A&H

First ever observation

Reffing4Life

Reffing4Life

Active Member
Level 7 Referee
Hi everyone!

I’m a level 7 referee with 2 years experience at Open Age level and I have my first observation soon.

Just wondering if anyone has any tips for me please? Doesn’t need to be observation specific and any advice to improve and refine my reffing would be great!

Thanks so much for any advice!
 
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it cant go as badly as mine! i got a 60...!

best advice i can give is read through the comptencies you'll be marked against and make sure you do all you can to meet those (control of subs, mandatory cautions etc.)

there may be a copy of these saved in the resources section of this website, otherwise your RDO should be able to help you out (if no one else here knows)

check this out - https://www.refchat.co.uk/resources/observation-guides.58/
 
es1 said:
it cant go as badly as mine! i got a 60...!

best advice i can give is read through the comptencies you'll be marked against and make sure you do all you can to meet those (control of subs, mandatory cautions etc.)

there may be a copy of these saved in the resources section of this website, otherwise your RDO should be able to help you out (if no one else here knows)

check this out - https://www.refchat.co.uk/resources/observation-guides.58/
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Thanks so much for your reply! I see you are Level 4. Would you be able to explain the diagonal pattern of patrol and the ‘stepped‘ approach to me please? I haven’t heard of these before?
 
Jacktscallaghan said:
Thanks so much for your reply! I see you are Level 4. Would you be able to explain the diagonal pattern of patrol and the ‘stepped‘ approach to me please? I haven’t heard of these before?
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the diagonal pattern is how you cover the field of play during the game as it gives you the best view of the field of play and keeps the assistant in view, generally it is best applied when working with neurtal assistants however it shouldnt be ignored when working on your own or with club assistants. following this path gives you a better angle on aerial challenges and a good view for identifying offsides, but dont stick to it rigidly, be prepared to follow play deep into the oppisite corners if the situation arrises but dont worry about getting too close to play if there's little danger.
this image sort of shows it:

1618321192912.png


the stepped approach is about dealing with dissent (or any other persistent offences):
the first step might be a quiet word with the offender in passing
the second delaying a restart to speak to a player publically
the third might be a warning with the captain
the fourth might be a yellow for dissent or persistent infringement

how you apply the steps depends on the scale of each offence and is absolutely not rigid. you could skip right to step 4 on your first offence or get 2 quiet words depending on when the offences take place in the game. a good observer should recognise when you adopt these steps as part of your game management and reward you accodingly (as long as they agree with how you applied it)
 
Pre-match - make sure you get your basics right. Arrive in a good amount of time, make sure the observer sees you doing your pitch inspection and kit inspection, flag up any issues and get them sorted comfortably early so that you make sure you can still start on time. Big, positive blast of the whistle to call the captains in for the coin toss.

During the game - aside from being super-precise over the formalities (sub and cautioning procedure), try not to adjust your game too much. While you're right to highlight the diagonal path and stepped approach from the link ES1 has provided, I'd suggest these are things to put into practice and make natural between observations, don't introduce them as an extra complexity in an observed match! For this game, just try and be the best version of the referee you've become used to being over the last 2 years - if that needs tweaking, your observer will tell you and you cna then put it into practice before your next observation.
 
es1 said:
the diagonal pattern is how you cover the field of play during the game as it gives you the best view of the field of play and keeps the assistant in view, generally it is best applied when working with neurtal assistants however it shouldnt be ignored when working on your own or with club assistants. following this path gives you a better angle on aerial challenges and a good view for identifying offsides, but dont stick to it rigidly, be prepared to follow play deep into the oppisite corners if the situation arrises but dont worry about getting too close to play if there's little danger.
this image sort of shows it:

View attachment 4898


the stepped approach is about dealing with dissent (or any other persistent offences):
the first step might be a quiet word with the offender in passing
the second delaying a restart to speak to a player publically
the third might be a warning with the captain
the fourth might be a yellow for dissent or persistent infringement

how you apply the steps depends on the scale of each offence and is absolutely not rigid. you could skip right to step 4 on your first offence or get 2 quiet words depending on when the offences take place in the game. a good observer should recognise when you adopt these steps as part of your game management and reward you accodingly (as long as they agree with how you applied it)
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Oh that’s excellent! Thanks so much for your detailed response! I have already been doing the stepped approach it seems and I’m yet to referee a game with assistants so I’ll bear that in mind for the future. Thanks a lot again for your help - it’s really useful 🙏
 
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GraemeS said:
Pre-match - make sure you get your basics right. Arrive in a good amount of time, make sure the observer sees you doing your pitch inspection and kit inspection, flag up any issues and get them sorted comfortably early so that you make sure you can still start on time. Big, positive blast of the whistle to call the captains in for the coin toss.

During the game - aside from being super-precise over the formalities (sub and cautioning procedure), try not to adjust your game too much. While you're right to highlight the diagonal path and stepped approach from the link ES1 has provided, I'd suggest these are things to put into practice and make natural between observations, don't introduce them as an extra complexity in an observed match! For this game, just try and be the best version of the referee you've become used to being over the last 2 years - if that needs tweaking, your observer will tell you and you cna then put it into practice before your next observation.
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Absolutely! That makes a lot of sense. Thanks very much, Graeme. I will make sure I make it all part of my game and not just for the observation.
 
