The Ref Stop

Game 1

M

marshr02

Member
First game as ref today. Not sure if I'm allowed to name the league? Lower level mens football on poorish pitch.

I wasn't quite prepared for the high level of moaning and wingeing and eventually backchat. I ended up giving a yellow for dissent, stopping the game to talk to both captains publicly, and handling barracking from a spectator. I felt being a bit older I kept my composure fairly ok, if anything I just doubled down on decisions.

4-5 players came up to me at the end to apologise for verbal grief I'd had. I went to my car with one eye over my shoulder, expecting a comment.

On reflection I failed to recognise quickly enough too many foul challenges... and the game gradually heated up. That's just down to getting better at spotting a fair robust challenge from a foul challenge.

Anyhow... did I enjoy it.... Hmm not sure.
 
The Ref Stop
marshr02 said:
First game as ref today. Not sure if I'm allowed to name the league? Lower level mens football on poorish pitch.

I wasn't quite prepared for the high level of moaning and wingeing and eventually backchat. I ended up giving a yellow for dissent, stopping the game to talk to both captains publicly, and handling barracking from a spectator. I felt being a bit older I kept my composure fairly ok, if anything I just doubled down on decisions.

4-5 players came up to me at the end to apologise for verbal grief I'd had. I went to my car with one eye over my shoulder, expecting a comment.

On reflection I failed to recognise quickly enough too many foul challenges... and the game gradually heated up. That's just down to getting better at spotting a fair robust challenge from a foul challenge.

Anyhow... did I enjoy it.... Hmm not sure.
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Welcome to grass roots adult football. I won't sit here and say that this won't happen again because it will. But I will say that in recognising what you could do next time you've had a very productive day in terms of your improvement and development as a referee so we'll done. I soon learned that if I aim to please everyone I'll never be satisfied with my performance. Ask yourself solely about the decisions you gave and which ones were correct and which weren't and what you'd do the same/differently next time. 5 minutes of thought on the way home is plenty and then move on
 
Thank you. I actually think I've got to 'recalibrate' what I think is a fair challenge, as I'm letting too much go. Problem is it's very easy to start whistling for everything when you've got clumsy players on a poor pitch...
 
marshr02 said:
Thank you. I actually think I've got to 'recalibrate' what I think is a fair challenge, as I'm letting too much go. Problem is it's very easy to start whistling for everything when you've got clumsy players on a poor pitch...
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You me and everyone else pal when we start. I was a player so I let too much go and tried manage things without cards a I thought that's what a good ref did at local level. Obviously that's nonsense but it took a few games to get through. Now i think I have happy medium most of the time but I still get it wrong occasionally like the rest of us
 
marshr02 said:
Thanks. Looking back I could have issued 3 -4 yellows before half time easily.
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I think what you'll probably find with some experience is that if you'd given one of the first two of those, it's quite possible the later ones won't be needed. It's always hard to get your first yellow out - you might well find the same with your first penalty and red!

Reflection and finding out what you need to change is a key part of developing to a point where you can have fun in a game. I hope you'll at least consider sticking it out until you do your starting 5, that second session with the CFA is a really good milestone to get to before deciding if it's for you or not.
 
Thanks, you're right of course. I think with this level where there's a lot of 'kicking lumps out of each other' I probably need to be a bit proactively whistle happy for the first 20 minutes. I wasn't nervous about giving cards, I just wasn't sure about what's expected at this level - I know now. I expected my decisions to be challenged. EVERY time I did blow up for something you'd think the world had ended going by some of the reactions. I gave a dropped ball, and even that was challenged, they were expecting a contested drop ball - queue much shaking of the heads and the ref doesn't know what he's doing vibes. Tee hee hee.

To be honest, I'm more determined than ever to get back there and put a few things right.
 
I'm about 15 games in now and recognise all of that from my match yesterday.

First half tried to play advantage amap. Started to get a bit more heated and a few more calls for fouls. Ended up with a player taking the ball and the player to get a yellow ("But I got the ball ref!").

Second half started similarly so I decided to use the whistle much more, which I'm not keen on, but it did keep the heat down. #10 was always moaning about challenges which were trivial. I played advantage on two of his 'fouls' on the half way line which ended up with them having shots on goal. I asked which he would prefer for the next challenge, advantage and a shot on goal or a free kick in their own half? He got less chatty.

I was pleased with the way the game changed in the second half. H/T came at the right time for me in that one.
 
Thanks. It was the constant trivial moaning that occupied me too much.... I think as I get more certain in decisions I'll feel less bothered. Even then the constant "Ref!" calls from all directions needs to stop somehow.... either I ignore calls that might be important (like injury or subs) or I turn around the address every "Ref!" comment and get overwhelmed on trivia..
 
marshr02 said:
Thanks. It was the constant trivial moaning that occupied me too much.... I think as I get more certain in decisions I'll feel less bothered. Even then the constant "Ref!" calls from all directions needs to stop somehow.... either I ignore calls that might be important (like injury or subs) or I turn around the address every "Ref!" comment and get overwhelmed on trivia..
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I generally filter out most of the "Ref" calls until I want to deal with them. Just because they want my attention, doesn't automatically mean that they will get it.
 
