What to do when Dissent is shown to you by a Player who is a Qualified Referee?

Thank you DaveMac, wise words and very true!

Has happened to me. At Referees' Society meeting the day after a match, I met a player (youth) who I had cautioned the previous day for (repeated) dissent.

He was very embarrassed, I just said jokingly, that his on field behaviour would have to improve he wanted to be a ref!

No idea if he's still playing/refereeing or both!

Reffariiii said:

I love the "I'm a ref myself, I know what its like..." conversation. If its a red, its a red, if its a yellow, its a yellow, regardless of wether they are a 'referee' or not. (Most are not real referees, and if they are, they should know better )

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Had a couple of those myself over the years too.
In my experience, players who have a qualified referee playing in their team are quick and keen to tell the ref they have, almost as a way of trying to undermine your authority. I make a point of saying "what's that got to do with anything?"

Personally speaking, if I was still playing (but also a qualified and active referee) I'd make a point of saying nothing about it to whoever was refereeing my match. That's more respectful in my opinion, and proves that you're not trying to undermine him/her in any way.

Referee or not, if you're playing then you're a player and that's it. You can't run with the hare and hunt with the hounds ....

I could be wrong but I have a recollection of reading some obscure rules whereby a referee who is suspended as a player is also suspended as a referee for the duration of the suspension. Can anyone confirm this?

Thus far my experience over the last five years has been that referees who are players and managers who played at a high level can be some of the worst. The high level players turned managers typically are convinced that they know more than you do and they tend to be arrogant primadonnas who look upon the referee with disdain. The referees are emotionally involved in the game. Those that bring attention to the fact that they are referees tend typically have very little experience as referees or they wouldn't be acting in such a manner (hopefully). An experienced referee should understand and be embarrassed when booked. An inexperienced referee simply just knows enough to be dangerous. Regardless, a referee should know better that it always comes down to angles and opinion (and neither are that of the player). I agree with the posters above. If they are announcing that they are a referee to imply that you are incorrect or "doing it wrong" then that is dissent/attempt to undermine. Often a public "then you should know better" or "then you should know what is coming if you continue" will refocus them. I never ask a player or encourage a player to "take the test" because of what happened in the OP. Considering his answer to you, I might come back with a public "well, then you ought to know better." Any retort from him should result in a booking from me.

Treat them as any other player.
I turned up to a game and a coach announced he was a ref and didn't recognise me, 5 minutes after the game and had started and every one of my decisions against his team had been questioned I i told him very loudly that I am reffing this game and not him and would he please be quiet. Not a peep after that.
During a bad tempered game and after I had just warned blues that the next player to whinge at me would get a yellow, a player then opens his gob. I pull out the yellow and book the player who piped up. Cue another player. I'm a ref you can't book him. Whats your name I am going to report you to the FA. My name is ............ and you spell it like this . Now whats your name for another yellow for dissent. Still waiting for the FA to be in rtouch with me. In my first season I was chosen for a county cup youth finals day and had to pick up 3 refs. I was chatting to the second ref I picked up and then said didn't I book you 3 weeks ago? He laughed and said yes, and admitted he is a nightmare as a player

How does one manage to find a thread from four years ago? Surly is well and truly buried into the the 100th page of any sub-board or any search for that matter.

Nearly a record for oldest thread resurrection. Not quite though

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