A&H

County Cup

ionalawson14

New Member
Level 7 Referee
Hi guys,

I've been appointed to my first ever county cup game this weekend which I'm so excited about and I was wondering if theres anything I need to know thats different about county cup games (when to turn up, county badges, what to turn up in?? etc etc)

Thanks :)
 
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when to turn up, county badges, what to turn up in?? etc etc

Read the rules of the competition, you'll usually find the answer to most of those questions in there.

For example, in my county cup we must turn up 45 minutes before a game, and we must wear the county FA badge, unless we have a higher ranking badge (i.e. the national FA badge).

If you're on your own, then I think dress code is not likely to be a major issue - something like black tracksuit is suitable, but if you're with assistant referees, then some will expect you to dress up smart-casual, or in the event of a final/semi-final, shirt and tie.

If you're up for promotion this season, these games are usually the ones they will assess you on, so don't forget to put on your best warm up theatre for the assessor. ;)

Do check out the rule book first though, and congratulations on the appointment! :)
 
Definitely check the Competition rules. Notably - if it's a draw at 90 mins does it go to Extra Time or straight to penalties?

Enjoy it!
 
Congrats on the appointment, it’s a recognition of the progress you have made as a referee and a sign of positive things to come!

In my county Hampshire, we're expected to wear shirt and tie to the game and county badge is a MUST, even if you would not normally wear it.

Being clear on the competition rules is a must, if you incorrectly play extra time instead of going straight to penalties (or vice versa) likelihood is that the match will end up being replayed and your reputation will be tarnished with the teams and also your county FA.

If you’ve got a youth county cup game, the rules on return substitutes may be different to that in the age group for league games.

Also (and I don’t think this will apply to your game as it’s your first appointment), if it’s in the Senior County Competition, sin bins may not apply if there are teams in the competition that are above Step 5 in that competition (even though not in your game).

Check the county handbook and if in doubt double check with the appointment secretary, for the sake of a 2 minute call or quick email, you can save yourself a whole load of potential grief!
 
As others have said, check competition rules carefully. Here you have to be there an hour before kick off and must wear county badge, there's no specific rule on dress code but the expectation is that if it is the senior cup and / or you are working in a team of three and / or it is at a senior ground you should be suited and booted.
 
I'll add something no one else mentioned. Read the competition rules. :D:p

I know what you are saying - it used to be a lot simpler tbf, which is why everyone one bangs on about it.

Not only do et/pens to decide a draw change from comp to comp in the same county, but you have subs, how many from how many - rolling or not - sin bins yes/no - mercy rule yes/no?

One that can come up in cup matches if teams not in same league & even if they are, are kit clashes, so do check who has to change if this is the case - I had two teams turn up in identical kits for a CC semi final - U16s, so fair to assume they had only played each other for about 8 years without noticing!:rolleyes:

Never ever ever assume team officials know or believe what they say if they claim to!
 
As well as being more prepared yourself, you should also expect the clubs to be better prepared as well. Team sheets, match balls, etc 5 mins before KO might be overlooked at park level, but at county level, teams should be expected to also abide by competition rules! So team sheets in on time, match balls provided on time etc. This will also help you prepare so you're not chasing round for these things.
 
Mr Grumpy here... I've generally found CC appointments to be a nuisance. With the exception of QF, SF & Final, the games are no different from any other, except that they're often inferior to those I'd get from the Leagues. This is a generalisation of course
 
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are kit clashes, so do check who has to change if this is the case

Expect some teams to be stubborn beyond common sense on this one. My CC states the home team must make a change, but I had one where their alternative kit was the same colours as the home kit anyway (why?), but instead of asking the away team to change they stuck to the rules and went out and bought a new kit. :wall:
 
Expect some teams to be stubborn beyond common sense on this one. My CC states the home team must make a change, but I had one where their alternative kit was the same colours as the home kit anyway (why?), but instead of asking the away team to change they stuck to the rules and went out and bought a new kit. :wall:

I won't repeat the whole story but I was on a women's level 4 game last season that resulted in a 20 minute delayed kick off only after a set of shirts ending up on the floor of the officials' changing room after over an hour was spent bickering about the kit clash!
 
