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I regularly ref youth games throughout the winter on 3G pitches where the only pitch marked out is 11v11 so cones are in use. I always make sure to use lines that are there as much as possible, so goals go on the 6 yard line and pace the area cones out myself, even if the that means exact pitch...

As others have pointed out, not only is it clear OFFINABUS and straight RC, but given it's discriminatory I would briefly stop the game to take the contemporaneous notes the FA's reporting discrimination guidance requires.

This is interesting Rusty, because by putting that in writing to the league it's defamation, especially the first comment. If I was the referee I'd want to know and would immediately be talking to a solicitor...One thing to give low marks for mistakes, perceived or real, another thing to accuse...

Good idea that - I'm going to try it.

Midlands JPL, so it will be a good standard for non-academy youth football. Whilst I agree with you to a large degree, it's a sad indictment of football that an U12s game can't be refereed by a young ref at the start of their journey, with the learning curve and issues around confidence that...

That was my conclusion too, with complete sympathy for the lad as the reasons stated it was also one of his first games - "recently qualified" would suggest to me he's either completed the course during October half-term or just started at the beginning of the season. Buck stops with whoever...

If this was a case presented by a local FA I would agree. If by the main FA, they’re staffed with qualified barristers and solicitors. Granted it doesn’t mean they’re any good (most governing body in house legal aren’t that good - if they were they’d be in practice not taking the easier life in...

Removing someone in response to an intervention from a club would have opened the floodgates but I agree it's something the PGMOL should consider ACTIVELY doing. Problem is most sports regulators have a "we'd never be biased" mentality, which when combined with a siege mentality (which almost...

Spot on. Clattenburg knew exactly what he was doing in making that request/comment to PGMOL beforehand - any controversial decision was going to be used afterwards. However it will badly backfire because a) Forest are in for a big fine (or should be) and b) whilst the perception of bias...

Some of you may have seen that the Karl Henry case has been concluded by the FA, with the charges found not proven. He was on Twitter proclaiming victory: However, the decision makes for very different reading...

Outside of the decisions themselves, there are two discrete issues to consider imho. The first, which I suspect we all agree on, is Forest's post on X, for which they need the book throwing at them. After the Karl Henry debacle, whether the FA have the ability to make it stick is a different...

I think your interpretation is fair and balanced, and it's an issue with the LOTG that they're open to such interpretation and the guidance often leads to another conclusion (in this case that it is offside). My personal view is that it was entirely the correct decision, and at worst fully...

I'm getting really fed up with the MOTD pundits and their ilk. even when they put the rules up they still don't understand them. For me, the Wolves player is clearly obstructing Fabianski's line of sight. Is there a debate as to whether it prevented Fabianski from playing the ball? Yes...

Too true too often Gabriel.

It's barely beginning at the current rate of escalation. Not had many bad experiences in two years to be fair, but being loudly called a "useless f***ing c***" last week by a parent after an U15s game in clear earshot (approx 10 yards) of the players and coaches was a new low!

@Kent Ref - I don't see you've done anything wrong in what you said to the 16yo (or from about U12s up). Regular occurrence where comments are falling short of qualifying as dissent. I'm absolutely mindful of how you speak to children when refereeing but if you can be respectfully stern to...

This has been a real area of concern for my own refereeing and whether I've been judging it right or not - that type of ball first and player second from the front/side. Thus far I've been stopping play, awarding a free kick and on some occasions a yellow, but never a red yet.

Had an incident last year when CAR for my son's old team. Oppo coach spent much of the match barracking the U16 ref (armband being worn), screamed at one of our players, and for the last 10 minutes of the game all his U12 players joined in. I sent a report in to league and County FA, as did...

Thanks for the advice guys, was really helpful. The two ARs (one L5, one L7 but with several more years of exp than me) couldn’t have been nicer. As well as being my first game with neutral ARs, it was only my second Open Age game (long story but sounded like a scheduling **** up so wouldn’t...

Great tip and something I'd have never thought of having only worked on my own thus far. Thank you.