The Ref Stop

Junior/Youth Adapting to junior football

You could seriously ref some kids games from your car using the horn and indicators so there is truly no comparison. I got mentions at the managers meetings as to being a stickler for not putting up with crap that some teams do to some lesser experienced referees. I wouldn’t wish some of my experiences on anyone, I’ve seen star County FA referees absolutely sink with a game that want even that difficult. If that’s the future then good luck, they’ll need it!
 
The Ref Stop
Youth games have the potential to go as far south as Open Age (based on my limited experience that is), it's just that it's a lot less likely to happen with the former and it happens for different reasons
 
Had my third game last night, previously done an U11 and an U12, this time up to U15.
Really noticed the step up, lot more running, lot more chirping from players plus a mouthy coach, who I had to have a word with at one point.
Problem areas for me, recognising what's a fair challenge and what's a foul. Also getting into position to make a decision on offsides, while also being in position to follow the play... needing to be in two places at once.

Checking all the posts on here really helping me though. Thanks to all the folks sharing all that experience, it really does help out newbies like me.
 
lightningdonut said:
Had my third game last night, previously done an U11 and an U12, this time up to U15.
Really noticed the step up, lot more running, lot more chirping from players plus a mouthy coach, who I had to have a word with at one point.
Problem areas for me, recognising what's a fair challenge and what's a foul. Also getting into position to make a decision on offsides, while also being in position to follow the play... needing to be in two places at once.

Checking all the posts on here really helping me though. Thanks to all the folks sharing all that experience, it really does help out newbies like me.
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Well done, self reflection is good, keep looking on here, you never know someone may post something sensible once in a while!
 
DJN123 said:
I'm so glad to hear the analysis of your game as I'm not the only one who found it tough haha.
I'm normally an AR for adult football so this was my first ever game in the middle.

Start of the match was awful, no corner flags, dog faeces on the pitch and a deflated ball - the home manager tells me that it's not a "Champions League match" and to get going on with it.
The Home team were very careless - tugging and pulling their opponent at every chance they could get and the other team were clean.
I let some go as both players were doing it and called it when it affected player and when it wasn't in spirit. Every time I called a foul the manager was screaming for me to "let them play" and he thought I was being quite petty.

3 minutes in, the goalie came flying in. He did get the ball but he took the player out and it was careless - I didn't call it but looking back, I think it was a pen.
I had parents/coaches screaming that the AR was biased... I tried the best I could to watch for offsides but it's ever so difficult.
I was told that my decision making wasn't consistent as similar incidents were happening down at the other end that I didn't call.
And the worst thing is to tell players/coaches how long there is to play, they were on my back when the match didn't end when I said it would.

In hindsight, I wish a got my cards out which would have controlled the players and the tackles a bit more because telling them to calm down only helped for a while - I only gave one card for dissent. Also, I kept on missing the minuscule kicks. Every time I tried to get closer I found myself in the middle of the play -_-.
Really not sure how to deal with a dirty team though, I would have been blowing every 2 minutes and it doesn't help the parents are screaming on the sides which will fuel the kids even more to complain to the ref.
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Sounds to me like you need to stop just running the line and get yourself more time in the middle mate (?)
Confidence will develop naturally as you get more matches under your belt, as will the accuracy of your decision making but that's unlikely to be any time soon if you continue to opt to be an AR rather than a referee. :)

On the other hand, sometimes things just turn out stressful and "bad" on the day because the players/coaches/parents refuse to just let a game of football happen and choose to use the 90 mins to be complete bell ends instead!! Put it behind you mate and move forward. That one is now out of the way ... ;) :cool:
 
Do u put yellows through in an u18 league match? Does the bookings process apply youth football
 
I regularly do u18 football in Sheffield. I've had no more or no less issues with u18s as I have open age to be honest. Overwhelmingly, I've found the games to be positive experiences without major incidents or problems.
 
Nalbi said:
Yes, everything is the same.
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Cheers, the league I’m refereeing in has sin bins for dissent, you show the yellow but put them in the sinbin for 10mins I guess that would just be a normal yellow for dissent on wholegame?
 
Men in Black said:
Cheers, the league I’m refereeing in has sin bins for dissent, you show the yellow but put them in the sinbin for 10mins I guess that would just be a normal yellow for dissent on wholegame?
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Yes, there is a small box at the end which asks about the sin bin.... but I think you only use it if the player wasn't sent to the sin bin. I don't think the yellow card gets reported if it resulted in a sin bin. But to be sure mate, check with the league secretary I'm only guessing based on what little I know from the league I used to ref on.
 
Nalbi said:
Yes, there is a small box at the end which asks about the sin bin.... but I think you only use it if the player wasn't sent to the sin bin. I don't think the yellow card gets reported if it resulted in a sin bin. But to be sure mate, check with the league secretary I'm only guessing based on what little I know from the league I used to ref on.
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Will do cheers
 
Just refereed my first youth game u15’s.

7 yellows 2 reds..

Joke, nah was a pleasure great spirited teams managers parents, nice little bostik league ground 4g.

Worryingly they passed the ball better than a lot of adult football I ref.
 
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