Fitness a key factor when it comes to game’s top officials

AS long as the Champions League doesn’t prove a damaging distraction, we look set for an absorbing battle for the Premier League title. If Manchester City are the team to beat, there are those who believe themselves capable. We must hope it doesn’t come down at the end to a mere couple of points. Because last weekend Liverpool were denied two points that should have been theirs. Denied them by a few centimetres that led to an assistant referee mistakenly giving Arsenal the benefit of an offside decision. If advocates of the Video Assistant Referee technology ever needed support for their case, there it was. A frozen frame would have proved a goal should have been awarded. But the clubs have voted to delay the arrival of VAR. We will continue with a combination of the naked eye and the split second decision making of the best officials. On the other hand, it is a reasonable guess that in the parks that goal would have been allowed. It is another example of the gulf between what matters at opposite ends of the refereeing spectrum. It has never been wider. Watch the top men and there is much to admire. Notice that their fitness doesn’t falter in the last ten minutes. When cup ties come around, they will be prepared for extra-time. It’s about dedication. Fitness and experience together provide the platform. Experience has no short cuts. The best men in the middle will have worked their way up through hundreds of matches. If now they are operating in the Premier League, virtually every player on on the pitch will be familiar. So will the team’s style of play. The man in charge will be able to read the game and anticipate the next move as well as anyone. Mistakes are made - as with Raheem Sterling’s Champions League penalty - but not that many over all. Those newcomers who have more recently passed the exam and been ushered out into the wide world by the county associations will ask what all that has to do with them. It is true that trying to anticipate what will happen next in a game between two teams of eager Under-10s will have little to do with playing style. Novices will have other concerns. Before arriving at that point, it pays to develop a regular pre-match routine. Don’t turn up at the ground without spare tie-ups, notebook and coin. A couple of match fees will buy a complete duplicate of everything you may need. Once there don’t hover on the fringes waiting to be welcomed. Introduce yourself to both managers and tell them what you expect from them. Let them know you prefer not to issue cautions but will do so if they are warranted. Be confident and be respectful. You will have to hand over a flag to a couple of club assistants. Most will be conscripts who do not want to do the job. Some will be wearing wellingtons - not conducive to keeping up with play. I used to ask them not to smoke while running the line but that may no longer be an issue. Unless you suspect total incompetence or blatant bias, it pays to accept their decisions, but remind them that they are assistants - the final word is the referee’s. You should have left yourself ample time to inspect the pitch. There may be a grasscovered pothole that could damage a youngster’s ankle. You are responsible for player safety. Also, be sure to check the markings. If you award a penalty only to find there is no penalty mark it can be very embarrassing. All that remains is a game of football. Good luck. You will need it.