2014fwc_tsg_report_15082014_neutral

important. The goal is not to have discussionson the pitch, but to have at the end the sameknowledge.”After arriving in Rio, all of the referees andassistant referees participated in a varietyof daily theoretical and practical activitiesprepared by the fitness and technicalinstructors. The main focus was on a technical/tactical approach to the participating teams’way of playing that would ensure the bestpossible understanding and reading of thegames. The match officials were instructedto maintain their own personality and applytheir interpretation of the Laws of the Gameuniformly while always considering thecurrent situation on the field.The daily training sessions took place withthe assistance of a youth football team whohelped to set up real in-game situations.During the practical training sessions onthe field of play, some of the exercises (e.g.positioning and offside situations) carried outby the referees and assistant referees wererecorded and their decisions were instantlyanalysed on a screen adjacent to the pitch.The exercises were subsequently repeated atdifferent speeds and levels of complexity.Prior to the competition, a refereeinginstructor met each of the participatingteams. The sessions were attended by allof the players and technical staff, and theywere reminded of various aspects of theLaws of the Game and informed about theinstructions that had been given to thereferees. At the end of the meeting, theywere provided with copies of the presentationmaterial for their own further study and lateruse. These meetings were well received by allof the participating teams because, besidesproviding a uniform interpretation of theLaws of the Game, it also brought players,coaches and referees closer together.During the competition, all 64 matcheswere recorded and the instructors selectedsignificant incidents for analysis. Generaldebriefings were then held to analyse theseincidents with the referees and to furtherprepare them for the upcoming matches inthe competition. In addition to the generaldebriefings, there were also individual andsmaller group debriefing sessions. Thesewere conducted with each trio regarding thelessons learned from their specific games,Refereeing report 109