Its agood point. Should also note in my neck of the woods sometimes the less experienced (but up and coming) AR is given the bench side for development purposes.For me at thw top level there's he fairness element but i think at our grassroots level it makes sense for senior ar to look after the benches in games where they are on the same side.
I am running the line for the first time tonight and just wondered what the procedure was regarding changing touchlines with the other AR at half time or whether I stick with the same left back? Can't see anything in the LOTG regarding this.
Thanks.
I had this the other night. I was a late appointment and the ref asked me if I minded the U18 ref being senior to help with his development. I was fine with this biut if the ref had to go off I would have been in the middle as it was an U18 game. I allways accept ARs if offered as it is nice to work in a team, meet different refs and use it as a learning experience.Its agood point. Should also note in my neck of the woods sometimes the less experienced (but up and coming) AR is given the bench side for development purposes.
I had this the other night. I was a late appointment and the ref asked me if I minded the U18 ref being senior to help with his development. I was fine with this biut if the ref had to go off I would have been in the middle as it was an U18 game. I allways accept ARs if offered as it is nice to work in a team, meet different refs and use it as a learning experience.
All good advice above - just to add, make sure you tell the ref it’s your first time. Don’t be shy about that, he/she will help you.
There is a misguided concept that the referee can decide "who is the senior".
While the referee can decide who get which side and responsibility , the senior (who takes over if the referee goes off) is always the highest graded referee.
This always seems to happen to me when it shouldn't, I am level 7 and I get level 5's and 6's taking up the Junior role.
Yes I know it aids my development but it shouldn't really be happening. During the pre match talk I always seem to be leaned on to go Senior. In fact this season (including pre season) so far I have done 25 lines, I have been Senior on 18 of them.
I don't want to create a bad working environment by saying something but inside it is doing my head in.
Should I really be saying something about it?
Not worth rocking the boat in my view.
Sometimes i get asked to go senior over L5's because i'm doing 6-5 promotion, other times the L5 might be much younger than me and just done a double jump and the referee wants to have someone with a bit more presence on the bench side. Other times, especially if no assessor there the ref will ask the least experienced to go and do it to help them get experience.
The other thing is sometimes the L5 is a proper old ref, thats been a L5 for years and isn't necessarily a great standard....
Genuinely surprised you see this as an issue. Personally I find being 'senior' even more challenging and interesting, enjoy the banter with the benches (sometimes!) .. and keeps you nice and warm on cold days with those sprints to the halfway line for substitutionsI don't want to create a bad working environment by saying something but inside it is doing my head in.