Just a little rant. I went to watch my brothers U13 game when I was down home for uni. Young refs having a great first half, complete control of the game, and it’s a well played first half, my brothers team are losing 3-2 at the break. Both managers towards the end of the half separately ask the ref to start letting the game flow. Second half, he follows their advice and its just far more chaotic. Nowhere near as good football as first half, only one goal (finished 3-3) and there’s some horrible challenges put in. Ref was on track for a great game and he lost his control.
But if you’re young and inexperienced especially, then having both managers ask you to let the game flow more is going to get in your head, I’ve seen it a lot this season though, managers demanding to have the game “flow.” I can see the benefit to the phrase, it’s true you don’t need to blow for every single minor infringement of course. But a lot of the time when it’s heard, the game is going fine, and often the losing team asks to have the game flow more. Why are you wanting to change a perfectly good U13 game into essentially a warzone?
It’s one of those I’ve got a go to phrase for, because it’s one of the few times I got a quick reply of in my head. A few years back, I was reffing a team I’ve reffed a few times, and they were essentially an U12 team of thugs. My brother’s team had played them at their place and their referee calls for nothing (for either side tbf) so these are players used to getting away with two handed shoves to the back. That style of refereeing doesn’t benefit anyone but that’s a separate rant. As a result of constant fouls like this, game was very stop start, and manager asked me to let the game flow. Manager was a dick anyway, but more of a “dickhead that says things in snarky way” rather than outright dick. My response was to inform him that if his team stopped committing fouls, then I would let the game flow. His team kept making fouls, but at least he was quiet for the match.
But if I had both managers asking me to let the game flow, then who knows. It’s just one of those phrases that really grinds my gears, and it’s a shame to see a young ref having a good game and then losing control. But it’s something Ive seen as a spectator in U13 games a few times this season. Another one that annoys me is “it can’t always be offside.” Once more, I’ve seen a few games this season where a young ref is confidently and correctly calling offsides (which is especially hard with no ARs) and because there’s a lot of offsides in U13 games, you get that shout and suddenly the young ref isn’t so confident with the calls and it’s just a shame to see. So yeh, it’s just a minor rant I wanted to get off my chest. If we’re to keep this topic going I guess, what phrases grind your gears?
But if you’re young and inexperienced especially, then having both managers ask you to let the game flow more is going to get in your head, I’ve seen it a lot this season though, managers demanding to have the game “flow.” I can see the benefit to the phrase, it’s true you don’t need to blow for every single minor infringement of course. But a lot of the time when it’s heard, the game is going fine, and often the losing team asks to have the game flow more. Why are you wanting to change a perfectly good U13 game into essentially a warzone?
It’s one of those I’ve got a go to phrase for, because it’s one of the few times I got a quick reply of in my head. A few years back, I was reffing a team I’ve reffed a few times, and they were essentially an U12 team of thugs. My brother’s team had played them at their place and their referee calls for nothing (for either side tbf) so these are players used to getting away with two handed shoves to the back. That style of refereeing doesn’t benefit anyone but that’s a separate rant. As a result of constant fouls like this, game was very stop start, and manager asked me to let the game flow. Manager was a dick anyway, but more of a “dickhead that says things in snarky way” rather than outright dick. My response was to inform him that if his team stopped committing fouls, then I would let the game flow. His team kept making fouls, but at least he was quiet for the match.
But if I had both managers asking me to let the game flow, then who knows. It’s just one of those phrases that really grinds my gears, and it’s a shame to see a young ref having a good game and then losing control. But it’s something Ive seen as a spectator in U13 games a few times this season. Another one that annoys me is “it can’t always be offside.” Once more, I’ve seen a few games this season where a young ref is confidently and correctly calling offsides (which is especially hard with no ARs) and because there’s a lot of offsides in U13 games, you get that shout and suddenly the young ref isn’t so confident with the calls and it’s just a shame to see. So yeh, it’s just a minor rant I wanted to get off my chest. If we’re to keep this topic going I guess, what phrases grind your gears?
