Junior/Youth Academy Game

[Jacob Walukiewicz]

My first academy game, Scunthorpe vs Burton. I got put on U14 on my own, with no assistants of any form which I found strange.It turned out to be fine without them though as not only the coaches but the players are generally very honest.

I was also told that cards aren't used in academy games, which caused me problems later on when the Burton striker went in for three late challenges, I told him anymore and I'll be asking your coach to bring you off and I talked to his coach before the start of the 3rd period of play (played the periods of 25). He asked if he was being disrespectful and later explained that he was on trial and is known to be a bit firery and needs to control it. He was much better in the last period and I was able to let the game run much better as players began to concentrate more on their football rather than taking eachother out.

Good game in the end, handshakes from coaches and players, don't think I've had that in a junior league game before!

 

[GraemeS]

I've done a U16 and U18 game on the line for a local academy. We were told the same thing about there being no cards for U16, although for U18 we were told to treat them as we would any other match. Even from the line I found that very strange - as limited as cards are, they're still a very important tool for referees and I think I'd feel pretty lost without them as soon as anyone started arguing a decision.

 

[Mintyref]

Afraid the match would have to be played without me, no cards, no play.........

 

[OIREF!]

I was also told that cards aren't used in academy games

I'd be interested to know who told you this. Is it official policy or just pre match chat?

Afraid the match would have to be played without me, no cards, no play.........

I tend to agree. Here in Scotland, competitive football starts from U13 and even at this age the use of yellow and red cards is acknowledged. Why would/should academy football not require cards? If this is official policy are there any guidelines for the referee to deal with VC, SFP, OFFINABUS etc?

 

[Jacob Walukiewicz]

I'd be interested to know who told you this. Is it official policy or just pre match chat?



I tend to agree. Here in Scotland, competitive football starts from U13 and even at this age the use of yellow and red cards is acknowledged. Why would/should academy football not require cards? If this is official policy are there any guidelines for the referee to deal with VC, SFP, OFFINABUS etc?

The normal guy who runs the refs wasn't there so I was told to not use cards by the person who had stepped in. I'm not sure the reasoning and I don't agree with it but I got on with my job.

I do not know about OFFINABUS but for VC and SFP I would have asked the coach to bring the player off, this is also what I threatened for persistent fouling which actually calmed the game down a bit. This is what I was advised to do by the other officials their on the day.

 

[lincs22]

U18 - they want these games refereed to the required standard. These players could be playing in the EFL, so they normally get L3 or L4's to do the middles. If they don't card when they should do, then they suffer as Observers sometime watch them.

U16 - it is not that cards are banned, they just like the game to be managed between the referee and the team officials. Simple YC's are don't normally happen, they are substituted before PI occurs. Dissent, etc reflects badly on the player so they have a greater risk to their playing careers' than YC's.

For VC & SFP, you would still be expected to dismiss the player and report them. However, as they may be EFL teams the report may need to go to the National FA and all that involves. That is why they don't want the cards - the admin of a National FA for the Club Sec will be 10 times higher than local CFA's. The "big boys" of the club don't want to have to deal with the Academy teams issues.

 

[DB]

No cards... No ref! These academy's annoy me. "It's a friendly ref"... There's no such thing! I do quite a few of the academy and U18 County games (the counties are divided) as well as the ESFA games....

I got hounded last week as we were in the second minute and a player put in a challenge, I blew for the foul and the player kicked the ball away. I call him over, (uproar from the sideline about "How are you having a word after the first challenge? That's stupid").... I was actually stating to the player about kicking the ball away... A good opportunity to stamp my authority in the game. Then right at the end five minutes to go... Player already on a yellow card gets tackled... Fouls the guy that tackled him and then says "I'm gonna f*****g knock you out".... He see's red and it comes as a complete surprise to the management team. If they feel that's acceptable, I find it ridiculous!

 

[On The Game]

I've been told this on both Merseyside academies, the reasoning is to give the bench a chance to discipline them - the clubs come down hard on academy players, they can do much more to them than a measly YC.

 

[bester]

Clubs aren't going to come back hard on a player for delaying the restart or making a tactical foul! They actively encourage it.

 

[DB]

Clubs aren't going to come back hard on a player for delaying the restart or making a tactical foul! They actively encourage it.

If they adopt that attitude 2 minutes in with the score at 0-0.... I'd be very surprised. Later on in the game (if they're winning), obviously a handy tactic

 

[Jacob Walukiewicz]

Clubs aren't going to come back hard on a player for delaying the restart or making a tactical foul! They actively encourage it.

Well if you're talking about delaying the restart from an opposition free kick, this did happen however they did move once I told them to move back. It's just like a normal football match really you can still threaten players with a talk to the coach if needed and in the end it was enough to make the late challenges stop. Very few of the players and none of the coaches I think would be dishonest and directly trying to test the referee on his ability to dish out cautions and therefore the game is played competitively but in good spirit at the end of the day.

 

[Mooseybaby]

Clubs aren't going to come back hard on a player for delaying the restart or making a tactical foul! They actively encourage it.

Agreed! I am friends with a local ex-pro, who is an academy coach with a PL team. Got to know him over the last 3 years as our sons play for the same team and he coached our boy's team for a year as & when he was available. One of the tactics they coach and encourage at set pieces is standing over the ball or 7 to 8 yards away to delay the restart and make the referee move them back.

 

[HRW]

Afraid the match would have to be played without me, no cards, no play.........

.... and that's why you're probably not going to be invited to professional academies on a sunday morning, but left with sunday League football (shudder).

The "leagues" they play in at that level do not score points, or those that get more than other teams as it is non-competative, and is thusly entitled Development Football. The scores are just that, no tables, no "3 for a win, 1 for a draw", it's all for the development. U16 onwards it's LOTG all the way though!

And thus it goes that as they are not competative leagues there is no-one to "report" cards to. A lot may use a Blue card which can be used to signify either a warning or a sin-bin effect (take 10 mins / next period out) depending on the actual teams playing.

But I suppose that you would also not wear a bib or a coloured "Football League" badged shirt to do an U9 game when Chelsea are in blue and Liverpool are in Black (jeez, if you are ever in this position please let me know so i can hear you explain to the clubs that youre not playing with them in Black!). But when you have Profesional academies playing in quite probably first team training grounds behind closed doors, and it's the county that have appointed you and know what the requirements are, you tow the required line.

Because if you don't tow the line you are firstly not following the Development Rules (yes there are 100's of pages of Development Football Rules) inc what colours teams CAN play in, and the ref's, and protocol for cards and secondly you'd be seen as more trouble than is worth with the county certainly taking note for future reference.......

I quite enjoy being invited into these supposedly Hallowed Grounds, but being a Forst fan only the real city ground is that hallowed. Potch really is a nice guy though.

Somtimes it is better to be wrong and at peace, that right and at war.