Standard of Reffing in the EL

[Fair_play_boy]

Many posts commenting on games include references to strange decisions by the ref. The Cork City forum has been rife with them of late, including comments about linesmen.
It is hard to blame fans for this, when it is clear that they seem genuinely aggrieved when a game turns on a dodgy decision by a ref or a linesman.
My opinion regarding the standard of reffing in the EL is that it varies too much to be healthy for the game.
My guess is that the FAI would improve the standard if they could, for example if there were competition for appointments. Maybe there is competition already. If there is, I can only guess about the quality of those who do not make it!
I do not know how the soccer referee coaching and development is structured. But I do know this. I have seen no focus on the skills of the referree or the linesman in soccer playing schools, or in the schoolboy sections of the soccer clubs I know. From that, I assume that in general, the situation is similar around the country, probably with some exceptions. If that is the case, and the development of referrees only starts in earnest when the ref is already an adult, it is playing catch-up with people who may have thought only of playing the game.
Along with the investment in soccer skills evident in recent years, the FAI should, IMO, spend time and effort instilling in clubs and schools the concept of starring as a good referree. Not every boy (or girl) has the potential to be a good footballer, and this might turn someone off the sport. But what about the skills of being a good ref? Much is made of the dream of playing for your club / country. How many kids dream of being the man in the middle of an important match? Very few, probably.
I believe the standard of reffing in the EL needs to improve dramatically, to allow further development of the sport in Ireland. In order to do that, a very long term approach needs to be taken to achieve the degree of change that is necessary. If I had my way, I would run summer camps for refs starting at the same age that soccer camps start. And I would make a fuss of trainee refs, take them away in groups to EL games, and meeting them afterwards to analyse videos of the games. I would do all this partly to develop their awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses as futuire refs, but also to build up their credibility as a group, and make it more normal to want to be a ref. FAI please take note.

[NY Hoop]

Good post there.

Dont know where to begin really here. Have been exasperated beyond belief by the standard of referring forever it seems. Talk to any players or ex players and mostly they will tell you that they are dealing with a bunch of hitlers.

I'm not going to get into any particular ref or decisions over the years cos I dont want the keyboard to catch fire but I'll always remember Alan McLaughlins quote. Apparently in the tunnel before the game he would ask the ref if he had his contacts in. If the response was a laugh and a bit of banter he knew that probably the ref was going to be fairly balanced. If the response was a stare or otherwise he knew it would be a long 90 minutes.

A bit simplistic but understandable to all players and fans really. IMO the ideal solution would be for the league to actively approach ex players to become refs. Why not? They would be in the best position to be good fair refs as they would have been on the other side of the fence, so to speak.

The suggestion to start kids off as budding refs is good and all but precisely because they arent good enough to play might spill over when taunted or provoked i.e. they have never played.

In an ideal world we would have cloned Collina. Part of the reason why he was successful was his dominance. He had the look of authority, the "dont mess with me" look. With all due respect the refs here invite abuse because they are smaller than some players! A minimum height requirement required maybe?!!

If the league dont look at the ex players it is just going to carry on as usual. Sometimes you would wonder what shop these guys buy their UEFA badges in! Had to laugh a few years back when there was an outcry because there was no Irish refs at the World Cup.

Another point is that when a **** up happens they dont apologise EVER. IN ingerland the refs can be interviewed after and yellow cards can be rescinded. Here? No communication leads to mistrust.

KOH

[A face]

Here? No communication leads to mistrust.

That is half the problem aswell, it is so bad that refs are fighting the fire most of the time and dont allow communication, they close the doors and baton the hatches, if they relayed their reasoning/opinion/etc. it would solve half the problems.

Ex-players is a great suggestion !!