An ex-member of the local referees association was a little puzzled by what he had been told when watching a match in which his grandson was playing. During the game he decided to take an amble around the pitch and started to walk along the goal line. The ‘lady referee’ as he described her, rushed over to him and said that he mustn’t go behind the goal. When he asked why, she told him it was the
Law. Could that be right he asked me?
Clearly, of course, it is not something that is in the
Laws of the Game. Imagine if professional clubs were banned from allowing spectators to stand (or sit) behind the goals, they would lose a great part of their revenue. However, she was right in forbidding him to take up position behind the goal under the rules of the competition under which the game was being played. It is all down to the
Respect programme which the FA has introduced to try and make the game better and more enjoyable for all concerned. It is not just respect for referees that the programme is trying to achieve, although there is no doubt this was the catalyst.
Losing seven thousand referees a year and with the lowest number of registered qualified referees ever recorded last year, clearly something has to be done. Although many felt it was starting at the wrong end of the footballing spectrum, the FA has concentrated mainly on youth football.
Here the emphasis is not so much on the players, who generally speaking, when left to themselves, are reasonably well behaved but with the parents. Stories of parents’ bad mouthing referees are legion, as are incidents of parents arguing or even fighting amongst themselves, giving the worst possible example to their children. The game where the referee banned my old colleague from behind the goal, was almost certainly in the South Chiltern Minor League, the largest youth league in the area, providing football for hundreds of boys and girls of all ages, for they have signed up to the
Respect programme.
This means that their clubs are bound by codes of conduct which have to be read and signed by all the members. It is their responsibility then to deal with anyone who breaks these codes, which identify sanctions that can be applied.
What’s this got to do with not allowing the game to be watched from behind the goal? The
Respect programme calls for the creation of designated spectator areas, which is an idea aimed mainly at youth football matches. This is an attempt to curb the behaviour of spectators, who in the most part are parents. These designated areas can be roped off, marked with cones or other temporary barrier or simply an extra line marked on the ground, two metres from the touch line. Whatever type of marker is used it must run the whole length of the touch line and means there should be no one watching from behind the goal line. Also it is suggested that the spectators are on the opposite side to the team coaches. The idea with this is so the players can distinguish which instructions are from their coach, as another problem is that parents often shout out conflicting advice.
Does it work? Can a painted line away from the touch line keep warring parents under control? I don’t referee regularly in youth football but I have refereed a number of County Youth Cup matches this season and I have to say that the behaviour of parents has been impeccable. Perhaps I’ve been lucky but the FA says research shows it does work. I think anything which allows youngsters to enjoy their football more is to be applauded, even if it does mean the occasional grandparent has to be kept in line.
Dick Sawdon Smith
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