New ref
- Thread starter sh2002
- Start date
spuddy1878
RefChat Addict
A lot of pre match stuff might depend on league rules.
Im only new myself but to be honest very little pre match, check pitch for any potential injury risks, inspect nets and im done.
Treble check you have essentials before you leave the house (and a spare of everything)
Warm up, get skippers in, toss coin and away we go.
No handshake unless league rules apply.
Im only new myself but to be honest very little pre match, check pitch for any potential injury risks, inspect nets and im done.
Treble check you have essentials before you leave the house (and a spare of everything)
Warm up, get skippers in, toss coin and away we go.
No handshake unless league rules apply.
Yep, I wouldn't bother with handshakes unless either the league rules require them, or you're at a high enough level to be working with neutral assistants and walking the teams out of the changing rooms before KO.
Things you do need to do:
*Arrive early. I usually aim for 45 mins when I'm going somewhere I don't know, maybe cut this down to 30 if I'm sure I know where I'm going, I'm sure the traffic will be good AND I'm sure the pitch will be OK.
*Introduce yourself when you turn up, at least to the home manager/captain, to the away manager as well if you can see someone who fits that description.
*Change. Again, if it's Sunday league and I don't know the pitch, I'd always turn up in kit with an optional tracksuit over the top if it's cold, so only need to change my boots. If you know the pitch and you know they have decent changing rooms, you might might want to just turn up in a tracksuit and change fully.
*Pitch inspection - check for dog mess/rabbit holes around the pitch. Check that the lines are all correct. Check that the goals are stable and that the nets are well fixed to them/the ground, especially at the bottom next to the post. Make sure you do this when the teams can see you at it.
*Warm up - entirely up to you how much of this you want to do, but I'd recommend a small warm up jog and some stretches as an absolute minimum, as it will make you look a bit more professional.
*Kit check - leave this until 10-15 minutes before KO, can be before, after or during your warm up. Approach the teams when they're close together (either doing stretches, doing a team talk or all punting aimless shots at a goal!), ask them to line up/get in a circle and walk around behind them checking boots, wrists/ears for jewellery and socks for tape. Up to you how fussy you want to be regarding the tape, but don't let any jewellery slide.
*Coin toss. 5 mins before KO, walk to the middle with a match ball, blow your whistle to get the captains in, have a chat with them if you want and then do the coin toss. If you have CAR's, brief them here as well.
Things you do need to do:
*Arrive early. I usually aim for 45 mins when I'm going somewhere I don't know, maybe cut this down to 30 if I'm sure I know where I'm going, I'm sure the traffic will be good AND I'm sure the pitch will be OK.
*Introduce yourself when you turn up, at least to the home manager/captain, to the away manager as well if you can see someone who fits that description.
*Change. Again, if it's Sunday league and I don't know the pitch, I'd always turn up in kit with an optional tracksuit over the top if it's cold, so only need to change my boots. If you know the pitch and you know they have decent changing rooms, you might might want to just turn up in a tracksuit and change fully.
*Pitch inspection - check for dog mess/rabbit holes around the pitch. Check that the lines are all correct. Check that the goals are stable and that the nets are well fixed to them/the ground, especially at the bottom next to the post. Make sure you do this when the teams can see you at it.
*Warm up - entirely up to you how much of this you want to do, but I'd recommend a small warm up jog and some stretches as an absolute minimum, as it will make you look a bit more professional.
*Kit check - leave this until 10-15 minutes before KO, can be before, after or during your warm up. Approach the teams when they're close together (either doing stretches, doing a team talk or all punting aimless shots at a goal!), ask them to line up/get in a circle and walk around behind them checking boots, wrists/ears for jewellery and socks for tape. Up to you how fussy you want to be regarding the tape, but don't let any jewellery slide.
*Coin toss. 5 mins before KO, walk to the middle with a match ball, blow your whistle to get the captains in, have a chat with them if you want and then do the coin toss. If you have CAR's, brief them here as well.
Thanks mate great advice
A good tot up of handshakes after can be a reflection on your performance.... if you’re stood there Billy no mates then you were probably sh1t....
Spot on as usual @Sheffields Finest...
EFL U13 academy football for me last weekend
- great to be back in Black 
And I didn’t disappoint myself - a good run out, nice and vocal and a great toe in the water for the start of season...
