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Minicam video referee

 

 

Project Facts

Project Name:	IVSR - International Virtual School for Referees
Project Author:	Robert Henn, Czech Republic
Project Aim:	SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE AND NEW CONCEPT FOR REFEREES AND FOOTBALL. Establish a revolutionary referee training centre in Prague, which will use state-of-the art digital technologies for recording and 3D virtual imaging of actual football match situations to support education and further training and development of referees.
Expected Project Outcomes:	For referees: For referees Innovative referee training opportunities resulting in improved referee practices during matches, thus leading to a better image of referees among players, football fans and sports journalists. For others: Opportunity for everybody (players, journalists, general public, or referee prospects) to try out the actual job of a referee at various levels of the game. For teams: Applying the project and suggested methods will enable us to achieve higher accuracy of decision-making and, especially, improve the fairness of matches, during which a referee’s single mistake can impact the whole match. This clear concept will prevent speculations and guesses concerning the role of a referee that often occur.
Project Description:	A current training centre located in Prague will be used, expanded by a new building serving as a control centre. Within the training and/or testing, the referee will be wearing a pair of virtual reality glasses and a handsfree sound system, by means of which he will be shown various play situations (remotely controlled from the control centre). He will freely move on the pitch as if it were a regular match. It will be possible to closely monitor his acts and responses. Besides, everything will be recorded for subsequent analysis. The same difficult situations can be shown several times, each time from a different point of view or under varying circumstances in order for the referee to develop a routine ability to identify and solve them. The centre will be open not just to current referees, but also to people considering such position or just wanting to try out what refereeing is like. The openness could initiate a discussion on possible reform of referee role in future in terms of new technologies available.

Further points discussed within the project paper:

• Discrepancy between up-to-date imaging technologies and unchanged conditions for referee work
• Referee professionalization
• Radio communication within the referee team
• Changing role of referee assistants
• Should we change the number of referees acting in a match? The role of mentor referees during a match
• Making refereeing junior matches more attractive for referees

 

IVSR - International Virtual School for Referees

This project has been registered with the patent office and provided with a trademark.
Project author: Robert Henn, Czech Republic

My aim is to establish – also with UEFA (FIFA) assistance – a referee training centre in Prague, which is sometimes called the “heart of Europe” and is therefore perfectly accessible. Within the project, an existing training centre will be made use of – we will only need to agree on the conditions of its use. It will be only necessary to build its main building, having the shape of a whistle and serving as control centre and background. (See the enclosed drawing.)
Then, we can start a brand new, major and comprehensive “reform” of referee education and development, and open the issue of referee role to the public.
The fact that the project has been designed for really all referees (and other persons) at all levels with no exceptions, and not only for a few “luckier” ones, represents one of its advantages. The project meets the conditions and purpose for all the ones who want to perform the role of a referee or who want to be involved in it. Besides, this unique project will give us a tool for the maximum extent of referee development and, at the same time, open the issue of differing opinions on the role of the referee to the public.
As the above mentioned varying opinions on referees represent a topic being discussed all over the world by everybody and all the time, the main goal of this project is to aid the decision on the referee issue by means of virtual (simulated) reality in space (views from different angles through virtual glasses with natural eye and sound effects, and a changing view depending on the needs of real environment).

Within the training, the referee will start standing on a playing field of standard measurements. He will be wearing a pair of virtual reality glasses with a handsfree sound system, by means of which he will be shown individual play situations together with other phenomena that may anytime occur in real environment. The recordings will be played from the so called main observation centre, the COCKPIT, which will be the main room equipped with technologies and attended by operators; everything will be controlled remotely and recorded. Following the recording shown to him, the referee (or a regular person) being tested will freely move on playing field and use his own memory and mind as if it were a real match – which he will be able to see through the virtual glasses. Everything will be as realistic and natural as possible. During the test, it will be possible to precisely observe the technique of running, signalisation style, mimics and other characteristics related to the job of a referee. In the next step, individual situations dealt with by the referee will be analyzed. They will be replayed from several points of view and together with other influences in order to find the best solution, but especially in order to enable the referee (or regular person) become acquainted with the way such situations were seen, solved, how they felt.

