In AYSO - It’s never ok to yell at the referee…
Consider the most common reasons you might disagree with a referee:
· You are in a different position than the referee and referee(s) are usually in a better position to see the action, the offside line, etc.
· Referee(s) usually know the Laws of the Game better than coaches and spectators.
· Many judgments are “in the opinion of the referee”. You’re entitled to a different opinion but Law 5 makes it abundantly clear that only the referee’s opinion matters.
Finally, referees are only human, and volunteers. Even FIFA World Cup referees don’t see everything. Referee(s) have enough to keep track of as it is, with 14 or 18 or 22 players on the field; they don’t need coaches and spectators yelling at them too. If you’re driving on the freeway in heavy traffic, does it help if all the passengers are yelling at you?
Below are some of the most common ways in which spectators and coaches often disagree with the referee.
Hey ref, how is that (not) offside?
When spectators and coaches disagree with an offside (non)call, they usually miss the timing and/or the angle.
· Timing: offside involves two points in time: 1) when the ball is played by a teammate, and 2) when the offside player becomes involved in active play. The AR flags at time 2), but the player was in offside position at time 1). When the AR flags, there may be no player in offside position. This is particularly hard to spot on a through ball, when there is more time and distance between the ball being played and the player being involved.
· Angle: the AR is on the offside line, the only place from which to judge offside accurately.
· It’s hard: even the world’s best referees get the offside call wrong about 1 in 4 times.
· Ask yourself: do you know exactly where each player was when the ball was last played by a teammate?
Hey ref, that’s handball!
Handling the ball is only an offense if it is deliberate, in the opinion of the referee. If the referee does not whistle, s/he has decided that the player had no time to move his/her hand out of the way, and the hand was in a natural position. In almost all cases, it doesn't matter whether the player gained advantage from the handling. Most cases of the hand coming in contact with the ball are not an offense.
Hey ref, how is that (not) a foul?
Physical contact involving kicking, charging, tackling, etc., is an offense if, in the opinion of the referee, it was careless, reckless, or using excessive force. If a player makes contact with the ball first, but then contacts the opponent in a careless manner, it’s still an offense. If a player makes shoulder to shoulder contact - but isn’t simultaneously challenging for the ball - it’s an offense.
The referee will let play continue for contact that is trifling or doubtful. You may disagree with the referee, but Law 12 makes it clear that this is a judgment call, not an absolute standard.
Just because a player ends up on the ground doesn’t mean an offense was committed. If two players come charging at each other to get to the ball, and one or both go down, it’s not an offense if they were trying to play the ball and not each other, and were not careless, reckless, or using excessive force.
Hey ref, that’s our ball!
When the ball goes out of bounds, the referee has to decide who last touched it. You may think an opponent touched it last, but perhaps the ball was already out.
In Soccer - the ball has to completely cross the line to be out (or to be a goal). If the ball touches the ground outside the line but part of the ball is still above the line, it is still in play.
Hey ref, that’s a bad throw-in!
Law 15 does not require a throw-in to be elegant. It can be ugly, the ball can spin, the ball can drop in front of the player, as long as both feet touch the ground, on or behind the touchline, and the ball comes from behind the head and is released above the head. Moreover, minor violations are usually trifling, and many advanced referees will let play continue. It’s soccer, not a throw-in beauty contest.
Finally
How often has a referee changed a call because you yelled at him/her? Probably never. The only effect is that the players are now focusing more on the referee than on the game, everyone enjoys the game less, and less people volunteer to be referees in the first place.