Anyone doing a minutes silence today?
Minutes silence
- Thread starter Tom Knight
- Start date
Hartlepool_ref
Active Member
Same here - went off without a hitch 
zarathustra
RefChat Addict
I did the 2 minutes at 11am prior to kicking off for the second half.
The pitches we were on were right across the road from the local memorial, players, club officials and spectators were excellent.
Out of curiosity, what would you do if there was a player who (for whatever reason) didn't want to take part in the minutes silence? Would it just be a case of asking them to stay on the touch line until after the silence had finished?
The pitches we were on were right across the road from the local memorial, players, club officials and spectators were excellent.
Out of curiosity, what would you do if there was a player who (for whatever reason) didn't want to take part in the minutes silence? Would it just be a case of asking them to stay on the touch line until after the silence had finished?
Yes. the minutes silence does not frm part of the match protocol, but is a voluntary observation.
As such, IMO it is best practice to ask both teams if they wish to observe it before KO, if they beoth want to, and you re happy to conduct proceedings then crack on as normal. If an individual player does not want to then they stand to the side, hopefully in silence.
if on the other hand there was a whole team (or majority of a team) that did not want to participate, I would see that you then ask the team that does, to conduct their own (with or without you) pre match in their dressing room / side of the pitch.
As referees we are there to neutrally officiate a game of football. We can not allow ourselves to be drawn one way or the other in terms of bias on ANY subject matter.
I have had a team that did not want to do the minute - hence me deduction of the above. I am in no position to "force" someone or whole team to do something like this.
To the contrary, what if you had a team that either requested that it NOT be done, or who are / were in obvious support of those against whom the whole day of remembrance is aimed - waht would or could you do then?
Sit on the fence, do your bit how you wish to do yours, and involve those that with to partake also.
After having served my time I knw how I would "like" things to go, but out on the pitch it's a different head.
Just one thing I and pretty sure on - if you have a 1030KO, don't be stopping at 1100Hrs for 2 minutes. You will both confuse the heck out of the players and have to figure out the correct re-start (dropped ball unless meticously timed for a TI . GK etc???)
As such, IMO it is best practice to ask both teams if they wish to observe it before KO, if they beoth want to, and you re happy to conduct proceedings then crack on as normal. If an individual player does not want to then they stand to the side, hopefully in silence.
if on the other hand there was a whole team (or majority of a team) that did not want to participate, I would see that you then ask the team that does, to conduct their own (with or without you) pre match in their dressing room / side of the pitch.
As referees we are there to neutrally officiate a game of football. We can not allow ourselves to be drawn one way or the other in terms of bias on ANY subject matter.
I have had a team that did not want to do the minute - hence me deduction of the above. I am in no position to "force" someone or whole team to do something like this.
To the contrary, what if you had a team that either requested that it NOT be done, or who are / were in obvious support of those against whom the whole day of remembrance is aimed - waht would or could you do then?
Sit on the fence, do your bit how you wish to do yours, and involve those that with to partake also.
After having served my time I knw how I would "like" things to go, but out on the pitch it's a different head.
Just one thing I and pretty sure on - if you have a 1030KO, don't be stopping at 1100Hrs for 2 minutes. You will both confuse the heck out of the players and have to figure out the correct re-start (dropped ball unless meticously timed for a TI . GK etc???)
zarathustra
RefChat Addict
Thanks, that ws my thinking.
I did check with both teams before the match to see if they had any players who may not want to take part, but they didn't.
I did check with both teams before the match to see if they had any players who may not want to take part, but they didn't.
Charlie Jones
Work Until You Don't Have To Introduce Yourself
to be honest, I never ask if they want to take part - I TELL both teams ... in for the coin toss, minutes silence, kick off ...if I'm honest, if you don't want to observe the silence then why the hell are you in the country playing on Britain's beautiful green land?
but that's a whole other debate!