U8's colts match- referee missed a blatent kick on opponent-advice

Hi guys, i recently qualified as a referee as i was getting fed up of my son not having a qualified official refereeing his U8's colts matches, and i used to always get roped into doing it, id thought id do the course and be more offical.. i've had a challenging start to my ref career (ross knows well) but i have a question for you all..

setting the scene, was watching my son in his U8's match against a very rough team (residing in a rough part of tinsel town.
Team Tigers(sons team) Vs Team Rovers (dont want to name proper teams)

the referee was a young lad (14) and was rather nervous (know that feeling well) as he also recently qualified. in 1st half a player from the tigers tackled fairly a rovers player and the rovers player lashes out and kicks the tiger player in the knee. Cue mass parent fury as referee didnt act on it at all and lost control for a little while from the parents which i felt sorry for. game ended a bit early and i took off and shielded the ref from anymore crap (he was a little upset)... what would you do? if it was me i would have had no option to send the player off.. or would you ask the manager to substitute him? remembering this is a U8's game.. and i love refereeing the little ones,

I refed under 8's for the first half of this season and i never experienced a rough game like this, i think to say a certain decision would be hard as i didnt see it, but if it wasnt a hard kick and didnt mean it full power, i would speak to the player telling him that he is wrong and would ask the player to be subbed off but if he did it hard and meant it, depends on what mood i was in, i think mostly i would caution him and then ask for him to be subbed off, but i was doing it by the correct laws i think that you would have to dismiss him, which i do think it is a bit harsh... but then again they do have to learn, but it is though at that age to know what the best thing to do.

I hope this has helped

i think just the same, i dont think id send him off.. yet laws of the game states it'll be a send off.. id certainly would in U11 and above.. it was a really nasty spiteful kick, id never seen such agression from a 7 year old... id certainly wouldnt want to ref him when he was 14!!!

Difficult one this. Part of me thinks that they have to learn, the other part of me thinks that we should be more lenient.

It's a damned if you do, damned of you don't situation if I've ever seen one.

Well, what you say is that the referee absolutely should have sent the player off and I don't disagree with you if the image of the event that I'm seeing in my head is what really happened but the referee has apparently missed it. You did well to shield the poor lad from the fury of the parents; I never understood how fully grown adults can harrass a young lad like that and it only leads to the problems we have with fewer referees higher up. Did you have a bit of a chat with the lad about asking why he chose not to send the player off and what could have led to the error? No use telling him "Oi, you shoulda sent that player off!" but instead saying "had you been in X position instead of Y, you might have seen it and could have taken correct action." But fair play to you and I really respect your quickness to defend the referee from the parent onslaught.

My two cents/

Get the player off through the coach, to allow him to calm down

Report the offending parents for child abuse on the referee.

We all make mistakes, and refs cannot see everything. The players need need to learn, the new referee needs to learn and most importantly the parents need to stop interfering and let the kids make their own mistakes. This is how they learn. Yes tell Johnny he can't kick another player and be done with it..

These are 7 year old kids it's all about fun, and not about seeing dad shout and get annoyed at a 14 year old lad.

Ryan Owens said:

Well, what you say is that the referee absolutely should have sent the player off and I don't disagree with you if the image of the event that I'm seeing in my head is what really happened but the referee has apparently missed it. You did well to shield the poor lad from the fury of the parents; I never understood how fully grown adults can harrass a young lad like that and it only leads to the problems we have with fewer referees higher up. Did you have a bit of a chat with the lad about asking why he chose not to send the player off and what could have led to the error? No use telling him "Oi, you shoulda sent that player off!" but instead saying "had you been in X position instead of Y, you might have seen it and could have taken correct action." But fair play to you and I really respect your quickness to defend the referee from the parent onslaught.

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he missed it bless him as it happened behind him as he was turning around, he was in a good position just not facing the play as quickly as he could, though that would be a little harsh.. i know what its like with a parent/management backlash, i dont like it and im in my 30's so sod knows what he felt like.. fair play to both managers for also coming to his aid and deflecting hassle.. the player concerned doesnt play for the team anymore...

Hmmm, interesting. I wonder if there was anything he could have done better short of just turning faster. The fact is, although we don't like it, sometimes you just can't get it.