August 25, 2004

Referees will be playing an important part in both medal games tomorrow

The different levels of officiating in the international women's game has always been a problem during the rapid rise in the quality of national team play in the world. In countries where the women's game has been supported and actively organized the referee level is always behind the player level. This is no fault of the referees since their expertise depends on the level of play they experience, and they are not usually able go to countries where the quality of play is much higher and faster to improve their skill. This is because when their federations begin developing their women player program they do not put the same amount of effort into their officiating programs for women.

Countries like Sweden and Norway have long produced top level female referees not only because the playing level has been high, but because they have strong officiating programs such as Sweden's Elite Woman Referee programs. See: Sweden's Women Referees by Maria Person in Women's Soccer World September/October 1997.

Top tournaments such as the Confederation Championships give some exposure for the officials living in countries below the top twenty five in the world. It is when they are put into World Cup and Olympic matches final rounds that they are surpassed by the higher soccer skills, experience, knowledge and most notably speed of the top women players.

Most of the top twenty teams in the world have the best officials, making it difficult to chose neutral officials in the last stages of world competition and increasing the effect they can have on games and results.

We have all seen, in the last World Cup and in this Olympic competition, missed or wrong off -side calls by the lineswomen because they could not match the speed of play. Their lack of experience at the highest level has been even more apparent in decisions made about the type and amount of fouling allowed or punished.

It has been a concern of many watching matches in these Olympics that the officiating is not as strict as it is in the men's game, and their diminished control of the game and players has increased the chance of injuries.

Let us hope that the officiating of the two games tomorrow involving the current four top teams in the world, allows their athletic soccer skills to be fairly exhibited for the worldwide audience.

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