A&H

Pre-Match For NAR's

Jevon Swinscoe

Jevon Swinscoe

Active Member
I'm not so much a new Referee as I've been officiating fir 6 years but not had many games with NAR's.

What changes would you make if any at all? I'm looking to make it better so that it can be easily remembered.


1.Welcome
2.Senior/Junior
3.Kit Check -
●No Jewlery (no taping up)
●Tape (consistent across team)
●No silly arguments
4.Entrance -
●Handshake
●Break and check nets
●Come in together and witness toss
●Left backs
5.Throw-ins -
●Break down into 3rds
●I will lead in
●Your Third - your call
●Middle - Eye contact
●My third - my call
6.Corners -
●Monitor ball
●Watch for anything off the ball I may miss
7.Goal kicks -
●Flag all
●Monitor first few
8.Goal line decisions
a.Goal - Big Flag - Move towards half way
b.No goal - Stay strong - Stand ground
9.Substitutions -
●Seniors at all times
●Take your time
●Minute and numbers please
10.Benches -
a.Manage as much as possible
b.If causing no trouble leave alone
c.Bollocking/Booking/Bath
d.Blood injuries - Senior to check at all times
11.Offsides -
●Yours at all times
●Quick one for potential collision
●Through to the keeper I may play advantage
12.Sin-Bins -
1.Senior to time
2.Tolerance is different
13.Fouls & Misconduct
a.Think about how I'm Reffing
b.Credibility
c.Advantage
d.Potential card
e.Monitor the ball whilst I walk the wall
14.Penalties - One of four things
1.Yes - I'm giving it
2.No - Cutting grass
3.Help me - death stare
4.Wrong in law
15.Mass confrontation
a.Best view possible
b.Note who does what
c.Come together & discuss
d.Red/Yellows/Bollockings
e.Benches
f.Remember the restart
16.Feedback
●Open honest feedback after
●Closed door policy
17.Any questions?
 
The Referee Store
Are you after a comprehensive list you can choos from on case by case basis or after a list that is common to all cases.

Quite a few in your list I would drop in some cases, eg for very experienced NAR or some for NAR's I know they do what I want anyway (worked with before). Also some not in your list but I add in some cases.

For example you can insert a big "NO" Infront of "handshake" for now :).

I guess what I am saying is that one size does not fit all.
 
Just to note you don't need to flag all goal kicks

I'd also cover offsides, fouls and pens before subs and ball in/out of play decisions, I'd cover elements in terms of importance

I'd suggest you need to time sin bins as it's you who should let them back on. Both time, account for any obvious time lost. Get my attention if I've gone beyond 10 mins for no obvious reason

Note that blood injuries may be on either side of the pitch, obviously!
 
es1 said:
Just to note you don't need to flag all goal kicks

I'd also cover offsides, fouls and pens before subs and ball in/out of play decisions, I'd cover elements in terms of importance

I'd suggest you need to time sin bins as it's you who should let them back on. Both time, account for any obvious time lost. Get my attention if I've gone beyond 10 mins for no obvious reason

Note that blood injuries may be on either side of the pitch, obviously!
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That makes sense to be fair.
 
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one said:
Are you after a comprehensive list you can choos from on case by case basis or after a list that is common to all cases.

Quite a few in your list I would drop in some cases, eg for very experienced NAR or some for NAR's I know they do what I want anyway (worked with before). Also some not in your list but I add in some cases.

For example you can insert a big "NO" Infront of "handshake" for now :).

I guess what I am saying is that one size does not fit all.
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Just looking to make it better and hopefully help it flow more
 
IIMHO as short a list as possible makes more sense to me for an actual pre match briefing. Depending on who have have with the flags, you might want to focus on 3 ideas they will actually remember.

With beginners I go with:
- goal/no goal - and a reminder that every shot or pass back or save might go over the line
- offside, wait and see and wave-downs
- expect the unexpected, personal safety, we will talk, if something crazy happens look for numbers
... and maybe the biggest way a beginner can help me keep match control: "anything behind my back, flag up, scream my name!"

So, there are a couple of things from your list you could think about:
- Corners - strong side AR watching GK off the ball fouls - if we have comms, it's become standard here for the ref to ask
- Offside - "if I wave you down..." "...it's a good thing, either a touch you haven't seen, or the GK has the ball so we play on..."
- Penalties - do you want the AR to show you with the body if it is inside/outside (common here with experienced ARs with no comms)?
- Cards - do you want the AR to touch a pocket to hint at a card? Some like this, for others it's a no-no.
- Mass con - triangle thinking but senior has to also be responsible for the benches, so usually a reminder that, unless the mass con is close to the senior, it's more important to make sure the benches don't get involved and any offences there are monitored (except if there's a 4th)

The other one I think less experienced ARs want to know is: how do they tell you something? "If we need to talk, or something crazy happens, I'll come to you."
 
When I see extremely long lists like that, I see at as being told how to suck eggs
I see the pre-match like going on the driving range before a round of golf. Last thing I want to be doing is thinking about the complexity of swing mechanics. The range is there to loosen up and to get my hand-eye-coordination on the go. Pre-match is similar
I'm expecting my CARs to be clueless, so they just get the absolute basics. I'd be expecting my NARs to be competent to whatever the Level they're at. Last thing an L7 needs is 'chapter & verse'. Especially at lower levels, stick to the basics, strike up a rapport and focus on any particular individuality you may have as a R or they may have as AR's. For example, I place trust in my AR's for ball in/out. I want them to lead and I want to follow. I only want the flag to stay rooted when they need my help. That is how I want it to be done at the level I'm at, so that's an example
I do keep lists also, but they're more basic than that and focus on key things that I want to take into a game. I 'trust' that I'll just do all the other stuff
 
I ask for three things to think about from my assistants in the game:

Teamwork - make decisions together, loads of eye contact and communication etc. We work together to be the little decisions right, or sell them as a team, whne the big ones come along hopefully the teams will trust us to get them right.
Credibility - the referee in the best position is the most credible. Credible zone is flexible. Key thing to think about is if you were the referee would you want your assistant to come in. If the answer is yes, get involved, if the answer is no, stay out of it.
Enjoyment - that's why we are there as we enjoy the game, smile on way out, smile throughout and smile as we leave. And if I am not smiling, remind me to.

