FRANKFURT, Germany - World Cup referees told teams in the tournament
to behave - or else.
"We are determined to act together," English referee Graham Poll told The
Associated Press on Monday. "We're all going to be battling together against
cheating, elbowing and time-wasting to make sure the games flow well."
FIFA vice president and head of refereeing Angel Maria Villar Llona said FIFA
was considering pressing for "divers" to be penalized with a red card. Villar
Llona said FIFA may ask its international board of lawmakers to change the
punishment from a yellow to a red card permanently after the World Cup.
The tournament's youngest referee, 32-year-old Mark Shield of Australia, will
take charge of the Tunisia-Saudi Arabia match on June 14. Shield, a part-time
referee who runs two businesses in his home city of Brisbane, said the
tournament had "taken up my entire life for over a year."
"The preparations have gone on for almost 16 months for this tournament,"
said Shield, who also officiated at the 2002 World Cup.
The referees, talking to journalists in the gardens of their plush hotel in
woodlands outside Frankfurt, said FIFA wanted them to be consistent throughout
the tournament.
"We're all going out to see the players and they'll all be getting the same
message about diving and time-wasting," Poll said.
Poll said players who delay throws or leave the field slowly when substituted
will face automatic yellow cards in Germany under changes introduced for the
World Cup.
Belgium's referee Frank de Bleeckere, who passed a late fitness test to make
the final list of 21 tournament referees, said he intended to get his message
across quickly to players in his first match, Argentina vs. Ivory Coast on
Saturday.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter met with World Cup referees last week.
"I gave them only one instruction: to protect the good games and to protect
the good players, and to pay special attention to the devil that has come into
our game — elbowing," Blatter said in Munich.
Italy's Roberto Rosetti had to pull out all his refereeing diplomacy to evade
questions about the scandal that has engulfed Italian soccer, including senior
referees.
Italy's original candidate as referee in Germany was withdrawn at the request
of the Italian soccer federation.
"I'm concentrating on the tournament and having a good match with Mexico and
Iran," Rosetti said, adding that he did not anticipate a flood of yellow and red
cards in early matches as happened at past tournaments.
Villar Llona said 15 FIFA instructors were visiting team camps this week to
inform players of the changes in the rules.
"We are sure that the refereeing at this World Cup will be the very best. We
have done our utmost to make sure this is the case," Villar Llona said.
A team of French referees may not get the chance to officiate after one of
the referee's assistants was injured during training. Referees at the World Cup
are operating as teams and if one member can't be on the field, the whole team
must drop out.
Benin's Coffi Codjia was excited about his first assignment as fourth
official in England's opening game against Paraguay on Saturday.
Codjia, who also officiated at the 2002 competition, said the big difference
this time will be having a team of compatriots assisting him when he gets his
first appointment as a referee later in the tournament. All 21 referees will be
the lead official at least once at this World Cup.
Villar Llona said the "trio" system of referees and their assistants
operating as teams was the biggest innovation FIFA was introducing at the World
Cup.
But whatever happens, there is sure to be criticism from coaches, players and
fans — of losing teams. Such is the lot of the referee.