Mr Grumpy here... I've generally found CC appointments to be a nuisance. With the exception of QF, SF & Final, the games are no different from any other, except that they're often inferior to those I'd get from the Leagues. This is a generalisation of course


Also check what the fee and expenses are. Some leagues have fixed fees, but the CFA will be fee + travel. Some leagues are now sharing the referees costs, but CFA tends to make the home team pay.

This can be fun when they are expecting to pay half (£15) and get asked for the full amount (£30). Massive whip round needed :smoke:
 
Mr Grumpy here... I've generally found CC appointments to be a nuisance. With the exception of QF, SF & Final, the games are no different from any other, except that they're often inferior to those I'd get from the Leagues. This is a generalisation of course

They can be, because the standards of leagues across the county (at least here) vary dramatically. I've have some really one sided games that finished in double figures, however I've also had some really good highly competitive games between well matched teams. A few years ago I got an early round game between teams that were opposite ends of the county, both had been unbeaten for well over a year. Game was 3-0 at half time, then 3-3 and the team that was losing at half time scored an 88th minute winner, all after I'd had one from each side off for fighting. The winning team went on that year to lose the final on penalties. Still a memorable game for me 4 years down the line!
 
Same here, you get one sided an get easy games but also some corkers. I've had a few Turkish League vs Cypriot League games over the years and they often need a fair bit of refereeing.
 
I've also had some really good highly competitive games between well matched teams

Just got in from one of those today. Two teams well matched for each other.

Last minute goal to make it 4-4 and put it into extra time. Unfortunately for one of the teams, they had a man off, so they got tanked in extra time.

Kept me busy though, 10 cards today. Also pretty interesting working it out post-match because the five cautions I gave for the away team were for five unique offences (more or less), which is a first for me.
 
Just got in from one of those today. Two teams well matched for each other.

Last minute goal to make it 4-4 and put it into extra time. Unfortunately for one of the teams, they had a man off, so they got tanked in extra time.

Kept me busy though, 10 cards today. Also pretty interesting working it out post-match because the five cautions I gave for the away team were for five unique offences (more or less), which is a first for me.
Interesting that your competition still plays extra time. What was discipline like in ET? I often found it deteriorated as tiredness kicked in for the players and more challenges were mistimed.

We don't have any competitions in our County that play ET any more. Scores level at FT? Straight to penalties.
 
As well as being more prepared yourself, you should also expect the clubs to be better prepared as well. Team sheets, match balls, etc 5 mins before KO might be overlooked at park level, but at county level, teams should be expected to also abide by competition rules! So team sheets in on time, match balls provided on time etc. This will also help you prepare so you're not chasing round for these things.
Actually I think you'll find the opposite is true as teams struggle with the change from their usual league competition rules. It's also the appointment of an unfamiliar referee that throws the team as well. But then again what would I know, after all I've only refereed/observed over 1000 games.
 
What was discipline like in ET? I often found it deteriorated as tiredness kicked in for the players and more challenges were mistimed.

Not much in the way of fouls etc, because the away team ran away with it by scoring four additional goals, which caused the home team to pack it in more or less. Think it was one caution in the 105th minute for a player who tried to trip someone three times unsuccessfully during a run.

But yes, ET still in force here for all local and county competitions, followed up with penalties if still tied.
 
Actually I think you'll find the opposite is true as teams struggle with the change from their usual league competition rules. It's also the appointment of an unfamiliar referee that throws the team as well. But then again what would I know, after all I've only refereed/observed over 1000 games.

1000 games. Pffft, just getting your eye in Brian ;)

3 weeks ago I was on the line on the Saturday County Cup game and it was straight to pens if the game ended in a draw. The next day I'm at a much lower standard of football and it was to go to extra time if it was level after 90 mins. I found that a little odd.
 
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