The Ref Stop

Respect handshake

Donate to RefChat

Help keep RefChat running, any donation would be appreciated

E

Egg man

Active Member
Level 4 Referee
In steps 5 & 6 games, players and officials walk out and do the respect handshake. How many referees do this at steps 7&8. I often find these players are already out on the pitch and I'm usually bring them in for boot & jewellery check which they all seem to moan at this day, as it seems a number of ref don't do these checks.
 
The Ref Stop
Can't answer the question since i am not from your neck of the woods. We only do it in 'especial' games like finals.

Don't mean to hijack the thread (we can make it dual purpose), how many referees still specifically check boots. I don't and rarely ever see them done.
 
Where I am it gets done on both the Step 7 and 8 division of the league I mainly do. Players know the drill and I’ve not heard any moaning yet.
 
It will be down to competition rules. Some have it, others not so make sure you know what it expected on the competition(s) you do
 
Re the handshake, all the competitions I do have it in their competition rules (generally cut and pasted from the FA's standard ones) but none do it. The only time I enforce it is for semi-finals to try and give it a sense of occasion.

As for boot/jewellery checks, as well as briefing the coaches I will check them whilst players are warming up rather than lining them up. Can't remember the last time I lined them up to do it (nor the last time I saw any other referee do it).
 
It was in the league rules for my local step 7 league. However you would only see the players walk out with the referee at the top division, where they have neutral assistants. Even less likely to see the referee enforce the handshake, with it often having them split as soon as you get to the pitch
 
Although tbf the idea of the respect handshake, does always seem funny to me. "Good luck" is then followed up by 22 men (or women) getting in each others faces for the next 90 mins. Not much respect shown after the kickoff.
 
The respect handshake is a ceremonial gesture that has probably had more of a negative impact on the game than positive, thinking how it was used by the media to fan the flames of a racism investigation (Suarez/Evra) and an adultery headline (Terry/Bridge).

It is clear that the game is seriously lacking in respect and that isn't going to be fixed by a handshake, in the same way that racism isn't going to be fixed by players "taking a knee" and has now been downgraded to only 5 times a season.
 
The Ginger Ref said:
The respect handshake is a ceremonial gesture that has probably had more of a negative impact on the game than positive, thinking how it was used by the media to fan the flames of a racism investigation (Suarez/Evra) and an adultery headline (Terry/Bridge).

It is clear that the game is seriously lacking in respect and that isn't going to be fixed by a handshake, in the same way that racism isn't going to be fixed by players "taking a knee" and has now been downgraded to only 5 times a season.
Click to expand...
I doubt that it is true that it’s had more of a negative impact than a positive one. I agree it is very ceremonial but you can’t measure (as it is totally unknown) whether it does have any impact on players mindset. It’s probably had it’s day now though. Football unfortunately cannot shake itself from the cynical win at all costs attitude throughout the football pyramid. Not surprisingly such an approach even reaches the surface in the fast growing walking football format played by our senior but perhaps still not mature footballers!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top