Sure...... It is Saturday, it is snowing, I have no games, there is no soccer on TV, if I don't write this I have to go downstairs to the treadmill or do laundry, so this will be long. I am going to talk about two one-man position systems, the one-man diagonal and the lateral.

One-man diagonal first. There are two main differences between the standard DSC and the one-man diagonal: with the one-man diagonal........ a - the referee does not need to keep his AR in sight b - the referee needs to go deeper than usual to pay closer attention to offside Point (a) is an advantage - in terms of movement - but point (b) represents an increased demand on the ref. However, the added freedom that point (a) gives the referee will help him to achieve the objective in (b). Let's start from a GK situation: the referee will position itself at the centre circle, as in a three-man situation, but while in the three-man situation he will *always* take the side opposite to the lead linesman, in a one-man situation he will take the same side as the ball. It is easy to spot in advance where the goalkeeper is going to put the ball, so crossing the circle (20 yds.) can be done with an easy jog. (In younger age groups, where the ball is not likely to land at the halfway lane the ref can move closer to the box, but things do 't change in terms of width) After the ball is kicked it can reach the halfway line: a - on the same side of the pitch as the ref, or b - on the other side In (a) the referee is golden; all he has to do is stay ahead of the ball and run downfield, paying equal attention to the ball and to the offside line. In order to do this, he has to stay as wide as possible and as deep as possible. How deep? Let the play make the decision for you; the more the ball is contested the closer (depth, not width) you should be to the play rather than the offside line; if the ball comes downfield with little or no contest between players, be bold and take the offside line. The key here is *width*; remember, you are on the same side of the ball, so you will never be far away from the play; go wide, wider and widest :-} In (b) the referee is at a disadvantage; so, as soon as he realizes that the ball is going to cross the halfway line on the side opposite to him, he has to start a diagonal movement that brings him to cross the field and get to the same side as the ball. This implies crossing the center field, but it is fine, absolutely fine; this is a one-man mechanic....... The idea here is that the referee should try everything he can to be on the same side of the pitch as the ball when it crosses the halfway line. Don't be scared; getting to the same side as the ball *always* implies zero or one diagonal movements across the field and it is easy to see in advance whether or not the ball is going to cross the halfway line on our side or the opposite one. Usually there is no need for anything more than an easy jog to gain this advantage point. One way or the other, we are now at the point when the ball has crossed the halfway line on our side; let's go from here....... In order to decide what to do next, we need to establish a reference point at the 25 or 30 yard line and see what happens to the ball between the halfway line and our imaginary reference point. If the ball goes straight downfield we go with it and we try to stay ahead and take the offside line, or to go as close to it as advisable. Don't make reaching the offside line a matter of religion; close is close enough. The three things that really matter are *width, width and width*. HERE COMES THE TROUBLE........ ......The ball crossed the halfway line with us but it is kicked across the field before reaching our mental reference point on the 25-30 yard line......... If the ball goes away from us at any time after crossing the halfway line and before reaching the 25-30 yard line we should commit ourselves and cut across the field in the direction of the opposite corner flag, regardless of how deep or shallow the movement of the ball is. In one-man system we simply cannot afford to follow the ball like puppies..... We need to establish our own patterns........ This cutting across the field is the most dangerous moment of them all; we lose the angle on the offside line and we are in the center of the field, so we need to get out of the way as fast as possible and sprint, sprint, sprint. This is the single referee action that requires speed and stamina; commit to the crossover and go, go, go, Of course, the next logical question is when to stop, and the answer is: as soon as we are on the other wing, ahead of the ball and we have regained our angle on the offside line. This is a *key* point; once you commit to cross over, do not stop halfway through the movement; go all the way until you regain the offside angle. What happens if the ball switches back to where we were coming from, either while we are crossing over or after we are done with it? Let it go; in a one man system we cannot afford more than one live-ball cross over at midfield per play, unless we want to die, and we also have to take offside into consideration..... Let's say we are lucky, though, and we are on the same side as the ball as it crosses the 25 line; in this case we can go for the offside line without further hesitation, take it and call the play from this position until its end. *Never*, *ever* think of crossing over in the last fourth of the field, unless you think it is cute being caught with your pants down, in the center of the field while little Joey is screaming in pain in the middle of the box or Sammy the Nimble is breezing with the ball toward the goalmouth and everybody else is screaming "Offfffsiiiiiiiiidee!". If the ball goes away from you after it has crossed the 25-30 yard line, push slightly toward the center of the field - as much as you can without losing offside!! - and don't be scared........ Look at where you are: you have *all* players boxed in between you and the ball, you have the offside and the only thing is that you are away from the ball (but you have a good angle anyway.....). Not perfect, but good enough......... However, it is true that being away from the ball in the final fourth of the field is the real weakness, so we should introduce in our one-man diagonal one element that minimizes this risk. The element is a careful exploitation of *any* dead ball situation (dead ball is easier to write than ball-not-in-play). In the offensive half of the field, every time where the following occurs: a - there is a dead ball situation, and b - the ball is on the other (vertical) half of the field, and c - you *have the time*, cross over diagonally and take you position along the diagonal, as illustrated above, on the same side as the ball. This is almost mandatory on fouls, when you have to go there, sort out the mess, set the wall and all those neat things, but it is also highly advisable on throw-ins. Actually, throw-ins are the one-man referee best friend, mostly those when the ball is kicked *way* out of bounds. In those cases there is plenty of time to cross over and rest.

