A&H

AR advice !!

Z

Zimmyman

Well-Known Member
Ok I’ve refed 8 games ! Exam soon ! Doing ok
No real problems (only concern for the exam)
Right I keep getting asked by my league and county FA to be an AR at under 23 games
Bearing in mind my refereeing games have been U 13-14s and I’ve never ran the line in this capacity I want to do it I know I will have to do it but I’m afraid of the old brain freeze when the ball goes out ie flagging the wrong way I feel AR is a different entity so advice would be appreciated as I don’t want to turn
Up to a U 23 game with experienced officials and wind up looking a right twerp
 
The Referee Store
I started doing lines on the Bostick U23 Development league, and I'd absolutely recommend it to anyone. It's a great way to interact with and learn from experienced referees, you get to work at a higher level of football without the pressure involved in being in the middle and it's also a good way to see what "open age" football is like from the sidelines. If you make a bad decision on a throw in, the ref is fully equipped to overrule or bail you out - or to sell the decision if he does go with it!

Any referee you work with on this league will have a decent amount of experience under their belt, so the only thing I'd say is to make sure the ref knows you're new to it when you do get appointed. They'll then be able to be a bit more clear with you regarding their expectations, and perhaps also not give you responsibility for calling fouls in your area of credibility.
 
There are loads of threads on being an AR, flag technique etc. in the AR section. But i'd say the following:

1) The referee should communicate with you prior to match day, telling you what time to meet and potentially looking at travelling together if practical. If they don't specify anything about dress code, then ask them, its better to ask the question than assume and turn up in a tracksuit, if the other officials are in suits.

2) Tell the referee its your first line, they'll always try and look after you and help you. Its unlikely that they'd give you the benches to deal with for example.

3) The referee will do a pre match talk. Listen carefully to it, as it sets out what they are looking for in the game. If you are unclear on anything then ASK. Its better to spend 2-3 minutes on something you don't understand prior to the game, then trying to figure it out when it happens in the middle of the match itself!

4) being on the line is very different to being in the middle. Its easy to get sucked into ball watching then being out of position with the second last defender. You should be looking at where the second last defender is every few seconds and adjust accordingly.

5) Eye contact with the referee is crucial. If you are looking at the referee, you'll often get little indicators of which way they want to give the decision, or if they are looking at you to help them out. Though it feels like an eternity to you, having a look at a referee and then getting the flag in the correct hand to give the decision will only take a second or two and no-one else will notice. You always have more time than you think you do.

6) Enjoy it! Whereas when you are out by yourself especially in the early days, working as a group of 3 is great. The camaraderie is usually fantastic plus you also get to see and work with other referees who have more experience than you and you can often pick up little tips and tricks that you can apply to your game.
 
Graeme is correct - Bostick U23s is a good standard - both players and officials!

However I do feel it WOULD be quite step up after 8 x U13/14 middles.

Maybe an interim would be to try and get on some Bostick U18s games first - not really that much difference but just a little slower, so therefore, in theory a little 'easier'
 
Zimmyman said:
Ok I’ve refed 8 games ! Exam soon ! Doing ok
No real problems (only concern for the exam)
Right I keep getting asked by my league and county FA to be an AR at under 23 games
Bearing in mind my refereeing games have been U 13-14s and I’ve never ran the line in this capacity I want to do it I know I will have to do it but I’m afraid of the old brain freeze when the ball goes out ie flagging the wrong way I feel AR is a different entity so advice would be appreciated as I don’t want to turn
Up to a U 23 game with experienced officials and wind up looking a right twerp
Click to expand...
I’ve done about 8 games in the middle and have been put on the panel for ARs in a good standard of U18 football (Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counties). It’s an incredibly eye opening experience. It’s a challenge but you’ll get to work with very experienced referees (in the league I’m on there are quite a few L4s and a few L3s) so you’ll learn how to be a better AR but also so many different techniques and styles for when you’re in the middle. It’s also a good standard of football so I get to learn proper procedures, like doing a full kit, pitch, net inspection and what to do at half time, the ways to handle yourself and even you might get to use some better equipment (in my first game, the ref had some buzzer flags, which was interesting to use). I massively recommend it. You’ll make mistakes but you’ll learn from them and become a better referee. You might even end up preferring the line to the middle...
 
Justylove said:
1) The referee should communicate with you prior to match day, telling you what time to meet and potentially looking at travelling together if practical. If they don't specify anything about dress code, then ask them, its better to ask the question than assume and turn up in a tracksuit, if the other officials are in suits.
Click to expand...

Yeah that's what happend to me last Saturday I felt like a right tool.
 
I still have the problem of flagging the wrong way! Especially after halftime...I'll mutter to myself 'red team, attacking carpark, green team, attacking the hill' over and over again....or 'red team offside, red team offside' to remind myself who the attacker is, something like that.
 
CapnBloodbeard said:
I still have the problem of flagging the wrong way! Especially after halftime...I'll mutter to myself 'red team, attacking carpark, green team, attacking the hill' over and over again....or 'red team offside, red team offside' to remind myself who the attacker is, something like that.
Click to expand...

I know its annoying/terrifying isn't it? Had one on Monday night - luckily I was able to say out loud 'Red throw' and then my arm followed!:oops:

To the fellow RefChat member who was with me - No I didn't mention that afterwards!:p
 
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