FIFA launches RAP program for local elite group

[Tallman]

FIFA launches RAP program for local elite group
By Shaun Fuentes (TTFF)

FIFA launched its Referees Assistance Program (RAP) for Trinidad and Tobago at the Ato Boldon Stadium on Sunday at which thirty local referees will undergo training from Regional FIFA referee development officers Ramesh Ramdhan and Jamaican Peter Prendergast. The RAP Program has two key elements; Professionalizing Referee Administration at National Association levels and focusing on the development of Elite Referees in the World with unified standards and training.

Following FIFA’s new ruling  which stated that the member association (in this case the TTFF) take control of refereeing, with this taking effect in April, the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation commenced training of referees and currently a batch of thirty-plus officials have been undergoing  sessions. The group includes some familiar faces that are on the FIFA panel such as Neil Brizan and Cindy Mohammed while there are new individuals undergoing preparation. The other FIFA officials still currently serving locally include Ainsley Rochard and Dion Neil while past FIFA officials including Michael Ragoonath, Jaggernath Goolcharan,  Lee Davis, FIFA fitness instructor Merere Gonzales and Linda Bramble are currently also involved in the training program. Krishna Kuarsingh, a  TTFF Vice President, is the chairman of the Referee’s Committee

At Sunday’s opening Ramdhan urged the new batch to embrace the opportunity being given to them and knocked the group of referees who have withheld their services because of an ongoing dispute with the TTFF over their move to operate under the new FIFA ruling.

“I hide nothing and I say everything to that needs to be said,” the ex-World Cup referee said at Sunday’s opening at the Ato Boldon Stadium.

“What is happening to Trinidad and Tobago refereeing can only be taken as a positive. Why would people who trained and left their homes many times before now withhold their knowledge and services for whatever reason and I can tell you there is no reason for them to do this,” stated Ramdhan who went onto explain what the FIFA statutes stated.

“I read the FIFA statutes with Peter Prendergast  again this morning  and I don’t understand what the referees who are not here are fighting over. The FIFA statutes states clearly that refereeing must be under the control of the member association and that was placed in the FIFA statutes from April 1 and was passed last year. It also stated no other organization, bodies or affiliates should run the business of refereeing anymore .

“All referees must register with the member association and those who fail to do so must not referee any football that is organized by or under the member association. In  other words they can only referee in the bush leagues. I don’t know what all the fuss is about. I am determined to work and get up to ten FIFA referees out of this bunch on the FIFA panel  over the next five years,” he added.

Ramdhan mentioned that the top referees worldwide have undergone training under the RAP program and that the programs were now far advanced as compared to his time as an active referee.

"The training now is far more informative and advanced and therefore you stand to benefit from this training.  Let those who want to withhold their services withhold it. They will train in their bedrooms. You are now part of  the elite group of referees in the country now and you will benefit from training programs such as this one.

"This program is here to stay. There is a lot of gain from refereeing. This is an opportunity that others are not willing to grasp.  Those referees have made way to you. We are all accessible and we will share every bit of information with you. We are here to serve football,” Ramdhan concluded.

Acting TTFF President Lennox Watson also urged the participants to take up the mantle.

“I am encouraging you to move on and move forward. I am seeing some familiar faces and some new ones and I feel elated about that. We have had plans to do this all along,’ Watson said.

“We had a mandate of FIFA to put in place a Referees committee but sadly the person we put at the head of the committee did not find favour with the local referees at the time and they decided that since there was a referees association that they should be taken by the TTFF and be made the referees committee but that could not happen. What we did was to put a number of the referees on our regional associations committee and they still not want to do this. The matter dragged on and then we opted for training new referees.

“ I was worried about how this would go but that is now behind us. This new bunch has been making progress and will continue to improve particularly with the advance training they will receive from here on. I am an administrator and I will support you. That support is to ensure that you get your courses, you are paid on time and you receive whatever is necessary to ensure that progress is made,” Watson told the participants.

[Tallman]

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[asylumseeker]

I found it interesting that Italy inducted Pierluigi Collina into its "hall of fame". Refs don't get enough respect.

[Coop's]

I found it interesting that Italy inducted Pierluigi Collina into its "hall of fame". Refs don't get enough respect.