A couple of tips: 1 - on corner kicks on a one-man system, *always* take the far post, and position yourself on the inside corner of the GA. 2 - don't take the "socref approach" to offside, and don't spend too much time on endless, mind numbing analysis on the most irrelevant factors. If he is offside and goes, nail him *now*.... Don't wait. If you wait, in a one-man situation you nail yourself to the cross (don't you just *love* these Catholic metaphors). Nobody is backing you up, nobody is going to give you a late signal if one of those strange situations happen. Cut the debate before it begins and if he goes, call it....... So far we have seen a full beginning-to-end play and we have fully illustrated the diagonal in this context. Unfortunately - as we know - soccer is characterized by frequent changes of possession that not even the NF has made illegal (hey, what if one gets injured in the process, or if his self esteem suffers from being nutmegged......), so we have to reconcile our one-man diagonal with change of possession situations. I'll get myself a cigarette, a cup of tea (too early to booze...) I'll watch some of the Northwestern game - Go Cats! - and I'll be back with something intelligent to say (yeah, right....). If there is a change of possession, the actual position of the referee is immaterial in determining what to do next. Remember, we do not have AR's to keep in sight, so we can roam freely around the field with the only objective to get to a better position to rule on the play; as far as our position goes the two (vertical) halves of the field are exactly the same!! Given this, as soon as there is a change of possession, turn around and take off toward the corner flag that is on the same (vertical) side of the field *as the ball* when the change of possession occurs. Run as hard as the play requires and keep running toward the corner flag until you have regained your angle *on the offside*. The most common error here is to stop when you have regained the angle on the ball. This is not enough, and using the angle on the ball as our only reference point has two major drawbacks: a - it leaves you way too central way too often.... b - it leaves you in a bad position to call offside........ As a matter of fact, regaining the angle on the ball is meaningless as an objective. A good angle on the ball is a by-product of a good angle on the offside and the latter never comes without the former......... So, if there is a change of possession, identify the "good" corner flag and sprint in that direction as hard as you have to. Several things may happen at this point: a - a breakaway. The changes of possession results in a continuous attack that keeps going until a shot is taken. In this case, the only thing a referee can do is to continue running straight, as fast as possible, until *after* the shot is taken. Pietro Mennea, the Italian sprinter whose 200 mt. world record resisted longer than *any other* (excuse us.....) was very well known for his "never-give-up" finish, and once he explained his secret: "I never ran a 200 metre race; I always run a 210 metre..........". Too often I see too referees give up once they realize the breakaway is going all the way, and I see them calling the play from the center of the field and from too far behind. That's no good; a breakaway is the most demanding play but also the play when fouls are more blatant and visible; I personally try to do *everything* I can to minimize the disadvantage a breakaway puts me at and I do not slow down until the ball is out of bounds or within the unchallenged goalie's possession. b - a new play is set up by the team in possession: somebody will look up, decide what to do next and play the ball accordingly. In this case, the referee can use this time to analyze his position, the ball's, see where ball and referee are with respect to the halfway line and apply the original principles illustrated above c - a mix of (a) and (b) above: a breakaway stems from the change of possession but it does not go all the way because the defense interrupts it, the ball goes out of bounds or whatever...... The best reaction in this case is to follow the breakaway mechanic until the offside angle is regained or the breakaway is interrupted (not just slowed down, *interrupted*) and then re-assess one's position with respect of the ball (same vertical half or opposite one), the field (defensive half, offensive half, and if so, behind or ahead of the 25-30 yd. line). The ensuing position will be dictated by the results of that observation, according to the basic principles. d - the change of possession is followed by something not well defined, a struggle for the ball, tackles over tackles, one-on one duels in a relatively restricted area of the field. In this case the referee must go as wide as possible to get the best angle on the ball and *then* see if an angle on the offside is required too. If this is the case, he will rectify his position going deeper, as deep as needed to get the required angle. That is basically everything that one needs to know to implement a good one-man diagonal. It looks effort intensive and physically demanding, and it actually is, but less than it looks like. The secret for a perfect execution is not the top speed, but the ability to remain in constant motion at a slow/moderate pace. In many - too many - cases the need to sprint is caused by not having executed a proper slow motion on the previous play. This creates a chain reaction: the sprint tires the referee, who will try to make up by not moving on the next play, and this - in turn - will cause the need for more sprint etc. I am talking here to the referees who took on refereeing at a later age and at an expanded waist :-}, usually dragged into the sport by their kids playing. I bet the rent that many of them do not like the sense of exertion and the physical exhaustion that they feel at the end of a day at the park. I am no physical trainer, but I would like to invite them to try this diagonal (one man or three man, it does not make any difference) and execute it properly, keeping themselves in constant, slow/moderate pace motion with the occasional outburst of energetic run when it is needed. I swear: they will work-out more but at a better pace and they will feel *well* physically at the end of the day. If not, I'll give you back your money, guaranteed...... A less demanding but less effective one-man system of control is the lateral. It works more or less like the diagonal until the ball crosses the halfway line, but then the referee will never have a live ball cross-over and will keep going deep and wide on the side he was when the ball crossed the halfway line. Dead ball cross-overs will always be executed when needed, and they will be needed more often than with the one-man diagonal. It is simpler and less demanding, but it does not give the referee good angles in many situations. That's it.

