The Ref Stop

Managing being mobbed by players

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My point (about different socks/ sock tape etc.) was that right down at the very bottom of the football pyramid- that my veterans team inhabit- was that if we were to encounter a ref saying we couldn’t play because of wrong colour tape or socks or whatever is that we’d just pack it all in and that would be another twenty or so players not on the County FA books as active participants in the game, which, I’m sure, would dent someone’s metric and target.

Yes, I could go out and buy some tape, and possibly a whole set of matching socks as well, but it’s enough of an effort to get 11+ players out on a Sunday morning. If it all gets too faffy, pedantic and difficult it just ain’t going to happen. At our level, it’s supposedto be about fun, when the fun stops, we stop.
RefJef, always bang on the money. Anyone fussing about sock tape and thermals at grass roots, simply needs to get a life. I know of a decent referee who has failed two 7 to 6 promotions with this stuff a factor in both attempts. Those observers also need to get a life imo
 
The Ref Stop
But Big Dave and his mates have read the current LOTG (just) and recite to the young referee who was just about to abandon the game due to incorrect sock tape and other pettinesses....Referee!....... It clearly says.......

‘’The IFAB expects the referee to make a decision within the ‘spirit’ of the game – this often involves asking the question, “what would football want/expect?” Dave and his mates team can't afford to have matching socks!! It's the ar4e end of football, nobody cares about what happens at the higher levels, that's fine, this is some mates having a kick around!!!
You're missing a key part of the sentence here...

What it actually says is

The Laws cannot deal with every possible situation, so where there is no direct
provision in the Laws, The IFAB expects the referee to make a decision within
the ‘spirit’ of the game – this often involves asking the question, “what would
football want/expect?”

If you are going to quote the laws in Big Daves favour at least get them right.
 
My point (about different socks/ sock tape etc.) was that right down at the very bottom of the football pyramid- that my veterans team inhabit- was that if we were to encounter a ref saying we couldn’t play because of wrong colour tape or socks or whatever is that we’d just pack it all in and that would be another twenty or so players not on the County FA books as active participants in the game, which, I’m sure, would dent someone’s metric and target.

Yes, I could go out and buy some tape, and possibly a whole set of matching socks as well, but it’s enough of an effort to get 11+ players out on a Sunday morning. If it all gets too faffy, pedantic and difficult it just ain’t going to happen. At our level, it’s supposedto be about fun, when the fun stops, we stop.
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely agree that it's a stupid thing to mandate in the LOTG and should be specifically and explicitly exempted below step 7. But until that happens, we shouldn't just ignore it.

I would also point out to those citing "Spirit of the Game" that even when that is applied, the laws still specify that the referee should both first attempt to fix the problem, second, report the issue to the relevant authorities and third, only play on with the agreement of both teams. Even if we assume that sock tape comes under spirit of the game, you're still obliged to:
* ask if they've got the right colour tape or can do without (as Zara suggests, most players I've ever asked have been fine with this),
* report the issue post match (you might not do this first time, but if you do I'd suggest warning the team this might happen) and
* make sure it's not a problem for the opponents (in reality, I don't tend to actually ask the opponents, just make sure the "wrong tape" doesn't match the opponents kit)

There's a sensible middle ground here, but it shouldn't involve completely ignoring your responsibilities.
 
I don't understand the hypocrisy associated between loyal support of these inconsequential and officious Laws, when football has always been a game in which more significant Laws are ignored or infrequently applied. The Professional game is increasingly being distanced from football played by the masses, so IFAB will soon have to give up on the idea of a unified set of Laws
Having run a team for over a decade in a league in which I acted as fixture secretary, my experience is that such nonsense does contribute towards falling participation levels, as players gravitate towards small-sided alternatives in which they don't need to wear apt attire for TV games or paying spectators
 
If Big Dave and his mates can’t put up with the pettiness them crucial Club Marks are blighted!

Look, in a perfect world, you’re right, players turn up on time, perfectly attired, potty mouths cleansed, all perfect choirboys! Sadly, they don’t, some are wealthy, some are poor, some think they are CR7, some look like Razor Ruddock now.

They are never going to write multiple laws for different levels, they’re lazy, to expect Premier standards at the Nags Head is pretty pathetic, but, hey, you keep up the fight!
 