      You are correct.To me they are the unsung heros of Football,they are the most important people in the game yet don't get the respect they deserve,it seems they are the only ones can't make mistakes.In my State you have no choice but to respect them because you cold be banned or sitting in jail easy,it's common here to see Refs telling Coaches,administrators etc to leave the sidelines,when players are Red carded they have to leave the vacinity of the playing field.
      I could remember back in the day we used to have a good relationship with the Refs,they knew you and you knew them,i could of tell you the strengths and weaknesses of every Referee in the League,what you would get away with and what you will not,we always knew you can't get away with nothing by Downer,i used to talk to them before and after games to let them know they had a good game,don't just attack them when they do crap,it had a couple occasions where we (DF) protected Refs from being abused.
      I just completed the Grade 8 Referee course not that i have to do it but i wanted to update myself on what's going on with the rules of the game and one of the main things i gathered was the interpritaion of the rules,the range is wide although the book is small,these rules are FIFA rules but countries,associations,leagues etc etc can modify them to suit their needs so there are differences where ever you go,every tournament you play in out here you better make sure and read the rules,there is always something different.
      My instructor on the course just came back from T&T where he was the main Ref at the Futsal tournament held in Tobago,is only then i realize T&T don't have Refs to handle Futsal games,how do we play Futsal at home?
     

[elan]

I found it interesting that Italy inducted Pierluigi Collina into its "hall of fame". Refs don't get enough respect.

      You are correct.To me they are the unsung heros of Football,they are the most important people in the game yet don't get the respect they deserve,it seems they are the only ones can't make mistakes.In my State you have no choice but to respect them because you cold be banned or sitting in jail easy,it's common here to see Refs telling Coaches,administrators etc to leave the sidelines,when players are Red carded they have to leave the vacinity of the playing field.
      I could remember back in the day we used to have a good relationship with the Refs,they knew you and you knew them,i could of tell you the strengths and weaknesses of every Referee in the League,what you would get away with and what you will not,we always knew you can't get away with nothing by Downer,i used to talk to them before and after games to let them know they had a good game,don't just attack them when they do crap,it had a couple occasions where we (DF) protected Refs from being abused.
      I just completed the Grade 8 Referee course not that i have to do it but i wanted to update myself on what's going on with the rules of the game and one of the main things i gathered was the interpritaion of the rules,the range is wide although the book is small,these rules are FIFA rules but countries,associations,leagues etc etc can modify them to suit their needs so there are differences where ever you go,every tournament you play in out here you better make sure and read the rules,there is always something different.
      My instructor on the course just came back from T&T where he was the main Ref at the Futsal tournament held in Tobago,is only then i realize T&T don't have Refs to handle Futsal games,how do we play Futsal at home?
     

Wrong!!!

This is one of the problems with some refs today, they try to make the game about them. Not good.

[Coop's]

I found it interesting that Italy inducted Pierluigi Collina into its "hall of fame". Refs don't get enough respect.

      You are correct.To me they are the unsung heros of Football,they are the most important people in the game yet don't get the respect they deserve,it seems they are the only ones can't make mistakes.In my State you have no choice but to respect them because you cold be banned or sitting in jail easy,it's common here to see Refs telling Coaches,administrators etc to leave the sidelines,when players are Red carded they have to leave the vacinity of the playing field.
      I could remember back in the day we used to have a good relationship with the Refs,they knew you and you knew them,i could of tell you the strengths and weaknesses of every Referee in the League,what you would get away with and what you will not,we always knew you can't get away with nothing by Downer,i used to talk to them before and after games to let them know they had a good game,don't just attack them when they do crap,it had a couple occasions where we (DF) protected Refs from being abused.
      I just completed the Grade 8 Referee course not that i have to do it but i wanted to update myself on what's going on with the rules of the game and one of the main things i gathered was the interpritaion of the rules,the range is wide although the book is small,these rules are FIFA rules but countries,associations,leagues etc etc can modify them to suit their needs so there are differences where ever you go,every tournament you play in out here you better make sure and read the rules,there is always something different.
      My instructor on the course just came back from T&T where he was the main Ref at the Futsal tournament held in Tobago,is only then i realize T&T don't have Refs to handle Futsal games,how do we play Futsal at home?
     

Wrong!!!

This is one of the problems with some refs today, they try to make the game about them. Not good.

      This is exactly what i gathered on the course "interpritation" you say wrong i think otherwise,nothing is wrong with that because as a Ref if you don't put your foot down players walk all over you and you loose control of the game.

[elan]

I found it interesting that Italy inducted Pierluigi Collina into its "hall of fame". Refs don't get enough respect.