My advice would be just don't overthink it. Ref your game and don't think about being observed.

Yes, be sure to dot those i s and cross those t s in pregame activities, but once you blow the whistle to start the game, just be present in the game and do your thing.
 
es1 said:
it cant go as badly as mine! i got a 60...!
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And, before you ask, it wasn't me...

Just go out and referee as you would. If there are development point, learn from them. Don't do anything special, as it will only catch you out later.
 
Big Cat said:
Didn't know that was possible :egg::oops:
Go on... gotta tell us what happened 😄
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I wish I'd kept it...

From what I recall it mainly centrered about me being horrifically unfit, 60 odd yards behind play (on a break!) And missing obvious offsides and then not dealing with the dissent and offinabus that followed. I was trying to be too 'pally' with the players rather than dealing with fouls etc. Generally an all round horror show.

I've no doubt I was atrocious but the assessment was the best thing that happened to me. Proper kick up the backside and made me completely change my style and approach to reffing.
 
socal lurker said:
And that's something else important to remember-- @Jacktscallaghan while passing is always important, getting feedback from someone who is (or at least should be) experienced and knowledgeable is a huge benefit.
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Thanks a lot! I have no doubt I’ll learn a lot 🙏
socal lurker said:
My advice would be just don't overthink it. Ref your game and don't think about being observed.

Yes, be sure to dot those i s and cross those t s in pregame activities, but once you blow the whistle to start the game, just be present in the game and do your thing.
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I’ll make sure!
 
Dino Ref said:
Don't forget about things like ankle tape and undershirts.

Some observers will let it go, Some will pull you.

Don't risk your promotion on it.
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Oh that’s a new one! I’d not thought of that. Do you know the specific rules on that? Does it have to match the part of the kit it is adjacent to or does it need to match the main colour of the kit?
 
Law 4 section 3

"Undershirts must be:

a single colour which is the same colour as the main colour of the shirt sleeve

or

a pattern/colours which exactly replicate(s) the shirt sleeve

Undershorts/tights must be the same colour as the main colour of the shorts or the lowest part of the shorts – players of the same team must wear the same colour."


As for tape I can't remember where in law but I'm 99% sure it should be the same colour as what it is covering.


In reality. I've seen dark blue tape over light blue socks etc.

When I have been assessed I have always had a strict "has to match" rule.
 
es1 said:
I wish I'd kept it...

From what I recall it mainly centrered about me being horrifically unfit, 60 odd yards behind play (on a break!) And missing obvious offsides and then not dealing with the dissent and offinabus that followed. I was trying to be too 'pally' with the players rather than dealing with fouls etc. Generally an all round horror show.

I've no doubt I was atrocious but the assessment was the best thing that happened to me. Proper kick up the backside and made me completely change my style and approach to reffing.
Click to expand...
Quality!
JamesL said:
Yeh, old school u til about 4/5 years ago l7-5 also got the number instead of standards.
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L7-to-5 Observations get a score (in Hertfordshire at least). I keep meaning to ask @Russell Jones to spill the beans on how the scoring works and how much cash we have to give the Observer for each additional point 😉
 
es1 said:
I've no doubt I was atrocious but the assessment was the best thing that happened to me. Proper kick up the backside and made me completely change my style and approach to reffing.
Click to expand...

My first supply league observation was the same. I'd breezed my first couple of games only to then have a total, total nightmare in the third, and a Football League referee just happened to be assessing me. I knew it wasn't going to be good when he brought a chair into the changing room for the debrief :). You didn't get your mark back then, but if it was as high as 60 I'd be amazed. It made me a much better referee, and I credit that assessor as having the biggest impact on my refereeing progression.

@Jacktscallaghan At your level just get the basics right. You must know all of the competencies that you are being observed against, not knowing them would be akin to sitting an exam without having revised. Make sure you are seen to check the pitch, nets, and player kit, dealing with any issues. Always stop and start the game correctly, and make sure you keep at least reasonably close to play, you don't need to be zipping around like Michael Oliver, but equally it wouldn't end well if you spend 80% of the game in the centre circle.
 
IIRC there are 3 criteria at 7-6

Application of Law
Match Control
Positioning and Fitness

Boiling it down to the basics

1) Know the law and your restarts - IFK v DFK
2) know the difference between careless, reckless and excessive and the sanctions for each
3) demonstrate a basic understanding of where to stand for set pieces

Easy extra bonus points:

1) brief the club assistants, and if they change over during the game make a point of giving the same briefing to the new assistant.
2) make sure subs come on at halfway and the new player doesn't enter the field of ay until the old player has left
3) sock tape and jewellery checks. Even if you can't enforce the sock tape situation then be clear that you've spotted it and spoken to them about it and let it slide "in the spirit of the game"

At 7-6 no one is looking to fail you, the observers are there to help you develop as a referee, not to stand there and tell you that you aren't good enough!

Final point, referee your normal game, every observer I know can spot someone trying to change because they are there a mile off!
 
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