The Ref Stop

My first taste of aggressive verbal abuse!

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Sheffields Finest said:
Can't wait for your first post of someone trying to knock your block off :devil:... It happened to me on a few occasions and you have to hold back every sinew inside that wants to retaliate, its a lonely place at times and you have to turn off certain buttons inside that if the same thing happened on the street you would have grounds to retaliate.
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I might turn my attention to women’s football I’m a lover not a fighter ;)
 
The Ref Stop
Genuine question. What's the "official" course of (recommended) action for let's say a referee on a Sunday morning park pitch who is approached aggressively by a spectator (linked to a team) who in the space of a couple of seconds from the initial approach starts throwing punches or making contact with a referee?

I've seen a lot of comments here about remaining professional, following correct protocol, you can't react like you would on the street in regards to comments and abusive language, but what happens essentially if you are attacked or are about to be attacked? What's the correct protocol? When does self-defence come into play?
 
NorthLondonRef said:
Genuine question. What's the "official" course of (recommended) action for let's say a referee on a Sunday morning park pitch who is approached aggressively by a spectator (linked to a team) who in the space of a couple of seconds from the initial approach starts throwing punches or making contact with a referee?

I've seen a lot of comments here about remaining professional, following correct protocol, you can't react like you would on the street in regards to comments and abusive language, but what happens essentially if you are attacked or are about to be attacked? What's the correct protocol? When does self-defence come into play?
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You can’t do anything you have to take a beating & then alert the referee.

I’m sure one of many on here will tell you exactly how it’s worded in the lotg shortly.
 
Men in Black said:
You can’t do anything you have to take a beating & then alert the referee.

I’m sure one of many on here will tell you exactly how it’s worded in the lotg shortly.
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I told you before but you obviously chose to ignore it. Once the verbal abuse starts step onto the pitch and raise your flag to alert the referee, then when he comes over explain what has happened so that he can deal with it. If he resorts to violence the best approach is to run onto the pitch as the players will protect you, that won't necessarily be the case if you are seen to be throwing punches, even in self defence.
 
Edit: My hypothetical question about being attacked/self defence that probably has no relevance in this thread but I think is a genuine question.
 
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@Men in Black, I don't know you and it's difficult to make a judgement without meeting in person, but my gut feeling is; I like what you're all about.
Honestly however, I'm think you ought to find something else to do with your free time. Aside from rare events in which self-defense could be a defense, responding as you did is a red card offense in itself. Given that you're new to the game (reffing; and i'm not sure that you're yet qualified), it's quite likely this fracas will repeat itself, with a less favorable outcome. Don't get me wrong, you're honest and well meaning; but an official strictly cannot respond to provocation in this way, in these circumstances
 
NorthLondonRef said:
What happens if you are the referee and the final whistle has gone? You are just collecting you're bag and sorting yourself when a parent or spectator approach's you and uses some form of violence. It could be some shoving, grappling, or punches being thrown at you? I think this is an important question in this scenario.

I'd hope the answer is something along the lines of you should do everything to avoid such a scenario but if one arises like the above you are entitled to defend yourself within reason at your own discretion. I'm trying to think of other options like blowing your whistle, legging it etc.....
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Take evasive action and run towards where most people are located. Crowds equal relative safety, isolation with a violent individual is most certainly not. You know what you have in your pockets but you have no idea what he has in his, for all you know he could have a weapon of some kind.
 
RustyRef said:
Take evasive action and run towards where most people are located. Crowds equal relative safety, isolation with a violent individual is most certainly not. You know what you have in your pockets but you have no idea what he has in his, for all you know he could have a weapon of some kind.
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Thanks. Only reason I asked because I read a lot of comments about not reacting like you would on the street but I guess that's in regards to abusive language. I was just concerned with some of the replies that we could be encouraging not taking evasive (or defensive) action in the event you'd wind up in trouble with your league or county FA and possibly suspended if you defended yourself in any manner when facing violent behaviour. I am just envisaging a scenario where a referee is having punches thrown at him or being grabbed by the throat or something and he's trying to blow his whistle, speak politely etc etc because he's been advised he can't defend himself because he's going to get in trouble.

I think it's important to note in the future that if necessary you can take evasive action or defend yourself within reason or you could end up standing there and taking a punch to the head. I think it's a fine line, but I don't think fear or scare tactics should be put into officials heads that they can't defend themselves from an attack just because they are in a referees uniform. We aren't talking about a professional stadium here but potentially a local park with no protection etc, and sometimes standing there and not doing anything may be the worst thing.
 
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NorthLondonRef said:
What happens if you are the referee and the final whistle has gone? You are just collecting you're bag and sorting yourself when a parent or spectator approach's you and uses some form of violence. It could be some shoving, grappling, or punches being thrown at you? I think this is an important question in this scenario.

