adult game on BUT under 16s off?

[Big Cat]

I called my game off on Saturday, and probably got it incorrect. The inspecting official phoned me at 10:30 and informed me that he knows the pitch well and, while playable at the time of speaking, it would not take much more water. The forecast was for an hour and a half more drizzle to midday, then heavier rain all afternoon. I made the judgment call based on this information that it was very likely to be a lot of wasted expense for everyone to turn up for me to declare the pitch unplayable close to kick off or even worse, mid way through the match.
Seems like the heavier rain never materialised and we could have got the game on, however I do think the wind conditions could have easily made it farcical also.

With that said, my work place is flooded today, I had to be lifted in to my office on a tele handler, so we got the rain eventually

It's a different kettle of piranhas before the away side sets off
If it's likely to be a marginal decision, I'd make efforts to do the inspection myself. Obviously that's not always practicable but I don't value video calls otherwise I'd prefer to know the local inspecting referee in person.
My whiskers are acutely aware of what the weather is likely to do.

 

[DavidObs]

At the end of the day, there are games that are called off that perhaps should not have been and games confirmed to be on, when they are later postponed or abandoned. The best way to go is to mitigate/risk assess in the best way we can using experience, FA guidance & those who have knowledge of their own ground.

 

[Big Cat]

I had two games tail end of season
One at Ardley where I was in the middle. Both sides badly needed the game played due to mad fixture backlog
Pitch was dubious, but the home side didn't arrange a morning inspection because we all knew the game needed playing. I was absolutely knackered. Pitch was very heavy. But hey-ho, got it done. Game would've been called off a month earlier as the description over the phone would have made the decision very tricky had an early inspection being announced
Second, I was on the line at Barton Rovers. Massive downpour just before KO. Blowing a hooley too. Same situation as above. Game needed playing. Full stop. Surface water, but the ball was rolling and there was no more rain on the radar. I cajoled the ref to start the game and continued to provide her with encouragement throughout the 90 mins as she was never convinced. Both sides wanted to play until the favourites went two goals down. Then they wanted off. I thought it was perfect when one of the winning players said to his opponent, 'you're not in Tottenham's Academy now son'! Definitely thought some of the players (for the losing side) had never played in testing conditions as they gave up and got well beat. Again, ref wouldn't have started the game a month earlier, but it was fine even though it was cold, wet, very windy and thoroughly miserable.
I really enjoyed both games
Safety was a trivial consideration in both. It was just a question of recognizing conditions as 'very testing indeed', rather than farcical. Both games had a deserved winner

 

[RefereeX]

I had two games tail end of season
One at Ardley where I was in the middle. Both sides badly needed the game played due to mad fixture backlog
Pitch was dubious, but the home side didn't arrange a morning inspection because we all knew the game needed playing. I was absolutely knackered. Pitch was very heavy. But hey-ho, got it done. Game would've been called off a month earlier as the description over the phone would have made the decision very tricky had an early inspection being announced
Second, I was on the line at Barton Rovers. Massive downpour just before KO. Blowing a hooley too. Same situation as above. Game needed playing. Full stop. Surface water, but the ball was rolling and there was no more rain on the radar. I cajoled the ref to start the game and continued to provide her with encouragement throughout the 90 mins as she was never convinced. Both sides wanted to play until the favourites went two goals down. Then they wanted off. I thought it was perfect when one of the winning players said to his opponent, 'you're not in Tottenham's Academy now son'! Definitely thought some of the players (for the losing side) had never played in testing conditions as they gave up and got well beat. Again, ref wouldn't have started the game a month earlier, but it was fine even though it was cold, wet, very windy and thoroughly miserable.
I really enjoyed both games
Safety was a trivial consideration in both. It was just a question of recognizing conditions as 'very testing indeed', rather than farcical

The place I was meant to be on Saturday was the same place you ran the line to me soon after that game at Barton Rovers. If I remember the pitch correctly, it's one that wouldn't be well known for having good drainage.

I do agree though. Waterlogging is unlikely to be a safety issue, its always more of a 'will the game be a farce' issue.

 

[The Ginger Ref]

Just spat out my tea at work ffs

Shouldn't you be working and not reading RefChat

 

[RefereeX]

Shouldn't you be working and not reading RefChat

At work is the only place I read refchat

 

[OnlyUseMeWhistle]

Shouldn't you be working and not reading RefChat

You vastly over estimate how much time my work takes up

I come here to vent when **** hits the fan!

 

[Runner Ref]

You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t when it comes to this.

Once I got to L3/4, I was always told that if the 2 clubs want the game played, play it. Unless there is something majorly obvious, get on with it.

Being honest, I did 2 pitch inspections for 2 Northern Premier clubs last season on different days. On both occasions, home club wanted the game called off as playing today was okay, but it would ruin their pitch for rest of the season. So, game off. (Plus I think they both had injuries, but none of my business!)

When it comes to youth games, the younger you go, the more careful you have to be. Think I’ve called 3 kids games off because it started hail stoning. Would you do the same for an adults game? Highly doubt it.

