Many new referees are officiating local football matches. But some are not leaving a good first impression..not even an improved second impression.
"All you really want is for the referee to be fair," Caledonia AIA assistant coach Jerry Moe said, following his team's 2-1 defeat to St Ann's Rangers in a Digicel Pro League match on Friday night, at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Arima.
In the final stages, Caledonia were pressing for an equaliser when Rangers defender Jevon Morris took out the legs of Cali striker Keyon Edward. Clear penalty. So many thought. But although the incident took place just outside the six-yard box, Caledonia were awarded a free kick outside the penalty area. It is but one of several poor refereeing decisions in both the Pro League and Secondary Schools Football League this season.
"I was disappointed that a penalty was not called," Moe said afterwards. "They (referees) are making decision that could end up getting a coach fired. But at the end of the day all we can do is write a report on the referee."
"We have had complaints as well," Digicel Pro League CEO Dexter Skeene admitted. "There have been mistakes that have been highlighted, and we have been forwarding these complaints to Mr. (Krishna) Kuarsingh, and he has agreed to look at them with a view of appointing the referees."
Skeene said the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) had advised the Pro League that it had to work with the referees on its recently appointed Referees Committee, which is headed by Kuarsingh, a former president of the now rival T&T Football Referees Association (TTFRA).
Kuarsingh said many of the officials being used in local football these days are recent recruits, who were put through a three to four-day crash course and minimal field experience before they were sent to work. But Kuarsingh insisted that the ones in the Pro League have been either A or B-level referees for a while, although they might not have officiated at that level.
Kuarsingh said the TTFF has been forced to work with inexperienced referees because of an impasse between the TTFF and the TTFRA, the local body that has regulated referees for many years. Earlier this year, the TTFRA general council voted that its referees should not officiate at TTFF-controlled football. TTFRA president, Gary Andrews said the action has had an impact on the Pro League.
"The majority of these referees would not have been in our group that has been previously servicing the Pro League," Andrew said. "So the officiating would not be up to the standard we would like, or the Pro League would like, or the fans would like."
Both the TTFF and the TTFRA agree that the "politics" is not good either for referees or football in T&T. But Kuarsingh argued that the TTFF is simply following a FIFA mandate to have refereeing come under the umbrella of the Federation. He said there must be "give and take" between the TTFRA and the TTFF.
"What FIFA has said is that every member association must organise a referees committee that will serve the needs of the country. For a long time the TTFRA has been doing that, and they are now reluctant to come under the umbrella of the TTFF. But, it is what FIFA has directed us to do."
Andrew said that while the TTFRA is aware of the FIFA mandate, it has concerns with the TTFF's method of implementation.
"This is the only association (TTFF) that have insisted that they must shut down the referees association, because they want to control the referees' lives. They want to institute the FIFA mandate in their own way, and referees are not standing for that. In the past, people might have done what they wanted, and when they wanted, out of fear. But those days are over. However, we expect that at the end of the day good sense will prevail."