      You are correct.To me they are the unsung heros of Football,they are the most important people in the game yet don't get the respect they deserve,it seems they are the only ones can't make mistakes.In my State you have no choice but to respect them because you cold be banned or sitting in jail easy,it's common here to see Refs telling Coaches,administrators etc to leave the sidelines,when players are Red carded they have to leave the vacinity of the playing field.
      I could remember back in the day we used to have a good relationship with the Refs,they knew you and you knew them,i could of tell you the strengths and weaknesses of every Referee in the League,what you would get away with and what you will not,we always knew you can't get away with nothing by Downer,i used to talk to them before and after games to let them know they had a good game,don't just attack them when they do crap,it had a couple occasions where we (DF) protected Refs from being abused.
      I just completed the Grade 8 Referee course not that i have to do it but i wanted to update myself on what's going on with the rules of the game and one of the main things i gathered was the interpritaion of the rules,the range is wide although the book is small,these rules are FIFA rules but countries,associations,leagues etc etc can modify them to suit their needs so there are differences where ever you go,every tournament you play in out here you better make sure and read the rules,there is always something different.
      My instructor on the course just came back from T&T where he was the main Ref at the Futsal tournament held in Tobago,is only then i realize T&T don't have Refs to handle Futsal games,how do we play Futsal at home?
     

Wrong!!!

This is one of the problems with some refs today, they try to make the game about them. Not good.

      This is exactly what i gathered on the course "interpritation" you say wrong i think otherwise,nothing is wrong with that because as a Ref if you don't put your foot down players walk all over you and you loose control of the game.

Coops how can the ref be more important than the players? You are a youth coach also Coop's.

I see ref walk away from games because a coach question their call. They are not thinking about the kids, just how they look and feel. Kick the coach out and continue the game. No one is benefitting from a ref walking away from a youth game (unless physically harmed).

Many refs have never played the game and often their decision making in a call is flawed, this can be frustrating to a coach who is sophisticated in the game. I have seen players dupe refs and laugh at the youth level.

Another problem I have noticed is the racial/ethnic/gender discrimination coaches and players face from refs in certain places.

[Coop's]

I found it interesting that Italy inducted Pierluigi Collina into its "hall of fame". Refs don't get enough respect.

      You are correct.To me they are the unsung heros of Football,they are the most important people in the game yet don't get the respect they deserve,it seems they are the only ones can't make mistakes.In my State you have no choice but to respect them because you cold be banned or sitting in jail easy,it's common here to see Refs telling Coaches,administrators etc to leave the sidelines,when players are Red carded they have to leave the vacinity of the playing field.
      I could remember back in the day we used to have a good relationship with the Refs,they knew you and you knew them,i could of tell you the strengths and weaknesses of every Referee in the League,what you would get away with and what you will not,we always knew you can't get away with nothing by Downer,i used to talk to them before and after games to let them know they had a good game,don't just attack them when they do crap,it had a couple occasions where we (DF) protected Refs from being abused.
      I just completed the Grade 8 Referee course not that i have to do it but i wanted to update myself on what's going on with the rules of the game and one of the main things i gathered was the interpritaion of the rules,the range is wide although the book is small,these rules are FIFA rules but countries,associations,leagues etc etc can modify them to suit their needs so there are differences where ever you go,every tournament you play in out here you better make sure and read the rules,there is always something different.
      My instructor on the course just came back from T&T where he was the main Ref at the Futsal tournament held in Tobago,is only then i realize T&T don't have Refs to handle Futsal games,how do we play Futsal at home?
     

Wrong!!!

This is one of the problems with some refs today, they try to make the game about them. Not good.

      This is exactly what i gathered on the course "interpritation" you say wrong i think otherwise,nothing is wrong with that because as a Ref if you don't put your foot down players walk all over you and you loose control of the game.

Coops how can the ref be more important than the players? You are a youth coach also Coop's.

I see ref walk away from games because a coach question their call. They are not thinking about the kids, just how they look and feel. Kick the coach out and continue the game. No one is benefitting from a ref walking away from a youth game (unless physically harmed).

Many refs have never played the game and often their decision making in a call is flawed, this can be frustrating to a coach who is sophisticated in the game. I have seen players dupe refs and laugh at the youth level.

Another problem I have noticed is the racial/ethnic/gender discrimination coaches and players face from refs in certain places.

