EDIT: Wrote so much it wouldn’t fit onto one thread so split up into two parts. Most exciting stuff happens in Part 2
This is my first full season as a Level 7 referee. Just for a bit of context, I’m 17 and have currently only stuck to youth football games. Most have been 9 a side, some have been 11 a side. The long term aim is trying to do more adult games and moving up the promotion ranks. Right now however I’m earning money for easy games, it’s working well in conjunction with my college studies and I’m getting experience from it and moving at my own pace. With it being youth games, the season hasn’t been as exciting as some other stories on here, but I feel like discussing my games just so I can review them better, hence why I’m writing this thread even if it isn’t full of exciting stories. If you have any feedback on my reffing or anything let me know. I’ll update this as the season goes on and I do more games, but I’ll just fill you in on my 13 middles so far. Currently 4 teams are using me regulary, and I’ve also reffed for another. I’ll go through my games so far
PRE SEASON FRIENDLIES
12th August: U12s. Didn’t really enjoy it but Im not sure why. My performance was fine and did nothing wrong. Away Team had a gobby manager who seemed bemused at the constant offsides. Home team played a good offside trap and led 4-0 at half time. However they were caught out a corner. Most corners before had seen the away team try play a short corner and be caught offside from playing it back as a one two. It was clearly a play from the home team, as the home team manager shouted offside constantly for it and was normally right. However at one corner a home team player stayed on the line, meaning the short corner return wasn’t offside. The home manager shouted offside and all the home players stopped, expecting their managers to be right. Then everyone noticed the kid on the line, the away team played it in and scored. Away won 6-4, great comeback but nothing too eventful
SEPTEMBER
6th September. 3 U12s games. First game I’ll get back to later. Most eventful I’ve had. I’ll mention that at the end. Third game was pretty easy. Very poor quality of football though. Offsides were pretty easy seeing as neither teams defensive line understood where to be. A penalty was the most controversial thing. The players disputed it but it was a clear penalty so not really controversial. Like a WWE move in the box
Second game, cracking game of football, easy to ref. Away manager (managing a team of 11 year old thugs, all of whom were also extremely good on the ball though) asked me in first half to ”let the game flow more” after I’d blown them up for a third consecutive foul (all clear fouls as well.) I informed him that if his team stopped making fouls I would be able to let it flow more. Second half and the away team stopped making those stupid fouls. Once they get blown up on it, they tend to stop. Will get to first game at bottom of post
13th September. Under 12s. 11-1 to away team. And the home team scored after 15 seconds as well. All went downhill from there. One way traffic, home team didn’t get another attack. Called for a few tough away offsides, away manager tried to protest but it was only half hearted due to the score. A few were tight and I think I may have got one wrong on reflection but not much of an issue due to score line.
MAIN SEASON (will mention if not league game)
20th September. 2 Under 12 games. First one was 10-3 away win. Again one sided. A lot of first half offsides to call but nothing too difficult. Almost made an offside horror call before noticing a player playing everyone else quite far on at start of second half. First few away goals were tight for offsides but all on. The amount of foul throws was annoying me, so in the final 15 minutes I didn’t even let the small ones go, just blew up for every single one. Both managers accepted that and were annoyed at the players rather than me.
Second U12 game was a 5-2 home win. Harsh on foul throws on first 15. Away manager got annoyed after 10 minutes of it but his assistant told him to shut up. Rest of game was a lot more soft on the foul throws, there was also a lot less (players learn this way.) Lost control a bit in second half and could’ve dealt with it better, blown up for a few more fouls early on but there was nothing cynical or bad with it. Second away goal, possibly offside, but it was with seconds left and no one appealed. After the match I spoke with the away manager explaining my reasoning for foul throws but he just apologised for his response and accepted it. Away assistant manager turned out to be a referee tutor for local county FA (looked him up and he is tbf) and gave me a lot of praise for positioning and decision making and the foul throws. However he told me I should’ve sin binned a player that kicked the ball away. The player didn’t do it in frustration at a decision, more at annoyance of himself and I warned him, but apparently I should’ve sin binned him anyway. The kids Dad was the home team manager, so I spoke to him about it after the match when he was paying me. He told me the ref tutor was a former employee of his though, who he sacked after numerous fraudulent actions with business money. Don’t know if that impacted much, but what a small world.
