Last Month in the training corner we were looking at time management and to consider your timing when becoming involved in situations.
This month we are to look at another aspect of refereeing which I had not considered until I attended a recent North West Trains (Counties) league meeting. At the meeting Ken Ridden, from the FA showed a video of the world cup which looked in particular at how referees spoke to players and issued cautions and dismissals.
The basis of the presentation was referees who displayed aggressive body language with the discussion concluding if referees cannot control themselves how can they expect to control others.
In all levels of refereeing we are taught the basics of good "body language", no finger wagging, don't point at players and don't appear to adopt an aggressive attitude. These are so important as players managers and assessors only see the referee and his actions and may not hear the conversations a referee has with players.
The first area of "body language" is the walk on the pitch, this may appear trivial although most players have you weighed up before the game starts. This is your first chance to make an impression, you don't get a second chance to make a first impression. Striding out confidently, looking smart and well turned out is half the battle when you're refereeing.
Turning to cautions and dismissals these are always potential flash points in any game. One of the points brought out in the presentation is using your body language to calm down situations, one of the best ways to do this when you are talking to players when talking to players or managers is to indicate a claming motion with both palms facing down. I have discussed this with other colleagues and this does have some effect, by indicating to all concerned that you are not going in to the situation with an aggressive manner and others will sometimes calm down quicker.
When issuing the caution itself it is important to reaming calm.
Do not stand there and indicate to the player to come to you. Indicate for the player to come to you and then meet the player half way, there is no requirement for the player to walk to you. When displaying the card do not thrust this at the players, you should merely raise the card in the air, thrusting the card at the player will only aggravate the player further.
I read recently that body language was one of the items on the agenda at a Premier league referees meeting. Video clips were shown and referees were asked:-
- Were they calm and dignified.
- Were actions too low-key.
- Did the referee check that the dismissed player did not cause trouble as he left the field.
The conclusion was it is important to become slower and more deliberate when giving signals and the way you move so that you convey the impression that you have total confidence and belief in what you are doing.
Without releasing it a referee can convey all sorts of messages to players and managers about his own emotions and confidence.
It is also interesting to note that during the world cup at each match a special camera was trained on the referee to analyse the referees' body language.
That is how important your body language is seen to be by the FA and FIFA.
