I remember once watching a live match among local teams. It’s been long since I watched a game of football from start to end, or well before the first half ends to the end. I will not dwell too much on the game as this will reveal just how little I know about football.
What caught my eye was the linesman and I really couldn’t understand how he kept raising the flag and running across the field on the touch-line all while following the direction of the ball. I didn’t get his role or the impact he had. After the match decided to do a bit of research to understand it all. Here are a couple of things I learned about the linesman and how this can apply to life:
The Linesman is the second pair of eyes for the referee
The referee is not in a position to see every single activity that takes place in the field. The linesman is therefore there to indicate any unseen incidents during the match. So, who is that person that acts as your second eyes? That person you would trust to point out the things you may have overlooked? Sometimes we are made to be over-confident which may work to our disadvantage.You will not always be able to see everything in your life.You need to identify those people/person who is trustworthy enough to be an additional pair of eyes.
A referee consults a linesman when in a dilemma but is ultimately the one who makes the final decision
In the event of a difficulty, the referee will, in most cases, consult with the linesman to determine the correct course of action. A linesman is believed to have a better view as he can see activities along the touchline and the goal-line.
Many a time life throws dilemmas at us. It can be a bit difficult to make that decision be it at work, school, career choice, business decisions, etc. That ‘lines-man’ in your life may have a better view of the problem at hand. However, at the end of the day despite him/her having a better view or perspective of the issue, it is up to you to make that final decision.
In conclusion, it is important for us to identify the linesmen in our lives. Some of the qualities I learnt they should possess include: Durability (it should be that person who can withstand you in your good and bad times, not just the seasonal people), Visionary (your linesman should be that person who is able to see ahead in life, not just short-term solutions) and Intelligence is also a key factor for wisdom.
It’s good to let your ‘linesman’ know that you look up to them at times – remember a linesman is acutely aware that they are actively involved in a match. To read more posts by Mercy, click HERE
Photo credit: http://www.wikihow.com/Understand-Soccer-Assistant-Referee-Signals
