I don't normally do U14, but as a favor to a friend, I took a boy's U14 match. Going into it, I thought it would be a pretty tame affair; after all, going from top level open age competition to U14 should be easy, right? I knew that the blue team had excellent technique and would keep hold of the ball for long periods of time, I also knew that the green team were lacking in technique and general talent. I informed my ARs that I expected green to be disruptive from the start so we were going to call them on it early and often until they smartened up and began playing football (I wanted to avoid the kind of thing that the last World Cup final resulted in) and to be particularly conscious of persistent infringement and tactical fouls. I went out feeling confident that I had read the two team's very well to start with and that my game plan would mean that I could come out of the gate and control the match, guiding it away from the disruptive football that would lead to frustration and retaliation from an otherwise talented, clean team. I was right and it worked but...
The green team couldn't time a tackle to save their lives. Every tackle with the exception of maybe four in the whole match was completed when the ball was already played away (and I'm not talking split-second timing, I'm talking extremely obvious like the player gets to the end of his tackle when the ball is a good three or four feet away from the target). The first time it happens, the player who was fouled played the ball to a teammate in a forward position so I called advantage and, when the ball went out of play, I warned the green player who was so late in his tackle to figure out his timing because he's going in very late. Very next play, lo and behold, the same player comes in late again. This time, I come down on the whistle and give him a very public admonishing for his poor timing and, to me, I've made it clear that the line in the sand is drawn at late tackles.
Apparently, the green team didn't learn. There were three penalty kicks for blue in the first half alone because they were far more talented, played the ball around the defender who would lunge in once the ball was gone and knock the attacker straight over their extended leg. To me, these are obvious penalties that I don't have a choice but to call, but green coach starts vocally protesting. I warn him that if he continues then he will be considered to be acting irresponsibly and be removed from the TA and he stops complaining (NB -- he does not, apparently, calm down) at me and my assistants. That is, until half time. He comes out onto the field at half time to tell me that I'm being too 'fragile' in my calls and that I should adjust to the game. I told him that I've been very consistent and clear and that if his team hasn't learned where my tolerance level is, then there's not much I can do to help out, but I would continue to punish late tackles as I had been. He continued to protest and I gave him one final warning that he needed to return to his team and stop and that any further protestation would lead to his being dismissed. I believe in this case, I was firm and fair with him.
At the half time, I overheard him telling his team that they should continue to play the same way because, much to my shock, he believed they were playing well, and that I was being too fragile. I realized, at this point, that they weren't going to learn and that I would just have to start booking players for persistent infringement. In my mind, if the coach is saying that they're playing well and they're tackling like they were out there, then tackling like that is part of their tactics and, therefore, tactical fouls are, indeed, what they're after. So I resolve to begin punishing PI more strictly. The very next foul that is committed by green is given a strong public warning along the lines of "It's starting to look to me like you guys are fouling them on purpose; if it keeps going, I've got to start booking." I say it loudly enough (and we're almost directly in front of the green technical area) that the coach should hear me and be able to adjust his match plan if he wants. He chooses not to adjust, so I book the next player. After three bookings for PI and one for UB, I call a foul on the blue team for a careless challenge and the coach yells out onto the field "Where's the card, ref?" and so, because I've already warned him that further protestation would lead to his dismissal, I have him removed from the technical area.
Play continues on in the second half and there are no more penalties, but the final score is 5-0 blue and there is one sending off for green because of a second caution (first one is for PI, the second for UB after he goes into a tackle studs up with a lunging motion -- he was also, somehow, the second player on his team into the challenge which really only required one). I suppose there is something to be said for the old adage that you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink, but I have to wonder what I could have done to avoid the situation that ensued. I tried all of the man management techniques that I have learned over the years and that have served me well in open age football and I think I was even more lenient than I could have been given the circumstances. Do any of you have any advice you can offer me? To say that I was frustrated would be an understatement. I was actually spewing anger (although I waited to get home to decompress).
PS: Sorry for the essay, but this was an action packed match.
The green team couldn't time a tackle to save their lives. Every tackle with the exception of maybe four in the whole match was completed when the ball was already played away (and I'm not talking split-second timing, I'm talking extremely obvious like the player gets to the end of his tackle when the ball is a good three or four feet away from the target). The first time it happens, the player who was fouled played the ball to a teammate in a forward position so I called advantage and, when the ball went out of play, I warned the green player who was so late in his tackle to figure out his timing because he's going in very late. Very next play, lo and behold, the same player comes in late again. This time, I come down on the whistle and give him a very public admonishing for his poor timing and, to me, I've made it clear that the line in the sand is drawn at late tackles.
Apparently, the green team didn't learn. There were three penalty kicks for blue in the first half alone because they were far more talented, played the ball around the defender who would lunge in once the ball was gone and knock the attacker straight over their extended leg. To me, these are obvious penalties that I don't have a choice but to call, but green coach starts vocally protesting. I warn him that if he continues then he will be considered to be acting irresponsibly and be removed from the TA and he stops complaining (NB -- he does not, apparently, calm down) at me and my assistants. That is, until half time. He comes out onto the field at half time to tell me that I'm being too 'fragile' in my calls and that I should adjust to the game. I told him that I've been very consistent and clear and that if his team hasn't learned where my tolerance level is, then there's not much I can do to help out, but I would continue to punish late tackles as I had been. He continued to protest and I gave him one final warning that he needed to return to his team and stop and that any further protestation would lead to his being dismissed. I believe in this case, I was firm and fair with him.
At the half time, I overheard him telling his team that they should continue to play the same way because, much to my shock, he believed they were playing well, and that I was being too fragile. I realized, at this point, that they weren't going to learn and that I would just have to start booking players for persistent infringement. In my mind, if the coach is saying that they're playing well and they're tackling like they were out there, then tackling like that is part of their tactics and, therefore, tactical fouls are, indeed, what they're after. So I resolve to begin punishing PI more strictly. The very next foul that is committed by green is given a strong public warning along the lines of "It's starting to look to me like you guys are fouling them on purpose; if it keeps going, I've got to start booking." I say it loudly enough (and we're almost directly in front of the green technical area) that the coach should hear me and be able to adjust his match plan if he wants. He chooses not to adjust, so I book the next player. After three bookings for PI and one for UB, I call a foul on the blue team for a careless challenge and the coach yells out onto the field "Where's the card, ref?" and so, because I've already warned him that further protestation would lead to his dismissal, I have him removed from the technical area.
Play continues on in the second half and there are no more penalties, but the final score is 5-0 blue and there is one sending off for green because of a second caution (first one is for PI, the second for UB after he goes into a tackle studs up with a lunging motion -- he was also, somehow, the second player on his team into the challenge which really only required one). I suppose there is something to be said for the old adage that you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink, but I have to wonder what I could have done to avoid the situation that ensued. I tried all of the man management techniques that I have learned over the years and that have served me well in open age football and I think I was even more lenient than I could have been given the circumstances. Do any of you have any advice you can offer me? To say that I was frustrated would be an understatement. I was actually spewing anger (although I waited to get home to decompress).
PS: Sorry for the essay, but this was an action packed match.