         Points well taken but it seems like you have never seen Refs get beaten,abuse etc etc the same way it have Refs who have never played the game and their decisions are flawed the same can be said about Coaches,check a lot of the Coaches in the US especially at the Youth level and see how many of them have played Soccer,that's why if you have to Ref or Coach the requirement is that you do the courses that's if you want to be paid.

[asylumseeker]

Coops, yuh ever get a red as a coach?

[Coop's]

Coops, yuh ever get a red as a coach?

       Not as a Coach or player,not even a Yellow card because i always respected these guys.

[elan]

Coops, yuh ever get a red as a coach?

       Not as a Coach or player,not even a Yellow card because i always respected these guys.

Got kicked out for talking to my players on the field. The ref told me I couldn't talk to my players and I did.   

[Coop's]

Coops, yuh ever get a red as a coach?

       Not as a Coach or player,not even a Yellow card because i always respected these guys.

Got kicked out for talking to my players on the field. The ref told me I couldn't talk to my players and I did.   

       I think that was extreme,i would agree some Refs overdo it but as you said some of these guys have never played the game and i will go as far as to say some may not have kids.

[Coop's]

Coops, yuh ever get a red as a coach?

       As a matter of information,a Referee can't card officials,the only people that can be carded are those on the field of play,they can request that you are removed from the sidelines or the vacinity of the game.

[asylumseeker]

Coops, yuh ever get a red as a coach?

       As a matter of information,a Referee can't card officials,the only people that can be carded are those on the field of play,they can request that you are removed from the sidelines or the vacinity of the game.

Yes, absolutely ... and you were quite careful to make the distinction in the original comment (that actually prompted my question) when mentioning the situation with referees in your neck of the woods. I was cavalier with the wording, but eager to learn what your experience with this was.

To be honest, I was hoping to learn two things:  (1) whether you had any "buts" in your assessment of deference to refs and (2) your take on balancing advocacy for players (be it their safety or otherwise) with not being "deferential" to the referee's authority. The reason being I could relate to the original comment about refs in your neck of the woods. Why? I got on the wrong side of one at an edition of the Kickers Colonial Cup.

I didn't quite think I was dangling on the edge of departing the field ... and when he arrived at that determination, I was REALLY taken aback. First and last time that ever happened. Strangely though, it didn't feel good. As a matter of fact, I felt ... kind of violated ... and then kind of outraged because I had never had this happen before. Frankly, had the situation involved league play ... I would have followed up. Referees send messages to players, but I believe so too can a lack of response from the sideline.

[Coop's]

 

To be honest, I was hoping to learn two things:  (1) whether you had any "buts" in your assessment of deference to refs and (2) your take on balancing advocacy for players (be it their safety or otherwise) with not being "deferential" to the referee's authority. The reason being I could relate to the original comment about refs in your neck of the woods. Why? I got on the wrong side of one at an edition of the Kickers Colonial Cup.


[/quote]
       The thing with me is i was quick to learn about Refs when i came here,not that i had any incidents with them but i find that they run a game like Police men,the law says this and you break the law you going to pay for it,it have kids who are scared to run offsides because they don't don't want the Ref to blow them.
       My policy is "you right you wrong,you wrong you wrong" these guys have the authority to put you off so i don't let them upset me,i just ask them how long the game is and if i have any doubts about the rules,from there on i just deal with my players,usually i may have an assistant Coach who decide to take them on and i ask them to refrain from arguments with the Ref.
       Referees differ and it's hard to understand what one will do from the next,this depends too on the level/experience of the Referee,not often you meet the same Referee twice to assess what he or she is capable of,my view is that those who have played the game make better Refs because they understand the game better.
      The bottom line is you can't win these guys,regardless of what happens in a game the game goes on,finishes,results turned in,league/tournament ends,you try and send in a protest and see what happens to it,i've never heard the decision of a protest and even if they do what purpose did it serve.     

[Raul]

Allyuh make sure and train Michael Ragoonath to differentiate between a ball in play and a ball outside of play... a la the injustice he handed out to Joaquin and the rest of La Furia Roja in the 2002 World Cup...

[asylumseeker]

To be honest, I was hoping to learn two things:  (1) whether you had any "buts" in your assessment of deference to refs and (2) your take on balancing advocacy for players (be it their safety or otherwise) with not being "deferential" to the referee's authority. The reason being I could relate to the original comment about refs in your neck of the woods. Why? I got on the wrong side of one at an edition of the Kickers Colonial Cup.

