Referees helped with handling stress
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Article summary
Leading Swiss sports psychologist Mattia Piffaretti has been brought in by UEFA to help the referees at UEFA EURO 2008™ cope with the pressures of the role.
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Essential component
A regular at UEFA referee courses, Piffaretti's tasks are an essential component of the refereeing team's activities at their tournament headquarters in Regensdorf, close to Zurich. "Refereeing today is a top-level occupation," he told euro2008.com. "The mental work expected for referees in today's football is as high as for top-level athletes. As this project started three years ago, this allowed me to start working and gain the confidence of the referees. Today, I have the opportunity to do my job during EURO 2008™.
No distractions
"If [referees] are to take charge at such a high level. they have to be capable of handling the stress in the optimum way, of concentrating and getting rid of distractions around the event. They have to be confident, to make up their mind swiftly in highly ambiguous situations. My work is to bring already existing resources out of the referee, which he makes use of at other international or national events, and to apply them within a particular framework such as this tournament."
Briefings and debriefings
What does this entail? "This is primarily systematic work, with briefings before the match and debriefings after it," added Piffaretti. "In a briefing we work on the objectives, the expectations set for the referees and how they will achieve them during the match so as to reach the maximum of their performance. During debriefings we evaluate the targets given to them, and I also give the referee a chance to release the inner tension of a match in order for him to relax and get prepared calmly for the next match."
Great pleasure
Hard work – but enjoyable nevertheless. Piffaretti is relishing the opportunity to use his skills in such a rarified atmosphere as UEFA EURO 2008™. "It's a great pleasure for me. I try to provide the referees with the answers and pieces of advice they need to hear at this particular moment of their career. They are also living this moment with joy, calmness and with the necessary attention in order to perform at 100 per cent."