Sunday Night Referee

You don't notice the referee during the game unless he makes a bad call. ~Drew Curtis

Indoor Soccer Field

I referee at an indoor soccer area near my home. I have either played or refereed there in the Coed Adult league every year since the facility opened 15 years ago. Some of the people I played against in the beginning of the league, a time when my knees could handle the rigors of playing, still play soccer at this facility. These days, I restrict my on field activities to blowing the whistle. Being a referee is much easier on my knees, so much so, that I can walk without pain after an evening of officiating something I could not do after a game in the latter stages of my playing career.

Zidane being Sent Off

As a referee, I hold a position of leadership on the field.  By definition, I am a level 1 leader. A level one leader is defined as leadership by position, I have authority ascribed to me by virtue of my position.In essence, I am police officer, a judge, the jury, and the executioner. I monitor activity, determine what does and does not violate the law (in this case the laws of the game), determine the punishment for any infractions that occur, and, for extreme breaches of the law, mete out an execution to a player in the form of a permanent dismissal from the game during which I brandish a red card for all to see. Unlike some referees I know, playing the executioner is my least enjoyed activity in my role. Still, for the safety of the other players and for the good of the game, I must on occasion dismiss a player.

Being a level one leader, I don't need a relationship with the players to exercise my authority. In fact, as a referee I don't need a relationship with anyone to do my job. However, not having a relationship with the players, means my ability to manage the players is limited. Referees perform 'man management' as a way of keeping the game under control, as a means of helping players to not commit fouls when the red mist has clearly descended. What separates the average from the good referees is the ability to manage the players without having to take the recourse of dismissing them from the game.

Having been at this indoor facility for so long, I have had the opportunity to establish relationships with many of the players. Having the relationship pushes me to a level 2 leader and has a two fold benefit. When I referee at this facility, it feels like I am at a social gathering. The players and I talk about our families, joke on the field, and genuinely enjoy each other's company.

The other benefit is that the games are much easier to referee. Since the players know me and respect me, they rarely argue with me during a game. The respect comes from my ability to referee and because I have taken the time to get to know many of the players. They don't always agree with my calls but don't typically give me any grief other than a laugh and an 'are you kidding me?' type of comment with a smile on their face. Because of the relationship, I rarely have games escalate to violence because I can talk many of the players off the ledge.

I like to think that there are times when my leadership on the field touches on level 3, the leadership levels that produces results, that gets a team to operate at a higher level. In the soccer field, this is a game where the players refrain from fouling so the game has better flow, has more enjoyment for both the players and their fans. After all, it is a game and a game should be enjoyed by all involved...even the referee.