A&H

Second Half of Games

HoofItYouDonkey

HoofItYouDonkey

RefChat Addict
Level 6 Referee
Firstly, what a thoroughly miserable day here in Kent, all football off.
Some thoughts please....
I am finding that the first half of games is going really well, but the second half, it all tends to go pear-shaped.
Yesterday was a good example. I refereed a league semi final with two good assistants, first half, no problems, one yellow, no complaints. Second half it all went wrong, poor decision making led to justified player frustration, which makes me lose confidence in my own ability and on and on...
The game finished 3-1, but I tend to be every self critical and feel that I need to address this issue of good first half followed by poor second half as it has happened too often before.
Thanks
 
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HoofItYouDonkey said:
Firstly, what a thoroughly miserable day here in Kent, all football off.
Some thoughts please....
I am finding that the first half of games is going really well, but the second half, it all tends to go pear-shaped.
Yesterday was a good example. I refereed a league semi final with two good assistants, first half, no problems, one yellow, no complaints. Second half it all went wrong, poor decision making led to justified player frustration, which makes me lose confidence in my own ability and on and on...
The game finished 3-1, but I tend to be every self critical and feel that I need to address this issue of good first half followed by poor second half as it has happened too often before.
Thanks
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How did you find the first half physically? A trend I have noticed is that if I have a physical first half, i.e. end to end lots of fast sprints, quick breaks, long balls etc then if I am fatigued for the second half I tend to be a bit behind the pace.

The weather also has an impact, the weather in Medway was horrendous yesterday, and running around in the freezing wind and rain for 45 minutes can also slow you down a bit.

For the first bit I countered this with proper hydration and nutrition etc before and during the game, along with working on my fitness and stamina.
 
zarathustra said:
How did you find the first half physically? A trend I have noticed is that if I have a physical first half, i.e. end to end lots of fast sprints, quick breaks, long balls etc then if I am fatigued for the second half I tend to be a bit behind the pace.

The weather also has an impact, the weather in Medway was horrendous yesterday, and running around in the freezing wind and rain for 45 minutes can also slow you down a bit.

For the first bit I countered this with proper hydration and nutrition etc before and during the game, along with working on my fitness and stamina.
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I am also in medway. I didn't feel that I ran out of steam, I do wonder if I loose a bit of focus at half time.
 
Make sure that you drink plenty at half time but then get your head back on as if it was the first half about to start. If the first half of matches has been going well then your preparation is good, you just need to replicate it for the 2nd half to ensure that you remain focused, especially for the critical first few decisions.
 
You may wish to consider changing your half-time routine. When I was coaching a young Level 6 who had the same problem, I suggested that he leave the dressing room after 8-10 minutes of half time, have a run on the field of play for five minutes, keep focussed, and then wait for his assistants at the tunnel after they get the teams out for the second half. Worked for him after a few weeks. Good luck with whatever you do!
 
Sounds like concentration to me and it affects lots of referees. There's no easy answer though other than trying to mentally pretend it is the first half all over again.

The other thing could be that the temperature of the game rises, especially if one or both teams have had a rollocking from their manager at half time. Start of the second half is potentially a dangerous time for that reason and you have to be extra switched on.
 
Second halves tend to be tougher as games are decided more then, usually. Teams chasing results or hanging on offer harder decisions to you as they plead for everything and every close call is amplified as your fault!
Good that you’ve identified your own errors, he who doesn’t accept that won’t get better!
 
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Second halves are more challenging... full stop
Referee fatigue, whether aware of it or not... both physical and mental... stress levels on the up
Player fatigue... again physical and mental... behaviour deteriorates etc.
Ascending tariff on every decision... right up to the final whistle

Personally, I reckon the biggest gains are made by getting fitter than you need to be to referee a football match
That's why the 5-to-4 fitness test exceeds the demands of refereeing. Any level of physical fatigue will be reflected by errors... exponentially
 
Big Cat said:
Personally, I reckon the biggest gains are made by getting fitter than you need to be to referee a football match
That's why the 5-to-4 fitness test exceeds the expectation of refereeing. Fatigue is the enemy imo
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Unless the 5-4 test has changed it is totally irrelevant imo. Jogging round non stop for 12 minutes does not mean a ref can keep up with play.
 
StiltonRef said:
Unless the 5-4 test has changed it is totally irrelevant imo. Jogging round non stop for 12 minutes does not mean a ref can keep up with play.
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It is relevant, otherwise they wouldn't demand it. It's proof that you're fitter than you need to be, to referee a Contrib/Supply League game
I'm a firm believer in this principle
 
StiltonRef said:
Unless the 5-4 test has changed it is totally irrelevant imo. Jogging round non stop for 12 minutes does not mean a ref can keep up with play.
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The cooper test isn't about measuring how fit you are to referee a football match at a given level. It measures your VO2 Max.

The Army uses it, although you have to run 1.5 miles in less than a set time.

