Scott Kidson is a current F-league referee and has been an FIFA listed Futsal referee since 2007. In addition to the F-League, Scott has refereed at a range of international tournaments including the Final of 2015 AFC Futsal Club Championship in Iran.
He shares some of his insights on being an elite Futsal referee.
How did you become involved in refereeing?
I had refereed football as a kid, but got in to futsal refereeing by doing a course when I was running a futsal centre. I wanted to qualify so I could do the job properly in case we were ever without an appointed referee. It all spiralled amazingly from there.
Can you describe a week in the life of a Futsal referee?
Futsal is all year round, so there is regular local, State League or National F-League matches that require referees. I enjoy doing amateur triathlon outside of football, so general fitness training for me is "swim, ride and run". I do some dedicated training on futsal specific movement also. I then fit all of that in between normal work and family commitments.
What do you do to keep a balance between your personal, professional and refereeing life?
It's difficult. For an AFC futsal referee, our international competition is tournament based, so we are away for a week or more each appointment. I have had six appointments for tournaments and courses in the last 12 months. Being able to juggle family with work and refereeing is always a delicate thing and an interesting challenge. Thankfully my family are very supportive of my refereeing and help out whenever they can.
How do you keep focused during a match and not let emotions influence decisions?
As an ex-player, I'm a student of the game. I am personally interested in the tactics and the player movement so it is easy for me to stay focused on the action. I'm not sure that completely divorcing emotion from decision making is the best policy though. Using your emotion in a controlled way to make and convey decisions can be an effective tool in getting your point across to the players.
In your opinion, what has been the biggest change in Futsal in recent years?
The interest surrounding it. All forms of the game are growing. Our national teams and leagues are garnering larger support and bigger followings. Futsal participation in NSW is up 15% this year. I'm hoping that interest in futsal continues to build, especially now that AFC have introduced Women's and Youth futsal tournaments.
What is the key to building positive relationships with players and coaches?
Understanding their point of view and helping them understand mine. I have had a lot of success with explaining on field decisions. Even if they player doesn't agree with my call, I can let them know why I made it and usually they respect that even if they disagree.
What do you consider to be the most important characteristic of an elite referee?
Knowledge of the game. That's not just knowing the Laws, but also reading play; what players options are and what they might do both on and off the ball. It gives you the best chance to be in the right place at the right time to make the right call.
What match or moment stands out as a highlight in your refereeing career?
I've been involved in a few great games but the FIFA World Cup Second Round group game between Iran and Italy in 2008 is still the highlight. The teams were playing for second in the group and a semi-final place. It was intense game where Iran had to win to progress. The game was goal for goal with Iran leading 4-3 late on but Italy equalised with less than a minute to go ensuring their progress. It was an intense and exciting experience to be a part of.