Considerations to Ensure Safety

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Considerations to Ensure Safety

• Prepared by James Keast, Chief Assessor
• 2006 Refresher Module
• Presented to the Halifax Dartmouth Referees
  Association Refresher module on May 4th, 2006

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Things to Consider?
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Things to Consider

• The Field of Play (Law 1)
• The Ball (Law 2)
• The Players equipment (Law 4)
• Spectators, Players, Coaches Behaviour
• The weather

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Law 1 The Field of Play
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Law 1 The Field of Play

• Is the surface safe
• Dry enough (no standing water)
• Free of pot holes, rocks, major divots, glass or
  other hazards?
• Are the goal posts anchored correctly?
• Is the netting safe?

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Law 1 The Field of Play

• This means you have to check the field before the
  game
• This means you have to arrive in time to do this
• The home team or tournament staff are responsible
  to correct any problems

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Law 2 The Ball
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Law 2 The Ball

• The ball needs to be round and smooth and the
  proper size
• No cuts, scrapes or an exposed valve
• Proper pressure, not too hard

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Law 2 The Ball

• This means you have to check the ball (and spare)
  before the game
• This means you have to arrive in time to do this
• Dont leave this to the last minute

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Law 4 The Players Equipment
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Law 4 The Players Equipment

• Compulsory Equipment
• Jersey or shirt (must have sleeves)
• Shorts
• Shin guards and socks (which much cover shin
  guards)
• Footwear (need to be safe)

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Law 4 The Players Equipment Not Allowed?
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Law 4 The Players Equipment Not Allowed?

• A player must not use equipment or wear anything
  that is dangerous to himself or another player
  (including any kind of jewelry).

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Law 4 The Players Equipment Jewelry

• All items of jewelry are potentially dangerous.
  The term dangerous can sometimes be ambiguous
  and controversial, therefore in order to be
  uniform and consistent any kind of jewelry has to
  be forbidden.
• Players are not allowed to use tape to cover
  jewelry. Taping jewelry is not adequate
  protection.
• Rings, earrings, leather or rubber bands are not
  necessary to play and the only thing they can
  bring about is injury.

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Law 4 The Players Equipment Non Compulsory
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Law 4 The Players Equipment Non Compulsory

• Non-Compulsory Equipment you need to examine
• Headwear
• Knee braces
• Casts

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Law 4 The Players Equipment Headwear

• Bandannas
• Not allowed
• Sweat headbands
• Strictly not allowed but the CSA told us to
  allow tight fitting headbands to control hair

• Hats
• Caps not allowed except goalkeepers
• Use reasonable discretion for hats in cold
  weather are they safe?

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Law 4 The Players Equipment Headwear

• Head protectors
• Modern head and face protectors specifically
  allowed by FIFA
• Eye wear
• Strictly speaking FIFA and CSA say only sports
  safety glasses are allowed.
• SNS has provided a less strict policy

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Law 4 The Players Equipment Headwear
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Law 4 The Players Equipment SNS Glasses (March
2006)

• Soccer Nova Scotia recognizes the use of safety
  sports glasses by players. Soccer Nova Scotia
  asks referees to use reasonable discretion with
  respect to Law 4 and Players non-compulsory
  equipment in regards to eye glasses. Specifically

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Law 4 The Players Equipment SNS Glasses (March
2006)

• Referees should allow players to wear non-sports
  glasses (street glasses) that have plastic
  frames, shatterproof plastic lenses and a safety
  strap that holds the glasses tightly to the head.
  
• Referees should not allow wire rim glasses,
  plastic frames with pointed design features or
  glasses with wire supports for nosepieces.

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Law 4 The Players Equipment SNS Glasses (March
2006)

• Notwithstanding the above, Referees will not
  allow players to wear any equipment that in the
  opinion of the Referee is dangerous to the player
  or any other player.

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Law 4 The Players Equipment Knee Braces (CSA)

• FIFA Circular 863 states that the vast majority
  of commercially manufactured supports are safe to
  use. instance.
• The major concern is not the hardness of the
  equipment alone, rather it should be whether
• any part of it can cut or wound another player.
• Any support must be safe for all players, and
  adequately padded if necessary.

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Law 4 The Players Equipment Casts (CSA)

• Players wearing a soft cast will be permitted to
  play if the cast does not present a danger to
  him/herself or any other player.
• All casts must be adequately padded.
• The referee (or a Supervisor of Officials if one
  has been appointed to the match) will make the
  final decision as to the acceptability of any
  cast.
• Any player who uses a cast with the intent to
  intimidate or injure an opponent shall be
• cautioned or sent off immediately.
• Hard casts should not be permitted

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Law 4 The Players Equipment Inspect the
Players!

• CSA It is the referees responsibility to
  inspect players compulsory and non-compulsory
  equipment before each and every match, as well as
  that of substitutes when they first enter the
  field of play to take part in a match. (Law 5)
• This means you have to inspect the players
• It is not necessary to line them up, but it is
  necessary to inspect them

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The Weather
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The Weather

• Rain
• Standing water on the field could be unfair or
  worse, dangerous
• Heat
• Excessive heat can be dangerous to players and
  you (consider steps to ensure everyone is
  hydrated)
• Lightning
• Be aware of weather reports and concious of
  lightning
• When you hear the thunder, you are in danger

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Spectators, Players, Coaches
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Players

• You must deal players whose actions might
  inciting violence or create other troubles
• Violent Conduct, Racial or other insulting
  comments must be dealt with by sending off the
  player involved
• If you dont deal with this, it will impact game
  control.
• Deal with warn, caution or dismiss as you deem
  appropriate

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Coaches

• Deal with persistent dissent from coaches, if you
  dont you risk loosing control on the field
• Deal with any coaches that interact with the
  other team
• Deal with any coaches that are abusive to their
  own team (especially in youth games!)
• Deal with warn or dismiss as you deem
  appropriate

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Spectators

• Generally ignore them.
• If they impact game control have the home team or
  facility staff remove them (if they dont go and
  are impacting game control then abandon the game)
• Be aware of
• Spectators interacting with players
• Players interacting with spectators
• Do your best to come these situations down and
  avoid having to send of players as a result of
  spectator interference!

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Arrive on time to do everything you need to
before the game

• Never be responsible for a late kickoff!