A&H

Coach / CORE

Robert Walczak

New Member
Level 4 Referee
Hi gents

I am wondering how is the best way to get a coach? Yes I have approached my county already and I am waiting 2 months already - might be lack of people.

Also what is happening with CORE programme? I was informed by my RDO that it will start next year?

Is that right?

For all suggestions and help I would be deeply grateful
 
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Robert, your RDO is the only person that can really help with this.

The CORE programme started last season, i would be very surprised if your RDO wasnt aware of this. At levels 7-5 then it goes off County nominations, level 4 and up is selected by the FA based on merit table positions.
 
Thanks

It means I will not be under CORE as a new level 4? Technical I so not have place in merit table yet so I have to wait for it whole season?
 
i've had coaches through academies but nothing recently, not been part of the core programme...not that you need either to progress
 
Thanks

It means I will not be under CORE as a new level 4? Technical I so not have place in merit table yet so I have to wait for it whole season?

No you won't and will need to be close to the top but not close enough for promotion to 3 really to be selected. It is designed for ref's that are sort of on the cusp of promotion and the FA believe they can get up with coaches help.
 
It means I will not be under CORE as a new level 4? Technical I so not have place in merit table yet so I have to wait for it whole season?

As a L4, you are within the control of the FA not your CFA for development now. As others have said, you will get a coach if you are approaching the promotion cusp.

But what you will get is 4 or 5 assessments as a L4 from observers. This is where you will get your development advice from. Take the contents of the reports and understand what we are saying.

As a Supply League Observer, I will warn you that we are not the cuddly, friendly observers you got on the promotion scheme. We have a detailed manual of the competancies we have to look for and will mark your accordingly. There is a copy of the current manual in the resources section - read and learn!

You will be marked as what is expected as this level, ZERO allowance is made for it being your first matches - so you will be judged against somebody who has been at this level for 5 years. The standard mark is 70, don't expect anything too high and in half my early season observation on new referees, their mark does not exceed 70!

Enjoy the new challenge and learn from it.
 
Whilst Lincs is correct that your development is now under the control of the FA, that doesn't mean that your own county can't help you. Some will offer mentoring and coaching to new level 4s by people who have been there and done it, but even if they don't that doesn't stop you asking for help from current or past level 4s or above. It is completely different refereeing at that level to what you have been used to, and as Lincs says the observers are much better trained and told to spot everything and act accordingly. He won't be wandering around the pitch, rather will be sat in the stands often with an elevated view, and there really is no hiding place. The players are also much more "referee smart" and will seize on any weakness to use it to their advantage, many of them will be older players who have previously played at a much higher level. I can remember as a L4 refereeing Junior Lewis, and he had been playing in the Premier League two years earlier. As a level 3 I refereed James Scowcroft a few times, and both of these players were smart around how they dealt with me (even though I sent the latter off ..!).

So you really need someone to help you out, watch a few of your early games to offer advice, and even just be available to have a chat on the phone after things have gone wrong in a game or you are unsure of something. Also I would say forget about your observer marks in the first season, it is very rare for new L4s to get promoted and you are safe from demotion for a year. It might sound a bit daft, but you want to be getting your mistakes out of your system in the coming season so that come March 2018, when you no longer have protection, you aren't making them anymore. It has also long been thought that some observers mark 1st year referees lower as they know they can do so to keep their average down but without affecting the referee. It shouldn't happen, but two observers have told me personally that they do it, and it definitely does happen.
 
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