Reactions welcome giovanni.piazza@ey.com

It is very difficult to know when a game should be terminated or suspended due to weather or field conditions but with some preventative measures and a watchful eye you can avoid these problems and make the right decision.  Remember that safety and fairness are the paramount principles to live by.

 The Luxuries:

Finally, here are some items that are just plain luxuries.

 So the next time you see an experienced referee followed by a small mule train laden with packs, he is not headed for the Grand Canyon.  He is just headed to the pitch to do his job.  Who knows, he might let you ride out there on the back of his favorite mule.

Brian Goodlander is a USSF Grade 7 referee and an assessor, a high school referee, and  a National Referee for Soccer Association forYouth (SAY) in Cincinnati. He is also a board member of the South West Ohio Soccer Officials Association (SWOSOA). 

I am not a psychiatrist.  But, I am a soccer referee, so I must be crazy.  At least that is what many friends and family members tell me.  Using the well-established analogy that it takes one to know one, I must be qualified to discuss unusual human behavior.  With this qualification and after a long high school season, I started to discover some interesting dynamics at soccer matches that can be broken into two simple categories: (1) the physical and (2) psychological dynamics of crowd behavior

The physical dynamics are associated with the human senses, primarily sight.  How many times have you been working as an Assistant Referee and faced an easy, no-doubt off-side call, raised your flag and have everyone in the area react with extreme disbelief.  This is usually followed by helpful instructions from well-intended, but biased observers.  These instructions range from “It’s when the ball is kicked!” to “Are you watching the same game?”  In utter amazement you are dumbfounded by this harassment following a simple off-side call.  This outburst can not be explained only by a general lack of education in the rules of soccer and the art of refereeing but also by the physical dynamics of the crowd.  Fans, bench players, and coaches watch the game of soccer by following the ball.  Field players and referees watch the ball but also predict where the ball is going next before the ball is kicked or headed and their eyes are already there before the ball.  In the off-side situation, the fans are following the player with the ball at his feet.  The Assistant Referee is facing the field even with the second to last defender and determining if there is a likely opportunity for an offensive player to be in the off-side position.  The attacker kicks the ball.  The fans follow the ball through the air.  The Assistant Referee hears the kick, notes that there is a player in the off-side position and when that player becomes involved in the play, the Assistant Referee raises his flag to indicate off-side.  Meanwhile, the defenders rush back to protect their goal and pass the off-side attacker while the ball is in flight.  The fans who were studiously following the ball watch the ball fall to the feet of the attacker who is surrounded by defenders and are amazed to see the flag raised.  This is an example of the physical dynamics of crowd behavior.