I have been looking for ways to support and, especially, improve the role of the referee. Ways that would help eliminate errors in dealing with questionable moments in order to achieve the best possible quality and fairness of the game and to decrease the impact of referee (human) error rate to the lowest possible level. Referee role is one of the most criticized ones. It is said that a referee’s mistake impacts the whole match. Having seen several shots and viewpoints of different cameras, it is easy to say: “It was absolutely clear, the referee must have seen it!” And that is where criticizing the referees starts. Let us give the referees the same, good quality conditions as well, and then only we can discuss their mistakes properly and understand why they saw and solved a situation differently than the others might have seen it. Referees cannot defend themselves because they cannot show the public what they actually saw during that fraction of a second. That is why this project aims to enable everybody to try out what is possible to see in such situations and how they can decide and respond themselves. They may make a different decision each time the same situation is replayed, they may make a not fully correct decision as a result of various impacts that may occur before, during and after the match. The majority of referees are successful at work, some hold high-rank positions and are university educated. Why do we let the public criticize – sometimes unjustly – and humiliate them? Such criticism is sometimes personal and impacts their private lives. Here, the best solution would be the professionalization of referees, and showing the public what is possible to see for humans.
Referees are only human and may make mistakes, but also players make several mistakes during each match (and there are eleven players in each team, whereas only one referee and two AR´s for the whole playing field who should see in fact everything). When a player makes a play mistake or does not score a penalty kick, which also impacts the match, nothing happens and he continues playing in subsequent matches. “Lack of team confidence” is then blamed or it is just concluded: “It happens.” However, when a referee makes a mistake, the fact is viewed in a completely different way. WHY? ARE BOTH THE REFEREE AND THE PLAYER NOT HUMAN BEINGS HAVING THE SAME POSSIBILITIES AND OBSERVING THE SAME RULES??? It is the referee who is often publicly criticized and considered the main culprit so that the others are not called account to the club management. In fact it is very easy to blame the referee as it is easier to replace one referee rather than the whole team or more players or officials – and this is a global problem.
This project is therefore currently the best aid to develop referees. It is necessary to make use of the realistic referee’s view, which may be obtained by putting a micro-camera on referee’s head and shooting from the height of the referee’s eyes; it will show us how and when the referee actually can see individual situations. It will let us get to know and show the spectators that in a real situation it is not always possible to see everything in the same accurate way as via several cameras in different viewpoints including slow replays, enabling to detect wrong decisions, improper position standing, and other important moments (TV shots only confuse the public and prevent them from the actual (real) viewpoint of the referee).

The role of the referee is the one observed the most and criticized heavily when it comes to questionable moments. In the world of football, something gets improved every year (balls, football boots, better playing field, background, environment and conditions for players, strips, etc.) Stadiums are equipped with more and more TV cameras enabling different points of view from all sides where individual situations can be seen precisely including their slow replays, whereas the referee only has his one point of view. One of the main links in the football chain has been “left aside” in terms of innovations – THE REFEREE. FIFA & UEFA should either ban slow replays of questionable moments on TV (as it has been done in stadiums) and thus give the spectators the same one single point of view within a little fraction of a second, or give the referees the same conditions and technologies so as everybody has the same possibilities. Referees should not be blamed as the only culprits, they do not even have a means to defend themselves by showing how they actually saw the given situation. Some TV commentators, journalists, coaches or spectators do not even know the rules of the game properly and have never acted in the role of a referee. Therefore, their evaluations represent only their own or even quoted opinions. The suggested project shall make it possible for all spectators to try out what the job of a referee actually is like.

Primarily, the project intends to get to know and improve referees using PC virtual reality. Via the glasses and sound system, the referee will get replayed individual moments from a match, and he will naturally respond to them and freely move around the playing field. Rough tackles for the ball or without the ball, hand play, elbow hits, simulation in penalty area, mimics, weather, spectators, etc. – all common situations a referee has to be ready to deal with. The situations will be shown to the referee from different points of view so that he becomes proficient in dealing with them, in choosing better position standing and, especially, in decoding them. Such training can help him get a better feel for the game and keep the moments once trained in mind. It is the points of view that always represent the main factor influencing the referee’s response to a particular moment. What we want is to use the various points of view to help the referee gain a kind of reflexive proficiency with the given situations. The referee’s psychological state is very important as well, and that is why he should get the opportunity to improve his skills in a better way. It is no longer sufficient to watch videos with questionable situations at workshops taking place twice to four times a year. Each referee needs to go through such situations, try them out and be constantly ready for them. Within that hundredth of a second he can hardly recall what was said at the workshop. He needs to make the decision instantly and does not have time to think of videos shown during workshops, taking several hours. He needs to automatize such situations, and that is what the virtual project, constantly preparing the referee’s brain for immediate decisions, shall provide.

