The Ref Stop

Frozen Pitch

As the pitch is not frozen there would be less slide hazard,sun bleached pitches would prob be dusty and hard so there would be a little "give" as it were ,but I for one would wear moulded boots or trainers black of course so got get nice pair for this season.I wouldn't expect players to wear trainers though.
 
The Ref Stop
Worse case scenario,if Rock hard and dry I would say match off pitch unplayable

Mind you if I was the home manager I would do a pitch inspection of my own hopefully day or so before and do what I could to make it playable even if a couple hours before kick off.In my 5 years of refereeing I have never been in that situation,only one match I called off when it was -2 and rock hard couldn't even walk on it.
 
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The hardness isn't the problem. The issue is that frozen pitches have icy bits that are slippery. Players will slip and slide, but when their boot grips they go over on their ankle and break it. This is hard won personal experience!!!

If a pitch is soft enough to take a stud then its playable because it isn't frozen.
 
I called off my game yesterday because I believed the pitch was unplayable due to frost but referees allowed two more games to go ahead on pitches opposite and the conditions where the same. I went home thinking I acted a bit hastily in calling it off especially that two games opposite the referees deemed them playable. My first impressions when I checked the pitch the ground was hard in places especially the goalmouth area and the centre circle and bearing this in mind I postponed the fixture with the pitch unsafe to play on. Both teams managers where in agreement with my decision but the fact the two pitches opposite mine was deemed playable got me thinking a little if I made the correct call. I believe in the best interests of the players I did.
 
Your main priority as the referee is the safety of all the players.If in your opinion the pitch is dangerous whereupon a player could sustain an injury due to the condition of the pitch you should and did call off the game.How would you have felt if a player broke a leg/arm or worse?
That player would then be off work, and would have affected his livelyhood.Seems a bit extreme but the truth.
Without inspecting the other two pitches its hard to say why they allowed the games to go ahead.They might have looked frosty but could have been more sheltered or had bit more sun.
End of the day you done exactly the right thing in calling off your match,and can go home in the knowledge nobody got hurt that day
Well Done....
 
Rob
You have the safety of the players to take into account and it sounds as though this was done, sounds like the correct decision.

I cancelled a match on Saturday morning due to a frozen pitch, then watched as another match started about 80 yards away, boys were slipping everywhere, the ball was bouncing at some very strange angles and you could hear it crunching under foot....keeper dived to make a save and ended up injured...?? thankfully not seriously but enough that he had to leave the pitch for 20 minutes..

Think I made the correct call, but did leave me thinking for 10 minutes after cancelling
 
That injury could have been avoided methinks...

Rob, point proven i think ....
 
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Thanks for the positive feedback. With me a newly qualified referee I didn't want anyone (local refs / ras etc) assuming I postponed the game too hastily bearing in mind the other two fixtures opposite went ahead. One other referee did walk onto the side of the pitch say 2/3 yards in and was surprised I postponed the game , his quick check of the pitch wasn't as thorough as mine though :-). I also do realise that if any player would of sustained a serious injury due to the condition of the pitch it wouldn't of reflected very good on me either.
 
Rob,just because he walked on a couple of yards and yes it might be bit soft but you must consider the condition of the whole pitch,Nimbleblade just proved this whole scenario where the keeper got injured you know the old saying... prevention is better than cure.
 
Better to be safe than sorry. Simple as.

They won't remember "that ref that called.it off" but they will remember "that ref that said the pitch was OK when johnny broke his leg"

Good call
 
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