The Rules and the Referee – Part 1

The game of soccer is intended to be played according to the Laws of the Game (LOTG). Those are the official rules as established by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The LOTG are applicable everywhere in the world that soccer is sanctioned as an official sport. The LOTG are supplemented by various official publications such as Guide to Procedures for Referees, Assistant Referees and 4th Officials; Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game; Position Papers, etc.

The rules and interpretations from the U.S. Soccer Federation, the controlling authority in the U.S., are 99.44% identical with FIFA. NASA and other youth soccer organizations play according to a slightly modified version of the LOTG according to the ages of the players. Those modifications generally relate to the size of the field and related field markings, the size of the ball, the length of the game, number of players on the field, etc.

Local competition authorities (clubs, tournaments, etc.) also have rules. These are in addition to, and can never subtract from the LOTG. Officials are also guided by the tradition of the game and the spirit of the game. Neither exists in written form, but examples are easy to come by.

The first sentence of Law 5 states, “Each match is controlled by a referee who has full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed.” The phrase “in connection with the match” extends the referee’s authority to the entire length of time during which the players and officials are on, or in the immediate vicinity of, the playing pitch. This includes before the start of the game and after the conclusion of the game. As your kids get older (and bolder), they should remember that. Cursing the referee at the end of the match as they walk off the field will still earn them a red card, and the leagues will enforce the penalties.

The referee has to know a lot and has to be aware of a lot during play. He makes hundreds of decisions in every match. But he has two primary duties – to ensure the safety of the players and to ensure fair play. Soccer is intended to be played with as little interference from the referee as possible. It is the duty of the referee to penalize only deliberate breaches of the law. Whistling for trifling or doubtful violations is to be avoided.

The final section of Law 5 states, “The decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play… are final.” There is no appeal available for a referee’s judgment. Right or wrong, good or bad, the referee's judgment is final. Period. End of story. That is simply the way soccer is. And since this is the LOTG, it cannot be altered by local authorities.

But keep in mind that the game is not subject to the whims of just anyone off the street. The soccer administrative hierarchy (locally, in Texas, in the U.S. and the world) provides for certified referees who have received a specified amount of training, and have passed the required testing. Both training and testing are required to be repeated each year. During a match, the referee should wear a badge for the current year on his shirt pocket. That is what indicates his certification. But remember, not everyone with a driver license has scored 100% on the driving test. The same is true with referees.

The finality of the referee's judgment should not be misinterpreted. Game protests for such matters as player ineligibility are not included under the referee's judgment. That is a different matter altogether.

There will always be referees that you believe are good, and those you think are bad. Keep things in perspective. Remember that many of the referees in NASA games are teenagers, some only a couple of years older than the players. Give them the benefit of the doubt. The fate of the free world is not at stake if your team loses.