The ingredients of good refereeing (II)
Last week, we discussed the relevant ingredients that combine to produce a good quality referee. It became clear that apart from a thorough knowledge of the Laws of the Game, a good referee has to be physically fit, firm and fair. He should also have the ability to write and submit a good match report and should be able to reflect on his matches and analyse the game.
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However, it should be made clear that the acquisition of the above mentioned qualities would come to nothing if the referee lacks the human character of honesty and his value system is low and poor. For example, what is the use of studying and knowing all the Laws of the Game very well if their application and implementation are fraught with dishonest and biased decisions?
Again, what would be the benefit of a referee full of stamina and is able to position himself close to areas of incidents and bad tackles but dishonestly refuses to whistle for the infringement?
Unfortunately, these qualities and traits are not taught in any classroom or school. They are inborn and home acquired. Again, these human defects cannot be detected during interviews and training courses. Yet, it is important that nobody is allowed to hold the whistle and stand in between two teams with such defects and traits.
It is very easy to identify and eliminate potential referees who do not know the Laws of the Game. And it is easy to identify and weed out potential referees who are not physically fit and cannot cope with the demands of match handling. The question is how do we identify and deal with this breed of referees? I mean referees who for their personal benefits decide to determine the losers or winners of their matches.
To my mind, what we need is will-power and determination. During our days of active refereeing, that is in the 1970s and 1980s, all potential referees were required to attend and pass interviews conducted by tried and tested retired referees. Through those interviews potential referees with doubtful backgrounds without any permanent employment were weeded out. For some time now, we have ignored this useful method of engaging new referees. We appear to depend solely on examination results and the passing of physical fitness exercises, without checking their backgrounds.
Our predecessors have bequeathed to us excellent and well tested methods of selecting referees for our Division One, Premier and even the FIFA list. That is, all referees to be listed are recommended by the various regional branches of the referees association to the national Executive Committee. This Committee is tasked with scrutinising the referees. After satisfying itself, the list is further submitted to the working committee of the association. The committee, which is made up of all regional chairmen and the national executive committee members, then recommends to the GFA its final list of referees for both Division One and the Premier Leagues.
Unfortunately, it appears this long process of referees selection has just become a routine exercise. We the referee selectors and managers do not play this crucial and critical role with the needed courage, firmness and fairness. While some regional chairmen are more concerned with the number of referees from their own regions to be put on the lists, in spite of their ability, experience and character, some national executives also appear to be divided and unhelpful.
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This attitude also accounts for the problem of always recommending what the GFA considers as too many referees on the lists of referees. The number of referees, therefore, keeps on growing from one season to another. It has been an exercise of adding new names of referees to those already on the lists. The only exception being when one fails the FIFA Physical Fitness Test.
And yet from season to season, we keep on hearing of bad reports in the areas of honesty and bias about some particular referees, both in the middle and on the lines. None of us has the courage to stick his neck out and insist that referees of poor values should be removed from the list. So long as they continue to pass their physical fitness tests and are not over-aged, they continue to handle matches and for that matter indulge in their negative acts of cheating.
The late Major (Retd) George Lamptey once said after going round all the African football nations, he could say without fear or favour that Ghana produces the best referees on the continent. But the problem we have in Ghana is the lack of courage and firmness in the application of the Laws of the Game. We lack the courage to take certain decisions at certain periods of the match. We lack the courage to take certain decisions when certain offences occur in certain areas of the field of play, because such a decision may result in the award of penalty kicks. Some referees also lack the courage to take certain decisions against home teams.
And once we all, referee managers, look on and take no action, the practice continues. As for the clubs, since they are part of the problem in bringing negative influences to those referees, they only become gossipers about their character and misconduct.
PS:This column announces with deep regret the sudden death of retired Warrant Officer S. K. Antwi a retired referee who was also a Referees Instructor and a Match Commissioner. Funeral arrangements will be announced later.