A&H

Mass confrontation without NARs

L

LHref

New Member
Hi guys,

I am moving into adult football this season for the first time, and from what I have seen from watching local adult matches mass confrontation (by this I mean lots of, not just two or three, players being involved) is worryingly frequent. I was wondering:

1. How do you guys avoid mass confrontation occurring in the first place when you notice signs the game could be heading that way?
2. How you deal with mass confrontation when it occurs. Lots of whistle? Stand back? Actively getting between players? (the latter I would personally be avoiding), and
3. What level of mass confrontation would you be abandoning at?
4. Finally, do any such incidents spring to mind from matches you officiated in?

This is particularly aimed at a referee operating on his own with no neutral assistants, thanks in advance for your thoughts
 
The Referee Store
I don't think you can move into OA with the mind set that mass confrontations happen frequently.

I've only ever had one in 7 years of refereeing as a referee and one on the line. They are far from frequent.

No one can tell you what you're going to do.

The best thing you can do if it happens is, observe. Identify the instigators, the peace makers, and the individual who has ran off after having a cheeky pop at someone. If you miss something you miss something, restart play correct in law (not a drop ball!) Then kill the game.

Until it happens you don't know what you're going to do.
 
Jacko said:
I don't think you can move into OA with the mind set that mass confrontations happen frequently.

I
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Don't think that's particularly fair, by having the mindset that they could happen surely I am better, not worse prepared for it if it did and having some guidance from other referees as to what can be done to avoid it and deal with it will put me in better stead to react appropriately, please do correct me if I am wrong. May be they aren't frequent but from my experiences I have witnessed them a lot, this may be down to coincidence.
 
Maybe a wrong choice of words by myself.

Maybe it is coincidence. Until it happens you won't really learn how to prevent it apart from thinking back to those games where it happened and gradually think back to where the game was boiling over and gradually lost their match control and where could have potentially prevented it by 'killing the game' using tempo management techniques.

It's great that you're moving on to OA. You will love it I'm sure. Just go out and enjoy it. Look back to each game and think what have I done well and what could I do better.

Also maybe ask for a coach or mentor from your FA. That will help greatly. As if you're moving from kid's its likely that positioning will be something which will have to be worked on.
 
Thanks for the advice, much appreciated. Trying to "kill the game" is certainly a good option, and positioning is something I have given much consideration to and will implement as best I can.
 
Funny thing is, sometimes they come from nowhere.

I have had 2 in 5 years and the game was dead before it, then boom. In that respect tips for avoiding them is tricky. However, usual stuff helps around not letting reckless tackles go unpunished or players going nose to nose etc. what you don't punish, you encourage.
If it happens and you're on your own, you want the two instigators definitely and if you can get sight of anyone else involved ping them also. Until it happens though it is impossible to describe how difficult it is to keep an eye on everyone: and blow hell out of the whistle!!
 
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We were taught at a recent training session was, once things have 'settled' get both teams in their own halfs and then deal with the away side first if more than one player needs dealing with from the same team
 
The hardest thing I recall in the couple I have had is remembering the perpetrators. Two start fighting and it causes a mass confrontation, if you are not careful in the chaos, you will forget who the original offenders were. I say in my head while trying to stop the incident by blowing my whistle "red 10, blue 4, red 10, blue 4, red 10, blue 4....."
 
It depends on where you're based. Here in London I have a couple a season at park level. Get out the way, watch the start and the reaction (bang, bang) and anyone who runs 50 yards (bang). Blow that whistle. Keep blowing. Keep blowing.

Let them calm down, captains in, explain you're doing it one team at a time. Away first, reds, home red, away yellows, home yellows. The worst that can happen is it flares up again.

Abandonment: second confrontation in a game, or where there are more than five reds (then you've lost control of who did what)
 
In terms of killing the game, after the confrontation, get both captains togetheR; this is now a non contact game, any sort of tough challenge, going off your feet in even the most timid of ways or even looking at each in a way I don't like will be a foul and a probably a card. If I hear a peep said towards me it will be taken as dissent, be dumb enough to to swear in my direction and start walking.

Both teams grow up and show me you can behave and actually play football and I will see about relaxing. I am far from impressed. Am I clear?

Actually said something like that last time it happened (obviously cannot remember word for word, it that is the jist of it). I heard a guy laughing on the touchline. He was an assessor :)
 
SM said:
In terms of killing the game, after the confrontation, get both captains togetheR; this is now a non contact game, any sort of tough challenge, going off your feet in even the most timid of ways or even looking at each in a way I don't like will be a foul and a probably a card. If I hear a peep said towards me it will be taken as dissent, be dumb enough to to swear in my direction and start walking.

Both teams grow up and show me you can behave and actually play football and I will see about relaxing. I am far from impressed. Am I clear?

Actually said something like that last time it happened (obviously cannot remember word for word, it that is the jist of it). I heard a guy laughing on the touchline. He was an assessor :)
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I have given this talk in the past and when I followed up on my promises the players moaned and the captains did all the work for me. I just laughed (in my head).
 
LHref said:
1. How do you guys avoid mass confrontation occurring in the first place when you notice signs the game could be heading that way?
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firstly, Hi @LHref ! welcome to OA football as you can see ... everything that's been said is pretty useful knowledge - knowledge that unfortunately you may feel runs out of your mind when you need it most! above and beyond what has been said, id say - keep calm, deep breaths in and out - this does actually slow down the heart rate, in turn relaxes the brain and manages you do divulge information easier (i.e. remembering key things with the 'brawl')

I notice you said the above quote ... the best way that I try to avoid a confrontation when it starts turning a tad tasty is to blow for everything ... potential hand ball? FK, bit of a cagey tackle? FK, spat of words between 2? stop game on next 'dead ball' and deal with it - I know it sounds harsh and does kill the game, but id rather have a 10-15 minute period of the players going 'come on ref that wasn't a foul' than having a mass brawl ... at least that way as well after the game when the captains/managers question why you did it - you can tell them that you sensed a bit of an atmosphere and 'I'm sure the players would rather that then a red card and a fine'
 
The Bstard said:
It depends on where you're based. Here in London I have a couple a season at park level. Get out the way, watch the start and the reaction (bang, bang) and anyone who runs 50 yards (bang). Blow that whistle. Keep blowing. Keep blowing.
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After the first foul and few blows there is no point.

Just sounds silly imo. Just observe, remain calm and deal with the aftermath. Blowing your whistle continuously won't help.
 
Hi all, thanks for your replies, I hope if it does happen I will have the presence of mind to think about what was said here. Killing the game I was slightly uneasy about at first because it may mean giving fouls that aren't fouls. But as you have pointed out match control should get the priority in such circumstances. I do wonder though how giving a foul that probably wasn't would go down with an assessor? Would they praise match control but criticise application of LOTG?
 
We aren't saying giving fouls that aren't fouls

Maybe it's better put 'not playing any advantages' and challenges that you might let go, give them
 
DO NOT get in between players.
Must agree with Jacko, when it becomes clear your whistles are having no effect - stop whistling.
Otherwise you look ridiculous as this


A mass confrontations should be met with a MINIMUM of one caution per team, or else you are basically saying what just happened was fine. It staggers me how many referees I see try to "manage" this (ie. do bugger all)
Don't get the captains BEFORE showing the cards, they're only going argue that several punches in the face doesn't warrant a red card.
 
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