Ref equipments

We are allowed to use comms at lower levels. I don’t agree about the level playing field. Officials who lack skills, experience or make wrong decisions has a much bigger effect.

We avoid using comms with beginners and TBH some colleagues who don’t have a sensible enough attitude. But above a certain experience level it is always an advantage. Not so much for fouls but for offsides, off the ball, benches, overall management, consistency with basic decisions. And then rarely for fouls and sanctions.

Most people I work with have some top level training or have worked with national level colleagues in some context. For those that haven’t I make sure I have time in the prematch to cover the basics and ensure there’s no waffle.

Everyone can handle “waiting, waiting, offside” and the colours for ball in/out. After that anything else is a bonus. In my experience people pick up the basics and to keep it simple very quickly.

Spray though can do one. A friend took spray to a grassroots game once. I will never let him forget it.

socal lurker said:

while I agree they are unnecessary at lower levels and are not good for proper skill development, I think the “unfair playing field” argument is a complete red herring. Teams are equally likely to benefit from the advantages comms provide—though the odds of them making a difference is pretty small. There is far, far more variance in impact from who the individual refs and ARs are than from any difference something like coms make.

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I think this thread has been skewed by the predominantly English membership of this forum, and the reluctance to allow comms in England. Up here in Scotland their use is much more widespread and it's a common site even for grassroots finals now to see the three officials micd up. Many of the referee associations around the country have invested in communal sets, which members are able to borrow if they like. Nobody (players/coaches/fans) really pays much attention to whether or not they're in use - nobody has ever thought they'd lost because the officials did/didn't have comms.
My own personal view is that they have actually become too widespread now however - in one game last season I was AR to a referee who joked he's of the generation now who are reliant on them and wasn't sure how he'd manage if they failed. I myself had a grassroots final in the middle last season and could have used comms if I'd wanted to but I don't think they're necessary at 99% of games at that level. I can see the benefit in having them at the semi-pro level (a level where they are banned down south I believe) but for youth football for example, forget it, you should be able to do that with eye contact and perhaps buzzers. As well as this, new ARs need time to focus on how/when to flag which is hard enough initially, without having to say it as well.

As an analogy do you force students submit essays on handwritten paper because some students may not be able to afford a laptop? Maybe 30 years ago. But now the only reason I see is that handwriting is a great tool for learning the language, learning the primary/basic form of written communication etc and it should only apply to specific cases such as lower grades. If it's use doesn't conflict this goal then it should be open to use. But no one should be marked down for choosing to handwrite (or not use comms for refereeing).

Unless you know what you’re doing with comms, they’re a waste of time. And if anything, can be a hinderance.

They aren’t as easy to use as some people who don’t have much/any experience using them. Some people constantly talk on them, some people are mute. Then you factor in that there is generally a slightly delay on them as well that needs to be accounted for (I know the kit is getting better at the higher levels on this)

Runner Ref said:

Unless you know what you’re doing with comms, they’re a waste of time. And if anything, can be a hinderance.

They aren’t as easy to use as some people who don’t have much/any experience using them. Some people constantly talk on them, some people are mute. Then you factor in that there is generally a slightly delay on them as well that needs to be accounted for (I know the kit is getting better at the higher levels on this)

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As I understand it, the kits at NL N & S have improved from last season. Whether that’s because they have been further refurbished or are using a newer generation is not known by me. What I do know is that any on ERDP have an up to date version.