The game is getting faster. It’s a phrase that was repeated often over the five hours of the inaugural Specsavers Media Short Course in Refereeing.

Having struggled to judge situations after repeated slow-mo replay, I can’t imagine having to get a decision right first time, under pressure, and in full knowledge that one call could change the result of a match.
 
Luckily for the managers, players and fans, none of the assembled reporters on the Scottish Football Association’s course will be taking charge of a game any time soon.
 
After time spent in the company of Head of Referee Development John Fleming and his assistants Steven McLean and Craig Thomson though, those who write about Scottish football now have a better appreciation of what it’s like to be the man in the middle.
 
At the beginning of the short course, a condensed version of the training course for would-be officials, Fleming explains that he had rejected suggestions of a new “Respect” campaign this season. Respect comes from understanding, he said, and McLean and Thomson were happy to take the time to explain the process and preparation that lead to decisions, as well as elaborating on the finer points of FIFA’s Laws of the Game.

The course is a pilot for a course aimed at those wanting to take charge of 5-a-side and 7-a-side matches and with the SFA aiming to increase the number of people playing football in Scotland, there's an acceptance that the ranks of the referees will need to grow as well.

With journalists being used as guinea pigs, it's a chance to see how many illusions can be shattered in the space of just a few hours.
 
A list of “myths” that McLean shares is the first indication that isn’t as black and white, or red and yellow, as most of us thought.
 
Using video clips to ask us all to make a call on incidents, the team talk us through not only the letter of the law but how it is interpreted.
 
If you’re the “last man” and you commit a foul then you have to go, right? Not so. Direction of play, opportunity to control the ball, position of other players and distance to goal all play a part in the decision.
 
Red card tackles, one of the most contentious of decisions a ref will make, are similarly complex.
 
No two incidents are the same but it isn’t as simple as making contact, or having both feet off the ground. Element of malice, speed, chances of playing the ball and the safety of an opponent are all being considered by refs in the time it takes between blowing the whistle and producing a card.
 
What’s fascinating is McLean’s explanation that he has usually started anticipated making a crucial decision and is communicating with his assistants before an incident has even occurred. While sprinting to keep up with play. And watching for other infringements.
 
Fleming can be forgiven for taking some enjoyment in seeing those who give opinions on decisions being wrong when asked to make the calls ourselves. But the point of the course isn’t to add to confusion but to provide knowledge and clarity, and it works.
 
Using video, the rulebook and anecdotes from careers spent officiating at the top level, the team take us through the big decisions and while not everyone is agreed on whether a specific incident is offside, or a sending off, or a valid goal, we’re given the tools to make an educated decision and base our judgement on the detail of the rule.
 
An in-depth knowledge of the rules is only one part of the job though. McLean talks about the hours of work that go into preparing for a Champions League match, familiarising himself with a team’s style of play in order to advise his assistants.
 
Thomson is equally candid about post-match, explaining how after a difficult match last weekend involving Aberdeen and Hibs, he raced home to watch a DVD of the game, already in the knowledge that he had made two incorrect decisions.
 
Insisting that everyone makes mistakes, he points out that the marking system ensures that those who make them frequently don’t last long at the top level.
 
The marking system, where officials are marked down for incorrect decisions or missing incidents, keep the officials on their toes and both McLean and Thomson admit that a bad mark stays with them for a while and affect who gets to handle the biggest games.
 
The refs aren’t the only ones who get marked down though. When the instruction is over, it’s time for us to take an exam in three parts.
 
The first covers offsides and watching footage scenarios played out on a training pitch, where we’re asked to identify the position of players at the exact moment the ball is played forward. It isn’t my strongest point and I’ll confess that one scenario looked pretty much the same as the next to me. I’ll never be a linesman.
 
Next up is a theory test of 25 questions covering the Laws of the Game. It mixes the common decisions you have to get right with the more unexpected scenarios that can surprise even the most experienced ref.
 
Finally, we watch real match clips and are asked to act as judge and jury. If there an offence? Should it result in an indirect or a direct free-kick or even a penalty? Should a card be shown and if so, which colour?
 
It isn’t easy and we spend a nervous half-hour waiting for our marks. One journalist confesses that having set his target to finish top of the class, he has revised it to “not finishing last”. He doesn’t and neither do I but we both fall well short of the 80% mark required to take the first step towards qualifying.
 
After two days spent in the company of the real deal, we leave with more knowledge of the letter of the law, and understanding of how it’s interpreted and the preparation that goes into matches and a deep-rooted fear of ever being asked to officiate in a proper match.