Reffing Older Players 9/20/20121

Reffing Older Players What are the challenges in refereeing older players? 9/20/20122

How Do Referees Manage Player Behavior? A quiet word A look or gesture A friendly warning A caution or send-off 9/20/20123

Dealing with Dissent What is dissent?  Disagreement, by word or action, with the referee’s decisions Why do we care about dissent? Isn’t it part of sports? – The game is supposed to be fun! – Dissent usually indicates people are frustrated and not having fun. – Dissent, if allowed to persist, can escalate to overwhelm the game … – …and the referee! 9/20/20124

Dealing with Dissent Fit the action to the circumstances. Deal with it early. Have a plan – the Three-Step Approach. – Step 1: Minimum response – Step 2: Formal response – Step 3: Ultimate response 9/20/20125

Step 1: Minimum Response Try first for informal forms of intervention. – A quiet word – A look or gesture Deliver a warning by speaking to a dissenting player. – Remain calm and professional. – Don’t try to be witty. – Give some latitude. – Don’t be defensive. – Acknowledge the dissent. – Require the player to accept the referee’s authority. 9/20/20126

Step 2: Formal Response Caution the player and show the yellow card. It’s no longer a discussion. Make it clear that the behavior cannot continue, but don’t give an ultimatum. If the player tries to “have the last word”, ignore it. 9/20/20127

Step 3: Ultimate Response Send off the player (second caution for dissent). Regardless of what the player says now, it’s over. – Don’t get drawn in. – Require player to leave the field. If Steps 1 and 2 were used properly, it rarely gets this far! 9/20/20128

Game Control Tools PresenceThe most powerful tool Voice and gesturesUseful for both referee and ARs SignalsWhistle, hands, flags Yellow cardCaution Red cardSend-off Suspension of match(not usually for player misbehavior) Termination of match(governing authority decides outcome) 9/20/20129