The Ref Stop

Junior/Youth Advice appreciated!

dylanbailey4444

dylanbailey4444

Well-Known Member
Level 5 Referee
Hi all,
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Yesterday I had a u15’s game (I referee in England) and I am 15 myself. I am not fully qualified yet as my course stopped due to Covid and more complications have happened. I usually Club referee for a small club with about 5 teams in across 3 Age groups. I am the goalkeeper coach. My brother has a friend whose parents run a club- different to who I coach for- (admin and chairman for the club) and the admin assigns me fixtures. Today I have an u18’s game (all games are friendlies at the moment). In yesterday’s game, I sin binned a player for calling an opposition player the ‘C’ word. Most people agreed that was fair. The managers for the team who I had sin binned the player for were fustrated but I think understood it. I gave a throw in and there was 55 seconds left on the sin bin timer. The manager asked if his player could come back on. I said no as the timer wasn’t done. He then argued with me in the middle of the pitch. I left it there, anything else said and I would have asked him to go to the car park. I think I need to report this sin bin? But I am obviously not fully qualified yet but I think they may have my email in the County FA system but I am not sure what to do.
 
The Ref Stop
There are so many things wrong with your post (and that is not a dig at you).

1) as a 15 year old you should not have been refereeing U18s officially or unofficially.
2) I'd say that language probably falls under offensive, insulting and abusive so a red card.
3) sin bins are for dissent. Dissent, by lotg definition, is public protest or disagreement with a match official's decision. What you described is not that. So can only be unsporting behaviour or red card.
I'd say at that level a red card for me, but absolutely not for definite, all contexts considered.
4) did he enter the pitch? If he did that is also a red card offence for the manager.

In terms of reporting I'm not certain how this works. You will need to make Contact with the discipline department at the relevant County FA to ask how/if they want it reporting.

Welcome to refereeing. 😁
 
Second @JamesL's post. Except for he got the age group. Same point though, the highest age group for you should be U13, even if you have experience, consider that you are not qualified yet (and that's prop why you got the send offs wrong).

Kudos for contributing to the game.

I cant help you in the reporting part but at the very least email the person who appointed you to the game with the facts.
 
one said:
Second @JamesL's post. Except for he got the age group. Same point though, the highest age group for you should be U13, even if you have experience, consider that you are not qualified yet (and that's prop why you got the send offs wrong).

Kudos for contributing to the game.

I cant help you in the reporting part but at the very least email the person who appointed you to the game with the facts.
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I didn't mention an age group? I just said shoudlnt be doing U18s.
In England if I remember correctly it is one age group down so as a 15 year old can do u14s.
 
JamesL said:
There are so many things wrong with your post (and that is not a dig at you).

1) as a 15 year old you should not have been refereeing U18s officially or unofficially.
2) I'd say that language probably falls under offensive, insulting and abusive so a red card.
3) sin bins are for dissent. Dissent, by lotg definition, is public protest or disagreement with a match official's decision. What you described is not that. So can only be unsporting behaviour or red card.
I'd say at that level a red card for me, but absolutely not for definite, all contexts considered.
4) did he enter the pitch? If he did that is also a red card offence for the manager.

In terms of reporting I'm not certain how this works. You will need to make Contact with the discipline department at the relevant County FA to ask how/if they want it reporting.

Welcome to refereeing. 😁
Click to expand...
Thank you! The manager didn’t enter the field of play. I think with the Sin bin, I should have given a red card. Definitely. I thought since it’s a friendly I should let it go a little- which was probably not the right thing to do. My mum has a friend who is a level 4 who sometimes comes and watch me referee but I think he’s away which is a shame as I think I would need some good help for tonight’s game! I didn’t actually know that I’m not suppose to be refeeeing older ages. I usually do ages between u12-u18’s
 
dylanbailey4444 said:
Thank you! The manager didn’t enter the field of play. I think with the Sin bin, I should have given a red card. Definitely. I thought since it’s a friendly I should let it go a little- which was probably not the right thing to do. My mum has a friend who is a level 4 who sometimes comes and watch me referee but I think he’s away which is a shame as I think I would need some good help for tonight’s game! I didn’t actually know that I’m not suppose to be refeeeing older ages. I usually do ages between u12-u18’s
Click to expand...
Once you are 16 and qualified you can referee open age and all youth ages, but you should not be refereeing Under 18's at this stage.
 
dylanbailey4444 said:
Thank you! The manager didn’t enter the field of play. I think with the Sin bin, I should have given a red card. Definitely. I thought since it’s a friendly I should let it go a little- which was probably not the right thing to do. My mum has a friend who is a level 4 who sometimes comes and watch me referee but I think he’s away which is a shame as I think I would need some good help for tonight’s game! I didn’t actually know that I’m not suppose to be refeeeing older ages. I usually do ages between u12-u18’s
Click to expand...
FA SCOR(Y) (standard code of rules youth)
Rule 23(b)
In cases where there are no officially appointed Match Officials in attendance, the Clubs shall agree upon a referee. An individual thus agreed upon shall, for
that Competition Match, have the full powers, status and authority of a registered referee. Individuals under the age of 16 must not participate either as a
referee or assistant referee in any open age competition and individuals under the age of 14 must not participate either as a referee or assistant referee in
any Competition Match. Referees between the ages of 14 and 16 are only eligible to officiate in competitions where the Players’ age band is at least one year younger than the age of the referee, for example a 15 year old referee may only officiate in competitions where the age banding is 14 or younger.
 
@dylanbailey4444 - As James says above, you should not be doing any match older than U14's regardless of whether they don't have a referee. While you haven't completed the course yet, you will be registered with a CFA. So could be charged with a breach of regulations personally.

Both clubs are also in breach of letting you referee - so they could be charged for the breach of regulations and possible breaching safeguarding requirements. Additionally, if anything serious happened on the game, where would that place you legally. The FA insurance won't cover you, the clubs own insurance for their players may be invalid.

I know, that this may be hard to hear - but doing such a favour to help out my cause greater problems. You sometime have to say NO.
 
@dylanbailey4444 - it's excellent that you are trying to help and obviously take it very seriously. The best thing you can do is get yourself qualified as soon as is possible. None of us would say officiating is easy, but it will help if you are fully aware of the laws and have the backup of your County FA. They'll also, hopefully, put in some official support for you.

Keep up the good work!
 
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Martiju said:
@dylanbailey4444 - it's excellent that you are trying to help and obviously take it very seriously. The best thing you can do is get yourself qualified as soon as is possible. None of us would say officiating is easy, but it will help if you are fully aware of the laws and have the backup of your County FA. They'll also, hopefully, put in some official support for you.

Keep up the good work!
Click to expand...
Thank you! I’m trying to do so. They have moved the course online now apparently and my log in won’t work- we are trying to get it sorted ASAP.
 
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