Alright, listen up, y’all. We gonna talk about them referee hand signals in football. You know, them things them fellers in the stripes do with their hands. Never really understood ’em all myself, but I reckon they important, so let’s try to figure ’em out together.
First off, why they even need them signals? Well, I guess it’s ’cause them players out there, they runnin’ and yellin’, and the crowd’s goin’ wild. Ain’t nobody can hear nothin’ half the time. So, them refs, they gotta use their hands to show what’s what. Makes sense, I s’pose, even if it looks a bit silly sometimes.
Now, some of ’em are easy enough. Like, when they point to the ground, that means a foul, right? Or when they hold up their hands, palms out, that’s like sayin’ “hold your horses,” or “stop right there.” We all get them, even old biddies like me. But then they got them fancy ones, where they wavin’ their arms all over the place, and I’m just lost.
- Play On/Advantage: They runnin’ forward, holdin’ out both hands flat, like they showin’ you a big ol’ pancake. That means keep playin’, nothin’ to see here. Somethin’ like, “go on, go on, keep playin.” It means keep playin’, even if there was a little foul, they think it’s better to let you keep goin’. I guess that’s fair, don’t wanna stop the fun for nothin’.
- Penalty Kick: Now this one’s important. They point to that little white spot, that penalty mark. That’s where they gonna kick from. And then the ref, he’ll stand there, holdin’ his arm out straight, like he pointin’ the way to the store. He’s showin’ the goalie which way to go, I reckon.
And then there’s a whole bunch more. Like, when they hold up a yellow card, that means “slow down, fella.” And when they hold up a red card, well, that means “you done goofed.” You off the field, go sit in the corner and think about what you done. Simple enough, even for me.
But it ain’t just about knowin’ what each signal means. It’s about how they do it, too. Them refs, they gotta be confident. They can’t be wavin’ their arms around all wishy-washy. They gotta be sharp and clear, so everyone knows what’s goin’ on. And they gotta keep it safe. Gotta look out for them players, so no one gets hurt. That’s the most important thing.
I seen some refs, they just do a little flick of the wrist, and nobody knows what they meanin’. And then I seen others, they practically shoutin’ with their hands. Big, bold movements, so even the folks in the nosebleed seats can see. That’s how it should be, I think. No room for confusion in football. It’s supposed to be a simple game, even if them signals ain’t always so simple.
So, how do you learn all these signals? Well, I guess you can watch a bunch of games. Pay attention to the ref, not just the ball. Or maybe you can find a video, like them young’uns do these days. They got videos for everything, I hear. There’s even videos for learnin’ referee hand signals! Imagine that.
Anyways, it’s all a bit much for an old lady like me. But I reckon it’s important for the game. So, next time you watchin’ football, take a look at them refs. See if you can figure out what they’re sayin’ with their hands. And if you can’t, well, don’t worry too much. Just cheer for your team and hope they score some touchdowns, or goals, or whatever they call ’em in this here football game. And let the refs do their job, even if we don’t always understand it.
And remember, the ref’s gotta be sure of what they’re doing. They can’t be makin’ stuff up as they go along. It’s gotta be clear, so everyone knows what to do. And they gotta keep them players safe. That’s the bottom line. Football is a game, but safety always comes first. They’re runnin’ around out there, bangin’ into each other. Somebody’s gotta keep an eye on things. That’s what them signals is for. To keep things fair and safe for everyone.