I'd hope the answer is something along the lines of you should do everything to avoid such a scenario but if one arises like the above you are entitled to defend yourself within reason at your own discretion. I'm trying to think of other options like blowing your whistle, legging it etc.....
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Punishment from FA & police needs the be zero tolerance or it’ll never stop and referees will carry on getting abused because as everyone is stating your representing the badge.
NorthLondonRef said:
@Men in Black

If anyone ever starts on you again or get's a bit lippy, just turn round and say "You want some.....if you want some I'll give it ya"

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The Raider the legend.

One geezer I wouldn’t f*ck with.
 
Big Cat said:
@Men in Black, I don't know you and it's difficult to make a judgement without meeting in person, but my gut feeling is; I like what you're all about.
Honestly however, I'm think you ought to find something else to do with your free time. Aside from rare events in which self-defense could be a defense, responding as you did is a red card offense in itself. Given that you're new to the game (reffing; and i'm not sure that you're yet qualified), it's quite likely this fracas will repeat itself, with a less favorable outcome. Don't get me wrong, you're honest and well meaning; but an official strictly cannot respond to provocation in this way, in these circumstances
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I’ll work on it.
 
I would imagine that if a referee is being physically assaulted then common law and 'reasonable' self defence are far more relevant than any concerns about acting within a match official capacity?

Whether you're a referee working in any of occupation, if you're being violently assaulted then thoughts about being a match official are secondary, your primary concern is to protect yourself and your immediate safety using 'reasonable action.

For clarity, I'm not advocating retaliatory violence and I agree that moving towards the players is good advice bit it's certainly no fuarentee off safety and you do have the absolute right to protect yourself regardless of occupation.

I think that this should be stressed alongside the sensible advice previously given on this thread regarding what to do in the highly unlikely event of being assaulted on the pitch. I don't believe that overly concerning yourself with the fact that you're a match official whilst being assaulted is wise or proper, however, I'm certainly not suggesting reigning return punches in the attacker
 
Ben448844 said:
I would imagine that if a referee is being physically assaulted then common law and 'reasonable' self defence are far more relevant than any concerns about acting within a match official capacity?

Whether you're a referee working in any of occupation, if you're being violently assaulted then thoughts about being a match official are secondary, your primary concern is to protect yourself and your immediate safety using 'reasonable action.

For clarity, I'm not advocating retaliatory violence and I agree that moving towards the players is good advice bit it's certainly no fuarentee off safety and you do have the absolute right to protect yourself regardless of occupation.

I think that this should be stressed alongside the sensible advice previously given on this thread regarding what to do in the highly unlikely event of being assaulted on the pitch. I don't believe that overly concerning yourself with the fact that you're a match official whilst being assaulted is wise or proper, however, I'm certainly not suggesting reigning return punches in the attacker
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It’s true that from a legal point of view everyone is entitled to self defence, and to use reasonable force to protect themselves and others.

However that’s not how it is viewed by the FA etc. If you were walking down the street and some stranger suddenly tries to punch you, and you punch them back I wouldn’t expect the police to do much. But the same thing happens on a football pitch? Both the instigator, and the person defending themselves would face similar sanctions.
 
zarathustra said:
It’s true that from a legal point of view everyone is entitled to self defence, and to use reasonable force to protect themselves and others.

However that’s not how it is viewed by the FA etc. If you were walking down the street and some stranger suddenly tries to punch you, and you punch them back I wouldn’t expect the police to do much. But the same thing happens on a football pitch? Both the instigator, and the person defending themselves would face similar sanctions.
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I agree and I'm certainly not advocating retaliating with punches. I would certainly restrain somebody who was punching me though. Would hate to have someone just stand there and take a beating because he/she didn't dare defend themselves due to their position as a match official
 
@Men in Black wasn't it you that had ‘issues’ about doing lines as opposed to middles? I seem to recall a feeling that running the line was beneath you?

Could it be that your attitude towards the line is part of the problem?
 
Padfoot said:
@Men in Black wasn't it you that had ‘issues’ about doing lines as opposed to middles? I seem to recall a feeling that running the line was beneath you?

Could it be that your attitude towards the line is part of the problem?
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Nah not at all, my respect for lino’s has risen big time, hard job & I’ve got a bit better at it, I understand it’s part and parcel of the job now.

Geezer was a knob a parasite, I lost all sense of where I was & what I was doing, I saw red!

I’ve had time to reflect on it now & I’d like to think put in the same situation again I’ll go down the official route of calling the referee over first before giving him a slap.

One thing i won’t do is post anything on here that is remotely negative regarding my games, i won’t need to I’ll get the same response from lotg hadbook.
 
You’re certainly on a crash course in learning the hard way MiB, I’ve no problem in you posting anything, some other posters may share similar frailties, admitting a fault and correcting it is all part of the learning curve!
 
Sheffields Finest said:
You’re certainly on a crash course in learning the hard way MiB, I’ve no problem in you posting anything, some other posters may share similar frailties, admitting a fault and correcting it is all part of the learning curve!
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I think I talk to much or shall I say type to much Sheff, I think I should leave off speaking about my refereeing for a while, the seasons pretty much done now anyway.

I’m to open for my own good, I’ll never learn :smoke:
 
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