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Junior/Youth CARs 'Coaching'

OnlyUseMeWhistle

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Level 3W Referee
Morning!

Had a middle for an U15 girls game on Saturday. I'm in quite a rural county and many of the teams travel far and without parents.

The away manager offered to be CAR and his assistant stayed in the technical area because they had no parents etc to do it.

For the first half this meant the away manager was on the touchline opposite to his assistant and the home manager.

About ten minutes into the first half the home manager asks me if I'm "allowing coaching" from the CAR as she's heard him instructing players a few times.

I say I hadn't noticed but when convenient I'll remind him what's expected, a few minutes later I do just that and say that if he's coaching he might miss offsides etc for his side.

The most I heard after this was "well done" and other praise which I deemed acceptable for the age group and not really coaching.

Given the ages involved I wanted to hear what people thought, CARs at adult football often shout things from the side and I've not dealt with that before but in this scenario is felt like they basically had a second manager outside the technical area instead of a CAR so felt it needed a word.
 
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Personally, if he is missing offsides, he is missing them for his own team and putting them in more difficult position.
I dont mind a bit of coaching if I'm honest as long as it's more when play is stopped and quick. This wouldn't affect them running the line really especially as they're there for in and out of play and offsides anyway, unless you're giving them more responsibility than is necessary.
 
Personally, if he is missing offsides, he is missing them for his own team and putting them in more difficult position.
I dont mind a bit of coaching if I'm honest as long as it's more when play is stopped and quick. This wouldn't affect them running the line really especially as they're there for in and out of play and offsides anyway, unless you're giving them more responsibility than is necessary.
Yeah the missing offsides was to try and sell it to him a bit if I'm honest. At the ability in the game, having an adult to essentially make decisions for you without having to shout across the pitch like the home team coach felt unfair. But I didn't really have anything to back it up in law.
 
Nothing to stop the home team sticking their coach as CAR also.
I think, in a normal game, I'd have left it if it wasn't interfering with the play too much. However, as it was the FA's Silent Weekend for youth football so this may have been what the home coach was referring to?
 
Nothing to stop the home team sticking their coach as CAR also.
I think, in a normal game, I'd have left it if it wasn't interfering with the play too much. However, as it was the FA's Silent Weekend for youth football so this may have been what the home coach was referring to?
True but their CAR would be on the touchline next to the technical area anyway, at least for the first half. But I think the home coach had a general issue, I thought the quiet weekend applied to spectators only
 
It was meant to be for coaches and spectators - from the FA website:
"Across the National Silent Support Weekend, we're encouraging coaches and spectators to show their support by applauding good play from both teams, but refraining from talking or shouting. This is to create an enjoyable, safe and developmental experience for all youth players, so that they can play the game with freedom, without pressure, and without an over-emphasis on winning at all costs."
 
It was meant to be for coaches and spectators - from the FA website:
"Across the National Silent Support Weekend, we're encouraging coaches and spectators to show their support by applauding good play from both teams, but refraining from talking or shouting. This is to create an enjoyable, safe and developmental experience for all youth players, so that they can play the game with freedom, without pressure, and without an over-emphasis on winning at all costs."
News to me! Both managers had no clue about the weekend anyway
 
It is very difficult to stop a CAR from coaching. All the rule says is that each club must provide someone to be a club assistant referee, it doesn't specify that they can't coach as well. I'd say that you're potentially getting into murky waters and risking causing yourself an unnecessary problem.

I used to run the line a lot when I was a coach and no referee ever pulled me up for coaching (once I took over as manager that stopped as I could tell someone else to do it 😂)
 
It is very difficult to stop a CAR from coaching. All the rule says is that each club must provide someone to be a club assistant referee, it doesn't specify that they can't coach as well. I'd say that you're potentially getting into murky waters and risking causing yourself an unnecessary problem.

I used to run the line a lot when I was a coach and no referee ever pulled me up for coaching (once I took over as manager that stopped as I could tell someone else to do it 😂)
I think it must be a youth football thing, or maybe it just varies with competition rules, as I've always understood (when acting as CAR for my children's teams) that you mustn't coach when in that role.
A quick check of a couple of the leagues on which my son referees (youth football in England) confirms that their competition rules / regulations documents explicitly outlaw coaching when officiating (I'm guessing they aren't unusual in this - they are just the first and only two I have checked):

"Assistant referees are not permitted to coach players during the course of the game. The only exception to this is if the manager is on their own and the only person available to officiate. Referees will report any team infringing this regulation and the team will be fined."

and:

4.(d) Any person undertaking referee or assistant referee duties must not interfere with the coaching of their respective teams whilst the game is in progress.

Having said that, I've seen plenty of it going on (sometimes challenged by opposition coaches, sometimes unchallenged). I've even heard coaches telling their back line to always look across at and follow their assistant! 😂

I don't recall a referee ever commenting or acting on any of it, however obvious it was.
 
I’ve never thought much of it tbf, after all I need someone just to tell me in’s and outs. They’re not calling the offsides for me so I don’t need them for too much.

On a side note my happiness with CARs has really increased recently. Early on I had a few games where they were definitely acting biased or just couldn’t care less but recently I’ve been blessed with good ones.

U14 county cup game over weekend, really feisty game in terms of players and coaches (and probably spectators, so much for Silent Weekend! Although tbf I had no idea about that.) Yet throughout feisty match they were just losing in away CAR/manager called everything down the middle fairly for me. 3 times there were ricochets in attacking corner towards end where it could’ve bounced off anyone and all 3 times CAR called home throw
 
U14 county cup game over weekend, really feisty game in terms of players and coaches (and probably spectators, so much for Silent Weekend! Although tbf I had no idea about that.) Yet throughout feisty match they were just losing in away CAR/manager called everything down the middle fairly for me. 3 times there were ricochets in attacking corner towards end where it could’ve bounced off anyone and all 3 times CAR called home throw
When I used to be CAR for my kids, I always used to give the oppo throw ins that could have gone either way. I felt this allowed me to build trust with the referee for when I flagged for a player through on goal which might have been 'marginal' ;)
 
My youth league fires 'CARs shouldn't be coaching' on the bottom of the rules sent out with every appointment, never once seen it penalised, nor have I ever enforced it
 
When I used to be CAR for my kids, I always used to give the oppo throw ins that could have gone either way. I felt this allowed me to build trust with the referee for when I flagged for a player through on goal which might have been 'marginal' ;)
🤣🤣 fair enough. Thankfully my CARs don't call offsides just the ins and outs
 
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