The Ref Stop

New Referee - Weight

lincs22 said:
@Trip - I would not take the distance you run to be a badge of honour. I have seen so many referees run "miles and miles" in matches, thinking they are doing the right thing and all they are really done is covering up for the mistakes in positioning and anticipation of the play. Just ask @es1

Fitness does provide a massive advantage to developing as a referee, but you need to use it well and not just cover mile and mile running after the ball.
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i'm totally with you @lincs22, fitness does not make a good ref, but it sure can help! a good confident ref can make accurate calls from 20+ yards away but the moment you start getting calls wrong your credibility is shot.

i speak as a ref who's definitely above average weight and below average fitness for my level
 
The Ref Stop
lincs22 said:
@Trip - I would not take the distance you run to be a badge of honour.
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I wasn't. I was making precisely the opposite point.

There was a suggestion that a parks football referee could expect to need to be able run 10-13km. I was saying that I run far less than that and am a perfectly adequate parks football referee.
 
es1 said:
i'm totally with you @lincs22, fitness does not make a good ref, but it sure can help! a good confident ref can make accurate calls from 20+ yards away but the moment you start getting calls wrong your credibility is shot.
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IMHO, where fitness helps the most as a referee is not being exhausted in the last 10 minutes of the game. When we are exhausted, it affects our decision-making. (It makes positioning easier, too, and makes catching up from being out of position easier, but I still think the biggest value is on decision-making.)
 
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socal lurker said:
IMHO, where fitness helps the most as a referee is not being exhausted in the last 10 minutes of the game. When we are exhausted, it affects our decision-making. (It makes positioning easier, too, and makes catching up from being out of position easier, but I still think the biggest value is on decision-making.)
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Refereeing is really simple

It's about giving accurate and credible decisions throughout the course of the game.

In order to do that you need 2 things

1) Know the laws of the game and how to apply them
2) Ensure you are in a position to be able to see what's happening in order to execute on point 1.

As others have said, fitness is important but only when the age group and standard increases.

Point 1 can be improved by watching games live and on TV and by refereeing lower standard or youth football where the pace is much lower.

Point 2 can be developed over time and as you build up experience you can also start to read the game better so you're anticipating where play is going next (which is actually easier as the standard gets better).
 
Refereeing is great fun, and a great way to lose weight and get healthy. What I would recommend (from my own experience - which is ongoing), don't go straight into LOADS of games as the recovery can be a nightmare. E.g. my calf muscles were really tender this season, which was due to both muscle building and hard pitches in the late spring/early summer.

If you are struggling with weight/fitness, do see your GP and maybe a personal trainer would be good for a few sessions to help you get on the right track etc.
 
socal lurker said:
IMHO, where fitness helps the most as a referee is not being exhausted in the last 10 minutes of the game. When we are exhausted, it affects our decision-making. (It makes positioning easier, too, and makes catching up from being out of position easier, but I still think the biggest value is on decision-making.)
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i dont necessarily agree that it's where the fitness helps the most, but you're not wrong!
 
JamesL said:
Never gone over 10km in a game.
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Closest I came was in a Youth Cup game (I say Youth, it's U18's Development teams) as I was on my own, so I bussed my butt everywhere on the pitch that day. I don't know why, I just felt in peak fitness and was everywhere.

But yeah, most of my games end at around 7-8km overall - but that was measured with a crappy fitbit. I'll see how it goes with the newer GPS watches this season. :)
 
RobOda said:
Closest I came was in a Youth Cup game (I say Youth, it's U18's Development teams) as I was on my own, so I bussed my butt everywhere on the pitch that day. I don't know why, I just felt in peak fitness and was everywhere.

But yeah, most of my games end at around 7-8km overall - but that was measured with a crappy fitbit. I'll see how it goes with the newer GPS watches this season. :)
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I have come close too. Once on professional development league (EFL U18s) and one other time in a fierce local Derby match, which attracted some 400+ spectators.
 
JamesL said:
I have come close too. Once on professional development league (EFL U18s) and one other time in a fierce local Derby match, which attracted some 400+ spectators.
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Need lots of match balls everywhere, perhaps a caged full size 4G pitch, decent players who prefer QFKs, but also teams that are happy to go long
The latter two are unlikely to occur together
I've never exceed 10K BTW
 
Ref1993 said:
Hello everyone,

I'm 27 and I've been thinking for quite some time and I want to start enjoying the game that I watch most weekends and I want to commit and become healthy. I'm from the Liverpool FA Area but I need a bit of help

I'm currently not the fittest physically looking guy in the world, I'm down to about 295 pounds however my fitness is somewhat good for my age and I am down about two stone, for some reason something internally inside of me is telling me to start refereeing as this could go hand in hand with becoming healthy for the first time in my life. My availability is pretty much good and I would love to see myself move through the ranks with future progression. I have also worked with FIFA in a different industry however I took a step back and want to try have some motivation to keep fit.

My questions are:

1 - Is 27 too old to move through the ranks?
2 - Would you recommend I get into somewhat better shape before I take part in a basic referee course? Such as I don't want to look bad for the wrong reasons etc.
3 - Is there any exercises you would say for me to practice with in a gym setting so I can work out if I am fit enough?

Thank you,
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I started refereeing at 27 I’m now 29 going for my level 5 this season with 2 seasons affected by covid.
the course I went on was full of teenagers, but after I completed this and got in with my local RA the age of everyone ranges.
I normally run between 6-10 km a game which to start with was not as hard as I first thought.
I manage to do 2 games a weekend at open age whilst doing either 2 runs or on my bike in the week.
I’ve lost around 5 kg doing this.
Also when you start refereeing and you have a game where your not feeling 100% or blowing towards the end of the game you learn you can position your self better and take extra time during the breaks in play to help yourself.
 
For me, where fitness helps most is selling your decisions. Most decisions are subjective. You are going to have a few, if not half, to disagree with you. If you can get them to just leave it at that then you have sold it. A lot of it comes to confidence but no matter how confidant you make a decision from 50 yards away, if it's a 50-50, no mater which way you go, you can't sell it. Same decision from 10 yards away and a good angle, Bob's your uncle.
 
Luke1990 said:
’ve lost around 5 kg doing this.
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Nice, well done.

I've rather unusually, lost weight during COVID lockdown, gone from 42 waist to 36. I was actually putting on weight when refereeing, bad habit of gorging myself on energy foods? :oops:
 
one said:
For me, where fitness helps most is selling your decisions. Most decisions are subjective. You are going to have a few, if not half, to disagree with you. If you can get them to just leave it at that then you have sold it. A lot of it comes to confidence but no matter how confidant you make a decision from 50 yards away, if it's a 50-50, no mater which way you go, you can't sell it. Same decision from 10 yards away and a good angle, Bob's your uncle.
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Definitely, I believe this is why when you first start out in refereeing you have a massive learning curve. From selling decisions to fitness to knowing how to talk to players.
I just think for a new ref getting out there and controlling the game your fitness will soon improve.
 
RobOda said:
Nice, well done.

I've rather unusually, lost weight during COVID lockdown, gone from 42 waist to 36. I was actually putting on weight when refereeing, bad habit of gorging myself on energy foods? :oops:
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Yeah nice well done new kit needed then? Must be all them fancy post game meals supplied by the teams.
I found it easier to lose weight and keep fitness as I was soo bored during lockdown the only thing keeping me sane was going out on my bike or running
 
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