Using "devious" means to affect the way play runs can be perfectly legal. The referee must recognize and differentiate between the "right" and "wrong" ways of affecting play, so that he or she does not interfere with the players' right to use legitimate feints or ruses in their game.

The desire to score a goal and win the game often produces tactical maneuvers, ploys, and feints designed to deceive the opponent. These can occur either while the ball is in play or at restarts. Those tactics used in restarts are just as acceptable as they would be in the normal course of play, provided there is no action that qualifies as unsporting behavior or any other form of misconduct. The team with the ball is allowed more latitude than its opponents because this is accepted practice throughout the world, and referees must respect that latitude when managing the game.

Play can be affected in three ways and each will probably occur in any normal game. In descending order of acceptability under the Laws of the Game, they are: influence, gamesmanship, and misconduct.

To "influence" means to affect or alter the way the opponents play by indirect or intangible means. "Gamesmanship" is the art or practice of winning a game through acts of doubtful propriety, such as distracting an opponent without technically violating the Laws of the Game. However, the referee must be very careful, for while the act may be within the Letter of the Law, it may well fall outside the Spirit of the Law. "Misconduct" is blatant cheating or intentional wrongdoing through a deliberate violation of the Laws of the Game.

Many referees confuse perfectly legitimate methods of affecting play through influence with certain aspects of gamesmanship and misconduct. Influence can cause problems for some referees at restarts. The ball is in play on free kicks and corner kicks as soon as it has been kicked and moves, and on kick-offs and penalty kicks as soon as it is kicked and moves forward. The key for most referees seems to be the requirement that the ball must "move". The IFAB has directed that referees interpret this requirement liberally, so that only minimal movement is necessary. This minimal movement has been defined as the kicker possibly merely touching the ball with the foot. All referees must observe carefully the placing of the ball for the kick and distinguish between moving the ball with the foot to put it in the proper location and actually kicking the ball to restart the game.

Please note: Feinting at a penalty kick may be considered by the referee to be unsporting behavior, but verbal or physical feinting by the kicking team at free kicks or in dynamic play is not. (See below.)

Influencing play is perfectly acceptable. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) have consistently ruled in favor of the use of guile by the attacking team to influence play and against the use of time-wasting tactics and deceitful acts by the defending team. The IFAB and FIFA are so concerned over the failure of referees to deal with time-wasting tactics that they send annual reminders noting that referees must deal with time wasting in all its forms. IFAB has also consistently ruled that the practice of forming a defensive wall or any other interference by the defending team at free kicks is counter to the Spirit of the Game, and has issued two associated rulings that the kicking team may influence (through the use of feinting tactics) and confuse the opponents when taking free kicks.

The IFAB reinforced its renunciation of defensive tactics by allowing the referee to caution any opposing players who do not maintain the required distance at free kicks as a result of the feinting tactics, which can include members of the kicking team jumping over the ball to confuse and deceive the opponents legally. (See the Questions and Answers on the Laws of the Game, November 1990, Law XIII, Q&A 7 and 8.)

The related practice of touching the ball at a free kick or corner kick just enough to put it in play and then attempting to confuse the opponents by telling a teammate to come and take the kick is also accepted practice. Gamesmanship, by its very name, suggests that the player is bending the rules of the game to his benefit. However, while he is not breaking the letter of the laws that cover play, he may be violating the Spirit of the Laws. Indeed, acts of gamesmanship in soccer can range from being entirely within the letter of the Law to quite illegal. Examples of legal gamesmanship are a team constantly kicking the ball out of play or a player constantly placing himself in an offside position deliberately, looking for the ball from his teammates so that the referee must blow the whistle and stop and restart the game. These acts are not against the Letter of the Laws, and players who commit them cannot be cautioned for unsporting behavior and shown the yellow card.

Referees can take steps against most aspects of this legal time wasting only by adding time. Remember that only the referee knows how much time has been lost, and he is empowered by Law 7 to add as much time as necessary to ensure equality. Acts of illegal gamesmanship fall under misconduct. Examples: a player deliberately taking the ball for a throw-in or free kick to the wrong spot, expecting the referee to redirect him; a coach whose team is leading in the game coming onto the field to "attend" to a downed player; simulating a foul or feigning an injury. Misconduct is a deliberate and illegal act aimed at preventing the opposing team from accomplishing its goals.

