Unsurprisingly, Serie A’s referees have been at the heart of multiple storylines throughout the season. Just two days ago, referee Maurizio Mariani found himself at the center of controversy during the Coppa Italia clash between Inter and Milan.
He controversially waived-off a goal in the 66th minute scored by Milan’s Ismaël Bennacer, which would have cut Inter’s lead down to 2-1.
This resulted in the Italian referee’s association being under the spotlight once again—many considering it a season to forget for Serie A’s officials.
So what can be done to avoid these poor refereeing performances next season?
Perhaps it’s time for the AIA (Associazione Italiana Arbitri) and their official to get back to basics. One of the essential things a football official can do is prepare well for every game they’ll be involved in.
Being well prepared can have a trickle down effect to the rest of the referee’s crew members…but so can a lack of it. Here’s an overview of the most critical measures referees must undertake to ensure their performances stay sharp.
Video analysis from the previous week
As an official, you must take advantage of any opportunities you may have to get video footage from your previous game. There is no better method to develop as an official than to record yourself and watch yourself in action to discover what errors you are making yourself. Pay close attention to the signals you send and ensure that they are of excellent quality.
In addition, pay close attention to your location on the field of play. Depending on where you are in each play, it may make a significant difference in what you can see. If you are doing anything incorrectly, recognize it, consider how to rectify it, and ultimately practice doing it correctly.
Having a gander at your previous activities will enable you to detect errors that will make you not repeat the mistake. This not only works for football but also in other sports like casino waging from sites such as NetBet Casino. Hence, it will enable you to know your trends.
Review controversial decisions
Regardless of their degree of experience, every football official comes across something during a game that they want to double-check or research more. It is similar to enforcing a penalty on an unusually complicated play in many instances.
Remember what these things are and spend time during the week studying and reading about that style of play to help you remember what they are. The case book that comes with the rule book and the Redding’s study guide are both excellent resources for this.
Scout both teams
You should have a general notion of how the game will play out to prepare well before it begins. To find out, you must scout the teams that will be competing. Ideally, you should accomplish this by viewing a squad video or reading quantitative statistics about the team online.
Consider factors such as the team’s win-loss record and the percentage of running and passing plays. These factors may indicate that the team likes to throw a deep ball, leading to the Deep Wing Officials (Field Judge and Side Judge) starting a few yards farther to avoid being beaten. Furthermore, you may be able to predict whether the game will be tight or a blowout.
In addition, referees will not have an easy time if the game is a blowout since teams might get highly choppy and earn many penalties. On the other hand, Coaches may breathe down your neck during a tight game, adding more pressure to the situation.
Conclusion
Additionally, other measures in preparing each week will include things like arranging the uniform, ensuring that you are in excellent physical shape, and verifying the crew for each game.
