AR yesterday

[JD1]

After a full season of being in the middle, I ran the line on a game yesterday that had a decent clip and speed to it, above my usual fare anyway.

Ref in the middle (rightly) caught sight of me watching the ball a number of times and told me over comms to focus on the line.

What are the tricks to making sure I can make the right call on the ball going out of play, and offside down the line? I get that maybe the middle can cover me over comms, but then I felt vulnerable not knowing which side to flag.

Is it positioning or do I genuinely need eyes on the side of my face?

 

[DavidObs]

After a full season of being in the middle, I ran the line on a game yesterday that had a decent clip and speed to it, above my usual fare anyway.

Ref in the middle (rightly) caught sight of me watching the ball a number of times and told me over comms to focus on the line.

What are the tricks to making sure I can make the right call on the ball going out of play, and offside down the line? I get that maybe the middle can cover me over comms, but then I felt vulnerable not knowing which side to flag.

Is it positioning or do I genuinely need eyes on the side of my face?

AR is a definite skill in its own right & there usually is no easy answers only experience with what works for you to ensure the correct outcomes. However, there are certainly some tips/best practice that can be offered. Always remain aligned with the 2nd rear most defender wherever they go, so not to ball watch too much with play in the other half, but still need to do to be able to judge when the ball was played. To anticipate play and be on the move at the earliest opportunity so pro-active rather than re-active. This will hopefully lead to being better able to identify when ball is in/out of play etc.

 

[TheReferee]

After a full season of being in the middle, I ran the line on a game yesterday that had a decent clip and speed to it, above my usual fare anyway.

Ref in the middle (rightly) caught sight of me watching the ball a number of times and told me over comms to focus on the line.

What are the tricks to making sure I can make the right call on the ball going out of play, and offside down the line? I get that maybe the middle can cover me over comms, but then I felt vulnerable not knowing which side to flag.

Is it positioning or do I genuinely need eyes on the side of my face?

Sometimes when the ball is on your side of the pitch you don’t get a very good view of both ball and line, in this situation if space permits I take a step away from line giving me a wider view, I find it really helps and you don’t feel as if play is on top of you as much. One small step back is perfect in these situations because you still close to the pitch but it give you a clearer view of what’s going on around you.

 

[ianh]

Pre-match instuctions I give to ARs, especially club ARs and relatively new/inexperienced NARs includes a prioritisation list. Personally I remember when I started as an AR, there was so much going on I didn't know where to look!

1. Offside is the number 1 priority always
2. If possible, ball in and out of play is the second priority when not watching for offside
3. If not watching for the above 2 and, then fouls

 

[JamesL]

Pre-match instuctions I give to ARs, especially club ARs and relatively new/inexperienced NARs includes a prioritisation list. Personally I remember when I started as an AR, there was so much going on I didn't know where to look!

1. Offside is the number 1 priority always
2. If possible, ball in and out of play is the second priority when not watching for offside
3. If not watching for the above 2 and, then fouls

Ball out of play is as important as offside, absolutely unacceptable to say sorry didn't see ball go out as was looking at offside. The AR is the only person who can get this information and expected to do both to equal standard.

 

[Russell Jones]

After a full season of being in the middle, I ran the line on a game yesterday that had a decent clip and speed to it, above my usual fare anyway.

Ref in the middle (rightly) caught sight of me watching the ball a number of times and told me over comms to focus on the line.

What are the tricks to making sure I can make the right call on the ball going out of play, and offside down the line? I get that maybe the middle can cover me over comms, but then I felt vulnerable not knowing which side to flag.

Is it positioning or do I genuinely need eyes on the side of my face?

It does get very tricky in these situations! Worth getting in the habit of repeated quick 'head flicks' from facing forward to the left hand side and back again. Best way to stay (relatively) on top of both key priorities.

 

[one]

Pre-match instuctions I give to ARs, especially club ARs and relatively new/inexperienced NARs includes a prioritisation list. Personally I remember when I started as an AR, there was so much going on I didn't know where to look!

1. Offside is the number 1 priority always
2. If possible, ball in and out of play is the second priority when not watching for offside
3. If not watching for the above 2 and, then fouls

Above all, detecting ball over the goal line between the goal posts when there are competing priorities.

Ball out of play is as important as offside, absolutely unacceptable to say sorry didn't see ball go out as was looking at offside. The AR is the only person who can get this information and expected to do both to equal standard.

Agree here but I think the point that was being made is around when there are competing priorities, which one is higher. Absolutely, cover both when you can and in most cases you can. But when you can get only one right, which one do you go for?
Having said that I don't remember any instances when I had to choose between the two.

For OP, when on the line practice bringing your peripheral vision into your mind/though process without losing focus of your primary vision. It will get easier with experience.
As with the stepping back by one step helping, sometimes stepping to the right by one step also helps.

 

[OnlyUseMeWhistle]

I find reading the game is a big part of it. You can usually tell with half a seconds notice that a ball is going to be played forward, enough time to crab a yard or two so you're bang in line. You can also learn what the back line is likely to do in different scenarios to pre-empt an offside trap or players dropping deep.

I had probably the best game I have EVER had as an AR at the weekend, felt like I could see everything. In reality I watched the line out of the corner of my eye when the ball was over my side, the trick is never stop - you can slow down to a crawl but don't stop entirely because the players WILL move.

 

[Kes]

It does get very tricky in these situations! Worth getting in the habit of repeated quick 'head flicks' from facing forward to the left hand side and back again. Best way to stay (relatively) on top of both key priorities.

This ^ ^ ^

What used to work for me was staying totally focused on my own job (not the referee's).

Literally, 99% of your time should be spent running or crabbing down the line looking at what is directly adjacent to you.

Step, step, "where's the ball?"
Step, step, "where's the ball?"