How lenient should I be based on levels?

[ckatz15]

So having started at the beginning of last season, I was keen to get to the highest age I could possibly referee. This came with the challenge in my mind of how to find the right level of strictness for each age group. Over the season I handed out 8 cards, but I’m not sure if it should’ve been higher.

For games like u10s which I’m very used to, I don’t think I’d ever given a card out.

For games like u13s, ive given the most, however I’m not sure sometimes how lenient is too lenient with cards. Based off playing experience at that age a few years earlier as a striker, I was used to getting intentionally DOGSOed by defenders with them getting no punishment. I wasn’t one to argue with the ref ar that age, but doing games now and seeing DOGSO offences at that age as well as u14s, I’m getting lots of appeals for sending offs. Of course the rules for language and stuff still apply to all ages, it’s more on the contact-involving offences that I struggle with, eg DOGSO or SFP.

Basic things I want to know overall for offences like this are how lenient _/10 for each age group?

Soon I’ll be heading into open age, and I want to throw myself into the Sunday league madness asap, so if anyone can tell me how strict to be at that age as well, thatd be great.

I’m wondering if there’s any refs out there who’ve been in my situation of not knowing the correct decision to make?

Thanks

 

[Viridis1886]

I would say that at U14 they are getting full application of LOTG, which in the example that you have given, means DOGSO is definitely happening.

Edit: Just to add in that the u12/13 is a bit more of a grey area, but by that age they are far more aware of what they are doing so it would depend on context. If a friendly then I might use it as a teachable moment, if it is a cup game then probably going red.

Younger than that, then you are teaching about the laws, not necessarily through banging out loads cautions. At that age very few are genuinely malicious in their intent.