by Phil Washbourn (NZ), November 2005

Referee Trainer

 

 

For:

The International Wheelchair Rugby Federation (IWRF)

Oceania Zone

New Zealand Wheelchair Rugby (NZWR)

China Administration of Sports for Persons with Disabilities (CDPF)

 

 

Prior to arrival I had low expectations of the state of Chinese Wheelchair rugby.  The majority of the information I had was gained from correspondence with Eron Main, who had conducted a clinic in May of 2005, in Wuhan.  This led me to believe that while the referees may have some experience of refereeing of some description, few, if any had any experience at all of Wheelchair Rugby as a sport. I anticipated a lengthy process of training and coaching referees before game management would be at an acceptable level.  The degree of competence, experience and understanding of the Chinese referee candidates was both pleasing and satisfying, as was their achievement by the end of a week of games.

 

In this report I will describe the content of the clinic and the standard to which the Trainee referees were able to attain over the course of the tournament.  I will make some observations and recommendations for the progress of the sport in this region from here.

 

The clinic was conducted in the Hui Yuan Hotel, Wuhan, and at the Gymnasium of Hubei University, over the 6^th and 7^th of November, 2005.  It was attended by 12 trainee referees and various other individuals, of whom it was somewhat difficult to keep track, but included table officials.

All referees had been issued with a translated copy of the Rules of Wheelchair Rugby (Thanks to Liu Rong of the CDPF for arranging this) and had some understanding of the rules as a result.  All referee Trainees had previous refereeing experience, mostly with Basketball or Wheelchair Basketball. 

 

The clinic involved coverage of the rules in a seminar on the afternoon of the 6^th, including some time viewing Paralympic games footage (NZ v USA and NZ v Canada).  This was followed by some practical sessions in the Gymnasium at Hubei University on the 7th, and a final afternoon session looking at some of the guiding principles of contact.  Translation and interpretation was conducted by Mr Liu, from the Chinese Administration of Sports for Persons with Disabilities, and great thanks must go to him for his patience and diligent care in transmitting some difficult concepts across the language barrier.  The Language barrier made this a protracted process at times, and I am sure a portion of the content was lost in translation.  However, the following morning the first ever Chinese National Wheelchair rugby tournament began, and the trainees had their first opportunity to referee in competition.

The initial plan for the clinic was to have two full days of seminars and instruction, but due to the late arrival of a number of the referee trainees this was cut to one and a half days. Time was lost on the second afternoon due to a pre arranged function.  This meant that some of the planned sessions were shortened or simply not covered in sufficient detail.  Throughout the tournament it was necessary to gradually introduce rules or procedures that we did not have time to cover in detail.  I did my best to prioritise the content to ensure the games could be officiated at an appropriate level.  The consequence of this is that some aspects of the refereeing took some time to correct, and will continue to require further discussion amongst the Chinese referees. This raises the importance of continued contact with the Chinese Head Referee in order to provide further advice, clarification and assistance.  Over-riding principles like Advantage and disadvantage, relative safety and flagrance were particularly hard to communicate.  These will require time, exposure and practice to ensure Chinese referees are consistent in their application.  For the moment they tend to err on the side of caution, which had the immediate effect of limiting any significant contact between chairs or players.  This relaxed as the tournament progressed, but the referees will need opportunities to view high intensity games to fully develop a working application of these principles.

 

The completion and translation into Chinese (Mandarin) of the refereeing case book would aid this process considerably.

 

The Chinese referees have already some form of structure in place, with Liu Jie, an international Wheelchair Basketball referee (Oceania level), in place as Head Referee.  He is deputised by Han Jun, who also has International Wheelchair Basketball experience (Oceania level). 

 

Further referee meetings were organised by Liu Jie, and these were held most evenings at the Hotel.  For the most part these meetings consisted of some self review and discussion of situations.  This is a constructive process, and important in referees’ development.  Functions most evenings limited the amount of time I was able to spend at these meetings, but I was able to attend two full meetings, where further instruction and clarification could be made.  The transmission of language both ways was frustrating at times and time consuming.  In all these meetings, Liu Jie displayed excellent and unchallenged leadership of the trainees, facilitating and managing discussion.

 

The referee’s draw was overseen by Liu Jie, and each referee was able to officiate over at least 3 games (most did 4 or 5).

 

 

The first game was refereed by Eron Main and myself, in order to give the trainees an example to work from.  We followed this by each refereeing a match with a Chinese referee.  All subsequent matches were refereed by Chinese referees.

