santa sangria
RefChat Addict
It's taken me a while to come down and I want to share what was, well, yes, the game of my life so far.
I was lucky enough to attend an international youth tournament. The whole experience was great.
The matches were more challenging than expected. Not necessarily on the field, but rather thanks to some difficult characters on the sidelines, and some tight pitches. I was involved in some interesting games. I gave a "2018 handball" penalty after about 4 mins of my first game, worked with some prodigious teenagers, was blessed by a couple of experienced guys in most of my games. And I saw some quite crazy stuff from coaches and heard quite a bit from the fan zones - not all in good taste!
Then, I got a middle for an U16 boys semi final. I had started the week a bit nervously but I felt confident. I had coped well with the heat and was generally sharp. I'd also learnt the hard way that the benches/coaches needed more (a lot more) managing than we had had time for. Before kick off I made extra effort to move the benches, make sure the 4th had the coaches in less-messy areas - and then I did what I don't think we'd been doing all week - I gave the coaches the pre-match I give every week at home. Seems trifling but I think it got me right in the zone and helped a lot with the coaches for what was to come. (My 1-2-3 is: rolling subs so 11 players on the field, you train 4 times a week so take the throws properly, play to the whistle at e.g. offside situations).
The match was fast and furious. Under sized pitch, no time on the ball, end-to-end, full throttle. Latin against North American. Officials from Sweden, Portugal, UK and Finland. Couple of early reckless yellows. Then a DOGSO red for home. Easy enough, rugby tackle. Some super clear decisions from the assistants, good support for a non-pen on a breakaway, strong challenges leaving players down a few times, treatment on. I put in a lot of yards and a lot of verbals - some pigeon Spanish - constant communication. Away goal against play before half time. So far nothing violent, no red mist, just a lot of fast and strong stuff that needed managing and sometimes penalising. I try to learn: the first time 3 players start to approach complaining about something, they got a stare and an extremely loud "silence" in a couple of languages. It seemed to work
I could still stand straighter/taller when doing it though, even though I am already a foot taller than these when stooping!
Second half starts with a second reckless yellow for away, followed by a second simulation yellow for home. It was that Patrick Viera move - a good 18 inches from the feet of the next player, unfortunately telegraphed, easy YC, had to go. Loads more action. The one odd moment from the officials when one AR flagged offside at a corner. Ball had been positioned at the corner of the arc and played forward to an attacker on the goal line at the corner flag. AR flagged, game stopped, I whistled, said to retake, spoke to AR, no lengthly explanation, get on with it, no problem. Strictly speaking I could have waved the flag down but the game stopped with the flag so I felt the re-set was the only sensible option.
And then a member of staff collapsed by the half way line onto the field and had a fit. Ambulance there in 4 mins. I got the players away and tried to get their gaze averted. Couple of parents and experienced official tended briefly before the professionals arrived. 15 mins later the staff member was conscious, I could make eye contact as they went stretchered into the ambulance, with some relief we went back to the game. No sign or explanation at all by the way. Lucky enough to have a switched on fourth who helped manage the situation and a senior AR who exuded calm. I reminded the players/benches that we still had a match to play for 8+ mins. And they went straight back at it!
Last game of the night, now running well over. Still time for another YC and then the home captain got the red mist. I was right there trailing him. He took his side down to 8 with a monumentally excessive 2 footed, straight legged slider that took out two away players, both in pain. The captain stayed down but I had the red out straight away. The physios, coach, captain all knew, straightforward. And we played out a few more intense and dramatic minutes with 8 vs 10.
Sorry to ramble but that I got through this was a big deal for me. That I got through it putting in my best shift, probably in my biggest game so far, has a lot to do with the advice and guidance from a bunch of people, and plenty from on here. Considering this game had so much incident it was great that we didn't have problems from the fans or coaches, only thanks, which was nice. I had one question about an early yellow - none about any of the 4 reds or 7 other yellows I think part of that was doing - well, it was a bare minimum - pre-match that I was comfortable with, and that created some bridge to the coaches. And yes, I did give a foul throw in there for one of those horrible flying leg ones!
I've been on holiday since (not from RefChat obviously!) so I am eager to see if I can demonstrate this progress and experience on Saturday back home with a problem team in my tough men's league.