Another physical dynamic is positioning.  The game of soccer is a free-flowing game that ebbs and flows back and forth across the green grass of the pitch.  The referee team is tested physically by moving with these ebbs and flows of the game.  The fans, bench players, and coaches are limited in their ability to move with the game.  The reference point is basically fixed.  Often, the fans are placed in tiered seating that allows for a good overall view of the game despite their restricted movement.  The problem is that this raised seating removes much of the perspective from the game at field level.  Balls that are kicked straight up look like they are moving to one side or another, distances seem closer, and players look smaller and less intimidating.  Most importantly, the fans can not see the expressions on the faces and in the eyes of the players.  The referee team has the luxury to be able to move to obtain the proper perspective to see each play but the added complication of having so much visual stimuli (action, color, players, other officials, fan movement, etc.) that it is often difficult to either be in the right position or to see the proper event when it occurs.  With these limitations in mind, let’s revisit our off-side situation.  The Assistant Referee must first be sure that the player is in an off-side position prior to the pass and then be sure that the player is involved in the play.  The stationary observers (fans, coaches, bench players) are likely not located even with the second to last defender and will have their judgment skewed by the angle that they see the play.  The few number of observers that are in the right location and not watching the ball fly through the air are more likely limited by the perspective of their set position to really judge the level of involvement of the player in the play.  This is another example of the physical dynamics of a crowd.

The psychological dynamics of a crowd often act as the fuel to feed the fire of their misunderstanding of the physical dynamics.  One example of a psychological dynamic is the parent on the sideline watching their youngster play in a challenging match.  These parents usually have radar lock on their child throughout their entire playing time.  The see every push, every attempted trip, every impedance that the player may endure during this time.  The intensity of these “fouls” are increased by their natural protectiveness and perceived lack of safety of their child.  The referee team is chartered to watch every one of the 22 players on the field and spend the bulk of their time focused on the point of attack.  This lack of attention to their “baby” and the intensification of “fouls” result in anxiety in the parent that wells up until they finally MUST express it. 

If the game is a critical game for the team, maybe a tournament final or a rivalry, the anxiety of all the observers is usually much higher.  The fans are anxious about the play of their favorite player or their child.  The coach is worried about the outcome and the effect of the win or loss on his/her position as coach.  The bench players are anxious about the performance of their teammates, the success of their team, and the prospective of how they may be involved in the final decision.  All this anxiety is focused on success for the team.  This focus is so intense that it becomes blinding.  Every play, every foul becomes paramount.  Cheers are screamed when the foul is called in their team’s favor.  Catcalls are screamed when they are not called in their team’s favor.  The observers are pushing their will to the field of play in hopes that it will create an advantage for their team.  The observers’ intense focus and desire for a positive situation for their team trick their mind into seeing the play in a manner that helps their team.  They truly believe that they saw the foul properly and the Referee’s decision must be wrong.  The referee team’s job is to be impartial, to see the game fairly, and to administer the rules in a fair and just manner.  Fifty percent of the observers will disagree with almost every call made during an intense match.  This psychological dynamic of a crowd is the spark that sets off the fury and madness that occurs during soccer matches.

