OA GAME

On the 15th of Jan, I have my first OA game on a sunday league. The oldest age I have done this season is U14 in the middle but have spent 2 season on the line for adults.(Step 6 i believe.)
I have my trusty Fox 40 whistle to help my way through the game but unfortunately no NA'S.

Any tips that you can give me on how to get through the game without much hasle would be appreciated.
Thanks

If you have any doubts, ask somebody to come with you. You are then not alone at the match.

Get their early enough to spot problems and get them dealt with. Once the game starts, just be confident in your decisions - caution when needed, talk when needed.

Understand what the AR's can / will give and use accordingly. Don't take any cr4p about offsides, you are the only person with a judgement.

And ENJOY. Afterwards, write yourself an assessment of what you did well and what you could have done better. Take to the next game and make sure that the same development points do not exist.

@nel Just enjoy it and do what you can to make the game enjoyable for yourself and for the players. Take swift action when needed with the appropriate sanctions. Remember your training, but most of all be confident and enjoy it. This will be your first open aged game of many (I assume), it is now where you will start learning the ropes and gaining valuable experience.

If you would like some support, contact your RDO and ask for a mentor/observer/tutor or another referee to come to the game with you to offer guidance and pointers. Listening and learning to those more experienced whilst developing your own style is the key to becoming a successful and competent referee. Even the top referees are still learning, it never ends

thanks guys

Smile

Apply the law. When I first did OA football, I was far too hesitant to use cards, and if you've done lots of youth football, you might be as well. If a player is arguing or undermining you, book him for dissent. It will help set a standard for what you find acceptable and should stop the arguments continuing from then on.

Just look confident. Don't look like it's your first OA game. Stand tall, signal strong, and for god's sake, use your tongue to stop and start your whistle instead of this ridiculous 'wwwwhhhhhOOOOOOOOOOoooohhhh' thing that most referees seem to do these days.

Let us know how you get on!

Hi guys, just wanted to say about the game.
Red team won 2-3 and it was a very tense and volatile match. Penalty in the first half. Me giving the ball over goal line clearly even though lino didn't give it. A lot of being shouted at became very annoying but kept my cards in my pockets.
Second half and it was still feisty. 1 Yellow card for a player dragging me around forcefully to moan at me. Then a mass con that came out of nowhere before a corner kick was taken.
But did get told at end of gam did well even though I thought i was shocking.
Any comments appreciated.

Volatile yet only one yellow? Probably why there was a mass confrontation, then there were no cards following this?
Probably need to go with your gut feeling, why don't you analyse it a little more and tell us the three worst and best aspects of your performance?

Self deprecation is a good trait to have, its no good someone blowing smoke up your backside if you know deep down that something could have gone better. Every game is a learning curve, game one or game 500, chin up, take the positives, learn from the negatives, well done, a lot never take that step so good luck next week, things will get better when you get some more experience. Mass Cons don't happen very often so maybe you've been unlucky...

Sounds like a bit of a baptism by fire for your first go at OA, hopefully it won't put you off, as in my experience games like this are rare.

What had happened prior to the mass con?

Break the game into 6 15 minute sections. If you make a mistake that's bothering you, mentally bury it at the end of that 15 minute period and move on.

Think about how you want to control the next 15 minute period when it starts.

Other than that smile, enjoy it and attempt to exude confidence.

OA is hard for first timers. Infact my first game was actually an OA game, a friendly between two supporters sides, and bare in mind I was probably the smallest, and youngest on the pitch. Luckily it was an OK game, if it was a fiesty game then I think match control would've been out of the window, however that has all changed now.

Don't give up on it, and don't let any mistakes bother you at all. Take it as a development point, make a note and work on that next time out. That's what I do, and 3 months down the line I am a totally different ref.

nel said:

1 Yellow card for a player dragging me around forcefully to moan at me. .

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Hang on, what????
A player dragged you while abusing you???

This is a red card. In fact, it sounds like a red card and abandonment.

EDIT: I'm also interested to hear a bit more about the dissent that went on. Can you tell us a bit more about that? From your initial post it sounds like you might be setting the bar a bit too high for all that.

CapnBloodbeard said:

Hang on, what????
A player dragged you while abusing you???

This is a red card. In fact, it sounds like a red card and abandonment.

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Anything than a polite hand on your shoulder, should be consider a red card in the first instance. Abandonment depends on circumstances and has been discussed numerous times on here before.

We have to trust the judgement of the referee at the match.

@net - first question - Did you enjoy?
After that- are you going to do another OA game?
What did you learn?,
what could have done better?

Well done for the first one.

Red card all the way physical and verbal abuse. Straight red I know it is difficult but that is what should of happened. Don't over anaylise till after the game. But on the whole it sounds like you did ok. First OA games are daunting

I kept getting shoued to become more consistent and sto being such a crap ref.
Yes i did eventually enjoy, Definitely another OA wanting and learnt that my fitness is better than expected and probably dont blow for every push

Learn some banter responses Nel, If they say you're not consistent, tell them that getting everything wrong is a pure form of consistency!
If they comment on your figure, make an effort to run faster than him on a short sprint, turn and smile as you do it... (then go for a stroll somewhere in a neutral area).... After a bit they'll button it..... ;(

nel said:

I kept getting shoued to become more consistent and sto being such a crap ref.
Yes i did eventually enjoy, Definitely another OA wanting and learnt that my fitness is better than expected and probably dont blow for every push

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Players are very good at working out when a referee is inexperienced and / or nervous, and they will make sure they use that to their advantage by getting in his face. Not all players, but a very significant percentage. You need to try and appear ultra confident even if that isn't actually the way you are feeling, which of course is easier said than done. For me the key thing is constant communication with them - chat to the managers and captains before the game has even kicked off, asked them how their season is going and just general chit chat, and certainly know their first names. Then once the game has started talk to players before anything happens, work out who is approachable and who you can work with (not always the captain) and work out who is going to be out to make your life a nightmare (often the captain). That way when you are called upon to make a controversial decision you might get an easier ride than the referee who has turned up and not spoken to everyone as you are seen to be approachable.

It all comes from experience, and you can only get that through games. After 10 years at level 4 and 3 I'm now back at level 5 and have now gone 16 consecutive Sunday morning games without getting a single card out. When I was last doing Sunday mornings 10+ years ago as I went through the 7-6 and 6-5 promotions schemes that just wouldn't have happened, not even a chance. One reason is that I'm vastly more experienced and can see problems developing before they actually develop and be more proactive. More significant though I think is the players seem to know that I refereed at a higher level and just generally leave me to it. Even when I get something badly wrong, and I'm honest enough to say I definitely still do that, I don't get anywhere near the same amount of grief and dissent that I would have done back then when I was a level 7 to 6.

P.S. Yes, I do realise that now I have written this I am going to have a 22 man brawl in the first minute of my next Sunday morning game ...!!