Mastering the Fox 40
Since the beginning of the game to the present day, though the playing styles,tactics, techniques, and the physical aspects of speed, strength and endurance of the players around him have been constantly changing and developing, the referee has always been there in the middle, whistle at the ready. He is the man without whom no match can take place, yet often has to bear the brunt of criticism, blamed for goals conceded and matches lost and who far too seldom enjoys recognition and rewards he deserves.
It takes courage as well as determination to become a good referee. A referee who takes up the whistle in the hope of achieving the same fame as the players, is mistaken: firstly, because the players are always going to be the stars rather than the referee, and secondly because the quest for celebrity is never the basis for a successful refereeing career. The characteristic of a good referee is not only integrity and a certain sense of vocation, but also good physical condition that matches the pace of today''s football.
Though the standard of football played in Goa has progressed, the quality of refereeing, has not kept pace. The referees, by and large, have yet to meet the expectations of the players and the spectators. Some say, that the reason for this,lies with the part time nature of refereeing itself.Most referees earn their living, working at various government and private organisations, devoting little time in the evenings supervising matches.
While FIFA rules do not, as yet, fully allow the concept of a professional referee, it is incumbent on a referee to have a professional outlook in order to improve or maintain his standards.
Goa has produced few referees of quality over the years and as far as match fees are concerned, they are definitely the highest in the country. The most important task for a referee is not only to learn the rules, but also to apply them consistently. For a budding referee, having grasped the fundamentals, it is important to interpret them correctly and without any indecision. All this must happen in conjunction with good physical fitness, as prescribed in the Cooper Test, a keen eye and above all a cool head.
Of course, all referees do make mistakes, even at the highest level of the game. But when such errors stem from ignorance or incapability, they then become unpardonable for players and fans alike. Quite often a referee is harangued by the crowd and becomes the victim of the severest verbal and physical abuse. This instinctive spectator outcry against the referee, is more often than not, uncalled for and discourages new recruits from taking up refereeing.
In Goa we have had 12 National Referees and 2 FIFA panel referees. Presently, former Sesa Goa Football Club and National player, Gokuldas Nagvekar is the highest-ranking referee in Goa. Since 1996, he has been recognised as one of the seven assistant referees on the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) panel in India.
Gokuldas has, in 1996, officiated in the Asia Cup preliminaries at Bangkok, Thailand; in 1997 the World Cup preliminaries in Syria; and Asia Cup Winners Cup at Dhaka, Bangladesh; in 1998 the Rajiv Gandhi under-2l international football tournament at Goa, India, and in the Asian Youth under-19 championship, at Kandy, Sri Lanka, and Asian Club Cup Championship, Turkmenistan; in 1999 the pre-Olympic qualifiers in Tadjikisthan.
He frequently referees the Rovers Cup, Durand Cup, Scissors Cup, IFA shield and other major national tournaments including the National Football League and Federation Cup. Gokuldas has in fact matured into a very seasoned referee. In 1996, while he was supervising the IFA Shield at Calcutta, ESPN - one of the world''s most highly rated TV sports channel - declared Gokuldas as the best referee of the tournament, which is a feather in his cap.
Gokuldas took to refereeing when he was still actively playing the game in the forward line for the erstwhile first division club, Sesa Goa, at the age of 19. It happened in 1979, during an inter-village tournament in his native village, Moira. The referee failed to turn up and the club officials requested Gokuldas to officiate the match, as he was well-versed with the rules, being a player.
In those days the Goa Football Association had no rules, which barred players from officiating matches. Gokuldas did a pretty good job and thus began his tryst with refereeing. He continued to officiate inter-village tournaments and in the same year attended a seminar for referees conducted by the then FIFA instructor Alex Vaz which impressed him deeply. He also qualified as a Class ill referee that same year, after successfully answering his exams.
The Goa Football Association noticed the qualities of Gokuldas and offered him his first official match at the national level.
This big break came in the 1990-91 Bandodkar Gold Cup Trophy semifinal clash between Dempo Sports Club and Salgaocar Sports Club - a highly charged game -both being traditional rivals.
