The Ref Stop

Open Age Instructions to Club linesmen

Jeff Jacklin

Jeff Jacklin

Jeff the Ref
Level 5 Referee
I'm interested in the scope of the role of a Club linesman.

Here in West Yorkshire you are not allowed to ask a Club linesman to do anything other than ball in and out of play.
So that means not even signalling which way the throw-in should go and it also means no flagging for off-sides.
I've refereed for four different County F.A.'s and West Yorkshire is the only one I've come across that enforces this rule.

Do you have any strange or different rulings for Club linesmen in your area?
 
The Ref Stop
That seems to be a terribly negative approach by your county f.a., Jeff. Any idea when they introduced this ruling and why?
 
Strange rulings like- No mobile phones, No cigarettes, No coaching and know at least some of the LOTG. Never found one yet who hasn't broken at least one of these at some point. :D
 
I first refereed in Huddersfield in 1996 and found out about this at my first game whilst briefing my two Club linesmen prior to kick-off.
They ended up briefing me. Ruling still applies today.

I found it particularly unhelpful but players were certainly more tolerant of dubious off-side decisions when it was always down to the referee who, inevitably, was not best placed to make those decisions.
 
sussex f.a. runs a voluntary course for club assistants who act as assistant refs - costs about £3 for the evening

f.a. should roll this out across the country ... and either pay for it or subsidise it

inclusion...not exclusion has to be the way forward
 
With the ball in and out of play you can't even trust them on that - when it goes in the goal. There was one where there was doubt, I looked over to him, he didn't flag, but I thought the ball had crossed the line so I blew (cue protests from defenders) and no arguments from him. Obviously wanted players on his team to have a go at me not him!!
 
In my league and I assume across most of Scotland it is up to the referee to decide whether they want a club assistant referee. If we do get them, it's only in and out for throw in, we don't even give them corners. I personally don't like using them, I prefer to make the calls on my own.
 
Call this lazy but I find offsides impossible when in the middle, so if I have CARs then at least the blame goes to them (if they are obviously wrong I will of course overrule)
 
In Hull and Sheffield it is up to the referee to decide what they can and can't do, no limits at all. Some parents are really helpful and will do offsides but most just do it cause their manager has given them the flag. (Top Tip: give the flag to the manager and tell him to pick someone instead of you having to do it, this way you get more "volunteers")
Tried offsides once and it didn't work cause the CAR didn't know how to signal it so I had to try and decipher his random waving of the flag and pointing at players.
Don't use them at youth level, the players play to the flag not the whistle no matter how many times you tell them!!
 
We don't have any 'rules' as such, but I never ask CARs to do anything other than in/out of play. Having said that, there are a few who are very good, but it still leaves them in a position of possibly flagging a dubious incident and being left open to accusations - however good they are!

They can never, ever lose the fact that they are attached to one of the teams, so are always gonna be in a difficult position - hence I don't ask for much off them in return (apart from the fact I need them to have an 'easy' game and be more likely to offer to do it again next week).

The players are all informed at the start of the game, what the ARs will or won;t flag, and also told that I will always give benefit of doubt to the attacker if it's a tight one and I'm not 100%.
 
On the subject of goal no goal with club linesman... On the first weekend of this season I refereed an afternoon kick off and about 10 minutes in there was a goal mouth scramble, I wasn't convinced the ball had gone it so allowed play to continue... The club assistant of the defending team then shouted to me that the ball had gone in, I decided to award the goal given the fact that he gave the goal against his own team.

The game finished 16-1 to the team that scored that goal
 
Not sure what the regulations are in my league, it seems to come down to individual preference. I usually ask CAR's to do ins and outs only, including which way the throw should go (seems ridiculous that they can only signal in/out and not direction in some places). Asking for offsides just causes too much grief, for me and for the linesmen.
 
i'm staggered by what i'm reading here

Is this really the same F.A. that introduced the Respect Code :(
 
All I ask my CAR to do is: Throw In and Offside and to stay off there phone if at all possible.
 
Jeff, it is not that you are not allowed to ask them to do more, but it is current practice that you do not ask them to do more.

If you want to ask them to do more, then do so by all means, but don't be surprised at the results. I have always said the same thing to my club assistants, just stick the flag up when the ball goes out of play and if you're sure which team should restart, then indicate that. Considering 95% or more of Club Assistants I have worked with over the last 15 seasons of refereeing in West Riding haven't moved more than 5 yards either side of the halfway line makes it more difficult to give them any more to do.

Also the tradition has grown from the requirements of the Basic Course where pre-match instructions to club assistants is just what I have said above and that if they are guilty of misconduct, you can remove them. No mention of offsides, no mention of monitoring substitutions, no mention of signalling for penal offences. It can't be all that bad a practice as we currently have 3 Premiership referees, a Premiership assistant and at least 2 Football League referees all currently living (and having gone through the ranks) in West Riding.
 
haywain said:
sussex f.a. runs a voluntary course for club assistants who act as assistant refs - costs about £3 for the evening

f.a. should roll this out across the country ... and either pay for it or subsidise it

inclusion...not exclusion has to be the way forward
Click to expand...
It is a course which is nationally available and can be delivered by the relevant level of referee tutor
 
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