Misconduct can be split into two categories of offenses: those which merit a caution (including the illegal forms of time wasting) and those which merit a sending-off. While the attacking team may use verbal feints to confuse the defensive wall or may "call" for the ball without actually wanting it, simply to deceive their opponents, the other team may not use verbal feints to its opponents and then steal the ball from them, e.g., a defender calling out an opponent's name to entice him into passing the ball to him.

 Full details on the categories of misconduct and their punishment can be found in the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) publication "7 + 7" and on the USSF Referee Homepage at URL http://www.us-soccer.com/scripts/runisa.dll?M2.131392:gp::15028+ref1.

Look at these methods of affecting play as escalating in severity from the legal act of influencing to gamesmanship, which can range from legal to illegal, to misconduct, which is entirely illegal. Each of these methods will be used by players in any normal game of soccer to gain an advantage for their team. Referees must know the difference between them, so that they can deal with what should be punished and not interfere in an act that is not truly an infringement of the Laws.

Thorough knowledge of the Laws of the Game, the Additional Instructions on the Laws of the Game, the Questions and Answers on the Laws of the Game, the USSF Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game, and position papers and memoranda from the National Referee Development Program can help the referee make the correct decision in every case.

by: Tony Staley, USSF National Assessor

This article is must reading for anyone requesting assessment or upgrade.

Last weekend at a fine tournament, I was concerned to learn that, in one of the last games of the final day, a referee friend had suffered a very serious injury to his foot, ankle and lower leg. During the course of the game, when running, his foot had plunged into a deep hole several feet from the touchline.

So whose fault was it? The city who maintained the complex? The tournament organizers? Or the referee who obviously did not check the field surface condition way we cut the cake, the referee had to take the brunt of the blame for not having thoroughly checked the field as part of his pregame preparation. But wait..... in this tournament, the referees and assistant referees were being shuttled around for fullest utilization, so barely had they taken a breather from the 95-degree blazing sun condition than the assignors were chasing them off to do another game.

In this situation, with inadequate time for full pregame preparation, the tournament organizers should be responsible for a complete check of the field and the goals, goal nets, and the acceptability of the game balls. (There were inadequacies in our categories, but when a schedule is so tight that one team is entering the field as the previous opponents are walking off: how can a referee quibble over such details when the Tournament Director is demanding that games be started on time?) City Park Commissions maintain only to the extent of cutting the grass and sometimes lining the field so referees beware! The leg that gets broken may be your own!!

At a similar tournament some years ago, I arrived at a field long before anyone else, and strolled around, checking measurements, markings, goal nets, etc. In the course of my meandering, I came across a hole 12" in diameter and 15" deep. It required two full buckets of sand to fill it. What caused the hole? I don't know, but, as is very common today, the field had been graded-over farmland, and it is probable that spot sinkage had occurred then, just as it apparently had where my friend came to grief.

So if you are organizing a tournament, it might be a good idea a couple of days before it is scheduled that you enlist the assistance of the local referees to comb the fields for sinkage holes, or such items as bedsprings, broken bottles, jagged metal from crushed cans, nails, or sharp steel pins. Believe it or not, I have found all of these in pregame checks, most of them on a field that was once a garbage dump with earth bulldozed over.

Our youth players have a propensity to sit on soccer balls. Coaches would do well to realize that 150 pounds of pressure for a period will do wonders in changing ball shape. This means the ball will, "googly," or wallow in flight, just as an under-pressure ball will. In the English League, some years ago, goalkeepers complained bitterly about misjudging under-pressure balls that veered away from them as they dived, thus making the goalkeeper look foolish and incompetent. I have been astonished at the very high percentage of referees who seldom, if ever, check BOTH pressure AND shape of the ball. An aerial spin, tossing the ball - spinning - 12 feet in the air, will satisfy this test. However, you may find, as I did one day, that telling a Coach that all 15 of his soccer balls submitted to me were mishaped does not win any popularity contest.