Running around in shorts and t-shirts doesn't show how well you will do in a battle, but it shows them how you general fitness is.
 
StiltonRef said:
Unless the 5-4 test has changed it is totally irrelevant imo. Jogging round non stop for 12 minutes does not mean a ref can keep up with play.
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Big Cat said:
It is relevant, otherwise they wouldn't demand it. It's proof that you're fitter than you need to be, to referee a Contrib/Supply League game
I'm a firm believer in this principle
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The 5-4 test isn't even about refereeing in the middle. It's a fitness test to be a Contributory league assistant referee - a requirement of level 4.
 
Big Cat said:
Not sure I follow old bean
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Running at an even pace for 12 minutes doesn't even come close to mirroring refereeing a game. That's why at higher levels, including now level 3, they use the FIFA style test which tests out the referee in more of a match situation (e.g. sprints, increasing and decreasing heart rate, etc.)

I always used to breeze the Cooper test and always come close to 3km, but it would be a push to pay I was one of the fitter L3s.
 
RustyRef said:
Running at an even pace for 12 minutes doesn't even come close to mirroring refereeing a game. That's why at higher levels, including now level 3, they use the FIFA style test which tests out the referee in more of a match situation (e.g. sprints, increasing and decreasing heart rate, etc.)

I always used to breeze the Cooper test and always come close to 3km, but it would be a push to pay I was one of the fitter L3s.
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@JamesL , @StiltonRef
Missing my point chaps
I'm merely stating that to referee a football match effectively, one needs to be fitter than is necessarily required. A slightly fatigued referee is not best placed to do a good job
I'm also saying that the 5 to 4 test is not irrelevant, because it strongly implies a level of fitness over and above that required (physically) to referee without fatigue. Yes the test lacks the specificity of the FIFA test, I accept that... absolutely... (probably just easier to organise the Cooper Test)
Right at this time, I couldn't pass the 5 to 4 test. I happen to also think that fitness is my weakness. The two are not just a coincidence
 
Big Cat said:
@JamesL , @StiltonRef
Missing my point chaps
I'm merely stating that to referee a football match effectively, one needs to be fitter than is necessarily required. A slightly fatigued referee is not best placed to do a good job
I'm also saying that the 5 to 4 test is not irrelevant, because it strongly implies a level of fitness over and above that required (physically) to referee without fatigue. Yes the test lacks the specificity of the FIFA test, I accept that... absolutely... (probably just easier to organise the Cooper Test)
Right at this time, I couldn't pass the 5 to 4 test. I happen to also think that fitness is my weakness. The two are not just a coincidence
Click to expand...

Don't disagree with some of that, and as an old referee coach of mine used to say "get fit to referee, don't referee to get fit". The Cooper test demonstrates a certain level of fitness, especially the L3 one as whilst it is only an extra 100m that does catch people out. I'm pretty sure I could still easily pass the 2.7km Cooper test without any training, but I very doubt the same would apply to the new test, and likewise I don't think I could walk into a step 3/4 game and copy with the pace without having done a lot of fitness training. Which to me demonstrates that the Cooper test has a use, but beyond a base level of fitness doesn't prove a great deal.

All that said, even when I was breezing the fitness test I was still messing up in the 2nd half of games, especially early on. For me it was definitely a concentration issue rather than anything to do with fitness.
 
RustyRef said:
Don't disagree with some of that, and as an old referee coach of mine used to say "get fit to referee, don't referee to get fit". The Cooper test demonstrates a certain level of fitness, especially the L3 one as whilst it is only an extra 100m that does catch people out. I'm pretty sure I could still easily pass the 2.7km Cooper test without any training, but I very doubt the same would apply to the new test, and likewise I don't think I could walk into a step 3/4 game and copy with the pace without having done a lot of fitness training. Which to me demonstrates that the Cooper test has a use, but beyond a base level of fitness doesn't prove a great deal.

All that said, even when I was breezing the fitness test I was still messing up in the 2nd half of games, especially early on. For me it was definitely a concentration issue rather than anything to do with fitness.
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That's interesting. I am looking at the new test thinking it will be easier than the cooper. Will learn tomorrow. Our county are running a trial of it alongside 5-4 fitness tests.
 
I was like a good red wine, I seemed to get better later on in games. I always thought in my head that you didn't want a tricky one early on!!!
By the second half all the juices should be flowing and you should be on it!! I was never scared though of giving a tricky one early though, I remember a yellow in the first minute so I was never short of confidence when decisions were required. Never stop learning!! Every game is a schoolday!!
 
In terms of concentration and focus, Your brain needs a number of things to function properly. Oxygen, fuel hydration and rest are essential. Half time, make sure you eat, have a drink, take a lot of deep breaths and try to have a few minutes rest before getting back on it. It’s easy to see the game as 1 game and 1 long session to stay focused. Seeing it (and preparing for) 2, 45 minute games should help with the right break in between. Good luck in finding the formula that works for you
 
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