A&H

First Game tomorrow Very nervous

P

Pylin

New Member
I have my first game tomorrow I am reffing an Under 12s game so hopefully that will be good to ease myself into it but I'm nervous I will make a wrong decision as I've seen lots of people saying that their first games have gone really badly.

Also something I'm unsure about is how you manage time with your watch? Do you use your stopwatch for 45 mins then stop it and do the extra time in your head so it is at 45 for the next hal to start on or do your time the whole half or do you use an alarm and then a stop watch for the extra time??

If someone could answer this for me I'd be really grateful.
Any other tips and advice is very welcome!!
 
The Referee Store
Best advice I can give you is blow your whistle with confidence and a lot will come from there. My first game I got the first decision wrong after 10 seconds giving a throw the wrong way after believing a player appeal!

Regarding times and watches...i wear two and both just run constantly and I'll make an estimation of added time at the end. Works for me. I know other officials who stop and start one for every stoppage and keep a second running. As with everything you need to experiment and see what works best for you!
 
Not sure about your competition rules but U12 is normally 30 each way.

Stay confident, stay resolute when parents get on your back. Don't get intimidated by the sidelines. Use your cards if you have to, particularly if one of the kids talks to you badly

Good luck!!
 
NEVER stop your watches EVER..... Have it chime on time and add the necessary, If there is a long stoppage then take a mental note of when it started and finish and add accordingly... Its a myth that refs stop watches, you can but you risk forgetting to restart it!!! Enjoy!!!
 
I stop and start one ticking up watch. Not for every time the ball goes out of play, but I will if it gets stuck up a tree/in an adjacent field, for subs and for issuing cards. But I do think it's very important to always have one watch running straight through alongside that, which I start at kick off, run up to 45 minutes and then use to add stoppage time if my other watch goes wrong.

I also disagree with @Sheffields Finest saying "have it chime" - what you don't want is any audible indication that time is up, as some players will then be frustrated if any goals occur after "the game should have finished". If it vibrates, that's fine - failing that, just have it count up and keep an eye on it.
 
45 minutes is 45 minutes Graeme, why are you keeping that to yourself.... That should cue your indication of how much time is left. Surely thats part of your duty as a referee???
 
Relax think positively and look confident even if you don't feel like it on the inside. Positive confident image ;)
As for time, I echo what others said, don't stop your main watch(es). I personally have 2, one that counts up as a normal stopwatch and one that's a timer counting down from 45. On that it beebs so I don't bother looking at, and on that I have a stopwatch that I use to time my injury time that I'll be adding on after.
 
Regarding time for your first (few) matches - don’t worry about it. If it helps, decide before you kick off that you’ll add 1 min for each half - you’ll always be able to justify this, and it’s one less thing to worry about. (Ok, if there is an obvious, long stoppage, you may need to adjust). As others have said, don’t stop your watches, you are bound to forget to restart them!

Also, decide now - any throw ins or corners/goal kicks, that you are unsure of, you’ll be giving them to the defending team.

Think about where you will position yourself for kick offs, goal kicks, corners etc.

The less brain power you are having to use on those things, the more brain power you’ll have for the harder stuff.

Hope it goes well. Enjoy it.
 
Thank you everyone for the advice! I think I am just going to use a stopwatch and stop it after 45 mins has gone and do the extra time in my head
 
Good luck with that! Why would you do that? Poor advice up above!! Just keep it going, you'll be found out if they are timing ET on the side and you blow early!!
 
Yes. I always have two watches that run until the end of each hal. I have the spintso that buzzes when stopped so hard to forget to restart.
If the battery were to die I would guage the injury time. I would alwayshave 1 watch that never stops. And one that does. Thst way if the one you stop dies you can blag injury time. If the one that never stops dies then you just play to 45 and dont stop it again.
 
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I wear a stop watch that simply keeps running, and on the other wrist, a face watch, if I kick off at 3 then I know half time be 345 plus whatever. I rare stop the stopwatch, maybe at a prolonged injury but apart from that, very few onlookers are going to be exact with added time. With experience, it will feel and smell like the right amount. I also would not have a chime as such because players will hear it and will get on your case about playing xxxxx over it. Am open, if they ask how long to go, of course they get to know.
Some refs dont even use the volume on signal bips as players might stop when they hear it, of course ignorantly assumimg the buzz means game stops.
First game, first drive, first day at new job, first date....all along the same lines, can be daunting but hey, give it xxxx number of goes and it be second nature in no time
If i could turn back to first games, i would certainly be more humble than I was, but its easy knowing now what i wish i knew then
 
You also have the best out of jail free card as backed up by the LOTG
The referee is the sole time keeper
Any issues with that, refer the complainers to Clive Thomas, if he can do it on the biggest stage, you can do it at municipal park 12
 
Sheffields Finest said:
45 minutes is 45 minutes Graeme, why are you keeping that to yourself.... That should cue your indication of how much time is left. Surely thats part of your duty as a referee???
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What am I keeping to myself? If a player asks how long is left, I'll happily answer. I do that based on the stop/start watch on my right wrist and give times "All in". But if everyone hears my watch beep and I then choose not to stop play for another 5 minutes, you're just asking for an argument. Best to have a gwatch count up to 45 minutes, or a watch that silently vibrates after 45, which is what I have on my left wrist. That way I can never get drawn into an argument regarding how much injuy time I play
 
I agree with Graeme. There's a reason why referee watches have the option to vibrate and not beep, after all. If you don't have one of those it's no big deal, but it is a bit handy and yes, can help minimise arguments.
 
It doesn't really matter if it beeps, vibrates or not, my main point was constantly stopping it.... its madness and a timing blooper waiting to happen!!
 
Sheffields Finest said:
It doesn't really matter if it beeps, vibrates or not, my main point was constantly stopping it.... its madness and a timing blooper waiting to happen!!
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Yes if the OP gets nothing else from this post, its do not keep stopping and starting the watch.
Even last season here a guy on his way to progress terminated the game at 82 mins due to this, few months in the wilderness for him!
Although I still would maintain you are the sole time keeper!
 
If you have 2 watches - or one with a stopwatch and a countdown timer that runs simultaneously, then you can afford to keep stopping and starting (one stops and starts, the other keeps going).

And really, if you don't have one of those things, you should have - too easily to accidentally stop your watch, or heaven forbid have it stop working during a game!
 
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