The project shall improve referees´ way of observing the field and their decision-making. The referee will always remain a human being, he will never become a robot. The referee spends at least 90 minutes running in the field, and there are other factors interfering with the natural processes of his body and mind (fatigue, difficult moments during the match, behaviour of spectators and officials, climatic conditions such as rain, cold, hot, crackers, etc.) so his psychological state cannot be perfect all the time. This project shall give us the opportunity to assess the real impact of the above mentioned factors on referee’s body and concentration in the course of the match (heart rate, correct breathing, etc.).
In addition to that, no one takes into account the fact that the referee has his own private life as there have been problems with referee professionalization. The said represents “another obstacle” preventing the referee from having a clear mind and being concentrated on the match only. Referee professionalization should be seriously taken into account as it would create the same conditions for the referees as for the others; they could focus on football and free themselves of other burdens. Professionalization would improve the quality or referees in an enormous way – they would become much more secure, relaxed and precise.

We all know that private lives (marriage, family, employment, etc.) have a huge impact on our activities. We all know that there are many factors that can disturb a person’s psychological comfort, but no one pays any attention to that in terms of referees. They often drive long distances to get to matches, sometimes directly from work (and some of them have extraordinarily difficult jobs), and the travel may cause tiredness, lack of concentration and relaxedness during the match, which is an important factor. But no one cares. Referees always manage what is required from them.
Improvements have been everywhere, but for the referee, who is under heavy pressure, not much has changed. In fact only beep flags and, now, handsfree sets – good communication devices, but we know that the decision remains on the referee and that the assistant only uses the device in exceptional cases. Besides, this equipment has been only used in the highest-level competitions, and not everywhere.

I am surprised by the low rate of using the expensive communicators in practice. Why are they used only 90 minutes in the highest competitions and remain unused for the rest of time? Such equipment should be used especially by inexperienced referees and, in particular, by referees in lower competitions where such devices could be made the maximum use of as difficult and questionable situations occur as well, and such devices could help solve them. It is mutual cooperation and communication between the assistants what is important for further development. At the moment, it looks as if there should not be any team work, and the referee should decide on everything himself. Nevertheless, there is a number of situations where it is the assistant who should interfere. I do not understand why we resist more intense communication and, thus, push the assistants aside. Such situations may result in personal disagreements between R´s and AR´s. On the contrary, they should be interconnected as much as possible so they could trust each other. And that is another area where this new project will be helpful.

While players are mostly full professionals and can concentrate on football only and, besides, there are eleven of them on the playing field so they can substitute for each other, this does not apply to referees. The project shall give us opportunity to check the psychological state and strength of referees. Within the training, situations occurring under common circumstances, but also in bad or hot weather will be replayed. Situations taking place in front of a full stadium of quality leagues as well as in front of a few people complaining during the whole match, offending the referee and spending time on things completely different than the match. We all know that also such situations occur quite frequently, in some countries even on higher levels. Only making use of the suggested project, we will be able to see the actual personality of a referee, his intrinsic psychology and strength, whether he can manage both difficult situations within lower quality matches and easier situations of higher level competitions (UEFA, FIFA) where refereeing is more relaxed and much more confident, with support for the referee – unfortunately, not in all countries or competitions the referee has the support of the respective committee or management. The project shall make it possible to compare why different referees dealt with the same situation differently.

Many referees focus only on their own competitions and levels and “do not care” of lower or upper levels. Many of them have their own specific ways of refereeing, which they consider the right ones. And that is a major problem, i.e. there is not a clear opinion on the role of the referee as a whole. It should be united and harmonised so that referees know how to referee and decide. At the moment, each party tells them to do something else.

Further, this project will be beneficial for good quality preparation (for any situations) of starting referees, willing to take up the role. It is time to deal with the falling number of young referees who are often unable to face the pressures, unpleasant environments and offences aimed at referees and frequently give up the role before they really start to perform it. The project will be very important and advantageous for educating new referees, for strengthening their psychological endurance, their personality. For testing what they can bear and what can influence them.
You all must have noticed that football has become much faster and, thus, referees are required to be more physically fit. And I have hardly seen a referee drinking during the match in order to replenish liquids & minerals while exerting heavy physical performance. Also this may be one of the main causes of a referee’s mistakes, lack of concentration, reflexes, or inadequate responses. And replenishing liquids while exerting physical effort – and a referee does a lot of running – is an elementary thing.

