So my last game was just cancelled meaning the end of my first full season (I qualified Feb last season).
I have really enjoyed this season and am excited to have a crack at level 4 next season. I was checking some of the promotions tables and noticed a handful of referees get their level 5 February time then get their level 4 December time; this is my ambitious aim (but as all grassroot refs know, two coaching reports make it difficult to gauge if you are actually a good referee or not).
I probably refereed over too many leagues, and fell foul of quite a few politics because of it (league secs disliking other league secs etc and using you as a weapon in their ego wars), and I think the sensible thing for next season will be to go from regularly refereeing across 5 leagues, to trimming that down to 1 or 2. As I want to keep myself open on MOAS (not sure if this makes a difference for level 4 but the higher level of games on my step 5 league will be good).
I do feel I might have over refereed in short spaces of time throughout the season. As I recently went on holiday and came back to referee a game this Saturday, I thought the break might make me rusty but the opposite happened. I felt I could take on a lot of the feedback I had tried to apply in the past (not ball watching, reading the game to know where the ball is going and actually watching the players), and my concentration was much greater. The game went really well, and I didn't feel it was an easy game to referee but I felt in a good headspace for it.
My fear/challenge for next season is dealing with benches. I just don't get a lot of opportunities to do it and at step 5, the benches will take every inch you give them and can spot an inexperienced AR1 a mile off. AR1 at step 5 feels impossible, watch the line, handle your responsibilities, plus keep the benches in check.
Another thing I struggle with is remembering repeat offenders, and also going back to players to warn them when I play advantage.
I think being 5ft9 and 85kg has made my speed and ability to float around the pitch a little difficult especially when doing several games a week, so hopefully going to cut down to 75kg will be of benefit.
My howler from this season was I flagged offside due to a completed lapse of concentration for a goalkick in front of a crowd of 700 at step 5. Then the team conceded from the proceeding dropped ball in a 0-0 game (as the ref in the middle immediately blew his whistle then realised I was an idiot), then after conceding, they immediately conceded from the kick off again making it 2-0, the game ended 2-0 and my blunder was early in the game so I just wanted the ground to swallow me up.
My win was right at the start of the season, someone hit a corner, hit the post and immediately regained control and started driving into the box, I whistled for a double touch. great success, had to explain to the players who in good spirits laughed about it.
3 cup finals as an x 2 AR including one in the local League 1 stadium and x1 as a fourth.
I will be 31 when the season returns so no lofty ambitions of being a premier league ref, but I do want to go hard for the next few years.
I have really enjoyed this season and am excited to have a crack at level 4 next season. I was checking some of the promotions tables and noticed a handful of referees get their level 5 February time then get their level 4 December time; this is my ambitious aim (but as all grassroot refs know, two coaching reports make it difficult to gauge if you are actually a good referee or not).
I probably refereed over too many leagues, and fell foul of quite a few politics because of it (league secs disliking other league secs etc and using you as a weapon in their ego wars), and I think the sensible thing for next season will be to go from regularly refereeing across 5 leagues, to trimming that down to 1 or 2. As I want to keep myself open on MOAS (not sure if this makes a difference for level 4 but the higher level of games on my step 5 league will be good).
I do feel I might have over refereed in short spaces of time throughout the season. As I recently went on holiday and came back to referee a game this Saturday, I thought the break might make me rusty but the opposite happened. I felt I could take on a lot of the feedback I had tried to apply in the past (not ball watching, reading the game to know where the ball is going and actually watching the players), and my concentration was much greater. The game went really well, and I didn't feel it was an easy game to referee but I felt in a good headspace for it.
My fear/challenge for next season is dealing with benches. I just don't get a lot of opportunities to do it and at step 5, the benches will take every inch you give them and can spot an inexperienced AR1 a mile off. AR1 at step 5 feels impossible, watch the line, handle your responsibilities, plus keep the benches in check.
Another thing I struggle with is remembering repeat offenders, and also going back to players to warn them when I play advantage.
I think being 5ft9 and 85kg has made my speed and ability to float around the pitch a little difficult especially when doing several games a week, so hopefully going to cut down to 75kg will be of benefit.
My howler from this season was I flagged offside due to a completed lapse of concentration for a goalkick in front of a crowd of 700 at step 5. Then the team conceded from the proceeding dropped ball in a 0-0 game (as the ref in the middle immediately blew his whistle then realised I was an idiot), then after conceding, they immediately conceded from the kick off again making it 2-0, the game ended 2-0 and my blunder was early in the game so I just wanted the ground to swallow me up.
My win was right at the start of the season, someone hit a corner, hit the post and immediately regained control and started driving into the box, I whistled for a double touch. great success, had to explain to the players who in good spirits laughed about it.
3 cup finals as an x 2 AR including one in the local League 1 stadium and x1 as a fourth.
I will be 31 when the season returns so no lofty ambitions of being a premier league ref, but I do want to go hard for the next few years.
Looking forward to my next one to put in to practise the learning from it.
. I could (technically) still be nominated to FIFA
. Once that ship sails I'll take it...
.
