GAINING and STAYING in CONTROL of a Match (Part 1)
Successful referees dedicate themselves to protecting and enforcing the spirit as well as the letter of the Laws of The Game.
During a match the referee must constantly determine if the actions of the players are within or stepping beyond the boundaries of the spirit and letter of the Laws. This constant activity guides the official in establishing his or her control of the match.
Games will start and continue to be entertaining as well as relatively incident-free if officials consider the use of some basic ideas:
- Referees are under the spotlight from the moment they arrive at the game site until they leave after the final whistle.
- Pregame duties must be completed early enough to make sure the game starts on time.
- Long explanations during the pregame and late starts are some of the first demonstrations of an official’s preparedness and professionalism, or lack thereof.