I was lucky enough to attend an international youth tournament. The whole experience was great.
The matches were more challenging than expected. Not necessarily on the field, but rather thanks to some difficult characters on the sidelines, and some tight pitches. I was involved in some interesting games. I gave a "2018 handball" penalty after about 4 mins of my first game, worked with some prodigious teenagers, was blessed by a couple of experienced guys in most of my games. And I saw some quite crazy stuff from coaches and heard quite a bit from the fan zones - not all in good taste!
Then, I got a middle for an U16 boys semi final. I had started the week a bit nervously but I felt confident. I had coped well with the heat and was generally sharp. I'd also learnt the hard way that the benches/coaches needed more (a lot more) managing than we had had time for. Before kick off I made extra effort to move the benches, make sure the 4th had the coaches in less-messy areas - and then I did what I don't think we'd been doing all week - I gave the coaches the pre-match I give every week at home. Seems trifling but I think it got me right in the zone and helped a lot with the coaches for what was to come. (My 1-2-3 is: rolling subs so 11 players on the field, you train 4 times a week so take the throws properly, play to the whistle at e.g. offside situations).
The match was fast and furious. Under sized pitch, no time on the ball, end-to-end, full throttle. Latin against North American. Officials from Sweden, Portugal, UK and Finland. Couple of early reckless yellows. Then a DOGSO red for home. Easy enough, rugby tackle. Some super clear decisions from the assistants, good support for a non-pen on a breakaway, strong challenges leaving players down a few times, treatment on. I put in a lot of yards and a lot of verbals - some pigeon Spanish - constant communication. Away goal against play before half time. So far nothing violent, no red mist, just a lot of fast and strong stuff that needed managing and sometimes penalising. I try to learn: the first time 3 players start to approach complaining about something, they got a stare and an extremely loud "silence" in a couple of languages. It seemed to work
I could still stand straighter/taller when doing it though, even though I am already a foot taller than these when stooping!Second half starts with a second reckless yellow for away, followed by a second simulation yellow for home. It was that Patrick Viera move - a good 18 inches from the feet of the next player, unfortunately telegraphed, easy YC, had to go. Loads more action. The one odd moment from the officials when one AR flagged offside at a corner. Ball had been positioned at the corner of the arc and played forward to an attacker on the goal line at the corner flag. AR flagged, game stopped, I whistled, said to retake, spoke to AR, no lengthly explanation, get on with it, no problem. Strictly speaking I could have waved the flag down but the game stopped with the flag so I felt the re-set was the only sensible option.
And then a member of staff collapsed by the half way line onto the field and had a fit. Ambulance there in 4 mins. I got the players away and tried to get their gaze averted. Couple of parents and experienced official tended briefly before the professionals arrived. 15 mins later the staff member was conscious, I could make eye contact as they went stretchered into the ambulance, with some relief we went back to the game. No sign or explanation at all by the way. Lucky enough to have a switched on fourth who helped manage the situation and a senior AR who exuded calm. I reminded the players/benches that we still had a match to play for 8+ mins. And they went straight back at it!
Last game of the night, now running well over. Still time for another YC and then the home captain got the red mist. I was right there trailing him. He took his side down to 8 with a monumentally excessive 2 footed, straight legged slider that took out two away players, both in pain. The captain stayed down but I had the red out straight away. The physios, coach, captain all knew, straightforward. And we played out a few more intense and dramatic minutes with 8 vs 10.
Sorry to ramble but that I got through this was a big deal for me. That I got through it putting in my best shift, probably in my biggest game so far, has a lot to do with the advice and guidance from a bunch of people, and plenty from on here. Considering this game had so much incident it was great that we didn't have problems from the fans or coaches, only thanks, which was nice. I had one question about an early yellow - none about any of the 4 reds or 7 other yellows
I think part of that was doing - well, it was a bare minimum - pre-match that I was comfortable with, and that created some bridge to the coaches. And yes, I did give a foul throw in there for one of those horrible flying leg ones!I've been on holiday since (not from RefChat obviously!) so I am eager to see if I can demonstrate this progress and experience on Saturday back home with a problem team in my tough men's league.