I don't understand the hypocrisy associated between loyal support of these inconsequential and officious Laws, when football has always been a game in which more significant Laws are ignored or infrequently applied. The Professional game is increasingly being distanced from football played by the masses, so IFAB will soon have to give up on the idea of a unified set of Laws
Having run a team for over a decade in a league in which I acted as fixture secretary, my experience is that such nonsense does contribute towards falling participation levels, as players gravitate towards small-sided alternatives in which they don't need to wear apt attire for TV games or paying spectators
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
 
I don't know whether doing my job correctly has resulted in low club marks, I've never asked.

But it has never stopped me getting promoted, or getting league, county cup, or national competition finals.

It has also never resulted in me having match control issues, or having to stop someone playing. They always manage to get the right colour tape from somewhere, al.ost as if they're just seeing what the referee will let them get away with.
 
I've had to request players to amend kit twice (at sunday league) in my refereeing career, once suggested by an observer, the other by a league member. I had to make a youth player play without his thermal on because it was white, not blue. Is that worth saying you strictly applied kit law? - or would it be better to let the lad play and be comfortable?
 
I think I've posted this before. I always keep a cheap selection of electrical tape in my bag. If during the warm up I notice a problem with sock tape I ask them to sort it. If they say there's none of the correct colour left I tell them I have some they can use. Non confrontational and problem solved. However, if some of the players don't even have matching socks then there's no point. One thing though; I have yet to find orange electrical tape but often see orange socks! What do I do then?
 
I don't know whether doing my job correctly has resulted in low club marks, I've never asked.

But it has never stopped me getting promoted, or getting league, county cup, or national competition finals.

It has also never resulted in me having match control issues, or having to stop someone playing. They always manage to get the right colour tape from somewhere, al.ost as if they're just seeing what the referee will let them get away with.
And using my common sense in the application of the law never stopped my promotion nor competition finals....indeed, like our erstwhile colleague, @Sheffields Finest, both of us were used as one of the go to officials for some of those tastier fixtures......
 
And using my common sense in the application of the law never stopped my promotion nor competition finals....indeed, like our erstwhile colleague, @Sheffields Finest, both of us were used as one of the go to officials for some of those tastier fixtures......
Good for you, common sense always has a place, but then I'm not one of the ones trying to imply that enforcing things like sock tape is going to cause problems with match control and bad club marks etc.

I don't really care if people don't want to check sock tape etc, each to their own, what annoys me is people trying to justify it by saying it will cause match control issues, or make players stop being involved in affiliated grass roots football. Rather than just admitting they don't enforce it because they think it's stupid, or petty, or not important, or that they just can't be bothered.
 
Butting in on the sock tape issue:

Tell them before hand to match the colour to the sock. If they can't, then they go on the field without sock tape. Simple as that. I've had a team come over to ask all the various colours they can use, and I've said 'no' to every one that wasn't a match.

Every time I had them again in the future, they had the correct sock tape colour in stock. Yes, it's officious, but once they know you're enforcing these laws they'll stop faffing about buying the wrong bloody stuff. I don't see how hard it is to ensure you have the appropriate equipment.

As for how important it is... Pretty much every observer has mentioned equipment requirements, especially undershirt/short colour requirements last season and my RDO tested me on looking to sock tape colours back when I returned two seasons ago.

If you don't enforce these laws, then teams get into bad habits and these teams then make it more annoying for new referees to enforce these laws, in fact, I dare say it is because other refs can't be arsed that new referees go 'oh well, never mind then' and fall into that trap themselves.

There are lots of referees not enforcing these laws unfortunately, I've seen it when I've gone on the Development Leagues and it is poor form in my opinion.

In a similar issue, I've had a club ask me directly to clarify the LOTG regarding undershirt colours because, in their words, 'one week a referee says it's not allowed and the next they say it's fine, we don't know who is right'. I pointed out the passage in my LOTG book and they were satisfied and corrected the issue. I've had calls off them to clarify other laws now, so I think clubs do appreciate knowing where they have to stand, again if all referees enforced these 'trivial' laws as much as they could, this confusion wouldn't have happened.
 
I think I've posted this before. I always keep a cheap selection of electrical tape in my bag. If during the warm up I notice a problem with sock tape I ask them to sort it. If they say there's none of the correct colour left I tell them I have some they can use. Non confrontational and problem solved. However, if some of the players don't even have matching socks then there's no point. One thing though; I have yet to find orange electrical tape but often see orange socks! What do I do then?

Sellotape is cheaper than electrical tape and being clear is the same colour as what's underneath it.
Alternatively https://www.amazon.co.uk/ORANGE-ELE...ocphy=1007006&hvtargid=pla-698464505405&psc=1
 
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