FCArmstrong

Before becoming a member of the so-called Third Team, or as FIFA has called “Team One” during this summer’s tournament, my main place on the pitch was protecting the posts. I also could step i to fill the role of a center back, wing back, outside midfielder or even an eleven. By learning these different positions, I began to understand the overall game better. This has led to my love for the game.

As a referee mentor, one of my meet and greet questions to new referees I meet and work with includes a basic question: “So what position do you play?” Why do I ask this question? It helps me understand what lens you typically view the game through. As a referee we need to understand we have natural biases that we develop through our playing career. Developing a new referee isn’t easy, but it is key to ensuring the “spirit of the game” is considered when applying the laws of the game. Each position on the field is played with different physical elements. Globally those physically challenges can be different based on the local culture of the game. I know this sounds like a lot of work, but the easiest way to teach it is by asking my new referees to put their player brain on and ask is that fair.

Here’s a little video from the NY Times about the loneliest position on the world.