Among the referees in tournaments, there is always concern about who will referee the “big” games——the play-offs, the semi-finals and finals. This is natural enough, an indication of friendly competition among the officials. Some have called the World Cup Finals a combination of two contests: one to determine the championship, and one to determine the referee for the final.

But in any tournament, if you get one of the big games, it is a statement that you did well in the earlier matches, a sign that you have been recognized. It may even be a stepping-stone to bigger things: promotion to a higher rank; selection for more important tournaments; perhaps an indication that you may be ready for the developmental and professional leagues.

So what? I hear some readers saying. Why should that be a concern of mine? I really don’t care what the referees do among themselves, as long as they control the games well. Ah, but here’s how that “friendly competition” can affect the teams . . .

Referees who are keen to get recognized pay attention to what is being said by the person or persons who make the choices of officials for games. That might be the Tournament Director, the Chief Referee Instructor, the Chief Assessor. If there are training sessions at the tournament, all the officials hear what is expected of them, and hear what the assessors will be looking for. Now, most times those instructions will be the standard ones laid out in the Laws of the Game. But occasionally, one of the important selectors (for that is what they are) will express a personal opinion that may be a little unusual or contrary. Like what? You ask.

The best example that comes to mind at the moment is the current situation in the MLS, where under certain circumstances, referees have been instructed not to send off a player guilty of denying a goal-scoring opportunity. If the game is in the late stages, and the result is not in doubt, why send off a player who commits such a foul? If the play-offs are coming up, don’t send off a player who may have to sit out a game or two. Go easy on the second yellow card when the play-offs are near, and so on. Referees who want more games believe that they have to follow these directives, even though they know in their hearts that the directives are wrong.

So it may be in a tournament, where a referee who hears this may decide that he had better follow those instructions if he or she wants a top game. What appears to be good for the game, is in fact the exact opposite, because the potential opponents of the players who commit such fouls will now have to play against them, since the previous referee did not send the fouler off. And all because the official wanted to advance in the tournament.

What tournament organizers have to do is ensure that the people put in charge of the referees are going to issue instructions that conform to the Laws of the Game. Anything less will cause confusion and unfairness, and will not serve the players well.

But there’s more, folks, more to this tournament business and referees. My experience of more than fifty years in soccer has shown me that this worldwide sport of ours embodies almost the total range of human attributes and behavior. It has honorable people and despicable people; sinners and saints; the strong and the weak; those for whom winning is essential testimony to their uncertain worth; and those for whom winning is a little icing on the grand cake of merely playing for the fun of it.

Among referees, the competition can sometimes turn ugly. The worst case I know of was in the World Cup of 1974, when Bob Davidson of Scotland was selected for the final, and privately told so. The word got out, however, and soon words were whispered in the appropriate ears that Davidson was the linesman when a terrible off-the-ball incident occurred near him. Nothing had been called by him or the referee, and so the whisperers asked: “Can you really appoint someone to the World Cup final, after he made such an obvious mistake?” He was taken off the game, and immediately flew home in disgust and disappointment.

In international tournaments I have refereed, those same whispers flew about. “He’s an American. How can you give him the Bronze medal game?” “What does he know about football? He’s from Texas, and he’ll screw up that semi-final.” Fortunately, the Othello in charge did not listen to the malicious and scheming Iagos, and so I did the games I’d been given. I like to think I earned them. Who knows? Perhaps without the whispers, I might have done the final.

I have just read over what I have written here, and an ugly thought appears in the front of my mind, as it has many times before. I have to pass it on, because I am sure it’s news to you. The next time you participate in a youth tournament somewhere, I hope you will be reminded, as I was a moment ago, that “This is all about the kids, isn’t it?”