Inner City Adult Sunday League today, bottom division. Dreadful pitch, very average standard of football and an AR that flagged for absolutely everything (spoken to and then just ignored, nobody else there to do it so left him to it and gave what I thought instead of cheating which was obviously what he was doing, it was embarrassingly bad). Constant "ref" calls etc and all the usual stuff but not a single bad tackle in the game (I made a big issue of the first tackle that had studs up and gave a foul to kill those type of tackles which is always a great one for match control). The whole game was about keeping a lid on things and avoiding mass cons, injuries or bad tackles. We had none of these, one yellow for delaying the restart in the 90th minute. Handshakes all around.

What I'm saying is that it was clear from minute one that this was about managing people and the game. Not interested in CARs and their nonsense, not interested in advantages etc, just killing anything which mat escalate, whilst also having a laugh with players and discussing things more than normal when the chance allowed to keep their focus away from wanting to kick someone or say something stupid.

It worked today, it worked a treat tbf. Everyone shakes hands and goes home. I couldn't have been as effective when I first took up the whistle, it comes with experience and your personality. I'm also full aware that next time I might not be as successful. But what I'm saying is sometimes your primary job is to manage the situation and not worry about perfect refereeing and application of law. Dont let games drift towards inevitable deterioration without trying to do something about it.
 
Well done on your first game! I’m 20 games in and beginning to get used to the ref calls! Had one today with the manager moaning for an offside, only thing is he said it as soon as flag went up which I replied to him ‘give me a chance to blow the whistle’ he laughed and we moved on!
 
marshr02 said:
Thanks. I'm going to take away the idea of stopping a bit to make a deal of the first bad tackle...
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It comes with experience as you need to walk a fine line depending on how ‘bad’ the first tackle is.
Early in the game, if you manage something that is a borderline caution, then the team that has been fouled feels like they get a “free one” too which can then cause you problems, with match control and consistency.
If you clamp down and issue a caution, then you’ve set your benchmark for the rest of the game and it can get out of hand with yellows and then eventually send offs.
It’s a great trick to use, but you have to be careful, especially whilst you’re still getting to grips with the basics as a referee.
 
marshr02 said:
First game as ref today. Not sure if I'm allowed to name the league? Lower level mens football on poorish pitch.

I wasn't quite prepared for the high level of moaning and wingeing and eventually backchat. I ended up giving a yellow for dissent, stopping the game to talk to both captains publicly, and handling barracking from a spectator. I felt being a bit older I kept my composure fairly ok, if anything I just doubled down on decisions.

4-5 players came up to me at the end to apologise for verbal grief I'd had. I went to my car with one eye over my shoulder, expecting a comment.

On reflection I failed to recognise quickly enough too many foul challenges... and the game gradually heated up. That's just down to getting better at spotting a fair robust challenge from a foul challenge.

Anyhow... did I enjoy it.... Hmm not sure.
Click to expand...
Just a question are you sure it was lower level mens football as you have to be a level 7 referee to referee open age football which is anything above U18s anything below that is often described as youth football which can be refereed by someone who is level 8. And the minimum requirement for level 7 is the referee being 16 years old. So if it was you said lower level men's football match you shouldn't have been put on this fixture and instead a youth football match. If the above is true I would recommend having a word with your referee development officer as this shouldn't happen to a level 8 referee especially on their first match.
 
Well done for reflecting on your performance & how you can improve &/or reduce issues later in the game. Sometimes you have teams who will complain/moan/whinge at every decision you call against them. Pretty much my game on Saturday, not enjoyable but I know the vast majority are not like that. Hopefully you will have a mentor to watch one of your early games. Very smart to recognise you need to give more fouls, the most common new referee advice you can give, particularly in first 5-10 minutes, players get early message they can’t get away with anything. Good luck in the next game, hopefully your appointment secretary will give you two ‘respectful‘ teams to enjoy the match.
 
(Kref. I'm +50 years old, fresh out of the referee training factory, in the middle of doing my 5 games to 'finish' the course. So I made a wild guess that during the 5 game period I'm not quite a 'proper' level 7. Hope that makes sense. I've got no complaints at my 'placement', just it's obviously a steep learning curve which I'm up for)
 
If I'm being super honest, by main problem is speed of thinking of which side to give it to and in which direction to point. If I could nail that then I would be much more confident, and the 'grief/backchat' would be much easier to handle.

I watch the action, and see the foul contact first... then play a bit of catch up in my head working out which colour did the foul, and in which direction the FK should go (especially as the ref I have no 'direction of play' like the players). I tried keeping a running commentary in my head to follow the action

Maybe like driving a car, I need a few more games, before many action become automatic, and there's more head space left over to address the above.
 
It's a lot easier playing as you're familiar with your teamates, their colours, and you're playing forward in one direction - not switching frequently.
 
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