 

Most days had a full programme of six games, all on a single court.  Games were allocated 1hr10minutes, which meant there was very little time margin between games.  I assessed referee trainees each game using the Oceania referee assessment template, and debriefed them at the completion of the game.  Individual comments were compiled from each game, to be used in a report at the end of the tournament, and to assist in grading.  

 

My initial assessment was that the referee trainees were of a high standard, and some of these will require only experience in the game to become very competent officials.  The biggest issue to overcome is the standard of play that they will be exposed to in China itself. 

The first day of play was characterised by extremely slow games with single figure scores and an understandably low level of skill and intensity of play.  Players were issued with chairs at the venue for the first time, and had little time to accustom themselves to the chairs.  Many are not frequent wheelchair users, and will take some time to develop skills with the chairs. Many of the chairs are unsuited to players, and will need to be adjusted for players to perform as they potentially can.

 

It appears that attitudes to disability may be a significant hurdle to the development of a robust local game.  Wheelchair users are allowed little independence, and in some cases appear to be very dependent on support.  Local officials stressed the need for safety in the competition, but this had the effect of limiting contact to a minimum.  Not until the penultimate game of the day’s programme, involving the Local team, Hubei province, did the games gain any intensity. This game finally resembled something like wheelchair rugby and provided a test for the referees, albeit, by international standards, somewhat light.

 

Many of the low point class players have conditions such as Cerebral Palsy and Polio, and this means the level of effective function is very low.  Without the benefit of training and wheelchair skills, these players were particularly ineffective.  This, in conjunction with team attitudes towards these players, meant that they were often underutilised, commonly left to sit in the Key and only taking part in play on defense.

 

Some idiosyncrasies of the local game include a gong to sound the end of time, operated by a table official, and an analogue timer, complete with a clock face, and minute and second hands.  Consequently the penalty timekeeper had to independently time players in the penalty box because they could not clearly see the second markings, using a speed-chess clock to do so.  A flute like whistle was used by the table to attract the attention of referees.  Having said this, the table officials worked with ordered efficiency.

 

I met with the referees during the evening and attempted to clarify some rules and procedures.  Some issues remain to be completely clarified regarding the restrictions of the team bench area and coaches approaching the table.

 

Day Two of competition was characterised by an increasing confidence of players in Rugby chairs, more familiarity with the game and some attempt to apply strategies on court.  Games were still slow by international standards, but were increasingly competitive. 

 

Because of the number of trainee Referees, there is a limited opportunity for each referee to gain court time.  This is compounded by the lack of intensity in the games.  Progress is evident, particularly in the quality of signalling and positioning.  A number of areas require addressing, including the procedures surrounding Fallen players and the limits of the Bench area.  Well meaning volunteers flood the court at every spill, from all corners of the gym. 

 

Liu Jie held a  Referee’s meeting in the evening, which I was not able to attend, due to yet another pre arranged function for the visiting “Experts”, as we are termed.  Liu Jie was given a number of issues to discuss with his referees.

 

Games are becoming far more competitive and teams are beginning to demonstrate some tactical awareness, although some of the plays are a bit baffling.  A number of teams will leave low point players in the defensive key, and move the ball up court with mobile players and high pointers, attacking the key 2:4.  They have applied the key defense reasonably well, but have not yet developed a means of penetrating it. 

 

Referees show some signs of improvement, and are beginning to allow firm contact.  Confusion continues regarding pushing and Spinning Fouls, and penalty goals are not issued at all.  The language barrier is thick and time consuming, and concepts such as advantage and disadvantage can be very confusing, to the interpreter as much as the Chinese speaking referees.  Mr Liu, who departs for Beijing at the end of the day, does a very patient and considerate job of transmitting my best attempts to explain rules and situations.

 

This was the first day of the pools cross over.  For some reason play begins at 2:30pm, instead of the full day of play.  The “Foreign experts” are treated to some shopping in a Department store.

 

Refereeing continues to improve, as does the quality and intensity of games.  A number of team are still not using all four players except in defending the key area.  Other teams are showing a growing sense of awareness of the game.  Teams standing out are Hubei, Hebei, Yunnan and Jiansu.  Referees are making common mistakes as they come across new situations.  Fallen player is becoming a more common occurrence, and better managed.

