The Ref Stop

Equipment Check

Freddie Saunders

Freddie Saunders

New Member
Level 9 Referee
Hi Everyone,

I've got all the essentials now - two sports watches, cards, match report card, flags, whistle and I am going to use a standard coin in my wallet to decide who is attacking which half first.

However, when I was doing the classes before being able to referees games, my tutor mentioned about the requirements for the ball, in terms of its air pressure.

I don't currently have a football pressure gauge, or a football pump? Is it really worth purchasing these and putting them in my referee bag or can I hold out for now?

Thanks!
 
The Ref Stop
It's worth getting them. A few times I've been asked by teams to borrow a pump.

I've got a pressure gauge but I rarely used it. I've played football long enough to know what a good ball is opposed to a bad ball. And if you do have a soft or hard ball, the vital signs will soon be there. A soft ball will have a very dull sound when kicked around the field, you would pick up on it very quickly and the players would tell you. A hard ball however will have players wincing when they kick it. Your mk1 fingertips are usually all that is needed to determine the suitability of a football. Obviously if you want to do it correctly then you can use a pressure gauge, but experience will also be a good way to tell :)
 
You can get a cheap one online from about £8 but I have been reffing for three years without one and it was a xmas pressie.I also carry a pump and needles in my bag just in case but I wont pump up the ball or release preasure the home team has to do this. Cheers
 
You certainly need a pump as a minimum. If a club asks you to borrow one or to pump the ball up and you don't have one you can start to kiss your club marks goodbye.

I find a gauge useful, especially these days with the new "soft touch" balls. They can sometimes feel under inflated, but in reality this is just because of the padding around the ball.
 
Thanks for all the replies everyone!

I think I'll grab both and chuck them in my bag just in case - but I won't make a habit of making them aware I have one - simply, if we are stuck in a rut, and the club can't sort it out, I'll offer them the equipment.
 
Mintyref said:
No........why should the referee have the pump! Basic club equipment, sod the club marks.......
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Also, as a league official, let's fine them as well... Normally the fine exceeds the cost of a pump, so false saving for the club.

Easy fine £
 
I have a gauge and pump and use the gauge as a matter of course on both balls. Then I pump the balls up because they are almost never inflated enough. It takes less than a minute. I also have my own tape and pegs for the nets in case they need them. I always tell the home team to fix it and when they say they have no more pegs I lend them mine.

This is more than is strictly required of a referee but in my league if you want to kick off on time with nets that are fixed properly it's the only way to be sure.
 
Tape is also vital. It can help secure nets to uprights and posts and can be used to repair holes in nets.
 
Some transparent selotape to offer as a replacement for those god awful white shin pad holders that players STILL seem insistent on wearing with black socks.
 
James Long said:
Some transparent selotape to offer as a replacement for those god awful white shin pad holders that players STILL seem insistent on wearing with black socks.
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Have you ever worn them?
 
Its the colour issue more than anything that gets me. You wear black socks... why choose white... the law around tape colour has been in long enough.
 
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James Long said:
I have not. I still use the same pair from my teens which came inclusive of a strap way before Ronaldo and Nani made white tape cool ;)
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They are very handy, I use them myself when I play. They just stop all movement of the shin pad; which is very useful. It is annoying when they are a different colour to the sock though :)
 
DB said:
They are very handy, I use them myself when I play. They just stop all movement of the shin pad; which is very useful. It is annoying when they are a different colour to the sock though :)
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Just get a pair of shinpad sleeves.
 
To be fair on the rare occasion I do Sunday mornings sock tape is the least of my concerns, that they are all wearing boots and shirts vaguely the same colour does for me.
 
I'm with @Paul March on this

Last OA game I did before the Christmas break: 2nd in the table v 2nd bottom.

After much phoning around, by kick off, 2nd bottom had just managed to get 11 players. They wore red shirts, red shorts and white socks. A number of them had put two bands of red red tape around their white socks. Looked quite smart and uniform.

What's important here? A bit of tape not the official colour, or that they'd actually managed to get a team together so we all (them, the opposition, me the ref, one man & his dog watching ...) could enjoy a game of football?
 
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