The project will also facilitate the development of assistants. There are more and more complicated offside situations and moments related to AR´s. AR´s have to deal with several things at once (screaming spectators in their vicinity; warming up players behind their back; changing advertising panels within their field of vision; camera flashlights; officials giving instructions; necessity to check that treated players do not run into the field without permission, etc.). Shortly, the environment changes all the time. It has been known that it is not possible for people to visually respond to tight offside situations, but such situations may be observed, practised and improved using this project.
All the said may influence and influences some of the referee’s responses as his brain and eyes naturally react to such triggers (sound and other changes influencing a person’s movements and reactions). This method will help refine signalization and other major decisions. Difficult situations will be repeatedly shown to assistants so they can get used to them. Within the training, we will be able to see when and how they react and, subsequently, improve their assessment.
The method may be also used to support cooperation of the referee triad, to practise signals, get used to working with each other and simply train. They should continuously practise natural and common situations all together so an extraordinary event (which may suddenly occur) does not surprise them, and they are able to respond immediately and precisely.

The method of displaying individual situations including sound on a large screen (similarly as in the case of golf), where the floor or shoes will have a movable chip and the assistant’s actual moves will be shown on screen, or a closed room with 3D visualisation displayed on all walls; the referee will be positioned in the middle, responding to situations happening around him. Individual tight and questionable situations will be solved, analysed and explained in terms of supporting team collaboration and making clear what assistants are expected and required to do.
Today and in the highest competitions, it is no longer possible to leave everything only up to three (or four) referees. Football has become much faster, harder and more technical. It is heavily watched and, therefore, “only” three referees are not enough any more – IN MY OPINION, IT IS TIME FOR A RADICAL CHANGE. In my opinion, a fourth (or fifth) referee should be used. Provided with a communication device, he would be by the TV screens where he would have a clear view from the camera behind the AR´s, and at the moment of a pass he would be able to immediately tell the R and AR´s whether it is an offside position or not. He could also assist with questionable moments in the penalty area (hand play, simulation) where instant response is important as well as an additional point of view. He would only assist with unclear and questionable situations that later lead to speculations and criticism of referees. Otherwise there would not be any interfering in fluent game management by referees. I do not see any reasons against the described way of cooperation and communication among referees to create a “more confident and more precise” team.
Today all sports use technologies to improve communication, and coaches give instructions to players. So why should also referees not communicate among each other in an increased extent, including – for instance – the so called observers on stands (experienced former referees) who could assist them with advise, guidance and necessary instructions (via communicators) even during a match (also to support their psychological condition, etc.)? These are, in my opinion, effective means to solve elementary issues of today’s football; they have their purpose and reason and can be implemented without any difficulties.

Another really important step is the opportunity to let others try out the referee role. To show everybody (spectators, officials, players, journalists, etc.) that it is not easy and what referees have to cope with. Unless people get the chance to try out how being a referee feels, the image of referees will not change. But we do need to change it, to improve it and make it more credible. Having tried it out, people will hopefully realize that a referee is the same human being as they, differing only in having chosen the role of a referee and performing it voluntarily – unlike those who just criticize without being brave enough to try out. People will realize how difficult and important the referee role is and its image could improve.

