Mooseybaby
Retired big bad baldy in all black!
Over the past 8 seasons both as a referee and parent seen a lot of youth football across Dorset and Hampshire.
Not wishing to open up Pandora regarding carding in youth football etc, however one thing that has struck me about a large number of grassroots refs I seen down here is the inability/unwillingness to deal with dissent, verbal and by action (kicking ball away etc).
For a while I did get into the habit of warning managers before games that I wouldn't tolerate things like dissent, especially kicking the ball away, but often found it made things worse with players pushing the boundaries of what they could get away with, like launching the ball as far as they possibly could just as the ball was about the run out of play, followed by a sarky laugh. Now I figure there's no point warning pre-match anymore as they don't listen anyway, they are old enough to know better and if they cross the line, I am just going to whip out a card.
One of the most blatant examples I have seen was last season, when the ball went out for a goal kick near the corner flag. Defender has ball at his feet and jogging it back to his keeper. Attacker runs from behind him, takes the ball off his feet, dribbles into the penalty area and then launches the ball towards the opposite corner flag. Referee said/did nothing with the attacker, not a single word.
So imagine my surprise this past weekend when watching my son's game when I witness a referee dealing with a petulant oik. Away side had been gobby throughout the game, ref had previously dished out a public warning for a player kicking the ball away (at his own free kick). Last 5 minutes, away player decides to show his displeasure at a freekick/throw in decision, picks the ball up and aggressively slams into the ground in full view of the referee, who calls him over and shows him a yellow card. Player responds to the yellow card by sarcastically applauding the referee, who responds in kind by whipping out the red. Look of bewilderment on players face, hands in the air and complaining to his coach "what did I do?". Probably not used to seeing a referee that is not willing to put up with the crap from a stroppy teenager! I was standing on the touchline thinking well done that man!
Not wishing to open up Pandora regarding carding in youth football etc, however one thing that has struck me about a large number of grassroots refs I seen down here is the inability/unwillingness to deal with dissent, verbal and by action (kicking ball away etc).
For a while I did get into the habit of warning managers before games that I wouldn't tolerate things like dissent, especially kicking the ball away, but often found it made things worse with players pushing the boundaries of what they could get away with, like launching the ball as far as they possibly could just as the ball was about the run out of play, followed by a sarky laugh. Now I figure there's no point warning pre-match anymore as they don't listen anyway, they are old enough to know better and if they cross the line, I am just going to whip out a card.
One of the most blatant examples I have seen was last season, when the ball went out for a goal kick near the corner flag. Defender has ball at his feet and jogging it back to his keeper. Attacker runs from behind him, takes the ball off his feet, dribbles into the penalty area and then launches the ball towards the opposite corner flag. Referee said/did nothing with the attacker, not a single word.
So imagine my surprise this past weekend when watching my son's game when I witness a referee dealing with a petulant oik. Away side had been gobby throughout the game, ref had previously dished out a public warning for a player kicking the ball away (at his own free kick). Last 5 minutes, away player decides to show his displeasure at a freekick/throw in decision, picks the ball up and aggressively slams into the ground in full view of the referee, who calls him over and shows him a yellow card. Player responds to the yellow card by sarcastically applauding the referee, who responds in kind by whipping out the red. Look of bewilderment on players face, hands in the air and complaining to his coach "what did I do?". Probably not used to seeing a referee that is not willing to put up with the crap from a stroppy teenager! I was standing on the touchline thinking well done that man!