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As One says, give yourself a bit more thinking time. If you're not sure what way to go then often players will tell you by their body language. If you have a team which always scream for every decision, even the blatant ones the other way, then don't go by their reaction but by the opposition...

Was there much else in the report? We used to have one who'd slate you because the ribs on your socks weren't straight. However, he used to do that if he couldn't find anything else to mark you down for. If he mentioned it you knew you'd had a good game.

Did a contrib game in London and as we did the pitch inspection the roof of the stand came down onto the pitch about twenty yards away. I have also had driving rain and gale force winds from end to end. The ball wouldn't stay on the pitch and one team couldn't see because it hurt when you...

A local supply league team have an issue where they always seem to want the free kick, even if it's not in their best interests. Years ago I played advantage on half way, the player passed to the striker who shot and the keeper produced an incredible save to keep it out. Cue the manager shouting...

That's good advice until the team you penalise says "but last week's ref said it was this, so you're wrong!" - and you are! You've tried to adjust the law to give yourself an easier life and actually potentially made it harder. There will be ones in the middle you get wrong but at least if...

Think about the goalkeeper saving the ball and it goes to an attacker in an offside position. The player is therefore called offside. Anything similar where an outfield player is trying to stop the ball but not play it should also be called offside if it goes to an attacker. For example, if a...

It sounds like this is the case. I had a coach go off on one because I stopped the watch in a game. It was an U12 girls' game, and one of the GKs was hurt as the other team scored, so I stopped the KO, called the trainer on and got her sorted out before the restart. At the end of the game his...

Be confident (but not arrogant - don't chase a lost cause. If you make a mistake don't be afraid to say so, but try to temper it with something like "from my position...") Don't worry about giving decisions the wrong way after half time - we all do that! When you blow the first whistle, make it...

As has been said, some teams just don't know how to behave. I did an U14 game yesterday and one of the parents told me that last week they played a team who sound an absolute nightmare. One of the 13 year old players swore at the referee. He took him over to the side-line and told the manager...

If you think the player is onside then you're within your rights to over-rule. Club linesmen can sometimes be very good or very bad, but are usually somewhere in between. Most are ok but don't want to be there. Occasionally they cheat. When you're first using a club linesman then it's worth...

The managers will put through a match report - goals scored, referee's mark etc - but the referee should report any discipline themselves. U14 / U15 games are shown on FA Whole Game, and that's where this should be reported. Not reporting cards - especially red ones - could lead to you being...

I don’t think many are saying they’re ignoring the law, rather that they don’t like it the way it now is. Personally I enforce this strictly so that if a player deliberately plays the ball and loses it then he’s fair game. If he controls it then he’s fair game. But as far as I’m concerned I...

The manager of our top local team (who is a real a***hole) used the stop watch on his iphone to keep an eye on time. I had them a few years ago in a game they were expecting to win easily but struggled in. The other team scored the winner in added on time before I blew the final whistle a few...

It could be that it may be an issue which requires the game to be replayed, but that's up to the league to decide rather than IFAB or the CFA. If a GK who isn't disclosed to the Referee when he comes on then plays a blinder and wins his team the game this could possibly be grounds for the game...

To be honest, most are ok but you tend to focus on the ones who aren’t. Try not to engage with them, because if you do they know they’re getting to you. Most of the time it’s not personal - although it seems like it - it’s designed to put you off so you don’t flag against their team next time so...

I'm in the red camp for this because he is on the ground when he goes past the player but has no control and has straight legs through the ball. The player sees him coming and gets out of the way or he's getting seriously injured.

But apparently not a red!! (as far as his team are concerned) Will he also get away with it, because he didn't actually touch the ball so hasn't got the "I got the ball so can do what I want" card to play!

“You always give them the 50-50 ones!” I’ve yet to meet a player who thinks a 50-50 decision I give their way wasn’t obviously their ball

Hopefully one of the captains didn’t start it!

I meant not a red card offence rather than not even a foul - I'm not sure if the red was downgraded to yellow, but that's unimportant. The challenge was totally unacceptable and should be treated as such. Rescinding a red card for this shows they don't agree it should be red. I was told when I...