More Advanced Positioning
What is the Best Position?
February, 2013 - R. Baker
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More Advanced Positioning
Being in the right place at the right time to make the
right decision.
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In practice, the “best position” is never known in
advance – it is revealed after the fact as “best”
only if it has enabled the referee to see what
most needs to be seen.
All recommendations about positioning are based
on probabilities and must be adjusted using
specific information about the teams, the players
and events in the match up to that point.
February, 2013 - R. Baker
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More Advanced Positioning
The principles of good positioning
Positioning with ball in play :
Traditional left diagonal system of control
February, 2013 - R. Baker
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More Advanced Positioning
The principles of good positioning
Positioning with ball in play:
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The referee should be close enough to see play
without interfering with play.
What needs to be seen is not always in the
vicinity of the ball. The referee should also pay
attention to – aggressive individual player
confrontations off the ball, possible offences in
the area towards which play is heading, offences
occurring after the ball is in play and offences
behind him.
February, 2013 - R. Baker
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More Advanced Positioning
The principles of good positioning
Positioning in dead ball situations:
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The referee should have a wide line of vision and
not be in a position having the same line of vision
as the AR as this narrows his viewing perspective.
Having a wide line of vision provides a better
position for a counterattack and a better control
of pushing and holding.
February, 2013 - R. Baker
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More Advanced Positioning
More advanced principles of good positioning
Positioning concepts are tools not rules!
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Remember good positioning is the place with the
best view, close enough to react effectively.
Good positioning can be recognised
implementation of its three components:
from
the
Angle, Ball, and Close
February, 2013 - R. Baker
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More Advanced Positioning
The ABC of good positioning
Understanding the dynamics of good positioning.
ANGLE
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The first priority for a referee is to see what has happened, or is
about to happen. In other words the referee must have an
angled view on play. There are two basic types of angle.
External - where the referee is outside or to the left of play.
From this position the referee can see through the point of
contact and will have the majority of players in view and have
play between themselves and their assistants.
Internal - where the referee is inside the play, that is, on the
right side of play. In this case many of the players are not in the
referees view and the play is not between the referee and the
assistant referee.
February, 2013 - R. Baker
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More Advanced Positioning
The ABC of good positioning
Understanding the dynamics of good positioning.
RELATIONSHIP TO THE BALL
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The second component of good positioning is to try
and keep the ball between the referee and assistant
referee.
The working relationship between the three match
officials encourages the assistants to take
responsibility for their zone of play.
The referee therefore, should be positioned to
maximise this interaction.
February, 2013 - R. Baker
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More Advanced Positioning
The ABC of good positioning
Understanding the dynamics of good positioning.
CLOSE
 Once the referee can see through the point of
contact there is great value in being close to play.
 “Close‟ should be interpreted as being between
10 to 15 metres from the ball.
 This increases the ability to “sell the decision‟.
February, 2013 - R. Baker
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More Advanced Positioning
The ABC of good positioning
Positioning Elements
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The basic movement pattern for a referee is to be left of
and behind the ball.
Essentially the referee is simply concentrating on moving
left of the ball.
In this way they are learning to apply the three
components of Angle Ball and Close (ABC).
February, 2013 - R. Baker
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More Advanced Positioning
The ABC of good positioning
TARGETS AND WHERE? WHERE? GO?
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The player has the ball at his feet. Where is he
looking? What is he looking for?
He is either looking to where he can pass the ball
or where he can run the ball. That’s the target.
If the player is not being challenged by another
player to get the ball off him don’t worry about
what he is doing, look where he is looking, check
and look for the targets he is looking for.
February, 2013 - R. Baker
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More Advanced Positioning
The ABC of good positioning
TARGETS AND WHERE? WHERE? GO?
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Once you spot those targets, once you see
those places, he’s going to tell you what he is
doing.
If he is starting to stand up and leaning back a
little bit, he’s going to hit the ball long. If he has
his head down he’s looking for a sort pass.
That’s how you start to tell. The players tell you
where the target is going to be.
February, 2013 - R. Baker
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More Advanced Positioning
The ABC of good positioning
TARGETS AND WHERE? WHERE? GO?
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WWG helps the referee make the decision.
“WWG‟ is a short-hand method of explaining the
anticipation required of referees to achieve
more effective positioning. The referee asks two
questions and makes a decision:
Where is play going?
Where do I need to go to get the best view?
Go there now!
February, 2013 - R. Baker
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More Advanced Positioning
The ABC of good positioning
ANTICIPATION
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Good anticipation provides referees with more time
to select the best viewing option.
Not anticipating play means that referees have to
chase the play, often at a fast pace, draining both
physical energy and mental capacity, as well as
limiting their positional options.
The sooner the referee begins the positional
sequence the easier it will be to cover the required
ground whilst selecting the best viewing option.