"It was a grueling, tense and heady affair with noisy supporters of both teams, converging at the venue. And mind you, this was my very first assignment after being confirmed as a Class 1 referee, which made it all the more interesting and challenging. The senior referee''s and match commissioner''s report on my refereeing was very positive," says Gokuldas of his first big match, which proved to be the turning point, and he established himself as a reliable referee with Goa Football Association.
The fact that he emerged as a referee during his playing career helped him obtain a deep understanding of the rules of the game better than many of his playing colleagues. This indirectly helped his performance as a player. Gokuldas is of the opinion that those who play active football do become good referees. "A player who takes up to refereeing, makes a better referee, as he tends to make fewer mistakes, than a referee who has not played the game. This player-turned-referee is aware, through his playing experience, the effort and hard work a player puts in to win a match, and thus will always do justice with the whistle. Such referees understand the psychology of the players and earn respect from both, the players as well as spectators," explains Gokuldas.
Since childhood, Gokuldas developed a fascination for the game of football, which had a hypnotic effect on him. He took to refereeing as a challenge, being a victim of bad refereeing decisions during his playing career. He has had the mortification of seeing his team robbed of well-deserved victories, which damaged his confidence and that of his teammates.
The challenge to do justice with the whistle saw him in 1994 taking on his first national assignment, as a National referee, at the 50th Santosh Trophy at Orissa. This was followed by the All India Football Federation assigning him matches of the prestigious Federation Cup in 1994 held at Goa and in 1995 held in Calcutta. After his good work at the Federation, Gokuldas was asked to officiate the matches of the fourth edition of Scissors Cup at Calicut.
The match between East Bengal and Oman Football Club is his most memorable one. This tense match which was keenly fought, was marred by rough play. Gokuldas had to reach for his pocket six times, delivering two reds and four yellow cards. A difficult but correct decision was made when Gokuldas disallowed Baichung Bhutia''s controversial bicycle-kick goal due to a prior incident. "As Baichung was about to take the bicycle-kick, I noticed that two defenders right behind him, were about to head the ball and were in danger of being hurt by the overhead motion of Baichung''s foot. I am sure that I blew the whistle before Baichung could connect the ball and penalised him for dangerous play," Gokuldas recalls the incident, which was debated by the media.
As far as referees strictly enforcing rules of the game in Goa are concerned, Gokuldas says that there is a lot of room for improvement. For instance, it is a common feature, except probably for the Division matches played in Goa, the kick-off timings are not strictly adhered to, though now recognisance of the rule is being taken. "There is nothing such as grace time in International Football Association Board (IFAB) rules. If the match is scheduled for 16.00 hours, then it must kick-off at the stroke of 16.00 hours. However in view of an Opening Ceremony, the referee could alter the start of the match by a few minutes."
Gokuldas recalls a Second Division match at Duler grounds featuring Football Club of Siolim and Mapusa in May, 1984. He was a Class 3 referee at that time. The match was scheduled to start at 4.00 p. m. Both the teams were present but were not dressed. Gokuldas sent a message across to both teams, that they should take to the field. Ignorant of the rules, the players of both teams began dressing only at 4.15 pm and entered the ground fifteen minutes later. "The delay could have pushed the match into poor visibility and since I was unsure about the completion of the match, I decided, then, that the match could not go on and should be called off. I summoned the captains of both the teams and explained to them the rules of the game and the present situation. It was already 4.30 p.m. so I called off the match. The supporters of the teams were upset because the game was called off. Despite the presence of both the teams, the supporters began abusing and hurling stones at me. Fortunately, I escaped unhurt and the Goa Football Association took appropriate action against those clubs," Gokuldas disclosed.
The success of a referee lies in his ability to minimise mistakes. "A referee should safeguard the players," says Gokuldas, disclosing that every match is a learning process and that he makes a serious effort not to repeat the same mistakes again.