 

[RustyRef]

Some games were off yesterday because the ground authority deemed the winds were too high. Highgate Woods in North London was completely closed, not just for football but the gates remained completely locked. Perhaps an overkill, but when you consider that a woman was killed by a falling tree there during a storm in 2022 I can completely understand their decision.

 

[Refollie]

Safety comes first obviously but i personally felt last year in my area that grassroots games were called off at the vaguest drop of rain early on last season, and clubs came to regret it. However we’ve been pretty lucky down here so far. The wind actually helped on Sunday clearing away the heavy rain

 

[blackref]

Safety comes first obviously but i personally felt last year in my area that grassroots games were called off at the vaguest drop of rain early on last season, and clubs came to regret it. However we’ve been pretty lucky down here so far. The wind actually helped on Sunday clearing away the heavy rain

regret with what double headers?

 

[DavidObs]

You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t when it comes to this.

Once I got to L3/4, I was always told that if the 2 clubs want the game played, play it. Unless there is something majorly obvious, get on with it.

Being honest, I did 2 pitch inspections for 2 Northern Premier clubs last season on different days. On both occasions, home club wanted the game called off as playing today was okay, but it would ruin their pitch for rest of the season. So, game off. (Plus I think they both had injuries, but none of my business!)

When it comes to youth games, the younger you go, the more careful you have to be. Think I’ve called 3 kids games off because it started hail stoning. Would you do the same for an adults game? Highly doubt it.

That’s a decent rule of thumb/yardstick - if both teams want to play, then to play it (for adult football) & especially if you only have some doubt as to whether to play it or not. In over 40 years as a player, Referee & then Observer, in these circumstances, the game has always been played & successfully so.

 

[Big Cat]

regret with what double headers?

My son's league did not finish last year. There was no League winner etc.
St Albans Council (for instance) routinely call off on a Friday whenever there's rain about. I know we're onto a different discussion when talking about Local Authorities, but in the case of that County Council, it's just to save them work. Nowt to do with 'safety'. They're a disgrace IMO.

 

[DavidObs]

My son's league did not finish last year. There was no League winner etc.
St Albans Council (for instance) routinely call off on a Friday whenever there's rain about. I know we're onto a different discussion when talking about Local Authorities, but in the case of that County Council, it's just to save them work rather than all that 'safety' crap

Very frustrating. However, could the league not announced the winner of the league whoever was top of the league at the time it was finished.

 

[Big Cat]

Very frustrating. However, could the league not announced the winner of the league whoever was top of the league at the time it was finished.

I don't think the League is very well run (Volunteers at the end of the day)
The way to do it would be on a points per game basis

Maybe that's where some of my annoyance with postponements comes from. Some Local Authorities find any excuse not to provide the service they're paid for (pitch fees) and take every opportunity to deny grass roots football from taking place
They just feed off this rhetoric of 'safety' and a risk averse society, when indeed conditions are just 'a bit muddy'

 

[DavidObs]

I don't think the League is very well run (Volunteers at the end of the day)
The way to do it would be on a points per game basis

Maybe that's where some of my annoyance with postponements comes from. Some Local Authorities find any excuse not to provide the service they're paid for (pitch fees) and take every opportunity to deny grass roots football from taking place
They just feed off this rhetoric of 'safety' and a risk averse society, when indeed conditions are just 'a bit muddy'

Overall I agree with you and I get very frustrated when my appointments are cancelled, though fortunately in many cases, I seek & very often obtain, re-appointments. However, apart from the often OTT H&S issues, because many council pitches only have mobile groundsman these days, often looking after more than one destination, they don’t want the work to do anything more than basic cutting of grass & line marking.

 

[FirsFox40]

My son's league did not finish last year. There was no League winner etc.
St Albans Council (for instance) routinely call off on a Friday whenever there's rain about. I know we're onto a different discussion when talking about Local Authorities, but in the case of that County Council, it's just to save them work. Nowt to do with 'safety'. They're a disgrace IMO.

My local town council are always “protecting the pitches” which pretty much means they’re unused from mid-November until late-January, and then teams panic about double headers in the Dog & Duck league. It’s pretty much why they expanded the number of divisions and reduced the teams in each. A 14-game season takes them 8 months.

 

[DavidObs]

My local town council are always “protecting the pitches” which pretty much means they’re unused from mid-November until late-January, and then teams panic about double headers in the Dog & Duck league. It’s pretty much why they expanded the number of divisions and reduced the teams in each. A 14-game season takes them 8 months.

Crazy. I can only hope that the council pitch fees are reasonable to take account of this. Almost no longer a winter sport.

 

[FirsFox40]

Crazy. I can only hope that the council pitch fees are reasonable to take account of this.

Same pitches usually not switched from cricket to football until after the season has started too. Pretty sure they don’t give two farts about football, just happy to keep the cash trickling in from the great unwashed

 

[Refollie]

regret with what double headers?

A lot of divisions didn’t get finished. Some teams had six games left over and just forfeited them as they knew they were safe. One team stayed up on goal difference by forfeiting the last three games and taking 3-0 defeats, rather than playing three games in five days etc