Double Header Appointment.
- Thread starter Kes
- Start date
18 degrees this morning in Watford. I thought I was on me holidays
We'd be having drink breaks for 18 degrees up here!
A first for me too today, not a single ask of '"how long left ref" in the first half of my u16 game.
Obviously it all went downhill in the second half, especially as the away team were losing quite badly and just wanted it to be over.
Gamespoiler
Well-Known Member
I'm 50 and did 2 open age games yesterday one after the other and an U15 and U17 game back to back today. No issues no aches
(in truth I was a grumpy old sod in the second games on both days and my tolerance level was really low to dissent. Also struggled to keep up with play and some of my decisions were perhaps questionable. And needed a 40 minute bath to soak the legs today de to the rain and coldness. Don't feel too bad now to be honest but know that I've not really given the second games on both days justice. But if I hadn't the games either wouldn't have taken place or one of the coaches would've reffed. Just a shame the coaches and players didn't look at it like that)
(in truth I was a grumpy old sod in the second games on both days and my tolerance level was really low to dissent. Also struggled to keep up with play and some of my decisions were perhaps questionable. And needed a 40 minute bath to soak the legs today de to the rain and coldness. Don't feel too bad now to be honest but know that I've not really given the second games on both days justice. But if I hadn't the games either wouldn't have taken place or one of the coaches would've reffed. Just a shame the coaches and players didn't look at it like that)
This morning I did an extra game to 'help out'. OA Sunday League game. Told them I couldn't make the 11am kick off due to my next match and they moved it to 9.45. Home team manager (after losing 3-1) came and thanked me for making myself available and said some nice things about my performance. Normally they don't show much gratitude as you highlighted, but there were 2 teams (in a league that can be very tasty) who were just wanting to get a game in before lockdown and didn't have a ref assigned.
I do often find that my tolerance for dissent lowers in the 2nd game. I've spoken kn this forum before about doing multiple games. Its not the physical issue of doing them for me, but there is sometimes a mental drop off, especially if the game is poor quality like my 2nd game today. But, like you say, if we don't do it then there's no game or a coach doing the game.
santa sangria
RefChat Addict
Totally agree. And I notice the mental fatigue more in - heaven forbid - futsal, where the concentration is more intense for longer periods. The second game and I am much more on-off about dissent, far less willing to charm players - and also susceptible to a minor sulk if someone annoys me.
Speed of movement and thought are fine, but player management ability down.
spuddy1878
RefChat Addict
I done a really tough but enjoyable JPL game last weekend after doing an U8 5 A side and U11s 9 a side they were both very easy, the 5 a side one you literally have no need to run as its one of those Peter Kay runs as the pitch only 35/40 ayrds long.
On the Sunday i always have two U13/14 games 35m each way.
These can be really tough as the standard is quite poor and i find the worse the standard the harder (on the body) it is to ref.
On the Sunday i always have two U13/14 games 35m each way.
These can be really tough as the standard is quite poor and i find the worse the standard the harder (on the body) it is to ref.
I would say this is very true of adult football, but not so in the youth game
It's impossible to maintain polished refereeing when presiding over a scruffy game on a Council pitch
However, in youth football, the top league is always more challenging because the games are at least competitive and the parents have big ideas
The few youth games I've done that have been of a low standard have been an absolute breeze physically. Mainly because the ball was out of play alot more than in OA football. I did an u13 match in October after an OA match as it was on the same ground and there must have been 50 throw ins. Each throw invariably ended up with a sequence of throw ins due to coaches telling the kids to throw it "down the line", which just lead to another throw in and so it was repeated over and over again.
High level youth football, such as academy, is much easier to referee because you have less decisions to make. Low level kids football has alot of bouncing balls which leads to alot more tackles and you get alot more handball decisions to make due to the ball not being on the ground as much
I agree with the academies, aside from them being less physical, possession and build-up play is encouraged so I find there’s long periods of players just knocking it around the pitch, not really going anywhere. They can be fun but frequently boring!
I’m with spuddy on the poorer quality games. You can’t read them as you have no idea what’s coming next. So anticipating where you need to be for the next phase of play goes out the window and you end up chasing mis-hit long ball after mid-hit long ball!
spuddy1878
RefChat Addict
To add to that you might get a 12 year old who clears a ball and just as you turn to put a sprint in its whacked back the other way by the opposition defender, a lot of twisting and turning.
I had incident recently second U14 game with about ten left so been on the pitch for for over 2 hours, free kick roughly half way in defensive half (no liners obviously) and i know the lad is just going to lump it so im online with last defender to check for offside, the lad scuffs the kick and its thumped clear by a player from the other team right over the top for a forward to chase, im probably 50 yard away and i give offside.
Manager moaning at me that im "not keeping up with play"
I had incident recently second U14 game with about ten left so been on the pitch for for over 2 hours, free kick roughly half way in defensive half (no liners obviously) and i know the lad is just going to lump it so im online with last defender to check for offside, the lad scuffs the kick and its thumped clear by a player from the other team right over the top for a forward to chase, im probably 50 yard away and i give offside.
Manager moaning at me that im "not keeping up with play"