If you have portable goals, please check the measurement. They should be equidistant from the corner flags. On at least one occasion I have had to point out such a discrepancy to the three officials (because I had checked the field before their arrival, but they did not think to). In the newspaper this very day, I read of another person being killed by the goal falling on him as he swung on the crossbar....and this after we have all been told to make sure the goals are properly secured! Too many referees do not insist upon goal nets being tight-strung, so they are not dropping on the goalkeeper's shoulders. At several tournaments, I have seen netting that would not allow the ball to fully cross the goal line.

Please, referees, if a job is worth doing, it is worth doing properly. Or, more ominously, if you expect to get the passing grades on your assessment, then you need to be taking all the care necessary to save you heartache later. It is not for nothing that we know that 95%....Yes, that's right! 95% of all referees' problems are self inflicted!

And when you are briefing your assistant referees, unless you own the park, do not tell them that, "The Box is all mine," or condescendingly, "Offside is all yours." It is not all theirs, it is yours, and all they can do is give you the flag advisory. The decision is yours. Recently I asked a referee what overt or covert sig surrounding him.

Pregame preparation is the first half of your performance. What happens in the next 100 minutes is the second half. Be prepared...your assessor can only help you pick up the pieces AFTER THE FACT. He would much rather that you come off the field smiling.... with him smiling a greeting as you come off. A few months ago our dear friend, Mack Alarcon, gave us a fine checklist to use. Let's be sure to use it. A stitch in time saves nine so they say. An extra minute of detail might well save you the loss of three hours sleep the night after a game as you lay tossing and turning, muttering to yourself, "WHY didn't I cover that?"

Copyright © 1997 United States Soccer Federation. All rights reserved.

This article summarizes the words of Mr. Björck, a FIFA Instructor and member of the FIFA Referee Committee from Sweden, to the assembled National Referees and candidates.

Body language is a key to successful refereeing. Beyond that, the referee must follow the Ten Commandments of Refereeing to be successful.

1. Leadership Qualities: Be a match leader. Lead by example, gain the players' respect. Your personality is vital; you can't copy anyone, it must be your own. Be eager to cooperate with everyone. Become trusted for your actions. Use the Laws correctly. Take responsibility for the application of the Laws. Study the rules, use them correctly.

 2. Justice: Always be neutral and steadfast. Show no prejudice. Remember that all matches are equally important. Do not underestimate any person or event. Your attitude will be reflected in your actions.

3. Knowledge of the Rules: Have a good knowledge of the Laws and use correct interpretations of the Laws to enjoy success in any match. The referee must understand the game. Use the rules to apply the Spirit of the Game. Do not work blindly and strictly according to the Letter of the Law: that is the skill in refereeing.

 4. Strictness: Be consistent. Use the rules. Do not wait for next incident; act immediately. Cautions and send-offs mean nothing after you have lost control of the match — players will realize your insecurity.

5. Make Correct Decision at the Correct Time: Proper use of the advantage is the sign of a good referee. If you are not sure of a call, do not blow the whistle. When you use the advantage, do not forget your cards — go back and deal with the misconduct. It shows you understand the game, that you read the game well.

6. Condition and its Influence: Good physical condition equals good mental condition. Lack of good physical conditioning results in slow reactions, inconsistency, inability to observe the game properly. Present a good image when you enter the field through your dress, your comments to all participants, and how you relate to the players. That brings immediate respect. The colorless referee shows no personality, because he has an insecure image of himself and makes difficulties for himself. Such a referee will not go far.

7. Good Sense of Humor: A good sense of humor is gold! Sport should be cheerful. Do not lose your sense of humor. You can improve your relations with the players if you use no swear words, keep yourself calm, control your temper, use agreeable and relevant language, do not forget to smile — but do not exaggerate, and do not forget to smile — but don't smile at every moment.

8. Courage and Will Power: Show firmness — stand behind your decisions. You cannot replace one foul with another foul. Don't talk with spectators. Don't let decisions be influenced by spectators.

9. Cooperativeness: Have good relations and communications with your assistants. Do not be arrogant or contemptuous. Trust your ARs; don't blame them or shame them in public.