The Ref Stop

How to close the net?

RegalRef

RegalRef

Politically Incorrect
I had a thought arise over the weekend after seeing that older fella in his brown kit...

With no mandatory annual exam to pass as part of our affiliation, a referee who is not going for promotion, not part of (or attending) any RA or any other offers of training is left completely to their own devices to keep up to speed with the latest changes in LOTG, or indeed interpretations.

How can this be right?

In theory these referees could easily not have opened the good book for 10-15 years with no challenge to that.

Surely as part of re-affiliation each referee should be sent some form of presentation (either PowerPoint or video or both) that has to be viewed before re-certification is valid, as a minimum standard.

Obviously I get that some people do things the 'old way' and don't have email, but for this handful they could easily be accommodated with an in house seminar at CFA hq.

Am I over-reacting and this isn't an issue or have I got a point?
 
The Ref Stop
I agree, although, I wonder how many of the old and bold we would lose if people had to take a test or attend a workshop prior to each season.
 
RegalRef said:
Would you rather they were out there applying incorrect LOTG or not out there at all?
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I'm of the opinion that if you aren't going to do a job properly then you shouldn't bother doing it at all.

However, it's a numbers game and even though t would be in the best interests of grass roots football, it is not in the best interests of the FA to introduce a policy which may drive away those who are only in it for the money, especially if they can't recruit new referees to replace them.

Of course, how much of an impact something like this would have on local football would depend on the referees in that area. While I used the term old and bold in my initial reply, I was being flippant, and I am aware those who are only in it for the money will be present in every age group.
 
zarathustra said:
I'm of the opinion that if you aren't going to do a job properly then you shouldn't bother doing it at all.

However, it's a numbers game and even though t would be in the best interests of grass roots football, it is not in the best interests of the FA to introduce a policy which may drive away those who are only in it for the money, especially if they can't recruit new referees to replace them.

Of course, how much of an impact something like this would have on local football would depend on the referees in that area. While I used the term old and bold in my initial reply, I was being flippant, and I am aware those who are only in it for the money will be present in every age group.
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They would be able to work out pretty accurately how many would fall into that category at CFA by who does commit to training etc.

And to be fair it probably won't be a lot, of those some would do the study, so you would only really 'weed out' the ones who really couldn't be @rsed. I would say those are the ones better off without.

@bester not sure you could do that as whatever training material was produced would come at a cost to CFA.
 
Brian Hamilton said:
Let me ask a question... just to put things in perspective.

How many times have you reviewed, revised or even taken one of those Facebook tests for the Highway Code since you passed your driving test?

I'll leave that one there.
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Different kettle of fish though.

I'm not being paid to drive, give my opinion on the driving of others, or enforce the rules of the road...
 
RegalRef said:
Different kettle of fish though.

I'm not being payed to drive, give my opinion on the driving of others, or enforce the rules of the road...
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On the other hand, you passed a test ... one time ... have access to a skill that not everyone else has ... with the power to ruin weekends (lives for that matter) and you still don't have to prove you've kept up to date with current requirements...
 
Brian Hamilton said:
On the other hand, you passed a test ... one time ... have access to a skill that not everyone else has ... with the power to ruin weekends (lives for that matter) and you still don't have to prove you've kept up to date with current requirements...
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Ahhh, now I see your point. Very valid.

I wouldn't disagree that the same should really apply with driving though?
 
Brian Hamilton said:
Let me ask a question... just to put things in perspective.

How many times have you reviewed, revised or even taken one of those Facebook tests for the Highway Code since you passed your driving test?

I'll leave that one there.
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once or twice just to confirm that they are not worth the screen they are showing on - Transport consultant so Highway Code is my daily rule book.

To everyone else, London has circa 1408 referees registerd in 2015-16. 1 4 0 8 - go on then, how do you want the two RDO to manage this...... (i am not one so have no vested interest). I'll just leave THAT one there.
 
And to bring @HRW and @RegalRef together in one post, who is going to do all this work and who is going to pay for it?

If we can't police unregistered referees pulling on a black kit each weekend, how would you stop the unrenewed?
 
Brian Hamilton said:
Let me ask a question... just to put things in perspective.

How many times have you reviewed, revised or even taken one of those Facebook tests for the Highway Code since you passed your driving test?

I'll leave that one there.
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Wrong question. Ask a traffic officer how often they revisit the highway code, or the laws pertaining to road use - that would be more appropriate.
 
xPositor said:
Wrong question. Ask a traffic officer how often they revisit the highway code, or the laws pertaining to road use - that would be more appropriate.
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quite often to be honest,l they have to attend workshops and training courses all of the time to keep up with changes top law etc ... my friend is a Traffic Sargent in the Essex Police
 
With the rumoured change to levels, and the removal of the promotion pathway from 7-5 there will be lots of assessors with little to do....so it should be possible to put them out on matches to 'observe' referees, thus identifying those who need refresher training.
 
SM said:
As an assessor would you want to be policing referees rather than helping develop referees?
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Same thing.....

You are identifying those who would benefit from additional training, thus developing them into better referees.

Do you think that if I happen to see a referee now, who is obviously making errors in law or performing poorly due to a lack of required knowledge, that I simply ignore it, or have a quiet word in the relevant ears to try and improve the situation?

Besides once the whole 7-5 pathway is removed what else are assessors going to do?
There won't be enough 5-4 candidates to keep us all busy!
 
I think Regal has a point, but as a complete statistical anomaly I'm sure! :- my next door neighbour level 4 always asks ME every summer if there have been any law changes:)

As a humble level 7 I DO take care to keep my fitness to appropriate level for games I do, keep up to date with law changes and try to learn something after every game - even after nearly 14 years and 400 plus games - how typical I am of an experienced level 7 though, who knows?
 
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