The rules of the game have, over the years, frequently been amended by IFAB, to make the game more attractive. Referees are kept on their toes, acclimatising themselves to the changes in the rules. The new offside rule is the most difficult change made by IFAB. "It is very difficult to judge an offside if the assistant referee is not positioned correctly. Realising this, IFAB in 1997 made it a specialist job for the Assistant Referee. It is such a tough job now that there is no scope for relaxation. The offside rule is the most complicated and the Assistant Referee has to keep track of the player releasing the ball, the receiver and the line of the second last defender as well and above all to judge if a player in an off-side position is actively involved in play or not," Gokuldas pointed out.
IFAB prescribes very harsh punishment for a tackle from behind, as this has been very dangerous in the past, ending prematurely the career of players, through serious injuries. Just before the start of France ''98, FlFA Chief Sepp Blatter, turned the screws on referees asking them to be very strict with tackles from behind. Players who indulged in this would be penalised with nothing less than a red card.
Gokuldas laments that the rule is not seriously being implemented for one reason or the other. The rule is meant to protect a player in possession of the ball, as he is unaware of the intention of the players behind him. "There are various degrees of back tackling and it depends upon the perception of the referee. He has to decide whether the foul is intentional or accidental on the part of the player. Various degrees of deliberations are also involved and this sometimes confuses the referee and perhaps this is why the referee receives so much flak, when it comes to reading and implementing this rule in the game, a decision which must be quick. We have been advised and seminars have also been conducted. There are bound to be arguments on the perception of a referee with regard to this rule," says Gokuldas.
About implementing rules, which have been changed by IFAB, in India, Gokuldas explains that unless the referees receive an official communication from AIFF, they cannot implement any amendments. After the International Football Association Board passes any amendment, it is printed in FIFA News and Law Book, which is made available to all referees. If the FlFA News is printed before the changes in rules are made, then a special supplement is published and sent to all referees immediately. A copy is sent to all the associated Federations who subsequently should dispatch it to their affiliated units. Nonnally the implementation of the new rules is from 1st of July every year but the All India Football Federation takes a decision on the date of implementation.
With regards to the quality of Indian and Goan refereeing, Gokuldas says that there is bound to be criticism. A referee is supposed to see both sides. Criticism comes mostly from the quarters of the participating teams, as it is an inborn human trait to resent punishment. "As long as criticism is constructive, one should not bother. The standard of refereeing all around the country is slowly improving since the last half a decade or so. A lot of youngsters are taking to refereeing. India has produced many good referees of Goan origin, who have officiated the World Cup qualifiers, Youth World Cup, Asia Cup etc. like Alex Vaz, Melwyn D''Sousa and C J Vaz. Recently, FIFA and AFC have recognised the improved calibre of Indian referees, allotting them an increased number of international assignments including theU-19 and U-I7 World Cups and at the Confederations Cup," Gokuldas said.
He admits that the All India Football Federation and the Goa Football Association are paying special attention to refereeing and are doing all they can in taking care of the referees'' interest. In recent years, Goan football has been seeing an increasing number of faces taking to refereeing, mainly due to the initiative of the Goa Football Association and the Referees Board, who have been conducting regular seminars. "The standard of refereeing in Goa is bound to improve," feels Gokuldas while acknowledging the support of the GFA and the AIFF, which has made it possible for him to reach the level of achievement he has reached today.
Gokuldas is of the strong opinion that no referee is inherently dishonest. He is disliked because the spectators and the teams who call themselves professional, do not like his decisions. "If a referee succumbs to pressure then he should give up the whistle. Mistakes are bound to happen because the referee is human, but after the match there must be introspection and the referee must be committed, in not repeating the mistakes. And those who do play mischief must be punished."
A referee is the most respected figure in the game of football. It is a challenging job as he stands before thousands of spectators in the stands and before cameras. The referee must be physically fit if he has to manage the whole show. He has to be close to the ball, when in play, in order to obtain a vantage point that will help him judge a foul correctly. He asserts that besides physical fitness, other ingredients like knowledge of the laws and their correct interpretation, reading the match, psychology, discipline, honesty and dedication to the game goes into making a great referee. The coaches, players and spectators are also part of the challenge to ensure total professionalism in football which will help it achieve the status of an industry in Goa, feels Gokuldas.
