Wallace’s involvement in futsal dates back over 25 years, and includes several appointements at the FIFA Indoor Five-A-Side World Championship, a predecessor to the FIFA Fustsal World Cup, in 1992 in Hong Kong. He recently spoke about his thoughts on what it takes to become a futsal referee and the current state of the game in New Zealand.
How did you first become involved in futsal?
I started refereeing futsal in the mid-1980s at East City and did it for about a decade. They wrote to the Auckland referees requesting referees. I went along and saw that it could help my football refereeing by improving my player management and speed of reaction. Family comitments meant that I stopped until the NZF board incorporated it as part of the NZF football family in 2009.
The game has progressed a lot since the 80s, would you say there have been some major law changes from FIFA along the way that have affected the game?
When I started there was only one referee with a whistle, the second referee had a flag. In those days the slide tackle was illegal and the laws were worded quite differently, reflecting their Brazilian origins. The two-touch rule was different then too, as was the four second rule for goalkeepers. In those days the balls were different in each country. Some used a ball that had virtually no bounce while others used a size four ball that behaved in a way that was very similar to a football. THese days many of the laws are identical to football both in their wording and application.
What would you say are the qualities of a good futsal referee? Are they same skills and attributes that a football referee must possess?
The same attributes are essential for futsal and football referees. We look at six areas – physical, technical, tactical, mental, management and social. Essentially, good referees need the quantity of games, quality of game and quality of coaching to develop.
Do you have any tips for inexperienced referees who might be afraid of being thrown in the deep end?
It is tough the way that club nights are structured. When I refereed at club nights it was sole control. You started at 6.30pm and walked off the court at 10pm. This meant you got tired and practiced bad habits. I don’t think it’s too different these days. Referees need to be fresh, fit and focussed to ensure the players get a good game. I would recommend that referees referee the game in front of them rather than go out to make a statement or show how many Laws of the Game they can identify. Let the players play and only get involved when they need to. They should get as much experience as possible to build up a bank of knowledge of situations and keep watching games and other referees. Keep asking questions and accept no compromise on actions or challenges that affect players safety. Referees must know the Laws of the Game. Players and coaches will accept, eventually, judgement errors made during a fast-paced game but will never accept, and shouldn’t, an error in law.
Tell us about your experience refereeing at the FIFA Futsal World Cup.
The World Cup was a fantastic experience. Hong Kong and FIFA organised it superbly. I don’t recall all the games I refereed but Brazil-Belgium sticks in my mind. For a while it was the quickest international game ever played with a running time of around 58 minutes. Hong Kong-Poland was good because oit was the first game and featured the hosts in a full stadium. Netherlands versus Argentina and Italy versus Iran were memorable games as was the third place play-off game between Spain and Iran on the final night. A game I watched as a spectator between Brazil and the USA was a really tough game and ran to almost 120 minutes with players bouncing all over the court.
How many qualified futsal referees are there in New Zealand and are there some young ones who can make the step up to international futsal and perhaps even the World Cup?
We have 235 accredited as Level 1 and 11 at Level 2. Unfortunately most of them don’t referee competitively. We certainly have some referees who could officiate internationally now in Oceania. We need to try and get more referees each club night rather than just having one or two officiating all games each night over a league.
What’s your feeling of the technical level of the players in the ASB Futsal National League? Do you think in time New Zealand can produce a national team that can compete with Australia, Solomon Islands and in the future, at the FIFA Futsal World Cup?
The standard in the national league has improved particularly when defending as a team. good players need to be playing against each other as often as possible. Generally New Zealand players are technically poor with slow feet and few are able to beat a player one-on-one or work on top of the ball. Athletically New Zealand players are at a lower level lacking the speed to be internationally competitive. We can certainly get closer to other countries through fitness and organisation but it will take a while to develop players with the necessary athleticism, skill level and tactical reading of the game. The 2013 Secondary Schools Championship featured a lot of football players who play futsal occasionally, so their basic skills and understanding of futsal was at a low level.
Do you have any advice for someone who is keen to get involved in futsal refereeing?
Get in and do it. Futsal is a very enjoyable game and will provide you with many great experiences and memories if you work hard and give it a chance.
Story courtesy of New Zealand Football.
For more on New Zealand Football visit www.nzfootball.co.nz

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