A&H

First line

heedmatt

heedmatt

Active Member
Level 7 Referee
Doing my first line this Sunday, league cup semi final, not the most glamorous of appointments but I'm excited all the same.

Don't want to turn this into a thread that has been seen umpteen times before here, I've had a flick through some of the other 'first assistant' threads and I think I'm happy enough, but if anyone has anything that they think is particularly great advice that may not have been mentioned elsewhere then please feel free to impart your wisdom below!
 
The Referee Store
Pay attention when the referee gives his pre mach instructions. Any questions, ask them!!

Flag in left hand (hand closest to the referee) when face on to the pitch. Amazing how many times you see this not happen.

Finally, Enjoy yourself. Being AR is a skill you will need to learn. It is not the same as being in the middle - eyes open, ask questions, take it all in, it's great experience!
 
Something I insist that I do myself is always follow the ball up to the goal line, even when it's incredibly obvious the ball is going to run over the line.
Also, try holding the flag up for 2-3 seconds. Just makes sure that everyone sees the decision as the referee may not always signal for every throw-in etc.

Good luck with your game!
 
Ignore any of the 'comments' you may get from spectators or the benches (although unlikely you will be that side)...even stuff like "How much time we got lino?" can be quite distracting so try to block it out. If you do give an answer (eg. "20 left") say no more than that and definitely don't turn around to give your answer!!

Big BOLD signals-feet together and arm fully stretched out and as @Ross said, plenty of eye contact with the referee and you won't go far wrong!

Good Luck!:)
 
Very enjoyable today, little to do in the game really. Yellows beat blues 7-1, 3-0 up after about 10 mins which killed the game. Happy with the offsides I gave and pleased with the end product all in all. Looking forward to the next one. Cheers for the advice.
 
HantsRef said:
... "How much time we got lino?" can be quite distracting so try to block it out. If you do give an answer (eg. "20 left") say no more than that and definitely don't turn around to give your answer!!
Click to expand...

Sometimes, the better answer is " we have played 25 mins", they can draw their own conclusion on stoppage time.
 
Main advice to any assistant?

No surprises
 
lincs22 said:
Sometimes, the better answer is " we have played 25 mins", they can draw their own conclusion on stoppage time.
Click to expand...

Did exactly that on Saturday with the addition of "added time will now be on the referee's whistle" - simple, clear-cut and no nonsense.
 
Biggest advice to an AR? Only spectators pay at the gate - don't ball watch!

I see too many AR's get caught out of position watching where the ball is going. Also, you're the eyes on the back of the ref's head. Keep checking around the field - especially if 2 players have squared up recently, or one copped a rough / late tackle. There's no reason why an incident should occur on the field with nobody seeing it, no matter how far off the ball it is.
 
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