A&H

AR kicking ball back to player after stoppage

For example, whether the score is 0-0 at 65 minutes, 4-0 after 10 minutes or 1-2 after 91 minutes - you are an AR and the ball is down your end, it goes out for a goal kick, or a free kick is committed and the ball comes over you to you, no one is following it to recieve. What would you do, make an effort to kick it back, or leave it?

As an AR myself, I have done both.. When I passed it back to the keeper, for some reason I felt a bit guilty that I shouldn't have done that, and when I left it, the player gave me a few verbals.

Wanted to hear fellow colleagues' thoughts on it.
 
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Think doing both is correct!

8-0 2 mins to go, you're going to look a right **** ignoring the ball if its near you.

A close game and its er a different ball game - leave well alone and let referee manage any 'time wasting' issues.
 
Spirit of the game, I'd just do it. Technically we shouldn't do it but we enjoy football just as much as the players so it may be beneficial to add the human element to match officials.
 
Default stance is just to do your own game and let the players worry about the ball. I've "stopped" a ball going past me the other day by deliberately choosing to stand where it's going and let the ball hit my legs, but I'd be very wary of doing any more than that in most situations. Do it for one team and not the other, you'll find yourself justly accused of favouritism. Get in the habit of doing it every time the ball's near you and you'll find yourself out of position at some point for the restart.

Relax that a little if it's a real one sided match and/or the ball has literally stopped in reaching distance, but do so with caution IMO.
 
When I was starting off I had a few senior referees give me some advice on this that rang true to me and has been beneficial. First one told me - "your job is to watch the field. Let the players chase the ball. If you are looking left/right/down to stop a ball, you may miss the push/shove/misconduct that I cannot see". 2nd one told me - "avoid creating/helping a quick restart advantage." That said.... I avoid doing it in anything but if it is directly at me in a low level young game.

I'm with Graeme.
 
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I've always been told to leave the ball alone, let the players fetch the ball. You could always fake a few extra side-steps to get out of the way if the ball is going to land near to your feet.
 
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Not since getting clobbered in an assessment. I just took 2 extra steps to stop it and got annihilated for doing so. Parting words were “you’re not a ****ing ball boy!”
 
Not since getting clobbered in an assessment. I just took 2 extra steps to stop it and got annihilated for doing so. Parting words were “you’re not a ****ing ball boy!”
These would be my thoughts as well. Your role is to assist the referee which means focussing on the players and field at all times.
 
I've misread it, I never saw it say as AR. Looks like the players who say I'm blind may be correct :(

As AR I'll go nowhere near it unless it goes straight to me.
 
If you are being observed don't touch the ball, even if it is at your feet. It can only send your mark in one direction, and it won't be upwards.
 
As a player it was always infuriating that the Lino didn't help when he could but I understand the logic up the levels that you leave well alone!
Imagine kicking one back that instantly turns into a quick throw and a breakaway goal.... The defenders wouldn't be too impressed I'm sure!!!
 
Outside of allowing the ball to hit me when it is coming straight at me on occasions, the only other time that I may get involved is if the ball is out for a goal kick, I have completed my signal, the ball has stopped within a couple of yards of me and the keeper is taking his time to get to the ball to deliberately slow the game down. This is a win win situation, it helps by preventing the keeper from being booked, the other team by getting the game going and most importantly the referee by making sure he doesn’t have to deal with a time wasting keeper (on that occasion anyway).

I don’t really mind if the odd assessor takes a dim view to this but I won’t recommend it to anyone who is looking for promotion as an AR.
 
Ball out for goal kick and you are at corner flag and keeper dilly dallying as above, provided there is nothing happening, and as above you have signalled and so on and effectively the game is,, dead, then, for no other reason than common decency, I can see me gently rolling the ball in the direction of the gk, close enough to him that he does not have to amble 20 yards out to me, but roll it slow enough that I know I can get back into my position for the restart and slow enough that the gk cant catch opponents unaware with a quick goal kick. I would consider myself pig ignorant to have the ball at my feet and not do something minor with regards getting the ball back. I consider the referee team to be part of the game as a big picture and doing zero would show no feeling for the game at all. I always roll rather than kick, and always along the ground. That said, I do not go to retrieve the ball from the bushes, as that would as previously been stated, render me as ball boy. I guess its whatever you are comfortable with at the time.
 
In RA meetings I have been instructed that the referee should never return or retrieve the ball. Personally at the grass roots level where I referee I have no issue at all in passing the ball to a player provided it's in my immediate vicinity. I certainly wouldn't be going out of the way to collect the ball though.
 
My take on this matter is as follows

If the ball is rolling by you, why not put in back onto the FoP?????/

Because you could be seen to be favouring one team over the other. While that's unlikely to be true it is a situation you want to avoid!
 
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