The project will further enable assessing a referee’s performance using his actual point of view. We all will be able to check what exactly he could see and based on that evaluate his decisions. Thanks to having access to what exactly a referee can see, we will be able to find real reasons for referees´ mistakes. This project and the described real situation method will bring more accuracy and improvement and, in future, will prevent erroneous decisions from occurring. The current state that we are able to decide on a questionable moment only after checking several different camera shots including slow replays and then discuss the erroneous nature of such decision is obviously absurd. We need to base our assessment on the referee’s natural view, on what he can really see within the match.
So let us provide referees with minicameras, nowadays readily available, at the height of their eyes. Like handsfree communicators, they are not uncomfortable, and we will be able to find out what exactly a human being can see while constantly running around, influenced by moving players, the ball and other factors that may interfere with his field of vision, his psychological comfort, responsiveness and concentration (including rain and, in particular, shadows). During sunset, shadows are constantly changing on a part of the playing field and the low sun shining directly to the referee’s eyes disturbs his view and awareness of the assistant. You have surely experienced the feeling of seeing differently, blurred after having looked directly to the sun. All the above mentioned factors impact assessing momentary play situations.
Eyes may be further disturbed by strong halogen stadium lights – especially in the case of high centred kicks; camera flashlights; moving fans – sometimes even throwing things; or moving advertising panels. All that also applies to the most complicated and the most closely watched space – the penalty area – where such disturbances may disconcert the referee and decrease the level of his concentration. All these moments difficult for the eye reduce accuracy and, thus, may lead to unexpected reactions and decisions on questionable situations. This project will increase accuracy as well as performance. It will also let us understand the reasons behind particular decisions.
Regular meetings of experienced referees and specialists from all over the world should be organized two to three times a year. There has to be support for referees, and they have to use the opportunities to improve their performance.
I do not want to justify referees´ mistakes. I do not want to say referees should be perfect robots. I only want to draw your attention to the fact that a referee’s role is really difficult and until now, nobody has really dealt with issues concerning referees in such a detailed way. Referee role is usually assessed as it is and where (on which level) it is. However, all referees – from beginners to the most experienced ones – need to be taken as a whole, otherwise the public will never understand what referees are like and what they need to cope with. And it is this project that will show the public who a REFEREE is and let them try it out.

In particular, the project represents a perfect training method for new, starting referees that we need. They will be monitored all the time and then shown individual moments including their reactions. The same moments will be trained again and again in order to improve the quality of referee performance. The project will benefit referees from all over the world. And not only male referees, it could also improve female referees, our equal partners and significant personalities in the world of football. Referees surely deserve being treated on a professional level, using current technologies offering a number of advantages helping them improve, yet remain who they are – human beings.

The question why the so called radios are not used in the 21st century when even children have their own mobile phones should be reconsidered. With the radio technology, the referee has a small speaker in his ear and he is able to hear information, advice and solutions from the MENTOR – an experienced referee watching the match from a different position and angle and having a transmitter. Like expensive communicators, these devices should be used much more frequently. Not just for those 90 minutes of a professional-level match, where – by the way – their use is not that important and they are not sufficiently exploited, but especially within friendly matches, representing a practice for players, but also an important practice for referees. Referees must not come to these matches unmotivated, just wishing them “to be over”. It is exactly this type of matches that can be used to test various situations and better solutions of them. Such testing or training may be useful for other types of competition and, in particular, for inexperienced referees who we could immediately help by advising them on appropriate responses, positions, or decisions concerning questionable and exceptional situations. Is it so difficult to create the same conditions for referees as for others?
I am not calling for something exceptional or luxurious. I just want us to do our best to decrease the number of referee errors and to improve the image of referees. And the method suggested within this project can always show us why things happened and how they were dealt with and why.
Especially referee schools should have the best equipment to educate young referees (immediate reaction and advice directly to their ears – on appropriate position standing, whistle tone, gestures, run, mimics, etc.). Also active referees should undergo further training of this type, i.e. getting comments immediately while managing the match, not later on, when things get forgotten and do not bring fun any more.
It is time to give referees the feeling they are important, they are not only “pawns” that we do not want to support across all levels. The referee represents one of the main links in the chain of football (team sport), the one exposed to the highest pressure on individual basis.

Unfortunately, my dream to manage an international match could not come true because of a health problem that occurred after a longer problem period in 2000. Then being a second league referee, I had to give up my referee career at a young age. Since then, I have been interested in the referee issue into the smallest detail. I have been trying to work with referees and observe them “from the other side” (as official or delegate in committees, as a regular person openly talking to them with no taboos). I have been trying to understand referees´ psychological processes in various situations – being it their work, private moments, get-togethers including their partners, excluding their partners, small meetings, workshops, sports events, etc. And also the named situations can suggest why a referee reacts rather impulsively one time, but really enjoys the game, is rather nicer and less energetic or nervous another time. Such situations can show his psychological tuning and other aspects being usually influenced by private life.

This project may lead to fulfilling my and other peoples´ dream to referee a – well, only virtual – interesting match of any level (World Cup, Championship League, UEFA Cup, the Olympics, etc.). Not all of us have been so lucky to really referee such matches, but the project can keep referees motivated, which is the aim of football both as a profession and as a hobby.
 
