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Open Age How to explain that you are postponing the match

J

Jack M

Active Member
Level 6 Referee
Hi guys,

I have a funny feeling that I may have to call off my game tomorrow as it will be raining heavily from 8am until 7pm tomorrow.

I was wondering how to go about explaining my decision to postpone the match to the managers.

All help is greatly appreciated
 
The Referee Store
Judging from the current weather, it won't be a close call to make, which always helps.

For credibility, inspect the pitch thoroughly even if it _is_ obvious. Take a ball with you. Check everywhere.

Then, when you tell the managers the game is off, you have plenty of examples to back it up.

E.g. "Sorry lads, we can't play. Both goalmouths are waterlogged and so is the centre circle. Plus the area in front of the benches is sodden and would be a mire within 10 minutes of the game starting. Not only is someone going to get hurt, it would be a joke of a game." etc.

In these situations, if the players are all hiding in the changing rooms and no-one is making encouraging noises, that tells you everything you need to know too!
 
Before you mak yourself out to be the bad man, drop the home club a line with a leading uestion similar to " with the recent weather are you doing a morning pitch inspection? don't want to wate everyones time tomorrow"

away team will have distance to travel, as will you no doubt, so give them the opportunity to do their bit first.

If nothing happens be prepared for it to go ahead - take your kit, get your boots on and head out and have a look.

Get there EARLY and tell them you'll be heading out and having a look, my decision may go either way.
take a ball - roll the ball, kick the ball, across the lines, in the corners, over the box and centre circle. is the pitch on a slope, where are the unulations, water traps, "soft" ground your studs go into etc.

No rolley, no playey.

I;d rather explain to you why I;m not playing it, than to the League and CFA as to why someone has a broken leg!

Make your decision before you speak to anyone. Make YOUR decision, and stick to it like ou do with any other decision.

Sorry gents, it's a no.
 
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A good incentive for clubs is "if i call it off you still have to pay half the match fee so maybe you want to call it before I do?" Proverbial rocket up the backside.
 
There is always he other side though.

Most pitches are ither public (owned by the council on a park) or private (club ground)

Public pitches - the council provides a pitcha with markings. The clubs have to cough up either per match, per week, month and or per year plus a retainer for the season to get first dibbs on the pitch.

If the council say the pitch is unplayable then the club get their money back = council loss.
If the council say it IS playable but the club do not, the club still have to pay but have to lodge an appeal for a refund, but don't have to pay your fee.
If the Council say yes, the club say yes but the ref says no, then the club lose their pitch fee and still have to pay your fee.

So council pitched will never be called off by the council as they want their fee to come in and leave it to whoever to argue anything else. even if this means that they want to play this week, smash the pithc up and it will not recover for the rest of the season.

Private pitches - there is no "fee" to pay for the pitch as it is theirs, so they want to look after their pitch = games will get pulled before you get there, in the morning or even a day before. The don't want their pitch buggered for the rest of the season.

In summary - council pitches will be played today at the forefit of future use, where as private pitched will forego a game today to preserve it for the rest of the season.
 
as some of the lads have already said put some kit on boots ,rain jacket, sweatshirt type thing take a ball take a bit of time even if its obvious, makes it look like you tried
 
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