A&H

Junior/Youth Conflicting colours in equipment

Simple message to all concerned at u12 level and similar age groups. Parents, coaches, referees....provide a safe and enjoyable environment and let the kids play!!
 
The Referee Store
At that age level surely the sensible thing is play and then reporting the problem after. I totally get that the competition rules say there must be shirt numbers, but does that mean the game should be called off if there aren't or rather the club are charged with a breach of rules. There are lots of competition rules that are often broken - e.g. late / missing team sheets, no captain's arm band, etc, but the game still gets played and these issues reported afterwards.

Also, and a common one, taking aside competition rules, the laws of the game says that corner flags must be used, but I doubt many people would refuse to play if they aren't. Law advice now says that you should play, but I think that is a relatively recent addition. Thousands of games have been played on astro pitches over the years without corner flags.
 
As a kids coach for 6 years, I've seen so much nonsense that kids have to put up with that not allowing them to play due to anything other than serious safety concerns would be soul destroying. Common sense should always prevail.

I once played in a Stockport Metro Sunday league match where the ref did a vigorous kit check, checked the netting thoroughly etc even asked for an area of the pitch about 3 yards in length to be remarked. Then we kicked off.....it was -4 and the pitch was frozen solid. Common sense is a rare thing
 
Glasgows state of the art hi tech new 4 pitches 3/4g whatever were used for the first two years.......without penalty spots!
And am talking schools internationals, amuater finals, the lot
 
At youth (in particular), do everything you can to get the game on. Play and then report. Only thing really stopping me at OA and vets would be lack of shirt numbers (so no turning shirts inside out, bibs obscuring shirt numbers etc). Odd coloured shorts, mismatched / clashing socks... "guys, you're all wearing the same colour socks, so we can either wait for someone to go and get the right socks, or we can crack on and accept I'll make mistakes over who last played the ball". You can guarantee what their response to that will be. Obviously if the league is of a reasonable standard you're not likely to hit those problems.

Game on for me if socks are matching and a match incident report to the league. We had a situation where a referee forced the home club to go buy socks or else game off - an email was sent to everyone by coordinator informing us of game on.
 
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