All right, I swore I wouldn't get involved in this, but I would
like to give a little perspective on the referee.  I am basing this on
my personal experience as a soccer referee, which has its similarities to
hockey, but obviously a lot differences.  However, the nature of the
referee system is very similar.  I just picked one representative message,
but I'll try to hit a lot of the issues.
 
	There are two basic referee/linesman situations that have been
official methods of officiating recently, although one has been entirely
written off for FIFA and USSF play (which are respectively the controlling
organizations of the World and the USA).  The one that has fallen out of
use is the 2-ref system, and the official model is 1-ref, 2-linesmen.
 
	The BIG problem with 2-ref is that both have equal authority, and
thus can be involved in indecisions (one says play on, one whistles a foul),
whose territory is whose problems, etc. The reason it's a prob is that in soccer
there aren't supposed to be interruptions in play.  Referees getting together
to confer look bad and interrupt the game.
	So the 1 authority in the middle became preferred.  The linesmen only
have as much power as the referee allows them.  Usually certain calls are
assumed to be made by them, but any foul in front of one is brought to the
ref's attention.  If that attention can't be gotten, sometimes the play must
go on and the foul must be ignored.  The overriding concern of the referee
is that he/she must have proof positive of the foul.  It is a sickening feeling
to turn around and realize that there is a player down and have no idea how
it happened - hopefully the linesman can tell you or indicate what happened.
If not, maybe it was, maybe it wasn't foul, but you sure can't call anything.
 
<Ron Babuka writes>
>        Isn't it maybe time to give the referees a hand by either
> allowing the linemen to take some of the responsiblities for making
> calls or adding another referee.
 
I agree that a referee needs a hand.  Adding another referee I don't think
is the answer, especially in hockey where every inch of space counts.  ON
the soccer field we usually have 120X60 - and the linesmen are off the playing
field.  Plenty of room, although it always seems like you are a sort of
moving obstacle..
Four officials on the ice would be ridiculous.  Just two (equal refs) could
lead to division of powers problems - although conferring wouldn't be the
problem it is in soccer.
Another thing that needs to be kept in mind is how the referee moves when
in different officiating models.  In the two man system, the refs basically
proceed from around center field (ice?) on the opposite sideline from the
other and then hook in toward the goal at end of field, and they are in
opposed chunks of the field, so as to keep the play between them.  In
1ref2line, the ref runs a diagonal such that the play is between one
linesman and the ref at all times, and each lineman is in a diametrically
opposed half of the field.  Which is sort of what happens in hockey.
  I think that trying the two man system in
hockey would lead to the ref being in a bad position for play around
the goals - i.e. in the way.
	So what kind of hand?  A TV replay? :-) I'm not sure how much authority
the linesmen in hockey have, but they should definitely be informing the
ref of fouls performed behind his back.
 
Another thing that has been mentioned is how the ref loses control of the
game.  This is a difficult issue in a game as dynamic as hockey or soccer,
where stoppage of play is supposed to be kept to a minimum.  One thing
that makes it may be a little easier in soccer is the fact that the size
of the team maybe larger, but the turnover rate on the field is slow.  Line
changes in hockey can happen any time.  It is tough for a referee to mentally
mark numbers when they are on and off the ice real quickly, and don't play
against the same group of opposing players at any given time during the game.
Often, friction develops between certain players on opposing teams and the
referee needs to know which pair is the problem so the justice can be meted
equally, but when the pair gets split, their aggression may spill over on
to the next opponent, and suddenly the referee may find that the problem
is snowballing out of control and the answer isn't to call the fouls that
are now occuring, but to have nipped the original problem children in the bud.
(which of course is a catch-22)
 
> I have a very good friend who
> officiates high school football, he constantly hears the same complaints
> about missed call and lacked inforcement of the rules.  His response is
> that how can 4 officials SEE the same as 10,000 fans.
 
Of course another thing to note is that the fan, being partisan, is only
interested in spotting the infractions of the other team.  So the way those
fans see is tinted somewhat already.
 
> His other response
> is that NO official worth his weight will blow a "equalizing" penalty
> just because he missed a call.  I think the point is that it is just
> too hard to see all the action when you are just one man.
 
(worth his weight? I always thought those heavier refs were better (:->)
 
But that's not to let the ref off the hook, because that is his/her job.
The only thing that seems guaranteed is that losing fans can always blame
the referee, not missed opportunities by their offense, not defensive
lapses, no, it is ALWAYS the referee that made the difference in the game.
 
I think that there are some other things worth mentioning, but I've probably
bored you all silly, so I will close with my feeling on what makes the most
difference in the cleanness/dirtiness of the game.  It is the coaches on
the sidelines.  A coach who sponsors clean, non-retaliatory sport, and
enforces that attitude on his players is a huge help to a referee.  When
two of them get together for a game, it's a wonderful thing.  When two of
their opposites get together, the referee is caught in a crossfire that
will always expose him/her for blame when a dirty move is missed.
 
The bottom line is that the official is a human too, entrusted with a great
weight of responsibility.  I'll bet the person who felt the absolute worst
on the night the injury that sparked this thread happened was
the referee, because the safety of that player had been entrusted to him.
 
/matt
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Lt Matthew W Jonson 	 [log in to unmask]	snail-mail:
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