27th September. U11s. First time I’d reffed this lot. Had a great game until the final few minutes. It was a close game, finishing 4-4 with a home team first time strike with 7 seconds to go from the halfway line. Final few minutes saw a few home parents annoyed after foul throw 996 (slight over exaggeration but the throws were that bad I had no option but to let them go) and after I called a close offside. With a minute to go and at 4-3 the away manager asked to come on to the pitch to check a player that was down. I let him, and it turns out he was very slowly tying the players shoelace. Smiling at what I thought was an attempt to waste time, I informed him I was adding on any time he was on the pitch (not sure what to do in regards to injury time at U11s, but couldn’t let this happen.) The manager quickly got off the pitch after about 45 seconds. And with 7 seconds to go home team scored. Despite this, both managers very happy with my performance, so all good. Was only a friendly anyway
This is my first full season as a Level 7 referee. Just for a bit of context, I’m 17 and have currently only stuck to youth football games. Most have been 9 a side, some have been 11 a side. The long term aim is trying to do more adult games and moving up the promotion ranks. Right now however I’m earning money for easy games, it’s working well in conjunction with my college studies and I’m getting experience from it and moving at my own pace. With it being youth games, the season hasn’t been as exciting as some other stories on here, but I feel like discussing my games just so I can review them better, hence why I’m writing this thread even if it isn’t full of exciting stories. If you have any feedback on my reffing or anything let me know. I’ll update this as the season goes on and I do more games, but I’ll just fill you in on my 13 middles so far. Currently 4 teams are using me regulary, and I’ve also reffed for another. I’ll go through my games so far
PRE SEASON FRIENDLIES
12th August: U12s. Didn’t really enjoy it but Im not sure why. My performance was fine and did nothing wrong. Away Team had a gobby manager who seemed bemused at the constant offsides. Home team played a good offside trap and led 4-0 at half time. However they were caught out a corner. Most corners before had seen the away team try play a short corner and be caught offside from playing it back as a one two. It was clearly a play from the home team, as the home team manager shouted offside constantly for it and was normally right. However at one corner a home team player stayed on the line, meaning the short corner return wasn’t offside. The home manager shouted offside and all the home players stopped, expecting their managers to be right. Then everyone noticed the kid on the line, the away team played it in and scored. Away won 6-4, great comeback but nothing too eventful
SEPTEMBER
6th September. 3 U12s games. First game I’ll get back to later. Most eventful I’ve had. I’ll mention that at the end. Third game was pretty easy. Very poor quality of football though. Offsides were pretty easy seeing as neither teams defensive line understood where to be. A penalty was the most controversial thing. The players disputed it but it was a clear penalty so not really controversial. Like a WWE move in the box
Second game, cracking game of football, easy to ref. Away manager (managing a team of 11 year old thugs, all of whom were also extremely good on the ball though) asked me in first half to ”let the game flow more” after I’d blown them up for a third consecutive foul (all clear fouls as well.) I informed him that if his team stopped making fouls I would be able to let it flow more. Second half and the away team stopped making those stupid fouls. Once they get blown up on it, they tend to stop. Will get to first game at bottom of post
13th September. Under 12s. 11-1 to away team. And the home team scored after 15 seconds as well. All went downhill from there. One way traffic, home team didn’t get another attack. Called for a few tough away offsides, away manager tried to protest but it was only half hearted due to the score. A few were tight and I think I may have got one wrong on reflection but not much of an issue due to score line.
MAIN SEASON (will mention if not league game)
20th September. 2 Under 12 games. First one was 10-3 away win. Again one sided. A lot of first half offsides to call but nothing too difficult. Almost made an offside horror call before noticing a player playing everyone else quite far on at start of second half. First few away goals were tight for offsides but all on. The amount of foul throws was annoying me, so in the final 15 minutes I didn’t even let the small ones go, just blew up for every single one. Both managers accepted that and were annoyed at the players rather than me.
Second U12 game was a 5-2 home win. Harsh on foul throws on first 15. Away manager got annoyed after 10 minutes of it but his assistant told him to shut up. Rest of game was a lot more soft on the foul throws, there was also a lot less (players learn this way.) Lost control a bit in second half and could’ve dealt with it better, blown up for a few more fouls early on but there was nothing cynical or bad with it. Second away goal, possibly offside, but it was with seconds left and no one appealed. After the match I spoke with the away manager explaining my reasoning for foul throws but he just apologised for his response and accepted it. Away assistant manager turned out to be a referee tutor for local county FA (looked him up and he is tbf) and gave me a lot of praise for positioning and decision making and the foul throws. However he told me I should’ve sin binned a player that kicked the ball away. The player didn’t do it in frustration at a decision, more at annoyance of himself and I warned him, but apparently I should’ve sin binned him anyway. The kids Dad was the home team manager, so I spoke to him about it after the match when he was paying me. He told me the ref tutor was a former employee of his though, who he sacked after numerous fraudulent actions with business money. Don’t know if that impacted much, but what a small world.
27th September. U11s. First time I’d reffed this lot. Had a great game until the final few minutes. It was a close game, finishing 4-4 with a home team first time strike with 7 seconds to go from the halfway line. Final few minutes saw a few home parents annoyed after foul throw 996 (slight over exaggeration but the throws were that bad I had no option but to let them go) and after I called a close offside. With a minute to go and at 4-3 the away manager asked to come on to the pitch to check a player that was down. I let him, and it turns out he was very slowly tying the players shoelace. Smiling at what I thought was an attempt to waste time, I informed him I was adding on any time he was on the pitch (not sure what to do in regards to injury time at U11s, but couldn’t let this happen.) The manager quickly got off the pitch after about 45 seconds. And with 7 seconds to go home team scored. Despite this, both managers very happy with my performance, so all good. Was only a friendly anyway