       The thing with me is i was quick to learn about Refs when i came here,not that i had any incidents with them but i find that they run a game like Police men,the law says this and you break the law you going to pay for it,it have kids who are scared to run offsides because they don't don't want the Ref to blow them.
       My policy is "you right you wrong,you wrong you wrong" these guys have the authority to put you off so i don't let them upset me,i just ask them how long the game is and if i have any doubts about the rules,from there on i just deal with my players,usually i may have an assistant Coach who decide to take them on and i ask them to refrain from arguments with the Ref.
       Referees differ and it's hard to understand what one will do from the next,this depends too on the level/experience of the Referee,not often you meet the same Referee twice to assess what he or she is capable of,my view is that those who have played the game make better Refs because they understand the game better.
      The bottom line is you can't win these guys,regardless of what happens in a game the game goes on,finishes,results turned in,league/tournament ends,you try and send in a protest and see what happens to it,i've never heard the decision of a protest and even if they do what purpose did it serve.     
[/quote]

The other day someone called me for advice on how to handle a situation involving an assistant ref who officiated a game in which the assistant ref's daughter played ... this was unknown at the time, but only came out in light of contention that led to the game being blown early and that placed the-coach-who-called-me team's 3 points potentially up in smoke ... there was apparently a series of questionable events reflecting bias.

He was told to go through "channels" ( ... aka the old boy network that would have pronounced his case dead on arrival or conveniently stalled in red tape) ... I told him to document and pass on to the BIG office ... he was reluctant, but after trying route 1 and getting burned, he went via route 2 and got what not only he wanted, but what he deserved ... those 3 points were critical to getting his team promoted. Had things stalled, neither team would have received the points and he wouldn't have gotten that team promoted. Some protests are effective.

Coops yuh seem real against protests (whether iz Kelvin Jack or otherwise

[Coop's]

To be honest, I was hoping to learn two things:  (1) whether you had any "buts" in your assessment of deference to refs and (2) your take on balancing advocacy for players (be it their safety or otherwise) with not being "deferential" to the referee's authority. The reason being I could relate to the original comment about refs in your neck of the woods. Why? I got on the wrong side of one at an edition of the Kickers Colonial Cup.

       The thing with me is i was quick to learn about Refs when i came here,not that i had any incidents with them but i find that they run a game like Police men,the law says this and you break the law you going to pay for it,it have kids who are scared to run offsides because they don't don't want the Ref to blow them.
       My policy is "you right you wrong,you wrong you wrong" these guys have the authority to put you off so i don't let them upset me,i just ask them how long the game is and if i have any doubts about the rules,from there on i just deal with my players,usually i may have an assistant Coach who decide to take them on and i ask them to refrain from arguments with the Ref.
       Referees differ and it's hard to understand what one will do from the next,this depends too on the level/experience of the Referee,not often you meet the same Referee twice to assess what he or she is capable of,my view is that those who have played the game make better Refs because they understand the game better.
      The bottom line is you can't win these guys,regardless of what happens in a game the game goes on,finishes,results turned in,league/tournament ends,you try and send in a protest and see what happens to it,i've never heard the decision of a protest and even if they do what purpose did it serve.     

The other day someone called me for advice on how to handle a situation involving an assistant ref who officiated a game in which the assistant ref's daughter played ... this was unknown at the time, but only came out in light of contention that led to the game being blown early and that placed the-coach-who-called-me team's 3 points potentially up in smoke ... there was apparently a series of questionable events reflecting bias.

He was told to go through "channels" ( ... aka the old boy network that would have pronounced his case dead on arrival or conveniently stalled in red tape) ... I told him to document and pass on to the BIG office ... he was reluctant, but after trying route 1 and getting burned, he went via route 2 and got what not only he wanted, but what he deserved ... those 3 points were critical to getting his team promoted. Had things stalled, neither team would have received the points and he wouldn't have gotten that team promoted. Some protests are effective.

Coops yuh seem real against protests (whether iz Kelvin Jack or otherwise
[/quote]
       I don't think this is the thread for what you want to start here,lets stick to the subject matter because you angry before you start,this topic have been beaten on this forum many times,i have given my views and took a lot of blows for it,that's just me i'm not angry at nobody but peeps angry with me. 

[asylumseeker]

 Nah man, Coops. These days I've been using my phone to post and more often than not something goes haywire. I intended to use the emoticon ... not the angry one.