Reading the Game and Positioning Leading to Decisions on Key Match Incidents

After reading through my last post, I realized that, the best way to manage key match incidents is to keep an angle of view on it as soon as it happens. For this matter, reading the game, the players movements and the space being evolved around the players becomes as crucial as the decision itself. If there is a fast paced attack and the players head is constantly swirling, then the referee needs to be able to see the attacking player, as well as his good passing options. By anticipating the next phase of play and possible scenarios correctly, the referee always has an advantage in terms of making the correct decision for the position. Making the pass in your head before the player does, helps you understand the possibilities for what may come next. In addition, Moving quickly and early to the scene of crime and having a good eye on it makes it easier to demonstrate the decision.

Below are three scenarios where reading the next phase of play and moving in and out of the traditional diagonal lane could have helped the referees have much more confidence in their decisions. In the first two examples, the referees receive input from their AARs where their Additional Assistants should not have been involved as much.

We see that in the video above, white players quickly pass the ball in the midfield and as soon as the midfielder receives the ball, his teammate from left side starts to make his run into the space behind the defender. The midfielder sees (or knows, is used to) this run and sends a beautiful through pass. While the referee has tried to stay in the diagonal and follow the play after it had happened, if he had anticipated this play ahead of time, he could have been in a better position to make the decision himself. When the white player makes the pass along with the yellow arrow, the referee should have continued his run straight up, instead of trying to go diagonal. Because, since this ball is going “away” from the goal, the upcoming attacker must drive this ball into the penalty area before his final touch. Therefore, while the referee is running diagonal to have a better angle, the attacker is “also” running in opposite diagonal and closing referees angle and ability to see his shoulder contact with the defender.

After the initial shoulder contact, the defender falls down, attacker tangles his legs and we all see what happens later.

In this next video below, we see a very similar situation with another through ball behind the defenders. But in this case, the referee runs a straight line, instead of moving a few yards to his left to have a good angle and see between the defender and the attacker.

In these type of situations, where you see an attacker is running with the ball and he is constantly looking for options, you should definitely be thinking ahead of the player and see where his passing options are. You should also plan your own next move and say “if he passes to here, I will go here — if he passes to him, I will go this way” and so on. This way, when the pass actually happens, you are already prepared for the next phase of play — especially if that phase is in the penalty area.

In this image, referee sees the pass but doesn’t alter his positioning to see if the attacker may charge the defender in an unfair manner. Instead he continues to run in the red arrow’s direction. He should have moved a little to his left, in the blue arrow’s direction to see the angle.

This still shot here shows referee’s positioning when the ball hits the defender’s hand. Now, I want to make it clear that I am not questioning the call — whether it should have been a penalty kick or not, it is the referee’s decision — I am simply stating the facts to avoid the small confusion the officials had right after the incident. Had the referee moved along the black arrow a little, he might have had a much better opinion about it and put less pressure on his AAR’s shoulders (not to mention that, even though AAR has a perfect angle — see the red arrow, it should be the referee who should have this call right away, since this is not a very quick counter attack.

And finally, the video below is to show how advanced the modern players are thinking while they are playing this beautiful game.

When his teammate receives the ball Paul Pogba, looks around to see where the defenders are and where Ibrahimovic might be. Remember, even before his teammate is thinking about passing the ball to him.

In this image, his teammate doesn’t even have the ball yet. And he is already thinking about the next move. Afterwards, ball comes to Pogba, defender tries to close in but since the attacker has already seen the opportunity and anticipated the next move, he already knows where to kick the ball next, with one touch!
All in all, as referees, we need to be much better than Paul Pogba, in terms of thinking ahead, reading the game and anticipating the players behaviors. Players always look for opportunities and the space where they can gain advantage. So should we. We should be looking not only where the space is but also where the next space might be and constantly anticipate the next phase of play during dynamic movement…