santa sangria
RefChat Addict
Today I had my "biggest" match so far, highest level under 18 girls in the country. Home team top of the league. Rain kept the crowd at an official 60. Easy game really.
I really wanted the pre match to go well. With the coaches I did some new things, told where I want subs warming up, also confirmed the odd rule we have in a few youth leagues where teams are only allowed max.3 substitution events in the second half (there are 7 subs, so to stop coaches killing the game with 7 consecutive subs with 10 mins to go, I guess).
Hard conditions, rain, grass, very slippery. Well contested but 6-0 to the top team. 6 hour journey home for the losers. Very few highlights. ARs did great. I waved one offside down where there was a deliberate kick of the ball by the def that the AR couldn't see. Told him I was happy he flagged it. AR1 used the match sheet rather than note book for subs which looked a bit shoddy. They both made good foul decisions in front of them to help me and communicated really well.
Two yellows for SPA, easy ones. A third yellow where I had to deal with an emotional outburst. Lots of crying claiming the oppo had almost ripped her shorts off, for which she bundled her to the ground. I took the player to neutral ground with the captain, explained what I saw and didn't see, warned her that it was YC, gave the YC and it was fine. I patrolled her zone very attentively for the next 10 mins.
There were lots of fast breaks with pacy wingers. I used my height/speed advantage to keep right up with play and get in the box. I was happy with foul detection. Could have blown quicker for a few - there were two handballs I replayed in my mind before blowing, probably unnecessarily.
My one "mistake": at opening kick off - and this has happened once before - I lined up with the direction of the kicker rather than her team, so I was wrong. I realised as I was pointing the wrong way and starting the game! The ARs didn't notice until I mentioned it at half time
Nerves probably!
I really wanted the pre match to go well. With the coaches I did some new things, told where I want subs warming up, also confirmed the odd rule we have in a few youth leagues where teams are only allowed max.3 substitution events in the second half (there are 7 subs, so to stop coaches killing the game with 7 consecutive subs with 10 mins to go, I guess).
Hard conditions, rain, grass, very slippery. Well contested but 6-0 to the top team. 6 hour journey home for the losers. Very few highlights. ARs did great. I waved one offside down where there was a deliberate kick of the ball by the def that the AR couldn't see. Told him I was happy he flagged it. AR1 used the match sheet rather than note book for subs which looked a bit shoddy. They both made good foul decisions in front of them to help me and communicated really well.
Two yellows for SPA, easy ones. A third yellow where I had to deal with an emotional outburst. Lots of crying claiming the oppo had almost ripped her shorts off, for which she bundled her to the ground. I took the player to neutral ground with the captain, explained what I saw and didn't see, warned her that it was YC, gave the YC and it was fine. I patrolled her zone very attentively for the next 10 mins.
There were lots of fast breaks with pacy wingers. I used my height/speed advantage to keep right up with play and get in the box. I was happy with foul detection. Could have blown quicker for a few - there were two handballs I replayed in my mind before blowing, probably unnecessarily.
My one "mistake": at opening kick off - and this has happened once before - I lined up with the direction of the kicker rather than her team, so I was wrong. I realised as I was pointing the wrong way and starting the game! The ARs didn't notice until I mentioned it at half time
Nerves probably!