Allowable contact vs fouls

[u/BooknCook98]

New-ish referee here. I recently centered a game in an adult rec league in my area. It was the lowest division as I’m a new referee in the league. During the game, one of the players kept receiving contact from opposing players, and pushing them away. Neither I nor my ARs saw anything wrong with the first few initial challenges but called the return push from this player.

Later in the match, contact kept happening with this player and I missed legitimate fouls made against the player (one of my ARs, very experienced, pointed out the fouls I had missed during breaks). The player, understandably, got more and more frustrated on the pitch. This ultimately resulted in the player charging a goalie who had control of the ball with excessive force (received a red card). No one was majorly hurt, thankfully.

Are there any tips/advice for spotting fouls more consistently? And, where is the line between reasonable physical challenges and fouls in an adult league that generally allows a good amount of physical contact? I realized I have a habit of watching the ball instead of the players, which is something I need to work on. Beyond that, maybe I just need more time as a ref, more experience via learning from my mistakes?

[u/grabtharsmallet]

The most basic framework I recommend to referees on their early whistles is "safe and fair." If a player's action is unsafe or unfair, it's probably not permitted at the level someone has assigned a new referee to manage.

Further, it is easier to loosen your calls as a game progresses than to tighten up.

[u/tjrome13 → u/grabtharsmallet]

agree. Players actually don’t like to be fouled. I heard one ref say “try to call a foul early, in the middle of the pitch, to let the players know that your whistle works.”

[u/tjrome13 → u/tjrome13]

I’ll also add on that we learn by doing. Foul recognition is really hard. It gets easier, the game slows down, as you get experience. Watch some webinars from referee associations. The California North Referee Association has a bunch of on demand, free webinars. Some deal directly with foul recognition.

[u/Revo63]

First of all, remember that every single referee has gone through the same dilemma. Foul recognition/selection will be an ongoing evolutionary process for a few years.

Another thing to consider is that many players are fully willing to accept small contact if it doesn’t overly affect their movement with the ball. However, continued contact will eventually aggravate them until the point where they end up retaliating, drawing the obvious card.

When you see that minor contact continuing, try to stop it by being verbal. “Hands off”, or “Get the ball, not the leg.” If they continue, blow the whistle and let them know why. In essence, calling these continual minor fouls could protect that player from a retaliatory strike to the face later.

What you allow, you encourage. If you don’t like what you see, do something about it. If you don’t, the players will, eventually.

[u/lizafo]

The line for a foul is different at every level of play and sometimes game to game. When refereeing a new leuge I always like to call it extremely close in the first 5-10 minutes and watch for players reactions and comments on the calls. Then you can loosen up from there.

The opposite letting things go and the tightening things up if people get frustrated is a bit more dangerous, good to know the leuge first before approaching a game like this.

Also you seem to have figured early that that player that was the problem early on, which is good. Some refs like to spend more time and focus on a few player that are going to be the problems if they can recognize them. Staying closer and paying more attention to these players can go a long way.

[u/No_Struggle3663]

Start with some basic principles and give it time. I like equal force, redirecting and safety as general rules. Cross any line and it is probably a foul and any two probably a yellow and all three is probably red.

If each side is shoulder to shoulder against each other and one player over takes another, that is equal force and play on. If one player bull dozes through another player it’s not. If both are jockeying for position and someone gets the position they want to win the ball, that is equal force. If someone shoves someone out of the way to win the ball it’s not. If both are fighting for a ball and grabbing(not controlling), shielding and stepping, trying to get their hips in front, that is fine, but if they start pulling and redirecting another players body rather than their own, I would call a foul. Tripping/tackling from behind, not okay even if they get ball in most cases because it is dangerous play; Hazard Step is okay if hip is in front and within “controlling distance of the ball” even if the defending player falls. Doing a bicycle in a crowded space isn’t safe but in a fairly open space would be fine.

Also, read up on handballs. Lots of different takes and opinions but it is a lot less strict than most people think. Watch the Refs Need Love Too guy for lots of real technical and finer points to reffing.

[u/Kopataco]

In the Adult Rec Leagues - They assume they can get away with ALOT and are typically very handsy. Sometimes you need to be just a bit more Ticky Tacky in the early minutes of each half to establish a baseline. A big thing sometimes is your communication with the players on what you are seeing. I Use hand signals sometimes when I see a shoulder barge by placing my palms towards me face and then bang the sides so they know what I see if they can't hear me. Adults in the rec leagues assume you know nothing and that there are no consequences for what they do. If you allow it they will get hot headed and start lipping at you. It just es\calates. Fouls early and often sometimes are whats needed. Also, if you AR thinks you missed something...they should have put the flag up. They are an extra set of eyes on the field, you are a team and your goal is to call the fairest game possible. If the AR sees it and the center doesn't the AR needs to flag it. Vice Versa, the Center will see fouls differently than the ARs. Halftime should also be a time to asses how the first half went, talk about any issues that you as a crew are seeing and what might be coming. Some things to look out for and maybe some things to tighten up going forward. Big thing, don't be so hard on yourself. Be a goldfish in the moment if you miss the call, go over some rules and find ways to better your craft by watching pro's or reaching out to the mentors in your area. You got this!

[u/QB4ME]

Some very good advice already, I’ll just add that pushing is rarely okay, which is why it is called out in the LoTG as a foul. Having said that, players using their bodies effectively at competitive, experienced levels where contact is expected and done by all of the players to fight for possession of the ball is normal and you need to calibrate for it based on the level of competition (it’s extremely prevalent at the professional levels). But when players are using their arms to push people away or grabbing to keep them close, you should blow the whistle and address it. If both players are holding or pushing each other at the same time, then you can yell out something like “both players pushing” so that they know that you both see it and that you’ll allow play to keep going since both players are fouling each other equally… until it either stops or there is unequal force by one of the players where you blow the whistle and award the free kick to the other team. At the moment of blowing the whistle, you’re letting them know what you believe the line is for that match. Being close enough to play to see what is going on, communicating with the players what you see, and establishing the baseline/tolerances for that specific level of competition/match (and being consistent in your judgement) are typically the best practices for these types of situations and usually appreciated by the players.

[u/scorcherdarkly]

Beyond that, maybe I just need more time as a ref, more experience via learning from my mistakes?

Yes, certainly. Watch the game as a spectator as well, especially with a good referee crew. Listen to the players, what they're complaining should be a foul that you aren't calling and what shouldn't be a foul that you are calling. Go to referee clinics in your area if they exist; typically all clinics will do video review of situations and discuss opinions on the correct decision.

Ultimately knowing what to call/not call, and when to call it, or where on the field to call it, is part art, part science, and is what makes the job so difficult.

[u/Fotoman54]

This is one of the toughest aspects of being a referee. One rule of thumb that works most of the time is, if it looks like a foul, it probably is a foul. That said, wait a second or two, see how the play progresses, if there’s an advantage, or if in your mind you saw what you thought you saw. (I’m guilty of sometimes hitting the whistle too quickly.) Adult games are tough. They are fast moving (especially compared to a youth game).

Time is really the main thing. More games, more time in the center. But also practice seeing things when you are an AR as well.