One of those matches where every player and manager exchanged pleasantries at the end -
and you think that the spectators will also be giving you high fives when you walk off the pitch... but they don’t - and you come crashing back to earth and look back and think - they probably didn’t even notice me... so all in all - mission accomplished 
EFL U13 academy football for me last weekend
- great to be back in Black And I didn’t disappoint myself - a good run out, nice and vocal and a great toe in the water for the start of season...One of those matches where every player and manager exchanged pleasantries at the end -
and you think that the spectators will also be giving you high fives when you walk off the pitch... but they don’t - and you come crashing back to earth and look back and think - they probably didn’t even notice me... so all in all - mission accomplished A good tot up of handshakes after can be a reflection on your performance.... if you’re stood there Billy no mates then you were probably sh1t....
Either way dont worry, you're not there to be their friend, you're there to ensure a football match takes place fairly and safely as per the LOTG, If they want to play silly buggers then you shouldn't really care about handshakes making their behaviour seem OK..
I don't think handshake count is a good barometer for performance. I deliberately blow for time when i'm positioned such that the players won't be trudging past me to leave the FOPA good tot up of handshakes after can be a reflection on your performance.... if you’re stood there Billy no mates then you were probably sh1t....
I never did that, time is time, I never craved their adulation nor seeked confrontations. If they wanted to shake my hand I would respect that and respond, if they don’t, it was there problem. I wasn’t chasing them around.
It's not that I avoid handshakes. It's more to do with remaining observant because i missed a spitting incident last year after the final whistle whilst too busy doing pleasantries. Besides, most players these days don't have the class to show any gratitude to the referee
Middle Man
Member
Some good advice already given but I would add - write down the team that kicks off in the first half and count the players before the KO.
Dunno about that.
Sometimes you'll get more handshakes at the bar once player's have had time to calm down if the match was a particularly tense one. Had one lad last season come round in the pub after food and shake my hand and say 'good game' after I had sent him off. Caught me completely off-guard because usually they're the ones stewing in the corner over their bitter giving you the death stares.
I don't think handshake count is a good barometer for performance. I deliberately blow for time when i'm positioned such that the players won't be trudging past me to leave the FOP
When I was L3 my coach told me to always try and blow for full time stood as far away as possible for anyone I'd seriously annoyed during the game. Sometimes the only place I could have blown the whistle from to meet that criteria would have been the match officials changing room …
For me games finish when the whistle blows, what’s happened has happened, if it was a war, then this was the truce, players wanting to carry things on after whistle are pretty pathetic. I nearly fell foul to a player who initially held out his hand and then withdrew it seeing me, I unwittingly (and stupidly) said something under my breath which he partly heard. Cue an attempted assault, believe me, he was a big big lad who would have done a lot of damage had he actually caught me.... lesson learned, don’t swear under your breath
CapnBloodbeard
RefChat Addict
I'd have no issue carding for that. Doesn't want to shake, don't care. Wants to make me look stupid after the game? Not having that.
the other one is when the player runs up to shake the hands of your AR, pointedly ignoring you. not even worth a comment....although if you're the AR in that scenario you don't have to participate in the little pantomime
Though be wary of the person who wants to use a handshake to abuse you further...had a manager do that, should have known to refuse the handshake, but once he had my hand he refused to let go and mouthed off further.
the other one is when the player runs up to shake the hands of your AR, pointedly ignoring you. not even worth a comment....although if you're the AR in that scenario you don't have to participate in the little pantomime
Though be wary of the person who wants to use a handshake to abuse you further...had a manager do that, should have known to refuse the handshake, but once he had my hand he refused to let go and mouthed off further.
A good tot up of handshakes after can be a reflection on your performance.... if you’re stood there Billy no mates then you were probably sh1t....
I disagree with this. Although I can see where you’re coming from, I’ve had games with 2/3 red cards in and nobody has shaken my hand. That’s not because my performance was s**t, it was because they didn’t like the fact I actually applied the LOTG
3 games this weekend, lots of handshakes and well done from 5 teams, the players of the 6th team did shake my hand but the manager didn't. The reason I gave a penalty he thought wasn't. Petty but normal. His team lost 6-3 deservedly all my fault despite them missing a penalty. Oh well
Look at the word I used it the line 'Probably'!!!! You may of been magnificent (in law), but chances are if you've sent 2-3 off, in their eyes, you were probably sh1t! and handshakes may be lacking.
Had my first two games today one under 15 which was hard considering I’m only a year older 
and then and under 13s game the under 15s game was tough and I cautioned one player however I was lenient to him I should’ve sent him off and the under 13s game was pretty easy thanks for the advice prior to the games guys
and then and under 13s game the under 15s game was tough and I cautioned one player however I was lenient to him I should’ve sent him off and the under 13s game was pretty easy thanks for the advice prior to the games guys