February, 2013 - R. Baker
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More Advanced Positioning
The ABC of good positioning
ANTICIPATION
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This process often starts in the middle of the field
when an attacking move breaks down and the play
starts moving in the opposite direction.
Many referees watch play go past them and then at
some point begin to chase the play.
They are already behind play and getting further
behind all the time.
This leaves them limited time and positional options
to get the best view.
February, 2013 - R. Baker
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More Advanced Positioning
The X Factor
ANTICIPATION
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When play breaks down or changes direction quickly, and
players are about to make contact, the referee needs to
adjust position very quickly to be able to see the next
phase play.
The referee should run into the place that will give him
the best position; a good position in the shortest time.
To do this the referee throws an X over where the point
of contact will occur.
There will be a choice of two angles internal or
external. When contact is about to occur you take the
option that will let you see.
February, 2013 - R. Baker
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More Advanced Positioning
The X Factor
ANTICIPATION
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Obviously external angle is better but if you
can’t get there in time you need to take the
internal angle so you can see.
In the diagrams following we have two players
coming together. The X shows the point of
contact and the two vectors the referee can
choose.
February, 2013 - R. Baker
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More Advanced Positioning
The X Factor
External View
February, 2013 - R. Baker
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More Advanced Positioning
The X Factor
Internal View
February, 2013 - R. Baker
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More Advanced Positioning
Judging Positioning
Evaluation
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Any position that the referee takes during a game
can be evaluated by seeing how effective it
applies the three criteria of Angle, Ball and Close.
Angle is the most important because it allows
the referee to see. It is worth 6 points.
Ball helps keep the play between the referee and
the assistants and is worth one point.
Closeness adds conviction to the decision and is
worth three points.
February, 2013 - R. Baker
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More Advanced Positioning
Judging Positioning
Criteria
Angle
Ball
Closeness
Total
February, 2013 - R. Baker
1
0
0
3
3
2
3
0.5
2
5.5
3
6
0
3
9
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More Advanced Positioning
Judging Positioning
Criteria
Angle
Ball
Closeness
Total
February, 2013 - R. Baker
1
4
0
0
4
2
5
0
3
8
3
6
0
3
9
4
6
1
3
10
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More Advanced Positioning
Judging Positioning
Evaluation
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Whenever a referee moves the first criteria that
they have to achieve is angle.
Once angle is achieved then the referee can
attempt to get close to play.
In essence the practice of general positioning can
be summed up in two parts:
 The basic strategy is to go left of play.
 Anticipation (WWG) is the key to better
positional options.
February, 2013 - R. Baker
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More Advanced Positioning
Getting the Best Angle of View
POINTS TO CONSIDER:
If time is the most important factor, take the
shortest route,
but. . .
If you have enough time to get a good angle,
take the route that keeps you out of the way of
play.
The following example scenario is a typical situation
that occurs in a game – check the positions shown
for the best angle of view!
February, 2013 - R. Baker
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Defender wants to
win the ball
Forward passes to the
wing and runs for a
return ball.
Referee
Where can the referee
go to get a good view?
SITUATION A
THE
SITUATION:
In order to see
the tackle, the
referee must
move out of the
“Blind Zone”.
But which way
should he go?
Referee
The quickest way?
Referee
10 metre movement
15 metre from clash
SITUATION ‘A’
1
To get even closer, (Method 1):
Referee
15 metre run
< 10 metres from
clash
SITUATION ‘A’
Disadvantages?:
Referee
SITUATION ‘A’
Enough time to
get there?
In the way of
subsequent action?
2
Referee
To get even closer
(Method 2):
15-18 metre run
10 metres from clash
SITUATION ‘A’
2
Referee
Principal advantage (Method 2):
Out of the way of any
subsequent action
SITUATION ‘A’
Referee must get
closer and a
better angle of
view.
Referee’s
blind zone
Referee
SITUATION ‘B’:
Long aerial ball into the
heart of the defence.
Almost anywhere on
the left diagonal will
give the referee a
good angle of view.
Referee’s
blind zone
Referee
SITUATION ‘C’: High cross into the heart of the
defence, from the right.
Referee’s
blind zone
Referee
SITUATION ‘D’: High cross into the heart of the
defence, from the left.
Referee’s
blind zone
Referee on
“wider”
diagonal
A quick, ten metre sprint
off a wide, deep diagonal
will get the referee a good
angle of view.
More Advanced Positioning
Modern Reality
Conclusions
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Use of the old-fashioned “normal” diagonal may not
give the referee the best angle of view in some
important situations
Use of a wider, deeper diagonal allows the referee
more flexibility in choosing a good view.
Taking the angle of view into account will increase
the likelihood of your making the correct call.
In anticipation of any clash you see coming, be ready
to move off your diagonal to get the best angle of
view.
February, 2013 - R. Baker
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Referee Positioning
QUESTIONS ?
Richard Baker