Classic things you hear whilst refereeing...
- Thread starter SM
- Start date
Reckless challenge during today's game… Club Official "Ref, that tackle was from behind," Spectator "That's why he gave a free kick."
Had a manger (also physio) run onto the pitch to treat the GK in an U13 game after he dived at an attacker's feet, no foul a goal was scored but as the striker followed on his shot his boot caught the Keeper in the head nothing wrong. The manager looks at him and says " He's got a F****** hole in his head" not even a small bruise which I made sure to point out to her. 
It's an age old topic and I think that I'll happily agree to disagree too. Any red cardable offences I would send them off (ie serious foul play, violent conduct, spitting) and I would caution for dissent but anything else is a stern talking to. At U13's and above I implement the LOTG fully, below that I often try and help the players (ie. second chance at a foul throw, etc)
I know that some refs will agree with me and some won't but that's just what it's like. More often than not the refs that agree with me have played junior football (eg. I've played from being about 5 - 15). So I can see why you and some other refs would disagree with me.
I know that some refs will agree with me and some won't but that's just what it's like. More often than not the refs that agree with me have played junior football (eg. I've played from being about 5 - 15). So I can see why you and some other refs would disagree with me.
and there's the problem in a nutshell, making up our own lotg/rules can, i would suggest, only ever increase and never decrease the level of inconsistency from referee to referee - and i'm as guilty as pretty well everyone else on that score, i would imagine.
f.a. laws for mini soccer, u7 and u8, do say that 'referees should also recognise their role is to facilitate learning of the players, for example, allow young children to take a second attempt at a throw-in if the first is not within the Laws'.
even the guys who ran my training course, last january, talked generally about making allowances for younger children, e.g. blues v reds (under whatever), blues 10-0 down, a minute to go and a blues defender deliberately handles the ball on the line to prevent an eleventh goal, do you send him off?
taking your example of 'second chance at a foul throw', best advice i've had to date is to take my lead in whether to make this 'decision' or not, pre-match, from the respective team managers
last month, i was refereeing a sussex cup quarter final, u12's, blues v reds. first throw in of the game, by reds, was a foul throw. i blew for it and asked the player to retake, explaining what he had done wrong, imho, as has generally been my habit to date where u11's and u12's were concerned - (until, of course, the same player has done it for a second, third or fourth time and i finally get fed-up and award the throw the other way). oh the inconsistency
As he took it again, shout from the opposite touchline, from the blue team manager, 'that should be our throw, ref' - aargh, he's right, what to do?
i held up the throw, trotted over to the blue team manager and explained that part of my role was facilitating learning, same for both teams, blah, blah, blah etc.
blue team manager accepted what i was saying but agreed to disagree. fair enough. thankfully, amazingly, whatever, that was the only foul throw decision i had to make during the whole match. there clearly is a god, at least where referees are concerned.
i put this scenario to my refs course trainer, as i do with several first time 'issues' and his words of wisdom, on this occasion, were to ask the managers how they wanted me to handle throw-ins, ahead of the game, retakes or not and,unless there was consensus on retakes, foul throws would be penalised according to the lotg. is this right?, is this wrong? - well, it's certainly an improvement on making a unilateral decision to ignore the lotg, imho.
having said that, personally i would never offer managers a choice where issuing cards was concerned, i'm not sure that any referee would take that step, so this method doesn't resolve the issue raised by the 'yellow at one age level, talking to at another' poster.
the joy and the complexity of refereeing, in a rather lengthy nutshell
f.a. laws for mini soccer, u7 and u8, do say that 'referees should also recognise their role is to facilitate learning of the players, for example, allow young children to take a second attempt at a throw-in if the first is not within the Laws'.
even the guys who ran my training course, last january, talked generally about making allowances for younger children, e.g. blues v reds (under whatever), blues 10-0 down, a minute to go and a blues defender deliberately handles the ball on the line to prevent an eleventh goal, do you send him off?
taking your example of 'second chance at a foul throw', best advice i've had to date is to take my lead in whether to make this 'decision' or not, pre-match, from the respective team managers
last month, i was refereeing a sussex cup quarter final, u12's, blues v reds. first throw in of the game, by reds, was a foul throw. i blew for it and asked the player to retake, explaining what he had done wrong, imho, as has generally been my habit to date where u11's and u12's were concerned - (until, of course, the same player has done it for a second, third or fourth time and i finally get fed-up and award the throw the other way). oh the inconsistency
As he took it again, shout from the opposite touchline, from the blue team manager, 'that should be our throw, ref' - aargh, he's right, what to do?
i held up the throw, trotted over to the blue team manager and explained that part of my role was facilitating learning, same for both teams, blah, blah, blah etc.
blue team manager accepted what i was saying but agreed to disagree. fair enough. thankfully, amazingly, whatever, that was the only foul throw decision i had to make during the whole match. there clearly is a god, at least where referees are concerned.
