A&H

Lazy S, diagonal and pitch layout

Andrew.Rainsbury

Rainbow74
Observer/Tutor
Not sure if this is of any use to anyone, but have been unable to find a good diagram to show youth refs... so made my own!
Happy to amend - for any sensible suggestions.
Now amended - Thanks for your ideas - anything else? @GraemeS pitch.png
 
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The Referee Store
My only thought is regarding the horizontal blue lines. I appreciate that you've simply split the pitch into thirds, but if you're trying to make the point that this should be a "no-go" area for the ref, it might be a better idea to align these imaginary lines with some pitch markings - either the edge of the goal area, or have them running alongside the edge of the centre circle. That will make it much easier for the referee to visualise, rather than having to visualise lines that don't match up with anything they can actually see in real life?
 
I appreciate it’s a learning tool but games take many paths so I’d find it impossible to do a line or path with any certainty. You could have one team attacking virtually all the time or a pinball game, who knows... for me it’s try and keep within 20 yards as much as possible and move close if something starts happening that may flare things up... and enjoy the game...
 
Indeed. But the diagonal is easy to follow with AR's.

With no assistants, I follow Big Cat's path. And when I get a game where one team plays tiki-taka and the other defends all day, I just go up and down across the penalty area!

Oh, and assessors favourite comment; "Make sure you enter the penalty area." ;)
 
QTISWQW.png

In the middle third, I'm generally going to be within 10 yards of the black line trying to stay on the left side of play when possible. In the final third, all bets are off. I'll get within 10 yards of my AR if that's what the situation calls for.
 
Do none of you go in the penalty area? Or into the corners if needed?

If working with NARs the idea should be to keep play between you and active assistant. Unless it's on the very far left wing. Which is "your quarter" anyway.

But you should be looking to break into the penalty area if needed and follow play into the very non Ar side corners if needed.
 
Do none of you go in the penalty area? Or into the corners if needed?

If needed? Sure. I'll get into the penalty area multiple times per match, usually at the end of a sprint. As for getting into the non-AR corner, it's a tricky balance. If you get near the touchline and the corner flag and the attacker breaks free or gets a cross off, now you're in a terrible position for a potential KMI. If I stay closer to the corner of the penalty area, I may have a poorer angle on a potential foul near the flag or for a goal kick/corner kick decision, but I can easily follow the ball on a cross or get moving for a counter attack. Of course there are situations such as at the end of a match when a team is wasting time in the corner that I'll practically be standing over their feet.
 
If needed? Sure. I'll get into the penalty area multiple times per match, usually at the end of a sprint. As for getting into the non-AR corner, it's a tricky balance. If you get near the touchline and the corner flag and the attacker breaks free or gets a cross off, now you're in a terrible position for a potential KMI. If I stay closer to the corner of the penalty area, I may have a poorer angle on a potential foul near the flag or for a goal kick/corner kick decision, but I can easily follow the ball on a cross or get moving for a counter attack. Of course there are situations such as at the end of a match when a team is wasting time in the corner that I'll practically be standing over their feet.
Yeh I get that all of that. Just all the diagrams seem to rigidly skirt around the edge of the penalty area
 
Yeh I get that all of that. Just all the diagrams seem to rigidly skirt around the edge of the penalty area

I guess it matches up with the instruction given to us from USSF. They want us to have our shoulders square to the goal and sidestep to get the angle in the penalty area. That usually means getting to the top of the penalty area and squaring up. Of course that isn't an absolute and referees will enter the penalty area when the position of play calls for it.
 
Am old skool diagonal, 18 to 18, I tend to keep my distance when defence are playing around, pick things up a bit in midfield and I strike like a snake when its in attacking zone.

that said, if I need to be somewhere else, I do what I can to be there.
 
Do none of you go in the penalty area? Or into the corners if needed?

If working with NARs the idea should be to keep play between you and active assistant. Unless it's on the very far left wing. Which is "your quarter" anyway.

But you should be looking to break into the penalty area if needed and follow play into the very non Ar side corners if needed.
Agreed.... it is very good at times to get into the PA. I have had many contentious plays where I either blew a foul and there were no protests rather surprised looks because I was RIGHT THERE with a clear view, OR I didnt call a foul and announced in very close proximity "nothing there!" There are flash points in the PA and being close can be good. Just dont be in the way!
 
My only thought is regarding the horizontal blue lines. I appreciate that you've simply split the pitch into thirds, but if you're trying to make the point that this should be a "no-go" area for the ref, it might be a better idea to align these imaginary lines with some pitch markings - either the edge of the goal area, or have them running alongside the edge of the centre circle. That will make it much easier for the referee to visualise, rather than having to visualise lines that don't match up with anything they can actually see in real life?

Good points @GraemeS - will make amendments in a while.
 
Bear in mind that assessors invariably want referees to GET WIDE ;-)

I think the diagram is fine, as long as the discussion is about how it's just a guideline, and that ABC and the ref-ball-AR triangle are more important.

Although it seems that diagonals and their variants are out of fashion with the top tier referees these days, given how often wrong penalty decisions can be attributed to the referee being on the right-hand-side of the PA!

Don't get me wrong, sometimes that's the best spot to be....but not when there are players on your left calling for a cross.

I'm digressing...
 
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