When the physical and psychological dynamics are combined in the frenzy of  hard, physically challenging match, the anxiety and stress in the observers is great.  They scream and yell with great emotion.  This emotion is felt by the players on the field and they are directed by this emotion.  If the screams and yells are positive words of encouragement, they play will more intensity but with control.  If the screams and yells are negative and destructive towards their play,  towards the coaching staff, towards the other team, or towards the referee team, the field players will play with more intensity but it could be mixed with recklessness and violence.  How many times have you noted that players that have a calm coach and calm fans play in a calm, professional manner and players with an abusive and disrespectful coach and fans play with fury and abuse?  It is in this explosive environment that the referee team MUST remain calm and professional.  They must maintain their decorum and the respect for the game.  Fouls must be called confidently and with full conviction.  Conversations with players and observers must be limited and done with respect and with a calm confident voice.  Serious or violent fouls must be dealt with quickly and with appropriate consequences.  This is how the referee team survives and the game is allowed to progress when the physical and psychological dynamics of a crowd come to boil.

During my recovery from some recent arthroscopic knee surgery, I began to consider how an active official like myself can not only stay close to the game I love but also be constructively active while sitting on the sidelines.  My answer was that you do not necessarily need to be on the pitch to bring something to the game.  There are things that you can do that strengthen your own skills and the skills of those around you.

To strengthen your own skills and knowledge of the game, become a student in your extra time that would have been spent on the field.  Set some time aside to review The Laws of the Game.  Don’t try to read it from cover to cover.  Attack the rule book in small digestible pieces.  Review Fouls and Misconduct one day and maybe switch to Offside another day.  This can be done while you are either stuck in bed or the family room couch.  Another constructive thing to do is to watch matches on TV or videotape.  I prefer videotape since you can rewind and take multiple looks at fouls and plays to evaluate what decision you would make.  When watching these matches, try watching some as a referee and follow the center and his assistants.  Pay special attention to the subtle communications within the referee team.  Look at the mechanics, the presentation, the delivery of the caution or send-off, the small word with the player.  Next, watch some of the games as a player, especially if you have never played.  What formation are they using?  Is one team’s formation different than the other teams?  Where are the attacks coming from?  Who is the key player and what special skills does he or she bring to the game?  Is there a designated enforcer on one of the teams?  How do the attacks develop?  Does one team slowly build an attack with solid passing, continually probing for an opening?  Does the other team depend on the speed of their attackers to generate one-on-one situations in a counterattack?  Finally, watch some of the games just for entertainment!

As your recovery improves and you become more mobile, do yourself a favor, go outside and work those poor muscles.  Visit the local fields and watch some more games. Don’t just go watch your buddies watch the games that you would have been working.  I suggest that you go watch a variety of games.  Watch the short-sided youth games.  Things happen in those games that happen in no other games in the world!  Here is where your knowledge and ability to apply some of the more obscure Rules of the Game comes into play.  I like to watch them to remember why the game is played - for enjoyment!  For the enjoyment of the players, the fans, and the referees.  I also suggest that you watch some games that are of a level a little higher than your comfort level.  Get a feel for the pace and action of the game.  How is it different than what you are accustom to?  What would you have to do to be able to work this level?  How far away is your center in one of these games?  When at these games, don’t forget to look away from the fields.  Feel the excitement.  Listen to the roars of the crowd.  Smell the hot dogs (Don’t eat them.  Remember you are less active right now.).  Enjoy the fresh air and the sunshine.

Now it’s time to give back to the game.  Work with your local club or association.  Ask if there are some tasks that you may have always taken for granted that need to be done.  Maybe you can assist with the organization of an upcoming tournament.  Maybe the grounds crew needs some help lining fields.  Is there a young and up and coming referee that you could show the ropes and help them improve their skills?  I strongly suggest that you take the opportunity to become either an assessor or an instructor.  My personal preference is to first become an assessor then an instructor.  I like this order since an assessor is the purest instructor.  He instructs with immediate feedback at the point where the work is performed.  I spent much of my recovery period working on my assessment skills by performing multiple Development and Guidance (D&G) assessments.  These are intended as friendly unofficial feedback to the referee team and as an opportunity for the assessor to refine their assessment techniques.  As an instructor you will need to refine your presentation skills and find effective ways to deliver the rules of the game to a large group of people in a manner that will engage them into the learning process.  No easy task.  Just as you spend some of your spare time reviewing the Laws of the Game for later application, the new referees are learning many of them for the first time.  Be patient and use helpful examples, not just cool war stories.