i put this scenario to my refs course trainer, as i do with several first time 'issues' and his words of wisdom, on this occasion, were to ask the managers how they wanted me to handle throw-ins, ahead of the game, retakes or not and,unless there was consensus on retakes, foul throws would be penalised according to the lotg. is this right?, is this wrong? - well, it's certainly an improvement on making a unilateral decision to ignore the lotg, imho.
having said that, personally i would never offer managers a choice where issuing cards was concerned, i'm not sure that any referee would take that step, so this method doesn't resolve the issue raised by the 'yellow at one age level, talking to at another' poster.
the joy and the complexity of refereeing, in a rather lengthy nutshell
I treat juniors nearly the same as seniors. I'm not quite as stern sometimes with the seniors cause they tend to listen to more (When you're 6ft and they're 4ft7ish I'm pretty scarey to them). Other than that same approach as always, no leniency with cautions/sendings off otherwise they'll do it into youth and senior football.
@HullRef well said.
Also depends what Division it is. This was a Div 4 (bottom league) game. There was no intent, just awful technique. These sorts of players are playing for fun and realistically probably won't be playing in a few years, so why is there any need to caution him when he won't learn from it because he isn't good enough, the only thing that might happen is he will stop playing because it isn't fun?
Also depends what Division it is. This was a Div 4 (bottom league) game. There was no intent, just awful technique. These sorts of players are playing for fun and realistically probably won't be playing in a few years, so why is there any need to caution him when he won't learn from it because he isn't good enough, the only thing that might happen is he will stop playing because it isn't fun?
blue commits a foul on yellow, but a yellow comes in and passes it to another yellow " advantage, play on" yellow then makes a sh*t pass which is intercepted, few seconds later I blow for half time, yellow player gets into my face " what happened to our advantage ref?"
MattyontheWhistle
RefChat Addict
I can't see myself carding an eight year old for anything other than the most serious SFP or VC. We are told, by the Federation that when reffing juniors our role is 'more to educate than punish'.
However, I will back that up by saying we are never allocated junior games (12/13 yr olds and under) as these are games where it is the home club responsibility to provide a referee. So, if I am in the middle for an u11s game, it is because I am doing my club a favour, and not because the brass have given it to me. From u8 to u13 we get progressively 'stricter' so that at 13 they step up to full 11v11 on full pitch and we apply full Laws.
As far as foul throws are concerned, and other similar laws, we are fortunate in that NZ adults (and many coaches) are largely ignorant of the finer details of the LOTG, and there is a widespread understanding that a 9 yr old who lifts a foot at the throw, gets pulled, gets told what he did wrong, and is given another go and if that one is foul, it is awarded the other way. Persistance by the same player though will result in the throw going the other way.
Junior coaches here are also pretty good at accepting that we will ask them to give one of their players a 'stand-down' for five or ten minutes rather than card them, so they will sub, which gives another kid a bit of bonus game time as replacement.
However, I will back that up by saying we are never allocated junior games (12/13 yr olds and under) as these are games where it is the home club responsibility to provide a referee. So, if I am in the middle for an u11s game, it is because I am doing my club a favour, and not because the brass have given it to me. From u8 to u13 we get progressively 'stricter' so that at 13 they step up to full 11v11 on full pitch and we apply full Laws.
As far as foul throws are concerned, and other similar laws, we are fortunate in that NZ adults (and many coaches) are largely ignorant of the finer details of the LOTG, and there is a widespread understanding that a 9 yr old who lifts a foot at the throw, gets pulled, gets told what he did wrong, and is given another go and if that one is foul, it is awarded the other way. Persistance by the same player though will result in the throw going the other way.
Junior coaches here are also pretty good at accepting that we will ask them to give one of their players a 'stand-down' for five or ten minutes rather than card them, so they will sub, which gives another kid a bit of bonus game time as replacement.
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micky2001
Well-Known Member
Just finished my game today, quite a good game ending 7-1. However, in the second half I have a penalty to the Green team. I wasn't in a great position, however, I felt there was contact so pointed to the spot...queue the protestations saying it was never a PK. Then, the player who committed the tackle came to me and said...
"How is that a PK, I only clipped his heels?!"
That satisfied any previous doubts I had about my decision. Anyone else had anything funny said to them?
"How is that a PK, I only clipped his heels?!"
That satisfied any previous doubts I had about my decision. Anyone else had anything funny said to them?
I had a lad push another player in the back while challenging for a header, I awarded the free kick and he said "but he was in my way ref" I had to try quite hard not to laugh
I got the bit about clipping his heels but could you run that bit about finishing a game today by me again, please
If you weren't in a great position, did you not actually see the contact?
I had to call my U17's game off when I arrived this morning and one of the home players came out with a classic. Obviously disappointed not to be playing, he said "Come on ref, we haven't played for six weeks", to which I replied "Yes you have, I reffed you three weeks ago". The look on his face was priceless! 
micky2001
Well-Known Member
I did see the contact, however, I was a bit far away due to it being straight from a punt from the keeper at the other end causing me to play catch up. I saw a tangle of legs and gave the PK.