World Cup referees told teams taking part in the tournament to behave or else.

"We are determined to act together," English referee Graham Poll told The Associated Press on Monday. "We're all going to be battling together against cheating, elbowing and time-wasting to make sure the games flow well."

Referees appointed for the 2006 FIFA World Cup pose for a group picture in Frankfurt. [Reuters]

FIFA vice president and head of refereeing Angel Maria Villar Llona said FIFA was considering pressing for "divers" to be penalized with a red card.

Villar Llona said FIFA may ask soccer's lawmakers, the international board, to change the punishment from a yellow to a red card after the World Cup.

The tournament's youngest referee, 32-year-old Mark Shield of Australia, will take charge of the Tunisia-Saudi Arabia match on June 14. Shield, a part-time referee who runs two businesses in his home city of Brisbane, said the tournament had "taken up my entire life for over a year."

"The preparations have gone on for almost 16 months for this tournament," said Shield, who also officiated at the 2002 World Cup.

The referees, talking to journalists in the gardens of their plush hotel in woodlands outside Frankfurt, said FIFA wanted them to be consistent throughout the tournament.

"We're all going out to see the players and they'll all be getting the same message about diving and time-wasting," Poll said.

Poll said players who delay throws or leave the field slowly when substituted will face automatic yellow cards in Germany under changes to the laws of game introduced for the World Cup.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter met with World Cup referees last week.

"I gave them only one instruction, to protect the good games and to protect the good players and to pay special attention to the devil that has come into our game: elbowing," Blatter said in Munich.

Belgium's Frank de Bleeckere, who passed a late fitness test to make the final list of 21 tournament referees, said he intended to get his message across quickly to players in his first match _ Argentina vs. Ivory Coast on Saturday.

However, Italy's Roberto Rosetti had to pull on all his refereeing diplomacy to evade questions about the scandal that has engulfed Italian soccer, including senior referees.

Italy's original candidate as referee in Germany has been withdrawn at the request of the Italian soccer federation.

"I'm concentrating on the tournament and having a good match with Mexico and Iran," Rosetti said, adding that he did not envisage a flood of yellow and red cards in early matches as happened at past tournaments.

Villar Llona said 15 FIFA instructors were visiting team camps this week to inform players of the changes in the laws.

"We are sure that the refereeing at this World Cup will be the very best. We have done our utmost to make sure this is the case," Villar Llona said.

Benin's Coffi Codjia was excited about his first assignment _ as fourth official in England's opening game against Paraguay on Saturday.

Codjia, who also officiated at the 2002 competition, said the big difference this time will be having a team of compatriots assisting him when he gets his first appointment as a referee later in the tournament. All 21 referees will be the lead official at least once at this World Cup.

Villar Llona said the "trio" system of referees and their assistants operating as teams was the biggest innovation FIFA was introducing at the World Cup.

But whatever happens, there is sure to be criticism from coaches, players and fans of losing teams. Such is the lot of the referee.