Just because you are restrained to the sidelines of the game, you don’t have to divorce yourself from the game.  Stay involved in a constructive manner that benefits you, the others around you, and the game itself.  You should be a better referee when you finally get back on the pitch with your whistle or flag in hand.

“Hey Ref!  Call it both ways!”,  “Aaa, Come on!”, “Buy some glasses!”, “You got a whistle.  Use it!”  You don’t have to be a referee very long before you hear everyone of these exclamations.  Every referee has a varying level of tolerance for this kind of questioning.  More mature referees learn to know the difference between an emotional outburst and a premeditated attack with offensive or abusive language.  Any referee has one phrase, one act, or one look that sets him/her off.  It flips your switch!  It pushes your buttons!  It sets you off!  Anytime this event occurs, you see red and the offender may even see yellow (card).  I propose that you need to know what flips your switch and be aware of how to control your response and when that response is being used to take you out of your game.

I know referees that get taken out of a game by a look.  You know the look.  The coach stands at the touchline with his hands on his hips and slowly shakes his head with his eyes to the sky.  I know other referees that can take endless tirades by coaches but react instantly and with extreme emotion when their decisions are questioned by a player.  Today’s players and coaches are smarter and more resourceful.  They watch tapes, the scout referees, the listen to referee’s reaction to dissent or to questioning.  They discover if they can give him the look that flips his switch, he will get so upset that he will lose his focus on the game and they can gain a tactical advantage.  The wily player may know how far to push before he has pushed too far.  He walks the line not so far as to be admonished or cautioned but enough to disrupts your thoughts and focus.

The beauty of soccer is that it is a game of passion and emotion.  Referees are only human and they clearly have passion and emotion.  No one can check their emotions in the locker room but a good referee learns to control their emotions and funnel that emotion to focus further on the match.  Late in the second half in a long ball attacking match, your energy reserves are low and the score is a draw.  The winning team will claim first place and the losing team takes a long drive home.  The intensity of the match increases.  You push through the fatigue and manage to maintain your positioning and foul recognition, aware that at any moment the game’s moment of truth could occur.  One team is making a strong run for a go-ahead goal.  The attacker avoids both defenders and is one-on-one with the keeper.  The keeper comes out and with a brilliant slide tackles the ball from the attacker clearing into touch.  Your energy reserves tapped, you still manage to be with 10 yards of the play and signal for a throw-in at the point where the ball left the field of play.  You turn just in time to see the attacking coach throw up his hands in the air, shake his head vigorously, mutter to himself and his assistant like a madman.  As you turn to watch the ball return to play, the coach screams “How can that NOT be a foul!  Come on!”.   The comment upsets you greatly and you replay the event in your mind twice in super-slow motion and never see any foul play.  I was right there!  You are awaken from this video clip by a roaring crowd and re-focus just in time to see the ball hit the net.  You look to your assistant referee and he looks at you.  He doesn’t sprint up the line.  He just stands there!  You know that that momentary loss in concentration just cost you big.  What did you miss?  What did you not see?  What is your next move and how well can you sell the right call?

I contend that situations like this can be avoided by having the self-awareness to know what kind of events, comments, gestures, and/or actions flip your switch.  In this case, the switch was flipped that caused the referee to lose his focus and re-run the event in his mind to be sure of the call.  All done while the ball is in play.  This was compounded by Murphy’s Law and the end result, whether ultimately right or wrong, was going to put his officiating skills in question.  Physical fatigue is a huge factor towards mental fatigue and the referee needs to be more aware of his weaknesses and more versant in how to control them. 

The next time your switch gets flipped, make a note (preferably written) on what caused it and what was the result.  Did you lose focus?  Did you caution a player or coach too quickly?  Did it effect your ability to officiate the game?  Think about it after the match and make some scenarios on how you could have handled it better or what you will do next time.  Talk with a fellow referee or your mentor and brainstorm on the best ways to manage the issue in the future.  Refereeing is thinking but it is thinking about the right things at the right time.  Don’t let some player or coach flip your switch and shut you down.  Be self-aware and keep the focus!