Whistling away,the girl in the green jersey

The 20-year-old has also emerged as one of the few referees of the fairer sex to make a name for herself in the city’s football circuit.

“The men’s game is broadly telecast,” she explains. “So everyone knows that men generally foul by pushing or being extra physical. But being a player myself,I know that girls generally tend to foul by pulling each other’s hair or by pinching. Since I know all this,I can recognise a foul when it happens.”

Being a girl hasn’t helped her escape the customary scorn of players that most referees have to contend with. She too has been subject to many insults and abuses after a game. Most of them being stereotypical in nature.

“Initially,the most common phrase I’d hear from a disgruntled fan or coach was ‘girls don’t know the rules,”’ she says,“Things did change with time. Gradually people saw that most of my decisions were accurate and so they had to stop.”

Like every other passionate football fan her age,Shah too grew up dreaming of representing the national team. And she kept at it but soon realized the politics involved with the selection process.

“For some reason,it was hard for women to get into the India camp if they were from Maharashtra. The WIFA (Western India Football Association) was constantly pushing the AIFF (All India Football Federation),and when the latter officials finally opened up to the idea,there were no tournaments to compete in for over three years,” she explains.

Fed up with the lack of enthusiasm shown towards the game,Shah,then 17,turned towards refereeing. “It was the best thing I could do to stay with the sport and maybe help in its development,” she states.

The thought of making the shift came to her,she adds,while watching a match at the Cooperage Stadium. “Pinto sir came over to me and asked me if I wanted to start refereeing games,” she says. “The MSSA authorities had seen me play and even though I hadn’t yet passed my SSC exams,which was a requirement,they let me start officiating games.”

Shah attends weekly theory and practical sessions held by Walter Pereira,an AIFF accredited referee instructor. “There is a fitness test and theory examination every year. Referees are graded from level five to one,with one being the highest. I’m currently at level four,” she adds.

At the current level,Shah is the youngest woman official qualified to stand in as referee for all divisions of Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA) under-14 and under-16 as well as district level games.

“I prefer being the head referee for division one and two games,” she explains,going further to clarify that the term ‘linesman’ is considered almost a derogatory term for an assistant referee.

Currently an MBA student pursuing a Sports Business Management degree from the Dr DY Patil Institute of Management Studies,Shah’s academic pursuits only allow her to commit to officiating matches on Saturdays. “It’s a little hard to keep a balance between sport and academics. But I’ve always managed to get a distinction in college,” she says. Shah hasn’t totally turned her back on playing yet and in her spare time,she also serves as player-manager for Bodyline FC,a women’s football club.

When it comes to her refereeing,Shah sees herself as a referee who likes to warn players before brandishing a card,a principle that has allowed her to gain individual players’ and teams’ respect. “Women teams especially like to have me as a referee since I try to enforce a clean game,” she says.

The three year journey has been eventful for the young referee. And she no longer is dealt a second look when she enters the field,donning flourescent colours. Along the way,she has not just quashed theories of women not being capable of fathoming the dreaded ‘offside’ rule,Shah’s created her own niche with whistle in tow.