 

The second round of cross over pools play is completed in the morning. In the afternoon the finals rounds begin, to establish the final rankings.  Games have increased in intensity, but are still light as far as international standards go.  Scores now regularly top 20 goals, but only one game has seen both teams score 20 or more goals, between Hubei and Yunnan.  These teams display a growing sense of understanding of the game, and are significantly better than the next nearest teams.

 

The referees continue to make minor errors, mostly due to court coverage.  Many are still ball watching, failing to switch roles when required.  Mistakes in procedure, particularly regarding the penalty box, are common.  Signals are good, and most referee teams work well together. A degree of leadership is being shown on court by confident referees.  The degree of competence is pleasing.

 

Eron and I address meeting of coaches and managers in the evening to discuss where teams need to go from here, and to clarify some expectations of teams during games.  It seems that some coaches are prepared to begin preparing players seriously, whereas others lack the same ambition for the game.  We put the challenge to them to bring the game on quickly, so as to give China an opportunity to be present in Beijing. 

 

After this meeting I met with Liu Jie to discuss the level of refereeing, and progress from here.  I made my recommendations that referees be exposed to the international game as soon as possible, and made some suggestions for managing refereeing in China in the meantime.  Some confusion exists of the administrative channels for referees under the structure for Chinese Wheelchair rugby.  This must be clarified as soon as possible.     

 

Eron and I were asked by the Chinese referees to officiate the final two games, the play off for first and second, and the play off for third and fourth.  Eron took the early game (3^rd/4^th) with Han Jun, who I had ranked 2^nd in China; I took the second game with Liu Jie, who I had ranked 1^st.

 

While the first game played, I gave final interviews to each of the trainee referees, explaining to them their ranking and what they needed to do to improve, summarising notes taken during games throughout the week.

 

Both games were contested well, particularly the final.  In the minor final, Jiangsu triumphed over Shangdong 18-11, in a game where the scoreline did not necessarily reflect the contest.  In the major final Yunnan prevailed over Hubei, the host province, 23-21, in a close game that swung either way for most of the match.  Both showcased the best the tournament had to offer, and were illustrative if the improvement in play over the week.   Some intelligent coaching will see these teams develop into very capable sides.

 

After the match I met with the referees for one last session, summarised the week and gave them my view of the future from here.  The top ranked referees need to gain international experience with a view to officiating at Oceania Zone qualification for Beijing in 2007.  This means attending competitions in 2006, and possibly observing in Christchurch at the world championships.  Other referees must gain match practise in their own regions, and work together to increase and develop their knowledge of the rules and the game.  I suggested the need to view video footage of the game at international level, to develop their understanding of the game.  This will need to be coordinated from the central body, the CDPF.

 

·   The Purpose of the Clinic is to establish a good understanding of rules and refereeing procedures.  By completion, Candidates will have a substantial basis to begin refereeing local games.

  I am fully confident that the referee Trainees are now fully competent to referee games at a local, regional and National level.  Trainees will need to be given opportunities to gain experience at their level.  I believe a number of individuals are ready for further experience outside China, with a view to international level certification within 1-2 years.  This is a priority.

·   It is important to identify individuals who will take a leadership role to continue development of their own and others’ experience and ability, and to resource these individuals as appropriate.

  Liu Jie has emerged as an organised, experienced and intelligent referee who will lead the referees in China very well.  It is vital that He be given opportunities to gain experience of the game outside China.

·   I would like to rank candidates at the end of the tournament into local A, B and C grades, to help streamline the development of the better officials.  This will only be possible by observing candidates during games.

  All referee Trainees were viewed in games at least twice, and an initial grade given to indicate a level of officiating these referees are capable (see table to follow).  All observed games were followed by feedback sessions to the referees.

·   It is expected candidates will have done some work to learn rules prior to clinic.  We will use video footage of a Wheelchair rugby match – (Paralympics footage) to aid understanding of the game.

  All referee Trainees have a translation of the rules.  Video footage of Paralympics matches was viewed and discussed during the Seminar

·   Ideally the clinic will have access to players and game time – at least a half day all up of match situations. 

  We were able to schedule a morning at the gymnasium, some of which was spent with referees in chairs, and each referee was given an initial 4 minute spell refereeing players.  A significant portion of this day was spent viewing chairs for competition, many of which were marginal or illegal.  Eron and I made a decision to allow all chairs to play that did not present significant safety concerns.

