Michael Ricketts, president of the Clarendon Football Association.

Former president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Tony James, has weighed in on the current sponsors' debate between the governors of local football, the JFF, and its largest parish affiliate, the Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA).

According to James, both the JFF and KSAFA are well within their rights based on the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) statute, Article 10.4, which deals with the sponsors advertising kit.

The FIFA article states: "Sponsor advertising on the shirts of match officials shall be permitted only if it does not create a conflict of interest with the advertising worn by either of the two teams participating. In the event of such a conflict, the match officials shall not bear any sponsor advertising."

suspended all competitions

Referees were at the centre of a dispute between the Jamaica Football Federation and affiliate, Kingston and St Andrew Football Association. - File

The stance taken by the JFF is that only Digicel-branded uniforms should be worn by referees officiating in its competitions. KSAFA, whose competition is sponsored by Claro, another telecommunications company, believe they were well within their right to refuse match officials wearing kits branded by a competing sponsor.

KSAFA had suspended its competitions following a JFF directive issued on Friday, May 29, calling on its affiliates to use officials with Digicel-branded uniforms as that company had a sponsorship arrangement with the JFF.

KSAFA and its sponsors Claro, however, proposed that referees in Corporate Area competitions officiate in unbranded gear, or gear branded by any other sponsor which was not in competition with Claro.

According to James, the statue can be interpreted in two ways.

"The JFF are saying that as the parent body, they signed a deal on behalf of football that should take precedence over any contract that is signed after," he said. "On the other hand, KSAFA interpreted the statue differently as it sought to make their league more viable," James said.

jff president from 1985-92

Former JFF boss Tony James.

James, who was JFF president from 1985 to 1992 and served the second-longest term since the organisation became affiliated with Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football's (CONCACAF) in 1965, said he was happy that both parties had found a working compromise because of the kind of money involved in both sponsorships.

"With the financial situation in Jamaica today, the sponsors should not be exposed to this. I am happy that it is something that the family of football has got together and solved. I don't think it would be in anybody's best interest to have the sponsors on the front page as we had for a week," James said.

Both telecommunication companies have sponsorship packages with the respective football organisations worth well over $100 million.

Meanwhile, Dave Meikle, deputy chairman of the JFF's Referees Committee, said the referees are licensed by the JFF and directives issued by the JFF have to be followed by match officials.

"There was no question of them being caught in the middle. They just had to follow the directives of the federation," Meikle said.

The JFF's Referees Committee, he said, is always trying to enhance and improve refereeing in Jamaica, and sponsorship is one way of doing so.

According to FIFA statute, Article 10.3: "Advertising is permitted only on the shirtsleeves and the total surface area of the advertising shall not exceed 200cm² (two hundred square centimetres). The front of the shirt is reserved for official badges and the emblem of FIFA or the national member association, and shall remain free of all types of advertising. Advertising on the collar or back of the shirt is also prohibited."

JFF in breach

Based on this statute, it would also seem that the JFF and sponsors were in breach of FIFA rules and regulations as sponsors brands and logos are visibly displayed on the back of referee gears.

But according to Meikle, permission was given to have the logos on the back of the shirts as the leagues are not directly administered by FIFA.

"For the FIFA-administered competitions, most of the rules speak directly to them, even though they serve as a guide for the lesser competitions," Meikle said. He said for FIFA competitions, the names or logos of sponsors are displayed on the shirtsleeves to protect the interest of the team sponsors.

Meikle said even in CONCACAF competitions the sponsorship information is displayed broadly on the back. "For the upcoming Gold Cup competition, when the referees go there, they will get a kit and it is the norm for the sponsors information to be on the back," he said.

According to James, who is a member of the FIFA Youth Committee, and who was recently drafted by president Captain Horace Burrell to head the JFF's subcommittee on Youth Development, FIFA is a very professional organisation that deals with a wide range of issues.

Jamaica, he said, was not yet in the mode to follow all the stipulations and guidelines enacted by FIFA.

"We have to find our own understanding to match the situation," James said.

Meanwhile, Michael Ricketts of the Clarendon Football Association said the recent impasse would not affect the association's bid to secure sponsorship deals.

With the recent confirmed deal, with logos of Wisynco products, Wata and Powerade, it is highly unlikely that there should be any further conflict.

"Pepsi and Wray and Nephew also had sponsorship deals with the referees. But these contracts were not renewed so it was left now only to Digicel. Wisynco has taken up the spot left vacant by those two companies," Ricketts said.

leagues resumed

The referees, he said, now had an option and no communication provider is involved at this time. "We have to understand the position of both sponsors. They are competitors."

Following two weeks of fever pitch negotiations, the way was cleared for the resumption of KSAFA competitions yesterday, this after the JFF signed off on a new sponsorship deal for referees with Wisynco.

The leagues that had been suspended were the second-tier Major League, third-tier Syd Bartlett League, Under-20, Under-15 and Under-13 championships.

FIFA's Article 10 - Sponsor Advertising

10.1. Sponsor advertising is strictly prohibited on the kit worn by match officials at all FIFA competitions. This provision also applies to matches played by national teams under the auspices of the confederations, as well as to friendly matches between national teams.

10.2. In inter-club competitions under the auspices of the confederations and competitions organised internally by the national member associations, the confederations and national member associations concerned may authorise sponsor advertising on the shirts worn by match officials. All advertising for tobacco-related products, gambling establishments (casinos), and alcoholic beverages is strictly prohibited, as are all slogans of a political, racist or religious nature.

10.3. Advertising is permitted only on the shirtsleeves and the total surface area of the advertising shall not exceed 200cm² (two hundred square centimetres). The front of the shirt is reserved for official badges and the emblem of FIFA or the national member association and shall remain free of all types of advertising. Advertising on the collar or back of the shirt is also prohibited.

10.4. Sponsor advertising on the shirts of match officials shall be permitted only if it does not create a conflict of interest with the advertising worn by either of the two teams participating. In the event of such a conflict, the match officials shall not bear any sponsor advertising.