A&H

Maintaining concentration

SM

SM

The avuncular one
How do you guys maintain concentration and intensity for all games. I have found that when doing a higher level match I have no issue, but can struggle to get so involved when next match is a lower division game with the standard of football being much lower, required level of effort also being greatly reduced.

Anyone have any tips or mental tricks for how to manage this?
 
The Referee Store
Got no tips monkey but I know where you are coming from. I had a Cup game a couple of weeks ago between two Div 4 teams. Attackers had done well to bring the ball into the penalty area when they were beaten by one player who, with some fancy footwork, managed to start a counter attack. I found myself watching, thinking "Well played." when I realised that he had made the break and I was now spectating rather than reffing. He was a good twenty metres ahead of me and still going, when it dawned on me that I should be following!
We had Derek Eaton (PL AR) at our RA meeting the other day and he was saying the same thing. Basically you have to get your mind on it from before the whistle blows. Unfortunately he didn't say how.
 
Put an elastic band on your wrist. Give it a pull ever so often that will get your focus back. I hear a few premier league AR's use this trick..
 
I find myself often having the same issues and get angry with myself as inevitably something happens that I should have been closer or at a different angle, some games are so poor that I have to almost talk to myself to remain focused.
 
I talk more.

To the players, to the voices in my head etc.....

Seriously, I will commentate to myself sometimes to get my mind back on the game.

Works a treat until you hear yourself " and Smith wins the ball and has space in front of him. Great change of pace, but the defenders taken his legs from under him! Unbelievable, the ref hasn't reacted at all....oh cr@p......whistle!"
 
Reffy said:
Put an elastic band on your wrist. Give it a pull ever so often that will get your focus back. I hear a few premier league AR's use this trick..
Click to expand...

Indeed they do....

I attended our County FA RA-FA conference last night with guest speaker Mike Mullarkey said he knows a lot of his colleagues that use an elastic band and give it a tweek now and again.
 
Must remember also, that at FL & PL level, they're all mic'd up, so there's always someone talking about something, making it easier to a maintain concentration. Often, the ref will check in with his AR's in a dull/quiet game to make sure they are still awake!
 
DanCohen17 said:
Must remember also, that at FL & PL level, they're all mic'd up, so there's always someone talking about something, making it easier to a maintain concentration. Often, the ref will check in with his AR's in a dull/quiet game to make sure they are still awake!
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Mike also said that when he works with Howard, they do not write anything down. Howard records cautions as does the 4th, but his ARs have to remember the cautions, and he often during the game asks for him to tell him the cautions, for example red 5,7 and 9 blue 6 etc....
 
SteveAustinRef said:
Mike also said that when he works with Howard, they do not write anything down. Howard records cautions as does the 4th, but his ARs have to remember the cautions, and he often during the game asks for him to tell him the cautions, for example red 5,7 and 9 blue 6 etc....
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Another way to keep concentration levels high.

Part of the reason the AR's (usually snr) writes down cautions is to ensure the same player isn't cautioned twice. At that level, all cautions are told down the mic and 4th man has to write them down
 
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