As we have previously discussed in this blog, communications are key when refereeing.
Keeping the players (and spectators) aware of what’s going on is a great habit to get into as a ref. Everyone wants to know what’s happened, what the call is, and what they need to do next. Spectators can get frustrated easily if the calls aren’t clear. So get your communication right: whistle, signal, and voice (in that order) are the ingredients. Think of what the players would want to know. But keep it concise: people have come to play, not to listen to you!
But whilst we say that whistle, signal, and voice are the ingredients, how can you increase the effectiveness of these and what good habits are useful to know? We asked World Cup referee Matt Blades to give us an insight into his view on how to communicate effectively whilst refereeing.
For me, communication is the key element to be an effective referee. Whether it’s calling the tag count or saying why you’ve given a penalty, communication forms the backbone of the tools available to you whilst out on the field and can quite often be used to make your life easier and make the game more enjoyable for the players.
Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication
But what many people forget is that communication is more than just about words coming out of your mouth (verbal communication). Your non-verbal communication has a huge impact on your ability to communicate, with some studies estimating 70% or more of our communication comes through non-verbal means. In tag refereeing terms, non-verbal communication mainly comes through the use of hand signals and the way you position yourself on the field.
So let’s break it down and look at each of these and highlight areas where you can improve your effectiveness when on the field.
Verbal Communication
We are all accustomed to the fact that as a tag referee, we have to call the tag count. But we can include ‘soft comms’ afterwards. An example of this is expanding your call to include some extra information. For example, saying “Tag 1. Yellow, back to me please.” It shows the defending team you’re keeping an eye on where they should be standing and improves the perception that you are on top of the game.
‘Soft comms’ can encompass a whole range of things. Personally, I think of it as those little comments you make to players whilst on the run – i.e. the ones to just let them know that you’ve got your eye on everything happening on the field. Be it asking them to tuck their top in, reminding them to definitely wait for the hands of the dummy half if they were close to going early or even thanking them for correcting something you told them about previously.
Most of these are game management things and the hope is that you are able to build up an on field rapport with the players to allow you to manage the game easier. Because, at the end of the day, we don’t want to spend the whole game blowing penalties for things. If you can manage to prevent the players from doing something by talking to them before it gets to the point of having to blow, you’re onto a winner.
The other main verbal communication we do is explaining why we’ve given a penalty. This is more than just saying what the penalty is for, it’s the time you spend explaining the reason to the team. Sometimes this is easy as the offending player knows they’ve done it. Other times you have the challenge of explaining how you’ve seen it. This is often the case with contact penalties. Tone of voice is key here in ensuring you get buy in from the teams, as well as the words you say.
From my professional life, I use the principle of ABC when talking to players.
A: Accurate – You need to be saying what you’ve seen. Hopefully, you’ve not had to guess regarding the decision but don’t make things up when communicating to players if you aren’t sure.
B: Brief – Players are here to play, not listen to you talking. Explain your point and how you’ve seen it in a short way. If you feel further explanation is necessary, tell them you’ll do it at half/full time.
C: Clear – Don’t go into your shell as you explain yourself. Most players will respect your decision (this is rugby after all) and it’s easier to come across as in control if you sound assured of your decision.
You can also use ABC when calling things during the run of play. Clear in these instances essentially becomes volume – everyone should be able to hear you.
Non-Verbal Communication
A lot of our non-verbal communication will come through hand signals and it’s something a lot of referees struggle with when starting out. Queensland Oztag have produced a series of helpful videos running through the various signals and giving guidance on how to referee the rules accordingly (be aware that your local association may have variations of these in their rulebooks) – https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1F0B26CE6CBC8143
Clear hand signals allow players across the pitch as well as substitutes, coaching staff and spectators to know why you’ve given the decision even if they can’t hear you.
Our colleagues down under also have a technique called the ‘third eye’ whereby you hand actions show to players that you’re noticing their actions and using your actions to convey your point. The main time you’ll use this is in the dead time between tag and play the ball. In the first instance, I’ll use my hand to ‘rake’ the defensive line back and then you can use you hand to point out towards a winger if they’re creeping forwards before the ball is back in play.
Additionally, whilst not an actual form of communication, your on field positioning helps from a non-verbal perspective. The reason for this is that if you put yourself in the best position to make a decision, you’re more likely to get it right. Getting in the right place before the play the ball, working across the field during shifts in play and chasing through on breakaways/kicks not only puts you in the right position but shows to the teams that you are working hard to be in that place and see things clearly. Players are more likely to buy into your decisions if they think you’ve seen it properly. A lot of frustration that gets fed back to me during leagues and one day comps is that some referees hardly left the middle channels of the field and they felt that they were just guessing at decisions because there was no way they could have seen it from there.
Whistle, Signal, Voice
Finally, I just want to touch on the principle of whistle, signal and voice. Whilst it’s ideal to get all three of these right every time so everyone is clear what has happened, it’s okay if one of these slips during the pressure of a game. So long as you have two nailed down every time, everyone should be able to work out what has happened and how the game is going to continue.
Hopefully you’ll find the information I’ve discussed above useful as things to think about with regards to signal and voice whilst whistle tone/variation comes with practice.
To end, I just want to reiterate how important communication is whilst refereeing. It can make your life a whole lot easier out in the middle when it’s good and make your life a whole lot harder when it’s poor.