Gaining the Respect of the Players

To know you is to love you. Mutual respect will come when two people learn to understand each other role, character and emotion better. Knowing a person better will result in the feeling of liking him better. If we keep judging a person, there will not be any place in our heart to love him.

Man as a creature has many weaknesses but has many strengths too. We are always skeptical towards others and do not give our total trust to them. At times, we trust everyone or anyone until we get the medicine of them being mistrusted. Thus, the bitter medicine is hard to swallow and we end up not trusting others.

Refereeing is a thankless job. Not many want or even think of becoming a football referee. When a team wins they do not thank you for a job well done. No! Not even the press nor other media. But, when they lose the referee will the scapegoat for them to blame rather to blame themselves, their players, their tactics or strategies. When you made a big mistake it will definitely be highlighted. That is the media who lack the credibility and creativity to market their product better.

A Referee, as a normal human will always try their best to give their best performance as the ego in a person drives them to do so. Referees at the top level will definite take adequate measure to prepare themselves to prepare for a match so that they can come out from the field as winners too. To err is human. Thus, referees also have the tendency of making mistake. This may be due to tiredness, lose concentration of lack of concentration, fatigue, complacency or careless. This is the same as in the players, losing concentration and missing a goal or conceding a goal. Mistakes made normally can be absorbed or accepted by players or team officials but mistake made that changes the result is often intolerable.

How do we gain the respect of the players and team official?

Personal personality is the first impression and it will give your benefit when they respect your personality. You will never get a second chance to create the first impression. Your performance is the key point of gaining respect. Consistency in implementing the Laws of the Game, penalizing fairly and correctly, consistent in giving further sanction to fouls committed (yellow or red card), pleasant, calm and respectful in your approach to players, coach or team officials, be calm, courageous, strong and assertive in handling difficult situation or confrontation and giving the correct action or decision respected and accepted by all. The players body language or gesture when shown the card will indicate whether he accepts your card or not. The players and team officials should be given the picture that you just doing your job and you trying your very best to do a good job. Handling injury, time-wasting or even managing the defensive wall gives a picture of your capability and your refereeing caliber. Positive action and message viewed will gain your the respect from the players, coaches or team officials and even your fellow referees. Give respect to gain respect.

I dream to have a team of excellent referees who can understand the feelings, role and responsibilities of the players and team official thus, giving them the opportunity to understand you better. With that, we can work together towards the development of Dhivehi football to the highest respectable level.