Expectations of referees during the second round
The second round of the 2016 Premier League season is expected to commence in some few weeks time at all the eight match venues. The first round has been hotly contested with most of the teams separated by insignificant points.
We have, therefore, entered a very interesting and exciting second round where almost all the matches will take on extra importance with regard to promotion, relegation or involvement in continental competitions. It is also the period when many decisions are taken, in respect of referee promotion and retention at all levels.
Advertisement
Therefore, all our referees should be aware that they will be under scrutiny more than ever before, not only from the ever vigilant eyes of the media but also the refereeing authorities who are constantly demanding the highest levels of performance.
Additionally, our league referees will be under the scrutiny of fellow referees at every level, who aspire to those highest standards themselves.
It is clear that a greater level of referee commitment and professionalism is required from the referees who want to progress through to the highest levels of the game in the country. But equally, the opportunities to do so are far greater than ever before. The GFA has invested a lot of resources, especially in supporting referees financially particularly those listed for the Premier and Division One leagues.
There are also a lot of referee assessors, instructors who are helping to improve and develop referees. A lot of their contributions and work are voluntary and unnoticed and in some cases not even remotely appreciated. There is a huge amount of talent in the country, especially in the countryside, which need to be developed. We need to nurture young and new referees for the future while we ensure that existing ones are given the opportunity to improve and develop.
As we prepare for a tough second round of the 2016/2017 season, it is important that all our league referees and, perhaps, the match commissioners prepare themselves, both mentally and physically, for the task ahead. The second round is the part of the season that teams will be faced with the challenge of how to win the league title or how to be part of the prestigious Top Four and, more importantly, how to avoid being relegated.
As already pointed out, all our referees will be under scrutiny while they handle their various assignments. The problem about our refereeing is not that of physical fitness or a lack of stamina. It is not about how referees handle the players. It is not about their signals and how they run their diagonals. It is about their INTEGRITY. It does appear to me that some of our referees decide the aoutcomes of certain matches that a particular team should win. This is wrong and bad. Very bad and frustrating to the players and officials of that pre-determined losing team. For example, that team may be awarded a bad penalty, or the opposing team may be denied a good penalty.
As part of a referee’s training, we are taught and trained to acknowledge that there should be three teams involved in a match. Team A (the Home team), team B (the Away team) and the Refereeing Team comprising the middle referee and his assistants. These three different teams have the responsibility to play their roles objectively and professionally.
Most of our referees do their work very honestly and with clean conscience but there are a few of them who appear to go on the side of some teams. Thanks to the introduction of video cameras. But despite this, a few referees are caught by the cameras when they ignore fouls against their preferred teams.
Referees are expected not only to be in control of their matches. They are expected also to know the laws of the Game inside out and be confident enough to deal with any eventuality. It can be painful to find an impartial referee. Indeed, the worst criticism that could be directed at a referee is that he is favouring one team.
Referees must be above suspicion. What else could people mean when they call the referee a “cheat”? How can almost everybody at a particular match see and agree that an offence had occurred, but only the referee and the Match Commissioner see it differently? Spectators, players and team officials may not be as knowledgeable as the referee, with regard to the laws of the game, but they have minds and eyes. Indeed, they have expectations of the referees. He should be a judge and an impartial one. More than ever, the referee is the person on the field who knows the Laws better than anyone else. Their decisions are final. Matches are only replayed if there is a proven technical error (an error in the Laws). Referees have fared much better than court judges when it comes to appeals, but in football protest and appeals do not result in lost points restored to them.
The only thing that happens is some form of sanction against an earring referee. As we prepare for the start of the second round of this season, our referees should resolve to do their best. There could be mistakes by referees when they handle their matches, but all right-thinking followers of the game will appreciate and accept them. A referee should not deliberately cheat one of the teams and resort to apologies on the guise of having made mistakes in his match. The best guide is for a good referee to see himself as separate from any of the teams in his match.
Perhaps, it is important to remind club owners that they do not help the game when they try to court and bring pressure on referees to do their bidding. It is very common to hear of club officials or their agents making indecent approaches to referees. There are a lot of rumours about club officials who send vehicles to pick referees from their stations to match centres. One of the best managed services in this country is the transportation system.
Our match officials can easily rely on public transport to reach their match venues and back to their stations. It is hypocritical for our club managers to influence referees and turn around to call them all sorts of names. I often hear remarks from some of these club officials, “oh, as for your referees, they are bad”. The question is, if indeed they are bad, who made them bad?
There are many stakeholders in the game of football. All of them owe the game their honest participation and contribution. Football is about the best known entertaining game. It is played worldwide and it provides a source of income, indeed the highest paying, source of income to many players and clubs.
Even in Ghana, we all experienced the lull and near lifelessness when our league suffered a hip-cup last year. We should all try our best to play our allotted parts well and impartially to retain the image and value and economic status of the game of football and its industry. Admittedly, it is not pleasing to discuss and mention some of these issues. It surely hurts some people’s sensitivities and egos. But we cannot just wish them away and put our heads into the sand like the proverbial ostrich.
The GFA regulations are clear about issues regarding the acceptance of goodies from clubs and their agents. The advice is that, should such responsibility be extended, match officials should be aware of the consequences with regards to players and club officials after the game.
Perhaps, the Referees Association of Ghana, as an association, should come out with its own code of conduct. But the most important way of ensuring good behaviour is the recruitment, development of people of good value system, good character and conduct. As we enter into the second round of the 2014/2015 season, we should all ensure that we carry out our responsibilities within acceptable professionalism and conduct. Refereeing is vital for the progress of the game. Our referees should keep this in mind and behave in an impartial manner.”