Referees: Next stop Germany 2006

Three-man teams will look to increase communication at the upcoming FIFA Confederations Cup France 2003. Here Anders Frisk of Sweden (2nd R) poses with fourth official Urs Meier of Switzerland (2nd L), assistant referee Leif Lindberg of Sweden (R) and assistant referee Igor Sramka of Slovakia at the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan AFP PHOTO JACQUES DEMARTHON

Before the dust from the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™ had settled, FIFA grabbed the bull by the horns and named former Spanish international referee José-Maria Garcia Aranda as the man in the refereeing driver’s seat on the road to Germany 2006. The first pit stop is in France, where a raft of new methods and experiments are to be unveiled in June during the FIFA Confederations Cup. And at the core of the new initiatives will be improved communication between refereeing teams.

In the eyes of the public at large, the next FIFA World Cup in Germany in 2006 may seem a long way away. This is not the case at FIFA though, where refereeing supremos José-Maria Garcia Aranda and Hans-Ulrich Schneider are mindful of the time and effort needed to prepare and foster good habits among the men with the weighty responsibility of overseeing play in the world’s number one football tournament. The current age limit for international referees stands at 45. If the best officials are to be in charge in 2006, efforts must be focussed on referees who are no more than 42 years-old this year. Two additional priorities stand out from the rest: working on forming effective trios and improving communication on the pitch.

The FIFA Confederations Cup France 2003 represents a highly interesting initial test. Contested by just eight teams over 10 days, the French event is relatively simple in logistical terms. Nine referees and eighteen assistants will be called upon, compared with the seventy-two on duty in Asia...

First major innovation: the creation of refereeing trios
This idea consists of combining a referee with his assistants in a systematic fashion. Ideally from the same country or at least with a common language or footballing culture, trios put together in this way will necessarily have a better understanding. The aim is to create a kind of osmosis between the three-man teams, thereby improving cohesion and the speed with which decisions are made during matches. The Confederations Cup will be the first FIFA competition to test this innovation. In France, not only will there be trios from Benin and Uruguay but a threesome comprising two Germans and a Pole.

The FIFA Confederations Cup France 2003 will be the testing ground for a host of innovations and improvements in the field of officiating. Here Italian forward Filippo Inzaghi (R) argues with English referee Graham Poll (L) at Korea/Japan. AFP PHOTO TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA

Also new: the use of earpieces
Another new step aimed at improving communication between the men in black will be the introduction of earpieces on the pitch. The four officials will be in constant radio contact during games. “With this tool, the assistant referee will be able to say to the main referee things like: ‘look to your left, nos. 6 and 9 are trading blows’. The referee will see what is going on immediately and will be able to intervene more rapidly than before, and with a more appropriate response”, explains Schneider. It is important to point out that since their purpose is strictly internal communication, these conversations will neither be recorded nor broadcast.

The experiment has been underway for two seasons in Scotland with promising results, notwithstanding the fact that Scottish refereeing standards were in any case above average. The FIFA Confederations Cup will therefore constitute a good international-level laboratory.

Old directives still on the agenda
The fight against simulation remains a priority. Other rules broken with excessive frequency will also be closely monitored, most notably incidents within the penalty area such as shirts being pulled or held at dead-ball situations. Referees will be instructed to pay particularly close attention to this area, with players encroaching into the box when penalties are being taken also coming under the microscope. During a working session of the Referees’ Committee, a video demonstrated that this rule is flouted with alarming regularity.

Unsporting behaviour towards officials, too often left unpunished, will be eradicated from the field of play. “And then there will be the usual directives outlawing dangerous play and violent conduct on the pitch. But referees are judging the situation increasingly well and we will continue to improve in this area,” said José-Maria Garcia Aranda. The passive offside directive is already in place, but there is a need for FIFA’s technicians to explain it better: “It’s a matter of clarifying a rule that already exists but is very difficult to apply, Garcia-Aranda continues. The laws of the game dictate that the concept of “not interfering with play” has to be assessed by the referee.”

Sharing information and involving referees in decisions
Two instructors will be based in Paris throughout the tournament. The match assessors will have the responsibility of consulting the referees after each match and passing on information to the instructors, who will have watched the match on television. The instructors will then present a full debriefing to all referees the following day, backed up by images. “The aim is to involve those doing the refereeing with the decisions taken by FIFA’s directors to improve the game, explains José Maria Garcia Aranda. Because it’s easy to say ‘we are going to take action against diving or such and such’, but it’s another matter to ensure that it amounts to more than just wishful thinking.”