callmemyref
Well-Known Member
Hello, I have done 30-40 lines so far, and next week I’m going to run the line on the friendly game where the premier league club plays against another professional club. Any suggestions ?
Big line
- Thread starter callmemyref
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Run the line
You must be doing something right, so keep it up!
Don't over complicate it, stay composed and do the best job you can do.
Without wanting to rain on your parade, it can't be first teams. Even for friendlies there are strict rules around the level of officials needed, and if a Premier League's first team was playing you would realistically need at least an SG2 referee in the middle and at least one FL assistant, and no assistant would be below L3.
Justylove
RefChat Addict
It could be the youth combination, U18's. Those are the Tier 2 Academies and they have a L4 in the middle and levels 5-7 on the line. I did one last season with a L7 who had only ever run 3 lines in his career!
I used to do alot for Sheff U academy as they appointed the officials themselves apart from the league matches at u18 level every other week (although I believe theyve now gone back to County appointed). I did plenty of u18 friendlies (16s too) at the academy which was tier 2. I tended to get one experienced AR and one inexperienced one as a development opportunity (which the ref appointed at the academy was big on which was great. He often was on the games with me). Did plenty of lines too
I was only a7 or a 6 myself but they appointed on what they saw and those that didn't let them down. I reffed "non friendly" u16 games there where 1 AR turned up and the following week I had 3 ARs! They were county appointed fixtures.
The point here is if its u16 friendlies (or possibly even u18) then I've seen level 7s given both lines and middles if they're seen as ready. OA at that level wouldn't happen surely?
Justylove
RefChat Addict
At U18 - Cat 1 Academies (U18 Premier League) are done with L3’s in the middle and L4’s on the line.
The Cat 2 academies (Youth Alliance Leagues) are appointed on MOAS with L4’s in the middle and the lines are appointed by county - those are L5-7’s. AFC Bournemouth play in this league, even when they were in the Premier League.
Don’t know much about the U16’s other than my local one (Southampton) has a coordinator who is part of County FA that appoints refs who are L5 or below.
Yeah was 5-7s on the line at Sheff U & Sheff W u18s (league matches).
I reffed a number of friendlies as a level 7 at u18 level, usually against private academies. There was a pool of us appointed by the ref coordinator at the club but often games midweek would be 12pm kick offs and I was flexible at work so I got a few of those. Great experiences for a level 7. We also worked in 3s for midweek friendlies for u14s-u16s, deciding on the night who would be in the middle. Often we'd let the youngest do it as a learning experience (that's what everyone is there for when it comes to academy's). The only issues we ever had was when it came to county appointed games on a Saturday. Regular to see the club ref coordinator there to oversee things having to actually officiate as young level 7s hadn't responded to emails confirming their acceptance of the fixture. Or an u16 Sheffield Derby where I had 3 ARs and rather than send one home with no game we made him 4th official.
In my current area I get an email every week on a Thursday/Friday with a list of academy games that need covering. I think alot of refs avoid them as the pay is often less than they get for local football.
Yes, that makes sense, but I read the OP as him thinking it would be their first teams and clearly that won't (and can't) be the case.
Justylove
RefChat Addict
To fair he is doing a double jump 7-5 IIRC - so a Sunday afternoon prime time Man U v Liverpool middle is not entirely out of the question, surely!
callmemyref
Well-Known Member
Hi mate, there were half of the first team premier league players and half of the 2nd team players, and all of the opposition were the first team who play in Conference premier. The referee was L3
callmemyref
Well-Known Member
Wow, you remember itTo fair he is doing a double jump 7-5 IIRC - so a Sunday afternoon prime time Man U v Liverpool middle is not entirely out of the question, surely!
callmemyref
Well-Known Member
The game went very well, I was playing low profile assistant referee, and did my best not to have attention on me. The premier league team had half of the players from the 2nd team, and 1st team players were players who just recovered from the injured or subs. But did great and looking forward to do again.
Glad it went well, but PGMOL / The FA would have been having kittens had anything gone wrong. Really should have been at least a 2B in the middle and at least one L3E on the line. The principle is (unless it has changed) that the referee can be one level below that which normally referees the lowest level club, same for at least one assistant so they can take over if the referee is incapacitated.
They changed the rules after an incident in 2007 where the China U23 team played QPR in a "friendly" and all hell broke loose with a 50 man brawl, a China player with a broken jaw, game abandoned, and QPR's assistant manager Richard Hill subsequently fired. From memory Dermot Gallagher was in the middle, but the assistants were nowhere near the right level for a Championship team.
Yeah if this happened as is
As is what?
PinnerPaul
RefChat Addict
Remember the 'incident' obviously and the referee, but had no idea who the assistants were - not me btw!
PinnerPaul
RefChat Addict
Some more detail