointed, there are still places on the special half-day course being run this Saturday 9th April by the FA at Theale Green School. Full details form Stephen Green on
961 3255.