 

Refereeing junior matches

I further suggest introducing a new method of refereeing junior matches to increase their quality and attractiveness for referees. Matches would be refereed by two referees without assistants, each being in charge of one half of the field and positioned in the assistant’s usual location to check offside positions – which is not difficult in this type of competition. During the match, each of them could freely leave the position to solve situations requiring their personal interference and then return back. I have been testing this method at tournaments for three years and even the teams really like it. The referee is, thus, not in the children’s way as it is sometimes very difficult to find a good position when the balls keep going over. We could also save a referee, which would help solve the problem of lack of referees for the high number of matches played nowadays. And, above all, such refereeing brings more fun to referees and is therefore more attractive for them.
 
 

Comments on Novelty – Five Referees, two out of them Goal Referees

I have heard about the tested five-referee setting with two so called goal referees who should be able to see penalty area situations better. However, this approach will still not solve the main issues of fairness and questionable moments. The public will criticize the additional referee as well, referees will blame each other of the mistakes done, and the cameras will show a different, a more exact result again. Each referee has a different game feel as well as a different point of view. Several referees will never come to the same decision as a number of other factors play a role. Besides, the referee will be standing near the goal line and, thus, represent a kind of “target” for spectators. Such position could also discompose the goalkeeper as well as other players in terms of vision, i.e. seeing a person (referee) near the goal while shooting. Moreover, the referee will be positioned at the most critical spot and that is why the ball could hurt him on his face.
The referee’s psychological state and concentration might be further worsened by the necessity to stand on spot (during play-wise unattractive matches), during steady rain, cold weather, surrounded by screaming fans throwing various objects or crackers, etc. Such circumstances may, again, result in decrease of the referee’s concentration and, consequently, reduced exactness of situation assessment. In my opinion, it would be more effective to put the 4th or 5th referee in front of a TV screen where he would watch the match and have the possibility to see instant shots including slow replays. I do not think there are so many situations requiring slow replay that the match would get too delayed or even degraded. The aim is to enable making correct decisions and achieve the highest fairness. The TV watching referee (video referee) would not be disturbed at the most important point, could make a correct decision and immediately inform the referee in the field. For instance, if there was a fall (offence) in the penalty area and the field referee was not hundred per cent sure what happened, he could interrupt the match and wait for a few seconds for the video referee to tell him whether it was a penalty kick, simulation or whether it was alright. The video referee would get the necessary replay within approximately 5 seconds. In the meantime, the field referee would try to calm down the players. Considering players´ timewasting towards the end of the match, a destructive impact of protracting caused by occasional waiting for TV referee’s information is out of question. On the contrary, a single incorrectly decided situation may have a negative impact on the match as a whole, and that is exactly what is necessary to prevent. Using a video referee will lead to more precise decision-making in general and, as a result, players, officials and the public will not question individual decisions. In my opinion, they will gladly accept such method, which represents currently the most precise way and will increase fairness of the game.
It would be a mistake not to make use of TV shots for decision-making in the 21st century as it was the TV cameras that have taken the natural overview and decision-making power away from referees. Not even ten referees in the pitch will ever be able to “beat” modern technologies and their precision. I appreciate that you have been trying to keep the referee role natural, but we have to admit that human beings cannot see everything. My suggestion would only be used for deciding on questionable moments and for referee development (i.e. using the video referee as little as possible). It is the aim of my virtual reality project to train and develop referees in a more effective way.
 
 

Logo Description

The logo shows the role of a football referee as well as the meaning of the project.

The halved football shall stress the fact that brain (mind, reasoning, memory, etc.) is always used while refereeing and it will remain so even if virtual reality is applied; the “ball” part of the football shall suggest making use of experience and views of football environment. The flag shapes shall symbolize assistants: the first flag has a symbol of playing field with a whistle, a referee’s indispensable tool, in the middle where the referee always starts the match. The other flag is commonly used by assistants and its colours include both yellow and red, colours so useful and important for the job of a referee.
 
 

My own opinion and idea

This paper is to express my own personal opinion on the role of a referee. I have experience as referee and delegate; I have been member of several specialized referee committees. I closely follow foreign leagues and competitions including championship tournaments in all age categories. Based on that experience, I can conclude stating that the quality and style of refereeing varies significantly, and that is why I intend to trigger a major change in the referee role by means of this project.

This project has been registered with the patent office and provided with a trademark.
Project author: Robert Henn, Czech Republic
Logo author: Kramlová Eliška and Robert Henn
Project manager: Robert Henn and Pavel Říha, EDR ceramic s.r.o.
 
 

Press conference 4.3.2009

 

Minicam video referee

© 2009 IVSR - Robert Henn, All rights reserved.