In any game of football a surprising amount of communication goes on among those involved, and plays a more important part than appears at first sight.

On the local park with relatively few spectators the communication you are most conscious of is the continual calling from player to player. No problem for the referee so long as the shout is (a) not used to put off an opponent (it's probably worth saying again that using a name doesn’t make an off-putting shout acceptable) and (b) the language is not ‘offensive, insulting or abusive’ – a sending-off offence. Unfortunately there is a problem about swearing. Some players find it difficult to avoid and yet it is punished in the same way as serious foul play which could lead to physical injury.

Plenty of advice for players and officials

Coaches/managers all communicate with the players, usually giving advice or encouragement, though you have to wonder how much the players hear or choose to listen to. Spectators offer comments too – of a wider and often more colourful variety – to the players and especially to the officials. Referees develop selective hearing very fast and soon learn to disregard questions about their parentage and eyesight.

Besides all the shouting, many teams use hand signals to communicate, for example, at set pieces, but we still don’t have the sophistication of American football with its repertoire of set plays.

Lots of referees and players still talk

What may be surprising for non-referees, is the amount of communication the officials are involved in. Usually, if players say the referee ‘didn’t communicate’, it means he wasn’t a Roger Milford, full of smiles and banter. Perhaps Premiership officials do appear to have less repartee with players than formerly, but certainly lots of us in local football do not remain silent. The style of communication has to depend though on the personalities of the players as well as of the officials, and the way the game is going. Not too much room for jokes after the second red card! With younger players the referee will often give a quick explanation of a decision. What you can’t have is dispute in the middle – that’s dissent and has to be cautioned.

The referee communicates most obviously with his whistle and inexperienced referees are encouraged to ‘make the whistle talk’ – to communicate the type of reason for which it is being blown. A short blast for a simple restart but a heavy and longer blast to indicate a serious foul. Players don’t always remember that the use of the whistle is at the discretion of the referee – he can give a hand signal or shout or both, as, for example, with Advantage/Play On or for a quick free kick.

The officials keep contact too

The referee and assistant referees communicate with each other too because they work as a team.. The flag is the form of signal most visible to players and spectators but others are used by the assistants to indicate e.g. the amount of time remaining, if a penalty should be awarded, whether a ball is still in play, is correctly in the corner arc or goal area or for a free kick.. The referee will also consult if there is a difficult situation to deal with which the assistant might have been better placed to see. This should be easier for Premiership officials now they are ‘wired up’ but what about the technical problems – ‘Sorry I couldn’t help you, Jack, all I was getting was Radio 1’.

Communication between players and managers and the officials immediately after the game can be helpful but can also be tricky if there have been any controversial decisions. It’s gone from the higher levels but still happens in junior football and is usually appreciated by everyone, as long as it is about explanation and discussion and not seen just as a chance to harangue the officials.

And of course we, the Reading RA, try to communicate with players, managers, fans and other referees in all sorts of ways - for example, by means of our new website and articles such as these..