What makes a good MLS referee? An inspector speaks

Photo: AP

Despite all the teeth-gnashing complaints and blogger treatises in 2009 about MLS referees, never did someone ask, “Where do I sign up?”

Early this year there was an online campaign demanding that MLS Commissioner Don Garber provide better referees. But the answer is a little more complicated than, “they’re on backorder at LL Bean.”

It’s a relatively low-paying, often part-time job that involves flying around the country, top physical condition, and resilience against personal threats and abuse. Besides the appropriate licenses and a clear understanding of the rules, referees need a strong personality and healthy ego, and the ability to communicate with players in the heat of the game.

US Soccer Federation Referee Inspector Angelo Bratsis was a referee in the US for 12 years and has been an instructor since 1979. He spoke with me at length about the challenges and requirements of MLS referees, the necessary character, and which types are more effective on the field.

LE: Why does someone want to be a referee?

Bratsis: A lot has to do with ego and there’s nothing wrong with ego as long as you don’t let it consume you. Some referees forget that the game is not about them. It never was and it never will be in the future. It’s a player’s game. There’s nothing wrong with a little bit of ego, but when you let your ego consume you and you think that the whole freaking game is played for your benefit, you’re done, you’re finished.

It’s ego. Otherwise, why would you want to be subjected to this abuse week in and week out? You want to make sure the game is being played fairly and squarely the way it was intended. A referee without an ego will never succeed, but we’ve seen egos that you need to open both doors for them to get their head through, and they will never succeed.

LE: The early preseason is when rookie MLS referees get their first real run-out. What do you look for?

Bratsis: His confidence level, the way he stands out on the field, his stature. Whether he’s got presence. The first thing I look at is how the players react to his decision making, that’s critical. Confidence. Look enthusiastic, look like you enjoy it, look like you’re in control. Don’t show them that you’re afraid, don’t show them that you’re intimidated because if they catch on to that, you’re done, they’ll eat you up alive.

Every year you might see maybe three or four or five new guys that will be given an opportunity to referee. Right after the holidays when the preseason starts, all the MLS teams and all the players they picked up in the draft and all the players they’ve picked up from all over the world, as a team they go together to Texas, California, Florida and they have a series of games for two, a two and half months. Some go to Europe, South Central America. In preseason, these are real games, no fans, they’re big and they bring in all the referees, even the veterans. But in Feburary and January we get some of the rookies, and we’re going to have real games. Rookie ARs, rookie fourth officials, rookie referees - let’s see if you can manage professional players.

LE: Aside from the regulations, how do you coach referees to meet the challenges on the field?

Bratsis: My job as an instructor is to build up rookies slowly. We know they’re going to screw up. We know the coaches are going to go after them, that the coach is going to go after the fourth official because he knows he’s a rookie and try to intimidate him. We know the coach who’s going to go over to the rookie and try to get the 50/50 call, we know the forces of intimidation are a very powerful tool. And when some of the coaches are very sophisticated, those very sophisticated coaches are baiting ARs and fourth officials. Our job is to say, small steps at a time. Sometimes it works and sometimes at the end of the season we find that they just can’t cut the mustard, can’t take the pressure.

LE: Some referees talk a lot with players on the field, some don’t. What are the relative advantages and disadvantages?

Bratsis: In a lower division game or an amateur game it would be considered an offense, a foul. At the professional level certain fouls are overlooked by the referees simply because the players simply don’t want them, players consider it part of the game.

If the challenge passes that point where the challenge was reckless in nature, has disregard for your opponent’s safety, this where the referee blows the whistle. He calls the player over and says, ‘this is unacceptable, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt this time, but the next foul you commit in that nature you’ll have to be cautioned and the next one after that I’ll have to send you off.’ Sometimes the referee will call him over and chew [him out] and sometimes a verbal admonishment to a professional player is just as good as a yellow card. The referee is saying in front of everybody, ‘I’m not going to tolerate this for the rest of the game from you and I’m giving you an opportunity to pull yourself together.’

That only works well with people who have tremendous personality. A referee without personality cannot do that. We have referees who don’t talk to players because they don’t know how to do it. Some are dictatorial in nature, like to finger point, like to scream and yell at the player. You can verbally admonish a player without being [rude]. You can be firm and fair without being disrespectful. Some referees have good player management skills and players appreciate that and respond to it positively. Other times it backfires because players say, ‘get [ ] out of my face,’ [etc].

Other referees, not only will they talk to them, but at times if a player gets shoved down the referee will walk over and put out his hand and pick him up off the ground. The player will thank him and say, ‘keep an eye on that player, he’s [ ], otherwise I’ll kick his ass.’ There’s a lot of communication between the ref and the player. The ref says, ‘I got it, I’ll keep an eye on him, don’t do anything stupid.’ It’s give and take, give and take, give and take. A lot of professional players appreciate that and say, ‘he understands the game, he’ll take care of business.’

When they see a referee not taking care of business, not protecting them, then they decide to take the law into their own hands. They say, ‘if the referee’s not calling anything, not going to do anything, this referee has his limitations, I’m going to do the same thing,’ and they do it.

Additional reading:
MLS Growth Challenges Referees

FOLLOW BOSTON PRO SOCCER EXAMINER AND LE EISENMENGER ON TWITTER.