From goal-line to sideline
Francisco Xavier De Souza, the Senior Cambridge Degree holder, is a renowned referee in Goa. His career spanned three decades and he distinguished himself as a fearless referee who always exercised good command over the game. Players had to play to the whistle and never dared to question his decisions. He could deal with any offender sternly and ensure fair play.
Francisco was known to the public as FX. and the football fans admired the way he officiated the game and indeed earned a good reputation in this capacity. The man with the whistle, performed his task stylishly. "One cannot watch a good game without a good referee and this feeling always made me happy. I always made sure that there was discipline on the ground," F X. says.
When asked which player he admired most, FX. replied: "With players like Dominic Soares, no referee will have problems in a match. I never saw Domnic commit any foul. He always played a clean and neat game. Even when his opponent tackled him roughly, he would never say a word against him and would bear it silently. The Hungarians, who played an exhibition game against Goa XI, admired him a lot. Dominic was a wonderful ball player and was very modest. He also had the ability to score from a difficult angle. Today we hardly come across players like Domnic."
FX. has high regard for some of the past administrators of the game, particularly Mr B. M. Parkkot and Me T. K. Unni. "They started to play their role in the development of Goan football when they worked for Salgaocar. Later on Parkkot became the chief patron of Vasco Sports Club which brought laurels for Goa by winning a number of major outstation tournaments. Dayanand Bandodkar was another great patron of the game who provided a lot of encouragement to sportsmen. The players in the past did not get the type of facilities the modem players derive but they had immense dedication for the game".
FX. de Souza was an outstanding goalkeeper and he began to play as a student of St. Joseph High School, Arpora. Rev.Fr. Phillip Mendonca, the Principal of the School, had imm interest in sports and the school had an exceptionally good football side. There were two teams, A and B. When Vasco Eleven, which had a brilliant forward in Sheikh Aboo, defeated FX. school''s B team, they was keen to take on the A team. They met in the final of the All Goa tournament in 1941 and Aboo pleasantly surprised when FX. blocked his well-placed powerfull penalty kick. Says FX., "I helped team to win the match. Aboo had a mighty kick and he was very accurate. Goa has not produced another powerful shoot like Aboo. Ben Pereira used to unleash a powerful on the run, but Aboo was in a class of his own."
FX. derived much satisfaction of his job. He was never biased. As such the laws were the same for all.
The reputation of any team or player not unruffle him. He was not afraid of anyone and sincerely felt that a good referee must be fearless. He must know the laws of the game perfectly well was always respected by the players and the public also had a very good opinion about him which delighted him.He always believed in fair play and thought it was important to have a Fair Play Trophy in every major tournament. He was also very proud that Goa has produced some international referees like Alex Vaz, Len de Sa, Juliao Rodrigues, Cursie Pinto and Peter Rodrigues.
FX. said that the league in the past used to be highly interesting.He was so happy that Goa did extremely we the National championships at all levels.
Athletics helped FX to become a good player and a good rerferee.He held the Senior Cambridge degree from East Africa and he was the champion athlete in Kenya, Uganda, Zanzibar and Tanganika. He performed creditably for St Joseph''s H1 School in All-Goa Inter-School athletics, securing the first place in a number of events.
He brought laurels for his school also in hockey as a goalkeeper and other sports apart from football. He also emerged the champion in the All Goa Veterans athletic meet. It is athletics which always kept him physically fit and that is basically the reason he could work as a part-time coach for M.E.S. College of Law.
The college won the All Goa Inter-Collegiate football championship in 1991 and Dempo College of Commerce had won the Bombay University football championship under his guidance.
Alex Vaz, Len D''Sa, Melvin D''Souza, J.P.Coutinho and F. Sanches are some of the other Goans who became international referees. Shirvaikar, Nazareth, Sebastian, Peter Rodrigues, Bernardino Velho, Domaciano Araujo and Agnelo were some of the local referees who served the game well over the years.
