2014fwc_tsg_report_15082014_neutral

important. The goal is not to have discussions
on the pitch, but to have at the end the same
knowledge.”
After arriving in Rio, all of the referees and
assistant referees participated in a variety
of daily theoretical and practical activities
prepared by the fitness and technical
instructors. The main focus was on a technical/
tactical approach to the participating teams’
way of playing that would ensure the best
possible understanding and reading of the
games. The match officials were instructed
to maintain their own personality and apply
their interpretation of the Laws of the Game
uniformly while always considering the
current situation on the field.
The daily training sessions took place with
the assistance of a youth football team who
helped to set up real in-game situations.
During the practical training sessions on
the field of play, some of the exercises (e.g.
positioning and offside situations) carried out
by the referees and assistant referees were
recorded and their decisions were instantly
analysed on a screen adjacent to the pitch.
The exercises were subsequently repeated at
different speeds and levels of complexity.
Prior to the competition, a refereeing
instructor met each of the participating
teams. The sessions were attended by all
of the players and technical staff, and they
were reminded of various aspects of the
Laws of the Game and informed about the
instructions that had been given to the
referees. At the end of the meeting, they
were provided with copies of the presentation
material for their own further study and later
use. These meetings were well received by all
of the participating teams because, besides
providing a uniform interpretation of the
Laws of the Game, it also brought players,
coaches and referees closer together.
During the competition, all 64 matches
were recorded and the instructors selected
significant incidents for analysis. General
debriefings were then held to analyse these
incidents with the referees and to further
prepare them for the upcoming matches in
the competition. In addition to the general
debriefings, there were also individual and
smaller group debriefing sessions. These
were conducted with each trio regarding the
lessons learned from their specific games,
Refereeing report 109