GO Indoor

course, to recognize him or her. Every team has at least one. As with each personaliFinal in a Series ty type, the more competitive by Said Sanhoury, USIndoor Director of Officials the team, the more obvious e conclude our series of articles on game each one of the three types becomes. preparation with the "peacemaker." A good referee should not take the peacemaker Readers may recall the first article, which for granted, for it is in this role that the player feels introduced the concept of the three personality important. Communicate with the peacetypes that referees should be prepared to manage. In maker, respect him or her, and, when our second and third installment, we covered the appropriate, allow the player to "enforcer" and the "lawyer." exercise control over his or her Quite apart from the enforcer, whose physical bul- team or teammates. Clearly, lying and rough style of play are intended to intimi- there may be moments when a date the opposition, and the lawyer, whose style can player can better reason with a be more to "browbeat" the referee, the peacemaker teammate than can the referee. can be a valuable ally. Consequently, giving a little attenThe peacemaker is motivated by the personal sat- tion to the peacemaker, the referisfaction from mediating differences and achieving ee gains a lot and establishes an peaceful resolution. His or role is often apparent not "insurance policy" in the event that only in dealings with the referee, but also with the the referee really needs him or her. player's own teammates and the opposition. KnowThe peacemaker is like an "ace in the ing the personalities on his or her team, he can actu- hole.." You should be careful not to expect him or ally diffuse tensions on the field before the referee is her to do your job or rely on the peacemaker with even aware of them. The referee is a close second, any regularity. Quite the contrary: If the peacemaker however. Therefore, an experienced referee will is perceived by his or her teammates as not on their watch for early signs of flaring tempers through the side, they will reject him -- perhaps even more veheeyes of the peacemaker and acknowledge his or her mently than they would you. Therefore, you must role. remember and respect the fact that the peacemaker The first step in utilizing the peacemaker is, of is a player first. His or her enduring loyalty is and Referee Tips: Game Preparation W should remain to his team and teammates. Your placing the peacemaker in an improper role risks losing him or her as your ally. As important as being able to identify the peacemaker, therefore, is the development of your sense of where that boundary lies between player and ally. In most cases, the peacemaker is best left alone. Only call upon him or her when your control over a player or game is in jeopardy, and even then only with subtlety. The best referees can do this without anyone knowing -- even the peacemaker. With experience, a good referee can learn to recognize, prepare for, and utilize the players on the field as well as he or she can his knowledge of the rules and technique. We hope that our series, describing the enforcer, lawyer, and peacemaker, has enabled you to improve the way in which you approach the game and that it will elevate your performance. For more indoor refereeing tips, e-mail us with your questions or subscribe to USIndoor's free Referee Newsletter at Ref@USIndoor.com. We would also be pleased to help you with questions about USIndoor's indoor referee training and certification program. Yours in indoor soccer, Said A SK TH E REF Dear Ref: I've read from GOAL Indoor that the M ISL k eeps score with a " 3-point system" and uses a " Yellow Line." Can you please ex plain what they are? Nellie, Oklahoma City, OK Regulation MISL Field Dear Nellie, Good questions. Unlike many of its predecessors and most existing indoor soccer facilities, the M ajor Indoor Soccer League plays under a 3-Point System. This means that for every goal that a team scores from or beyond the T "Three-Point A rc" the team receives 3 points. (See the diagram to the left.) The Three-Point Arc is also called the 4 "45-f oot A rc," because of the distance from the center of the Goal Line to the top of the arc. All other goals are 2 points, even Shootout goals, which had been worth 1 point prior to the 2002-2003 season. The main purpose of the Yellow L ines is to demarcate illegal forward passes that cross both of them in the air Y without touching another player. This is known as a "Yellow-Line Violation" or a "Three-Line Violation," the third T line being the Half way Line. While the Yellow Line has other uses, such as in connection with a Shootout and certain Restar ts, the main purpose of the Yellow-Line Violation is to require teams to work their way up the field rather than to permit a style of play that amounts to no more than one long ball after another. Think of it this way: Outdoor soccer has the Of f -Sides Rule; indoor soccer has the Three-Line Violation. For a comparison of the MISL rules, The Official Rules of Indoor Soccer for youth and amateur play may be ordered online from USIndoor's "Publications" page. Said Sanhoury, USIndoor Director of Officials ref@usindoor.com G O A L I n d o o r • Oct.-Nov. 2002 • 27

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