IF WE LOST…IT
HAD TO BE THE DAMN REFEREE’S FAULT
So what
should be the shape of the soccer ball, round or oval? If a
goalkeeper handles the ball outside the penalty area, is it a direct or
indirect free kick? Just a couple of
questions and some of us would be lost to know the correct answers. The right answer to question one is ‘Spherical’ and to question two would be ‘a direct free kick’ but then most of us are not referees are we? So we are not expected to know all the
technical terms of the laws of the game…So how come when we are witnessing a local
soccer match or watching one on TV, we somehow seem to know all the rules of
the game and the poor referee is the butt of our most expletive vocabulary or even physical abuse?
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| IFRA coaching classes at IEAS for seniors and new recruits |
They say a referee’s
job is considered as one of the top 10 thankless jobs in the world. Others in the top ten would be your local
janitor, your high school teacher, the poor skyscraper window cleaner and of
course your parents. If a team loses a
game, it had to be the damn referee’s fault!!!!
I have been
a referee for quite a few years now and with IFRA in Kuwait (Indian Football
Referees Association) the only organized Indian Soccer Referees Body in the Gulf
which professionally conducts regular coaching classes for new recruits as well
as qualified referees and all referees have to answer a written
examination before being graded into Class I, II or III. The classes are conducted at Indian English
Academic School (Don Bosco), and I must complement the school management for letting
the referees use their premises for such a worthy cause.
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| A new recruit's first day on the job |
The Association
was formed in 1980 and headed by the Late Mr. Jerome Pascoal D’Mello (well
known as J. P. D’Mello) who was an ex-FIFA referee and member of the Asian
Football Confederation of Referees Committee and over the years others like
Dominic Monserrate, A.E. D’Souza, and currently Sarto Baptista have led the
Association. When KIFF (Kuwait Indian
Football Federation) was formed in 1983, IFRA was part and parcel of the Indian
soccer scene in Kuwait and its members officiated all the regular and seven a
side tournaments played at the Soor Grounds.
Strange as
it may sound, but although IFRA was formed to support the Indian soccer
activities in Kuwait by the same people who run KIFF, it is no longer a part of
KIFF activities due to clash of personal egos of SOME of the people who used to
run KIFF as well as IFRA. Today, KIFF
has its own in-house referees, while IFRA members officiate other expatriate, Arab
and Keralite tournaments.
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| KEFAK Seven A Side tournament - IFRA Referees |
Efforts are
on to come to an amicable solution before the start of the 2012-13 season as I believe both IFRA and KIFF share common
objectives and should complement each
other, instead of squabbling over minor
and irrelevant issues. The irony of the
whole situation is that KIFF today conducts the most prestigious J.P. D’Mello Rolling
Trophy League in memory of the very man who initiated IFRA, without using their
services, while others including the newly formed KEFAK League (Kerala Expats
Football Association – Kuwait), have taken the services of IFRA without any
hesitation for an exclusive Keralite league featuring about 21 teams.
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| Worthy enough for KEFAK tournament, but not good enough for KIFF? |
In the just
concluded KIFF soccer season, quite a few fatal errors were made by the
In-House referees resulting in physical abuse of referees, pitch invasion and
discord among affiliate members. Had
these referees been better trained, some of the incidents would have never occurred. Of course this does not mean IFRA referees
are themselves beyond committing mistakes, and referees mistakes are part and
parcel of not only local soccer, but as we have seen in International football
as well, and that is why the referees have such a thankless job.
Here’s
hoping that better sense will prevail and KIFF and IFRA will work together in
the future to join hands in training referees and promoting soccer among the
youth in Kuwait.
Viva IFRA,
Viva KIFF, Viva Soccer!!!!
Julio
Cardoso
Kuwait
1 comment:
Thank You Julio for that wonderful piece of eye-opener for us all.
Dhal Mein Kala Hai, That’s the saying and now the cat has come out of the bag. MOST THANKLESS JOB- I DISAGREE –
We appreciate the situation in which a Referee can be in making that split second decision (after all he is Human) But to initiate a decision , issue a Red Card and coolly walk away as if nothing has happened should have been condemned outright and things would have taken a better turn.
Remember, we had two more referees their pleas were ignored. So in this case does the referee deserve the thanks where he has displayed arrogance and incompetence and inflicted misery and uncertainty in the minds of our budding youngsters.
Your article has put the “ In house Referee problem “ to the forefront and KIFF has to amend its position and have IFRA to officiate all the tournaments for which they are having the credentials to conduct fair and unbiased refereeing.
I appreciate KIFF for standing up to the mafia and allowing DBO regain its lost glory by allowing them to play in the just concluded KIFF tournament.
Do me a favor Mr President UNDO THE DAMAGE and we will appreciate your efforts even more.
Hats off to you Mr Julio for initiating an article where the Mixed Dhal can be converted to Ambot Tik Goan Curry for our Football lovers in Kuwait.Alec Pinto
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