A&H

Doing the 'right' thing?

M

Matthew

RefChat Addict
I've been reffing academy football for 18 months now, but I'm finding it increasingly difficult to stick to the no cards policy; it just feels wrong.

Take yesterday for example. U13 match and one player was in my ear constantly, two very strongly worded warnings followed, before he told me to 'put a blue shirt on' (the colour of the opposition). That's dissent, plain and simple. In any 'normal' match, it wouldn't even have got to that point, he would've had two yellow cards and been off. After that comment, I had him subbed.

I've been beating myself up about it since and I feel like what I did was wrong. When I don't feel like I've done my job properly, the enjoyment disappears. I was told in no uncertain terms when I started that "cards won't be necessary" and by another ref that "you'll never ref here again if you show a card".

The quality of football is fantastic and I enjoy reffing academy games generally, but I can't help feeling that, by adhering to the no cards policy, that I'm not doing the 'right' thing. I just don't know what to do. :( Do I stick with my heart and step down, or do I grit my teeth and get on with it?

Sorry about the length of the post, thinking out loud can be good sometimes! :D
 
The Referee Store
Have a chat with the referee coordinatorat the academy. Use that precise example - explain to him that in any OA/non-age-group that is dissent and a yellow card - and in fact by that point in an OA match the player would already have been booked, but that you held back for the no-cards reason.

Telln him how much you enjoy academy matches but that you feel that the no-cards policy hurts your control. Ask what he thinks you should do. I feel that it hurts players too, tbh, because they get away with things they shouldn't but that's just me.
 
What idiot thought up a no-cards policy at any level??????

It only hurts the kids - what chance have they got playing a real game when cards are actually involved????
 
The Bstard said:
Have a chat with the referee coordinatorat the academy. Use that precise example - explain to him that in any OA/non-age-group that is dissent and a yellow card - and in fact by that point in an OA match the player would already have been booked, but that you held back for the no-cards reason.

Telln him how much you enjoy academy matches but that you feel that the no-cards policy hurts your control. Ask what he thinks you should do. I feel that it hurts players too, tbh, because they get away with things they shouldn't but that's just me.
Click to expand...

I think I'll do that. Thanks @The Bstard :)

CapnBloodbeard said:
What idiot thought up a no-cards policy at any level??????

It only hurts the kids - what chance have they got playing a real game when cards are actually involved????
Click to expand...

It's commonplace throughout the academy system as far as I can tell. The logic is that being subbed has more impact, but I don't think it does. The sad reality is that most will be released at some point, and they'll be in for a real shock when referees start using cards; had it been any other type of game, that player would've been off.
 
Do they ask you to arbitrarily change any of the other laws of the game to suit them? As this is what they are doing in asking for "no cards".
 
If a player suggested to me that I may as well put a (whatever colour the opposition are wearing) shirt on, implying that I was cheating, he would be having an early shower !
 
I'm not a fan of the no cards rule, but if you accept an appointment on the basis that you won't show cards, then don't. If you can't accept those appointments anymore, then don't.
 
There is no 'no cards' policy for academy football that is sanctioned by the f.a.

I can think of one or two reasons why some referees who do academy games accept this nonsense as fact but I don't want to offend anyone
 
I disagree. I referee football league youth matches, players and mangers expect misconducts to be dealt with.
 
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