Linesman Flags
- Thread starter Lukecze
- Start date
Justylove
RefChat Addict
The “best” depends on what level you are.
Buzzer flags are classed as top of the tree but are expensive and can make you lazy in not looking at your assistants. However they can help you at once you are refereeing at supply level and above.
Touchlines are a good solid brand for if you are starting out with NAR’s, good quality and have a nice feel to them.
A cheap set from anywhere you like are best if you are starting out. You’ll have club assistants that don’t give a damn and they will often get thrown about or generally not looked after.
In summary, horses for courses!
Buzzer flags are classed as top of the tree but are expensive and can make you lazy in not looking at your assistants. However they can help you at once you are refereeing at supply level and above.
Touchlines are a good solid brand for if you are starting out with NAR’s, good quality and have a nice feel to them.
A cheap set from anywhere you like are best if you are starting out. You’ll have club assistants that don’t give a damn and they will often get thrown about or generally not looked after.
In summary, horses for courses!
Touch lines or ervocoms seem to be the weapons of choice
Justylove
RefChat Addict
I’ve used both touchline and ervocoms buzzers as an assistant. I preferred the Touchline feel and positioning of the button, however that could be simply because for every once I’ve used the Ervocom brand, I’ve used the touchlines a dozen or more so times.
From my experience with being on the line with buzzers (ironically fortunate enough to be in the middle with some tomorrow), Touchline are the best; they just feel right and are most reliable. If, like me, you're not at the level to use them consistently, I recommend the normal Touchline flags. They're solid with a good design and you can even argue set a good impression to your assistants. Cost me about £30 and use them with NARs and use my cheap flags for the CARs.
I would hope this thread is about new referees and therefore normal flags, there are no grounds for using buzzer flags until you work week in week out with neutral assistants. Possibly L4, but more likely L3 before you get the real benefits. I've seen so many referees come unstuck when using buzzers that have failed as they have no fail safe due to never actually looking at their assistants unless the buzzer goes off.
So if we are talking non-electronic flags, it is Touchline for me. But also get a very cheap pair off eBay to give to your club assistants.
So if we are talking non-electronic flags, it is Touchline for me. But also get a very cheap pair off eBay to give to your club assistants.
Only ever used them with a 4 or 3. Love being in the middle with them on those rare occasions, but they definitely shouldn't be relied on if you aren't at that level, as I can definitely imagine they make you a little lazy when looking at your AR. I do love them for subs at the other end of the pitch though...
Oh they absolutely have a use case. Subs, ball in and out of play that referee can't see, VC behind referee's back, offside on far side when referee can't look over without missing something, and even alerting the referee to your concerns (e.g. when I've seen SFP and thought the referee was going caution I've hammered the button).
But referees need to learn their trade without them. When I first got L4 I was pretty rubbish at spotting AR signals and kept getting picked up by assessors, and I taught myself to look when the ball was first played then again once the ball was received, and after a year or so never missed a flag. Had I been using buzzers I'd have been fine until the technology broke, but then I would be in a real mess. And as an L4 I worked with a few L3s that were hopeless if the tech failed, one of them left me standing with my flag up for offside for over a minute despite me and lots of players shouting at him.