Referees can finish matches before the start

A cousin of mine once boasted that he never sat for any examination and failed. He explained that he never went for examinations if and when he was not well prepared for them.

This simply clarifies the relevance of preparing adequately for any project that is to be undertaken. Our soldiers put it this way: “Hard training, easy battle.”

This should be true with refereeing. Referees know that their job of handling matches is in three parts, that is: before the match, during the match and after the match. In taking very good care of events before a match begins, a referee could finish his match before it even starts.

In practical terms, a referee’s job starts with his appointment. And because referees do not handle matches alone, they should quickly, as some of them do, get in touch with the other match officials. This is very important and key. All match officials, except the match commissioners go through the same course of training which hinges on the seventeen laws and regulations. But the question of implementation and application of the laws and regulations is equally crucial and relevant.

It is necessary for the referee and the other match officials to analyse themselves - their weaknesses and their strengths. This is so since, together, they would be taking the same decision on the same offence. In some instances, it happens that the referee and his other match officials have different levels of stamina, firmness, courage and value system.

The referee as the official in the middle of the match must bear this in mind as he briefs the other match officials in the dressing room. Briefing before the start of matches is very important.

No referee should, therefore, take it for granted. They should also analyse the capabilities of the two teams.

I can testify that during my active refereeing days, all my briefings were like, “gentlemen, we are all referees, and so we know what to do. I wish all of you well”, and that was not good enough.

Briefing should be different from assumptions. Briefings should include the examination of the teams, their officials and the expected spectators and their attitudes.

Another area of finishing the match before it begins is the inspection and approval or acceptance of the facilities for the match. Facilities such as toilets, wash-rooms, parking spaces and dressing rooms are the very important ones to be considered. In all these, both referees, and the other match officials should be involved.

The situation where the referee meets his assistants for the first time at the pre-match or technical meeting is unacceptable. For every match, the pre-match meeting is considered as the most important event before the match itself. It should be attended by all the stakeholders.

Here, the referee should put all his cards on the table. He should be able to tell everybody his expectations of both teams and agencies such as security, medical and the technical handlers of the teams.

The match officials should get the name of the commander of the security men and ensure that all the security men are present before the START of the match.

There should be no tolerance for the usual promise that additional security men would arrive during the course of the game.

Competition rules for our league matches clearly state the number of security men to be provided for every match. With the assistance of the match commissioner, the security men should be briefed and assigned responsibilities including the number of those who could be allowed inside the inner perimeter.

The issue of the inner perimeter is key and crucial. It is, therefore, important that the fourth referee perhaps, together with a security man, should ensure that just before the start of the match only authorised people would be allowed in. This should include the technical bench which should only be occupied by substitute players and named club officials.

There should be no room for chiefs and their entourages. All these points may appear little and insignificant, but they contribute to the success or otherwise of the referee and his assistants in handling their matches. But perhaps, the most important is the training and physical fitness of the referees before the match.

I never get tired of mentioning my favourite referee-mate during our active days as a worthy example. That is Mr J. K. Tannor. During our training sessions, we were expected to run 400 metres, six times round the Accra Sports Stadium before the real training. But referee Tannor would do his solo-six rounds before the rest of us arrived at the stadium.

This made him very fit physically with plenty of stamina. And this clearly showed in his matches; he never needed to see the flag of his assistants before blowing his whistle for throw-ins, corner kicks and goal kicks.

Physical training for referees is very important. Referees in Ghana normally have their trainings on Saturday mornings. But this is not sufficient. All those referees who show enough stamina during matches train, at least, three times a week.

It is only referees who are physically fit who manage to be close to incidents. It is very common for some referees to whistle for fouls almost 50 metres away from incidents. Such referees always rely on the flags from their assistants even when taking decisions on incidents in the penalty areas. It is possible to finish handling a game of football before it starts. Managing football matches is like handling and managing a project. It needs planning and execution.

The game of football is run through three segments that take place before, during and after matches. Most of our referees concern themselves with the second part, that is, ‘During the Match’.

This strategy normally leads to difficulties and avoidable problems. For a match to end well for the match officials, it is crucial to ensure that it ‘ends’ before the kick-off. A match that starts without the required complement security personnel should be telling a negative story.

And so is a game in which one team, normally the home team, objects violently for the presence of a GFA-approved cameraman. In such instances, referees should advise themselves, but within the laws and regulations.