Recent content by RefRyanAus

I think you are taking the IFAB advice out of context. You can’t use a general statement to overrule a more specific statement. There is always some ambiguity in rules but the quote you are referring to is really about blocking or similar type active behaviour. In the circumstance you describe...

Appalling. There is a special place in hell for referees who publicly disrespect their colleagues. He should have known better and as a fellow referee he should have been able to harness a lot more self control. I hope you are OK.

I once had a young lad who instinctively used his hand to deflect a ball away from the goal giving rise to DOGSO. It was the hardest red I have ever given as I knew it was absolutely an automatic response rather than a deliberate action. He was a fellow youth referee and so he knew what was...

It is poor behaviour and it shouldn’t happen… but sadly it does. Under age referees shouldn’t have to deal with it… but sadly they do. No problem issuing multiple cards and using sin bin as appropriate - even at this age. Dissent is a cancer to referee authority (at all age groups) so it is...

This sounds like a sequence with a high degree of difficulty. Like a one eyed cat watching two mouse holes….

There is also a general approach of gradually exposing younger referees to more difficult games. It operates like a rubber band - easy, moderate, difficult, easy and so on. We can’t expect younger referees to improve if we don’t expose them to games that are at the end of their reach of...

Shocking. And more appalling given the age group. Do you even have cards for U10s? Abandon and report is where I would start.

You have identified two very different scenarios / consequences here - VC versus a reckless challenge. VC is only involved when a player is not challenging for the ball so this is an important first distinction to make. If challenging for the ball, the questions become is it a foul and if so...

Once you are referring to the game as ‘descending into blatant cheating’, and that statement is audible, it’s a problem. It’s unsurprising to me that people (including the referees father) have taken offence.

It is rare to get an advantage which is as good as or better than the opportunity of a pen. I think the general consensus is that the safest thing in most circumstances is to award the pen. However, you are obviously also entitled to decide that an advantage comparable to a pen has accrued. It’s...

I dont think anyone is condoning or overlooking the very poor behaviour. However, refereeing is a challenging pastime and building skills and resilience to better manage games (and players) is a core skill most of us develop over time. I think we can all agree that we probably need to find...

When you are a new referee even one half of football takes a lot of mental energy. It is perhaps not surprising that you might struggle early in the second half, particularly when you are also dealing with a change of ends and players running in opposite directions. As others have said it is a...

Do your best. Help out where you can. Recognise that it is sometimes ourselves who are the weaker member of the team.

Yes. If you are not used to unsolicited character assessments from overconfident teenagers it can definitely be confronting. Having said that, this is a good age group to build your skills in terms of player interaction and game management. I tend to take a particularly firm position on dissent...

Riding can be good for cross-training and support a more active lifestyle as well as providing for the game day commute. A decent hybrid commuter bike with a flat bar might be a good choice.