 

The state of referees in China is very secure, with a solid body of capable referees who will improve with experience. There are number of referees who bring a depth of experience from other sports who will make the adaptation to wheelchair rugby with ease, if given the opportunities to gain experience and to view the game as played in the rest of the Rugby world.  All the referees need experience and further clinics to develop their understanding of the game, but they have a solid foundation from which to develop. The CDPF, responsible for administering Wheelchair rugby in China have given some assurances that referees who attended this clinic will be given priority for development.

 

I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and it has provided me with a wealth of anecdotes and memories.  I believe the first Chinese National Wheelchair Rugby tournament has been an unqualified success, and the game now has a secure foothold in China.  There are many minor details to be resolved, but the Chinese have already taken steps to remedy these.  The Chinese have resolved to form a national team and be ready for Beijing in 2008.  This will most likely be established in early 2006, with a view to attending a number of tournaments in 2006. They have made a commitment to hold another National tournament in Hubei in 2006, and will endeavour to attract even more provinces than attended this event.

 

In Hubei province alone, the population with a disability is about 3.7 million.  Given that Hubei (60 Million) is only one of 18 Provinces, the full potential of this country to produce wheelchair rugby players is staggering.  Future national events will see many more provinces, and increasing levels of play.  This means the current batch of referees have a great opportunity ahead of them, but also a great responsibility.   

 

If the experience of china is to give us any idea of some of the issues surrounding expanding the game in the region, then we need to consider the following:

Ø      Provision of chairs – the Chinese were able to acquire sufficient chairs for the tournament, but many were barely appropriate. Given the funding available to teams in China, and the difficulty obtaining suitable chairs, this is a major obstacle to furthering the game in non-western, non affluent countries.  Adapting these chairs for legal play is a further cost and raises the question of the equity of any further changes in chair specification rules.

Ø      Language is a major barrier to overcome in the transmission of knowledge, but the culture of the game is also very difficult to communicate.  Exposure to the game internationally is crucial to allow new countries the necessary understanding of the game to be competitive.  As travel is costly, this exposure will be difficult to arrange.  Officials and coaches need to be accorded priority in order to travel and observe, and then pass their gained knowledge on to players. Some effort should be made to bring teams to China, and to invite Chinese teams to competitions within the zone.

Ø      Transportation of athletes in China was not suitable, and this is an issue that will arise in other less developed countries. Athletes were carried on and off a bus, or lifted into the back of a covered truck in their wheelchairs.

Ø      Established officials makes the training process much simpler, and this has been the case here, where experienced officials in Basketball and Wheelchair basketball attended the clinic and were able to get to grips with the game quickly.  Some of the differences between Basketball and Wheelchair Rugby can create some confusion however, as Trainees make assumptions about rule meanings.

Ø      Technology used for this tournament was fairly simple, due to the absence of an electronic scoreboard in the gym. As long as table officials can competently use it, this technology is satisfactory.  A Gong was used to sound time, they used a flip card scoreboard and the clock was analogue.

 

1.      Identified Chinese officials (National A Grade) need to be given opportunities to gain experience of the game outside China.  This means attending a tournament in another region, or hosting some international play within China itself. A series with Korean teams is a possibility.

2.      The Chinese appear interested in forming a national squad before the end of the year, and if this is the case, a tournament will be selected for this team to participate in, sometime in the New Year.  I would recommend a pair of referees to accompany any National teams to gain further experience.

3.      I would also like to see the top ranked Chinese referees given an invitation to attend the World Championships in New Zealand in 2006 to observe play at an international level.

4.      I would envisage the top ranked Chinese referee(s) who have had opportunity to experience competition outside China being ready to undergo International certification in the Oceania Zone Qualifiers in 2007, ready to officiate in Beijing by 2008.

5.      It is important that further clinics be conducted in China to develop the remaining referees.  Next year’s National Tournament should have an international referee of some experience present to conduct a clinic and oversee further development.  I would recommend further strengthening the Zonal link by supplying a senior referee from within the Zone.

6.      If a tournament with Korea is arranged, as is presently considered (Seoul, April 2006), representatives from the zone (Japan?) be present to advise and train as required, including players, coaches and referees.

7.      It will be necessary for an individual within China to liaison with the international body and the Zone who is able to act as an intermediary with the Chinese referees, as none of them are able to communicate in English.  Some work will be required to ensure that the rules are accurately translated, and a body of analogous terms developed to ensure consistency.

8.      Chinese referees with a view to international certification will be encouraged to learn a set of English terms for use in international matches.   

9.      The Referees casebook must be completed, and translations made for Chinese officals.  

 

All referees were judged to be competent to referee at a national level.