Members Blogs

L'arbitre Blog - Weekend of Week 50

I was up very late to start off the weekend. I’m not sure why but I ended up sleeping at 5am but I do remember tweeting some stuff. I set the alarm to 8am but woke up a few minutes before 9am realising I was very late! I jumped out of bed and got ready […] Continue reading...

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Dutch Referee Blog - Coach educates pupils to respect the referee

Every referee experiences it: coaches that yell at you. But luckily not every coach is like that. I found this video on YouTube a coach educates pupils to respect the referee. He has some wise lessons for his pupils. The bottom line: respect the referee. Here are his lessons and I hope many coaches will […] Continue reading...

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L'arbitre Blog - Week 50

It has been a very long week. If I truly recapped on everything in one-go, I’d write enough for a few years’ worth and then just shut down this blog. As a result, I begin here with Part 1 which is the working week and try to keep it short. The week started off with […] Continue reading...

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Dutch Referee Blog - Pepe fouls: no card in 2014/2015 season

What’s the first thing you think off when you hear the name of Real Madrid player Pepe? Probably the “Pepe fouls”, tackles with often a lot of excessive force. And then I saw this tweet: 1080 – Pepe is the player in La Liga this season to have played the most minutes without receiving a […] Continue reading...

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Dutch Referee Blog - Matt Leary goes for FA’s Three Lions badge

Please introduce yourself. “Matt Leary, 28, from Farnham, Surrey. I’m a Level 6 referee, so I referee on the County and Local men’s leagues, and I’m an assistant referee at Supply League level. I also referee on the County and Regional Women’s leagues on Sundays.” “I love the feeling of waking up on a Saturday […] Continue reading...

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Dutch Referee Blog - How to become a top referee (with tips from Ben Williams)

Dutch Referee Blog wishes you a great start of the year. In the first blog of 2015, Australian World Cup referee Ben Williams gives you 4 things to keep in mind to become a top referee. So, wow to become a top referee? Be the best you can be Football is a reflection of life […] Continue reading...

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Dutch Referee Blog - Andrew Lincoln: “1st red card after 3 seasons”

Andrew Lincoln is had to give his first straight red card ever after three seasons of refereeing. An interview with the 17-year-old referee from Swindon. Please introduce yourself. “My name is Andrew Lincoln and I am based in Swindon, England. I am a 17 year old match official and became one after passing my basic… Continue reading...

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Dutch Referee Blog - Begging for referee clemency

Two wonderful pictures in the latest Fifa Weekly. On the right: Marcelo begging for referee clemency with Dutch match official Björn Kuipers. The photo on the left shows a fan of the goalie Sepp Maier. The photo of Bjorn Kuipers is taken during the Champions League final of 2014. you Can read the Fifa Weekly… Continue reading...

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L'arbitre Blog - Week 46’s Futsal Final

It’s hard to say goodbye sometimes. This was by no means an exception. My last game in the league I started only a year ago. I couldn’t help but be nervous. I had strategically looked at things I needed to work on from reflections on my Futsal officiating and wanted to ensure the little details […] Continue reading...

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Dutch Referee Blog - Referee Peter O’Leary talks after World Cup death threats

Referee Peter O’Leary wasn’t safe after he refereed the World Cup match Nigeria – Bosnia Herzegovina in Brazil. After months of silence he talked with the NZ Herald about the situation. 2014 became a top year because of the selection for the World Cup, but he also became Bosnian public enemy number one What happened… Continue reading...

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L'arbitre Blog - Week 49

Considering this was an exam week, there was not much here refereeing-related. I began discussing the possibility of launching an online store with a few people and looking into logistics. It was fun tinkering around but there was a lot more to come in the coming weeks and months; possibly more than I had initially […] Continue reading...

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L'arbitre Blog - Week 36 Match Incident

An opponent is lingering in an offside position behind a defender. The ball is on the other side of the field and kicked forward. The defender runs into the other half to receive the ball and play it back in. Offside attacker gives chase. As an AR I’m waiting and seeing at this point, they […] Continue reading...

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Dutch Referee Blog - Referee age limit abolished soon by Fifa

The referee age limit will be abolished soon, announced the Fifa Executive Committee. Now international referees have to stop at the age of 45. Fifa regulations say that a referee “shall not have reached the age of 45 [born in … Continue reading → Continue reading...

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Dutch Referee Blog - Referee as Athlete of the Year

When can we expect it: a referee as Athlete of the Year in The Netherlands? Dutch sports organisation NOC*NSF will announces the male and female athletes of 2014 on December 12. All World, European and Olympic Champions are automatically nominated … Continue reading → Continue reading...

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L'arbitre Blog - Week 48

A Refsworld package arrived on Wednesday and I was excited to receive it. It had a few requests from the RA AGM meeting less than a month ago so I could pass off the equipment to other refs before I left. Wednesday afternoon was running day this week. Jogging outside is a little more interesting […] Continue reading...

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Dutch Referee Blog - Referee Lewis Hope in Viktor Kassai’s footsteps

A referee with ambitions who has set his goals straight: he wants to be a a Football League referee in the Season 26/27 season. It’s Lewis Hope, a 13-year-old miniwhistler from Dorset. In an interview with Dutch Referee Blog he … Continue reading → Continue reading...

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Dutch Referee Blog - Roberto Payer’s life lessons for referees

That story has some lessons which would be helpful for referees, is what I thought after reading the interview with Robert Payer in Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad. He’s the general manager of hotels Waldorf Astoria and Hilton Amsterdam. Payer grew … Continue reading → Continue reading...

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Dutch Referee Blog - Deniz Aytekin and Mateu Lahoz promoted to Elite referees

Deniz Aytekin and Mateu Lahoz promoted to Elite referees by Uefa. The list is published by The 3rd Team. There are now 4 Spanish referees in the top group of Uefa: David Fernández Borbalán, Alberto Undiano Mallenco, Carlos Velasco Carballo … Continue reading → Continue reading...

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Dutch Referee Blog - Kuipers gives Markovic red card – what would you do?

Lots of dicussion on social media about the red card for Liverpool player Markovic by referee Bjorn Kuipers. Here is the situation. Markovic is looking where his opponent is and then swings his arm in that direction. It’s not just … Continue reading → Continue reading...

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Dutch Referee Blog - Tips to determine shirt colours of football teams

How do you determine shirt colours of the teams you referee? That’s easier said than done. The Laws of the Game are clear: “The two teams must wear colours that distinguish them from each other and also the referee and … Continue reading → Continue reading...

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