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Four Czech referees will take part in the World Championship taking place in Ostrava and Prague in December. They include the Bartošek brothers and Jiří Janoušek with Petr Černý. And it was Petr Černý whom we asked several questions.
How long have you been refereeing for?
Virtually from the establishment of the Czech Floorball Union, but the real beginning was in 1993 and the very first season of the first men's division.
With Jiří Janoušek from the very beginning?
We started refereeing together at the beginning of December 1994 when it was quite clear that there will be fixed couples of referees. So, this year is our fifteenth season together and it still works fine.
How many international events have you already taken part in?
Still as a player, actually the captain of the Czech national team, I took part in the first World Championship in Helsinki in 1994. Jiří and I have been refereeing at the international level since 1995 when we were invited to the European Championship in Switzerland. Otherwise, there were many international events. We took part in World Championships, European Cups, and the like.
What was the most distant place you refereed at?
The northernmost place was in Oulu, Finland, where we refereed friendly matches between Finland and Sweden, and the southernmost was Rome, Italy, where qualification for the European Cup took place. The longest journey is yet to come. We were invited to Toronto, Canada for next May.
What is the most difficult thing when refereeing a game?
There are probably three things. To judge all interventions equally during the entire game, to stay concentrated during a not very interesting match, and to constantly remind players and coaches that on the court there is supposed to be a battle between two teams, not against the referees.
Are there any specifics in international games?
International refereeing is a completely different world. Within a very short time the referee has to switch to totally different trends both in playing and in refereeing. And basically, if you do not manage to do this in the very first game of the international event, then you cannot manage at all. Top level international games are significantly faster and contain much more contact and technical skills than matches in our extraleague.
When did you feel worst when refereeing?
Probably during our very first game at the European Championship in 1995 (Denmark – Finland). It was our first game at a big tournament. We were really nervous and the players did not make it any easier for us. It was like being thrown into water without a life ring.
Are you looking forward to the December World Championship?
Of course I am. I am mainly looking forward to meeting other referees. There will be twenty-one of us in total and I hope we will have a lot of fun, as always. We are going to be at the World Championship two days before the start and we are going to have one day off during the tournament, so it will not be so hectic and everything will be rather comfortable.
Was it important for you to be among the selected referees?
I cannot really say it was important for me. But it is definitely pleasant. I am glad the IFF Referee Committee selected us together with the Bartošek brothers. For all of us this is a kind of recognition of our refereeing so far.
What is the background for referees at such an event like?
We are looked after in all respects. We have our own organization team member who cares for us and can fulfil virtually any of our wishes. Furthermore, we have a detailed schedule of activities, and above all during the tournament there are approximately five observers working with us, with whom we often discuss situations from games and who basically help us recharge our energy.
Do you enjoy watching floorball as a spectator?
It depends on a particular game. Sometimes it is a great spectacle, sometimes it is absolutely boring. But due to our time consuming refereeing schedules I rather try to avoid going to see matches as a spectator.
Do you play floorball?
Not anymore. Last year I went training with Star Dust (veteran team) from time to time, but now we have such a tight refereeing schedule that I do not really feel like playing anymore. I try to relax somewhere completely else and in a completely different way.
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