Managing Behavior

1

• Managing Behavior
• Of
• Team Officials

2
The Problem

• What irresponsible behavior by coaches and other
  team officials is not being dealt with?

3
The Problem

• How many coaches are dismissed for behavior that
  is not irresponsible?

4
The Problem

• How can we tell the difference?

5
Why do we have a problem?

• Referees have not managed bad behavior
  appropriately at all levels
• Many referees have misconceptions about bench
  conduct
• Referees lack tools to manage irresponsible
  behavior

6
Objectives

• State the LOTG regarding team officials
  responsibilities
• State the powers and duties of the referee
  regarding team officials
• Define unacceptable behavior
• Demonstrate techniques for managing situations
  involving team officials

7
Laws of the Game

• Laws 3 5 Team officials must conduct
  themselves in a responsible manner
• Referees may expel them from the field of play
  and its immediate surrounds
• Technical Area defined coaching limited

8
USSF

• USSF Anyone in the technical area is a team
  official
• Coaches Assistant coaches Trainers --
  Managers Medical Staff Team Moms anyone not
  on the roster
• General Youth Four credentialed officials per
  team. Identified before match.

9
What a coach should be doing

• Technical advice to the team
• One at a time
• Return to position when done
• First aid for injuries
• Calming influence on players

10
Unacceptable andirresponsible behavior

• Dissent
• Persistent
• Public
• Personal
• Provocative
• Entering the field without permission
• Refusing to return to the technical area

11
Unacceptable andirresponsible behavior

• Speaking insulting words or making offensive
  gestures
• Kicking objects, such as chairs, trash cans, or
  bags
• Throwing objects, such as clipboards, bags,
  balls, etc.
• Making unwanted contact with opponents

12
Match the response to the behavior

• Ignore or admonish
• Manage
• Dismiss

13
When to ignore

• Soccer is an emotional game
• Use the same standards as with players
• Language might be tolerated if uttered in brief
  emotional outburst
• Team officials get caught up in the emotion of
  the moment
• Distinguish anger at play from anger at
  officials decisions

14
Management - examples

• Dissent
• Gestures or actions (throwing, kicking
  harmlessly)
• Entering the field
• Failing to return to the technical area

15
Dismissal - examples

• Offensive, insulting, or abusive language or
  gestures
• Striking or grabbing an opponent
• Throwing or kicking objects at someone
• Spitting at someone
• Refusing requests to return to the technical area
• Persistent behavior after warning

16
Management tools

• Begins with pre-game
• (Identify team officials in technical area, build
  relationships, e.g.)
• Assistant Referee quiet word
• Referee quiet word
• Sometimes a look or gesture is enough
• The Conference (aka, warning)
• Expulsion

17
Management tools

• Smile
• Strive for cooperation, not confrontation
• Do not argue
• Do not challenge
• Not one more word
• If you dont.

18
Management tools

• Active Listening Repeat what coach said in your
  own words
• Be clear that behavior must stop
• Try to find alternatives for the coach to use
• Handout

19
Anti-management tools

• Confrontation
• Lectures
• Explain or argue a call
• Inverting your priorities
• Signaling acceptance signaling encouragement
• Failure to follow through

20
Discussion topic 1

• During the first half, the Red teams coach,
  trying to get the attention of a player in
  midfield, steps onto the field a couple of paces.
• During the second half, the same coach repeats
  his action, gently pushing the AR out of the way
  to do so.
• Later in the half, the coach goes several yards
  onto the field where he begins to direct a player
  where to play the ball.

21
Discussion topics

• What went wrong?
• What should the referee do now, given what has
  happened?
• What different management options could the
  officials have used?

22
Discussion topic 2

• A coach walks down the touchline to a point
  even with the top of the penalty area. The AR
  tells him to move back to the technical area. The
  coach ignores the AR.
• Later, at a corner kick, the coach returns.
  This time the referee directs the coach to return
  to the technical area. The coach looks at the
  referee, then walks several yards closer to the
  corner flag, where he shouts instructions to his
  goalkeeper.
• The referee returns to the middle of the field
  and resumes play.
• Later still, the coach is beside his player who
  is preparing to take a corner kick, directing
  play. The AR tells him to go back to the bench,
  to which the coach replies, you!

23
Discussion topics

• What went wrong?
• What should the referee do now, given what has
  happened?
• What different management options could the
  officials have used?

24
Discussion topic 3

• White 3 is injured. When play is stopped, the
  White coach tries to run on the field shouting
  dissent and abuse at the referee, who is standing
  over the injured player.
• The referee intercepts the coach and dismisses
  her from the field for entering without his
  permission and dissenting persistently and
  flagrantly. She leaves angry.
• The assistant coach attempts to enter the field
  of play to attend White 3, who is still lying on
  the ground behind the referee, moaning. The
  referee admonishes the assistant that he cannot
  enter without permission. They argue for several
  seconds until the referee, after repeated
  requests, allows the assistant coach onto the
  field.
• The referee stands over the injured player
  while the assistant coach continues to berate him
  about his calling of the game. When White 3 is
  finally helped off the field, the referee
  dismisses the White assistant coach, who is
  replaced by one of the parents of the team.
• The parent replacement makes no comments about
  the officiating throughout the rest of the match.

25
Discussion topics

• What went wrong?
• What should the referee do now, given what has
  happened?
• What different management options could the
  officials have used?

26
Discussion topic 4

• The referee observes a foul against Blue 9 at
  midfield and signals advantage. When Blue 9
  immediately loses his balance and falls, the
  advantage does not materialize and the referee
  stops play and awards a free kick to Blue. The
  Blue coach then enters the field of play shouting
  at the referee that he has a right to an
  explanation.
• The referee delays the restart of play and
  spends two minutes explaining his decision to,
  and arguing with, the coach. The coach finally
  returns to his bench.
• During the remainder of the game the Blue coach
  shouts dissent at a total of thirteen decisions
  by the officiating crew. Twice more he entered
  the field demanding explanations of decisions,
  once while play was continuing.
• The referee takes no action and makes no report
  of the incident.

27
Discussion topics

• What went wrong?
• What should the referee do now, given what has
  happened?
• What different management options could the
  officials have used?

28
A brief message

• Parents and spectators are NOT
• Team officials
• Under our jurisdiction
• Our problem
• Deal with them through the coaches
• Approach as a cooperative effort

29
Close

• It doesnt bother me is not an acceptable
  answer
• Neither is, Shes always like that, or, Oh,
  Ive known him forever.
• Smacking the puppy with a newspaper after the
  tenth time he pees on the carpet only frustrates
  you and confuses the puppy!

30
Close

• Misbehavior from the Technical Area or the
  Touchline is a PROBLEM!

• It is up to ALL of us referees to consistently
  and fairly enforce the Laws of the Game
  pertaining to the Technical Area!

31
Review

• Define the responsibilities of team officials
  (coaches and others)
• Define the referees powers
• Give three examples of unacceptable coach
  behavior
• Give three ways of managing coach misbehavior