The right environment for making refereeing decisions

Regardless of the level of the match, there will always be difficult situations on the field to make 100% accurate decisions for the referee.

Referees are trained to make these decisions and they must appear confident, keep a straight face and smile, even when you are a little unsure of your decision. They acknowledge that they make mistakes and that there are close calls, but must stick with decisions and move on to the next phase of play whilst still maintaining concentration.

Everyone, however, has a responsibility to create the right environment to allow the referee to perform as well as possible. To achieve this, the refereeing and playing communities have to work with each other. Referees need to present a positive image of what they do by taking opportunities to be friendly, good humoured, approachable and by being seen to be enjoying their role.

When players, coaches and spectators appreciate the role of the referee it is more likely that the right environment will be created, not only for making difficult decisions, but also for the development of the Game.