The other side of the whistle
A roller hockey referee’s perspective
by Peter Maisey
When your nipper is charging around the other side of the barriers there are only three things you can do. Stand and watch, go home, or join in. I tried the first two, didn’t like them, so took the third option. Initially I helped with coaching, got a bit bored with that – what did I know, cos’ I didn’t even skate – so I got skates and a stick.
The kids loved me playing – I was entertainment value - I was so bad they found it funny. But it gave me valuable insight into just how difficult roller hockey was. Eventually I played in a vet’s tournament – I soon understood that I was way out of my depth. Taking up skating as an aged adult, then roller hockey a couple of years later is probably a bit late in life to become any good.
To play the game properly I needed to known the rules, so I ploughed through the International Rule Book, trying much of the time to work out what language it was written in. The words were all English but they didn’t seem to make sense half the time. So I set to rewriting the rules relevant to playing into English so I could understand – now available as “Roller Hockey Rules translated for Kids”.
Next step, having translate the rules? Why, become a referee of course. What was missing from my roller hockey career was all the abuse that players heap on you when they don’t like your decision. And don’t forget the nice white trousers we have to wear, with matching co-ordinates (cards) in red, yellow and blue.
Anyway, what I really want to talk about is the difference I’ve found crossing the barrier from player to referee.
Firstly, you have to know the rules and how to interpret them. Not all eventualities are apparently covered, but most are. You often have to extrapolate. For example, if a ball is hit so hard that it breaks in two, but both parts go in the goal, is it a goal?
Secondly, I was very surprised how poorly players knew or understood the rules. And not just kids, although they have an excuse if you look at the wording in the official rule books. Many adult players have always played to the whistle, not bothering to read the rules, and arguing with the referee if they disagreed with the decision.
There is actually a serious side to not knowing or not understanding the rules. If you don’t know them, you can’t take advantage of them. One classic example is the indirect free hit that can be taken without the referee whistling to restart the game. Taken quickly, it can often catch a team unawares. Many team take their time, allowing the opposition to form up. It is not a case of referee signals being vague. It is a case of not understanding what is, and is not, allowed.
Verbal abuse is not the issue I thought it would be. I find that refereeing takes such intense concentration that I rarely hear what players are saying to me. And if I do, I usually give a very quick answer and get back to refereeing. The pace of the game doesn’t allow me time to have a gossip.
Do I enjoy refereeing? Sometimes, but not always. Mostly, my dissatisfaction comes from a feeling that I could have refereed better. Every referee at every level makes mistakes. Every game I referee I learn something new. Sometimes I feel like walking away, but refereeing is my contribution to the sport. So, at the very least, I am contributing to one aspect of a sport my son enjoys.
Links
Playrollerhockey.net - details about [mainly] UK roller hockey
Talkrollerhockey.net - lots of enthusiastic discussion about roller hockey issues all over the world.
NRHA.co.uk - National Roller Hockey Association of England
Hardballhock
