When should a football referee blow the whistle?

Answer 1

A referee does not have to be in any specific position to blow the whistle; they could do it from anywhere they like, but obviously it will often be from somewhere near any foul that occurred or at least near the play at the time.

Answer 2

Most referees carry two whistles, one for regular gameplay and a second as a backup or safety whistle. The second whistle usually has a different pitch or tone, and is usually a different color (often color-coordinated with the uniform).

A popular whistle is made by Fox 40 International. They have a huge catalog of whistles for a variety of activities, including sports officiating. Below are a few options to consider when choosing your whistle.

1. How noisy is your crowd? If yours games typically attract large, noisy crowds, you'll want a louder whistle. For more restrained groups, a 90 dBA whistle might be fine. The 110-115 range is common, with some whistles achieving loudnesses over 120 dBA.

2. How will you carry it? Many referees use wrist lanyards, some with Velcro attachments. If you want to use a regular around-the-neck lanyard, be sure to get one with a breakaway device, so that if it gets grabbed or caught it won't choke you. Another popular option is a finger grip, similar to those used by referees in Ice Hockey; the whistle will always be where your hand is, so you don't have to re-grab or hunt for it, but it means that while you're blowing it, your hand will be occupied.

3. Is comfort an issue? For a little extra money, you can get cushioned or "soft" mouth grips and finger grips (if you use that option). If you work a lot of games or have sensitive skin, or just want to spend a could of extra dollars for a better whistle, that might be a good option. If you work only occasionally or are on a tight budget, then it's not necessary.

4. Durability: You can get a cheap plastic whistle for 99¢ some places, but you can't expect that it will endure falling to the ground, getting stepped on, getting caked in mud, getting struck by a player or ball, or "borrowed" and played with by children or pets. All refs should have a backup whistle anyway, but you can't expect the second one to be any better than the first, right?

5. Style: Some leagues are picky about the professional appearance of their officials, even regulating the color-coordination of socks, shoes, wristbands, and yes, whistles. A pink whistle with hearts and sparkle might not fit into that requirement (then again, it might!).

6. To pea or not to pea: Most soccer officials use pea-less whistles because they tend to be more resistance to weather and aging, and produce an easily-recognizable tone, more similar to a sharp train whistle. Others prefer the more "traditional" pea whistles (the pea is that little ball that blows around in the whistle chamber), but this is a diminishing preference.

7. Evil fans: If you can afford it, it might be a good idea to keep a few whistles in your bag that produce different tones and pitches, especially if fans sit close to the field and might bring their own whistles to interfere with the game. If you are unable to eject them from the field area (one of the referee's abilities under the Laws of the Game), changing to a different whistle so that players and coaches aren't confused might be a viable option.

Your whistle is one of your best friends on the field. Get a good one (or two) and treat it well. Just don't overuse it (like when the ball goes out, and everyone knows it's out, and they're ready to throw it in... just let it happen), because an overused whistle tends to desensitize players; you want your whistle to mean something.

Answer 3

hard and loud