Wolfgang Kling in an interview with SPINTSO

Professional tools: Communication is the key to success.

Our long-standing friendship with Wolfgang Kling and the great partnership with SPINTSO allow us to use the tools developed by SPINTSO conducted interview under Schiedsrichter.de to publish it. Thank you very much :-) So look forward to interesting and exciting experiences that Wolfgang has to tell us.

"Everyone has to be a part of it to be successful. And it's my job to make sure that happens. Communication is the key."

Because of a shoulder injury, Wolfgang Kling had to give up his own football career once and for all. However, it turns out that it wasn't all that bad. For this reason, Wolfgang Kling was able to get involved as a referee, an activity that had interested him for quite some time. That was in 1992, it is now 2020 and Wolfgang Kling is 50 years old, information security manager and referee in the Bad Tölz referee group. SPINTSO and thus also Schiedsrichter.de had the privilege to get to know his experiences, secrets and good advice - have fun!

Today Wolfgang lives with his family in Munich. He is a security manager, but somehow manages to be a dedicated and enthusiastic referee in the German Kreisliga and a part of the organizing team in the Bad Tölz referee group. As for many others in his position, his career began as a football player. He was a goalkeeper for TSV Otterfing, but unfortunately suffered an injury that later ended his career as a player, but also marked the beginning of his career as a referee.

Member of the referee group Bad Tölz
Most referees have an enormous respect and affection for the sport they represent. Since it is such a long commitment, it is easy to imagine that they must be passionate about the sport. Wolfgang Kling has been passionate about football since he was a child.

To be honest, football is fun. You're outdoors, there are fast movements, mental and physical challenges, says Wolfgang Kling. You meet a lot of interesting people and every game is a new exciting task. I loved it as a player and I love it as a referee.

Wolfgang Kling had always been interested in refereeing and in 1992 took his chance to further his education. Then he quickly found success.

Shortly after I started, I became an assistant referee in the Landesliga. I like the responsibility that comes with being a referee. The responsibility to run the game well and in accordance with the rules. Today I am part of the referee/working group Bad Tölz as a referee, but also as part of the organization team. I am responsible for designing and maintaining the homepage so that the referees always get all the important information they need and can test their knowledge of rules with a self-developed online survey system, etc, explains Wolfgang Kling.

"You have to be able to predict the next move"

Part of what makes refereeing so fascinating is its complexity. As a referee, you're supposed to be present in every situation and invisible in every situation.

The hardest part is successfully bringing a continuous flow to the game and keeping it upright during the game. Because everyone has to be a part of that to be successful. And it's my job to make sure that happens. Communication is key. Short, effective communication with players and the coach/supervisor teams and strong teamwork between us referees and assistants, says Wolfgang Kling.

While the game is on, you need to be on your toes the whole time. According to Wolfgang Kling, there are some particularly important things you need to keep in mind:

You need to see the entire game at the same time and be able to immediately identify relevant situations where you need to intervene. You must be able to predict the next move, correctly, decisively, enter into a dialogue without discussing, and act consistently without provoking.

New times, new tools
Over time, some of the most common challenges and problems within refereeing are supported by new inventions and technologies. Wolfgang, as mentioned, is passionate about communication during the game. Which is a part of the game that has been revolutionized in recent years.

I use various technical tools to facilitate my work. For example, I have a cell phone for my preparations, a tablet for report writing, a headset for communicating with my team during the game, and a referee watch that tracks the game for me. The headset and the watch I use during the game are both from SPINTSO. Without them, the challenges would be greater. Now I can be precise and communicate with everyone in no time, explains Wolfgang Kling.

The products from SPINTSO aim to do exactly what Wolfgang Kling explains. They reduce burdens and improve communication channels. We thank him for sharing his time and advice with us and look forward to seeing him in action again in the future!

Click here for the products of SPINTSO at Schiedsricher.de