The Ref Stop

Captain's Only

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The Ref Stop
Back when sin bins came in here no one was allowed to referee until they'd been to a meeting about them
Did they have to go to a meeting to find out that they can't referee without going into a meeting? 🤪

Meetings are great but they can't replace clear and timely communication that everyone has access to.
 
I will repeat.

Whilst the LOTG state competitions choose in England competitions have to be sanctioned by the FA. So the FA can make the rule mandatory as part of sanctioning through SCOR.

So the leagues are choosing by affiliating.

Nathan Magill who is head of refereeing said at a recent conference it is being implemented at all levels of the game
Unless I am missing something obvious though, I can't see anything in SCoR for it. A search for captain only pulls up two hits, one for the captain having to wear an armband and the other in the fine schedule for not wearing an armband. So I'm struggling to see how they will enforce it, especially as most leagues will have already been sanctioned.
 
Unless I am missing something obvious though, I can't see anything in SCoR for it. A search for captain only pulls up two hits, one for the captain having to wear an armband and the other in the fine schedule for not wearing an armband. So I'm struggling to see how they will enforce it, especially as most leagues will have already been sanctioned.
I just assumed that's how they would make it mandatory from a rules perspective.
 
I just assumed that's how they would make it mandatory from a rules perspective.
Yeah, that was my assumption as well, perhaps the law change came too late for the final version of SCoR. Without that in there I can't really see there being anything the FA can go if leagues say they don't want to use the captain only law.
 
Either way it’s very confusing for grassroots referees. I’ve had leagues send out directives saying it will not be used, others asking referees whether they would like it to be used, and now hearsay that it is for everyone. Not sure it’s a very effective strategy!
 
Either way it’s very confusing for grassroots referees. I’ve had leagues send out directives saying it will not be used, others asking referees whether they would like it to be used, and now hearsay that it is for everyone. Not sure it’s a very effective strategy!
Unfortunately this is The FA to a tee. They’ve never ever been very good with comms. Which is somewhat ironic when you consider a big part of your own progression comes down to your admin. It really should not be difficult to advise who this does and doesn’t apply to. And the fact we’re even having this discussion, would suggest they’ve ball’sed it up

The year I got L3, they decided to set up a google drive with a load of vague documents. Practically no one had a clue how to access it or use it. Plus it looked really amateur and cheap.
 
Grass roots leagues won't start for at least a month, think all we can do is hold fire and see what clarifications come out. Sadly comms isn't a strong point of the FA, and I fully suspect one area has made a decision without speaking to the other, if so they will now be scrambling around trying to work out what to do.
 
The referee portal is absolutely rubbish! So many parts of it clearly have not been thought through.

1. Cannot delete games if you put in a team erroneously
2. Cannot edit cards
3. Unclear when it is submitted or not
4. Having to re-authenticate with email every time you use is it silly

It baffles me how they can bring this in with so many issues. Baffles, not surprises.
 
The referee portal is absolutely rubbish! So many parts of it clearly have not been thought through.

1. Cannot delete games if you put in a team erroneously
2. Cannot edit cards
3. Unclear when it is submitted or not
4. Having to re-authenticate with email every time you use is it silly

It baffles me how they can bring this in with so many issues. Baffles, not surprises.
Whole (game) thing is complete dogshit tbh. Been trying to approve player registrations all morning...

Screenshot 2025-07-23 at 10.53.51.png
 
The referee portal is absolutely rubbish! So many parts of it clearly have not been thought through.

1. Cannot delete games if you put in a team erroneously
2. Cannot edit cards
3. Unclear when it is submitted or not
4. Having to re-authenticate with email every time you use is it silly

It baffles me how they can bring this in with so many issues. Baffles, not surprises.
Also done number 1. Also failed to remove. Will no doubt haunt me for the rest of this season.
 
Our Step 7 feeder league has already met with the whole referee panel and the clubs from all divisions and explicitly stated that they will not be enforcing this rule but are ‘encouraging clubs to use it’. It’s caused a lot of confusion already and will cause even more so if it is going to be mandated. Season starts on Saturday.
 
Isn't their choice.

Not disputing that.

I am raising the fact that this has clearly not been communicated very well which, quite frankly is poor.

Ultimately, as an L5, I have got to go and referee in Saturday potentially unclear on one of the laws - this does not help with people’s confidence in referees.
 
Isn't their choice.
That is open to debate. If the FA want to mandate something they are supposed to put it into SCoR (Standard Code of Rules), if competitions then try to take it out they can refuse to sanction them until they put it back in. For reasons that aren't really known, although I would guess a lack of interdepartmental cooperation, this isn't in there. Leagues will have already had their rule sets sanctioned, therefore the following is true:

- The LoTG don't mandate the captains only law.
- SCoR, and the sanctioned competition's rules, don't mandate the captains only law.

Given this I am really struggling to see what the FA could do if leagues refused to adopt it.
 
That is open to debate. If the FA want to mandate something they are supposed to put it into SCoR (Standard Code of Rules), if competitions then try to take it out they can refuse to sanction them until they put it back in. For reasons that aren't really known, although I would guess a lack of interdepartmental cooperation, this isn't in there. Leagues will have already had their rule sets sanctioned, therefore the following is true:

- The LoTG don't mandate the captains only law.
- SCoR, and the sanctioned competition's rules, don't mandate the captains only law.

Given this I am really struggling to see what the FA could do if leagues refused to adopt it.

Precise reason the league gave for not adopting it…

It was announced after their AGM and therefore not adopted as part of their rules.
 
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