I then go through a few bits like bal out of play look at each other, make decision downstairs together before signalling.

Offsides all your except when we have 50% of info, then we need to talk. Will only over rule if wrong in law

Fouls and misconduct - judge my tolerance, work within credible zone, I'll give you a signal if we need to raise our profile. Request help for persistent offenders, chat at halftime but if in game try and get me a signal if someone Totting up and ai haven't noticed.

Penalties - yes, no, don't know, bail me out of the 💩 if I am catastrophically wrong in law. Help on in or out (only if credible)

Mass con - Get on, don't get involved physically, watch, manage, come together discuss, reds first, yellows and anything else. Bare minimum instigator and retaliator and if between 3 of us one of us could remember restart.

Depending on who is my AR I can drop some, or go into more detail.

Always offer if any questions in case you have missed anything or the ARs are unsure.
 
JamesL said:
I ask for three things to think about from my assistants in the game:

Teamwork - make decisions together, loads of eye contact and communication etc. We work together to be the little decisions right, or sell them as a team, whne the big ones come along hopefully the teams will trust us to get them right.
Credibility - the referee in the best position is the most credible. Credible zone is flexible. Key thing to think about is if you were the referee would you want your assistant to come in. If the answer is yes, get involved, if the answer is no, stay out of it.
Enjoyment - that's why we are there as we enjoy the game, smile on way out, smile throughout and smile as we leave. And if I am not smiling, remind me to.

I then go through a few bits like bal out of play look at each other, make decision downstairs together before signalling.

Offsides all your except when we have 50% of info, then we need to talk. Will only over rule if wrong in law

Fouls and misconduct - judge my tolerance, work within credible zone, I'll give you a signal if we need to raise our profile. Request help for persistent offenders, chat at halftime but if in game try and get me a signal if someone Totting up and ai haven't noticed.

Penalties - yes, no, don't know, bail me out of the 💩 if I am catastrophically wrong in law. Help on in or out (only if credible)

Mass con - Get on, don't get involved physically, watch, manage, come together discuss, reds first, yellows and anything else. Bare minimum instigator and retaliator and if between 3 of us one of us could remember restart.

Depending on who is my AR I can drop some, or go into more detail.

Always offer if any questions in case you have missed anything or the ARs are unsure.
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I haven't got much experience in terms of NARs, but I'd be inclined to ask what they're comfortable doing. With L7's, the whole downstairs/upstairs thing might be a bit much, which is why I quite like to keep things a bit simpler than that. Like I say, I'm sure it depends on what level you are, but on the bottom rung, too much information has the potential to bamboozle
Even in terms of my own game, I'll only have two (max three) things I want to focus on. Which involves trusting that I won't forget the other stuff.
Lists are generally a good thing however. Just depends how they're used
 
A game with NARs last season, turned up to the ground early so I had a chance to watch them AR the previous game.

I only had three instructions for them pregame. Stay with second last defender or ball. Only flag if offside player becomes active or imminent to become active. Lots of eye contact. They found the middle one hard to follow anyway.

Only after the game I had the a few more 'instructions' for them to remember for future games, like which hand to hold the flag, discrete signals, don't run and flag at the same time....

Point in case, horses for courses.
 
Match record: who records what.

I’d be telling one AR to record goals, the other to NOT record goals but keep eyes on pitch whilst R and AR have heads in notebooks writing down score.

Do you want an AR to also note down cards? I’ve been asked to do this in the past, but to be honest it’s not always easy seeing what’s given to who when it’s at the other end of the pitch.
 
RefJef said:
Match record: who records what.

I’d be telling one AR to record goals, the other to NOT record goals but keep eyes on pitch whilst R and AR have heads in notebooks writing down score.

Do you want an AR to also note down cards? I’ve been asked to do this in the past, but to be honest it’s not always easy seeing what’s given to who when it’s at the other end of the pitch.
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Yes always. And it has saved my arse on multiple occasions. In fact the only recording I didn't want (changed now) was for junior AR not to record subs. Now I want them to record subs coming out on their side.

On recording goals, if asked (sometimes get asked who records first), don't mind as long as you are sure the is no chance of missing something. I always check ARs before kicking off.
 
It's a case of knowing your audience.

You'll lose some refs with a long prematch, many will continue doing what they've done for the last 40 odd years and some kids will looking down and would struggle to make eye contact with their mum.
Get to know them pregame and cater the pre-match accordingly.
 
one said:
Yes always. And it has saved my arse on multiple occasions. In fact the only recording I didn't want (changed now) was for junior AR not to record subs. Now I want them to record subs coming out on their side.

On recording goals, if asked (sometimes get asked who records first), don't mind as long as you are sure the is no chance of missing something. I always check ARs before kicking off.
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What's taught here on recording is TLC (Trail-Lead-Center(Ref)). The lead AR and R keep eyes on players while Trail records; then lead records, and R records last--either when lead is done or it is clear there is no hot spot of potential problem.

To me the most important part of pregame is knowing the audience. There is a big difference what it makes to talk about with peer-level ARs and with much more junior or newbie ARs.
 
socal lurker said:
What's taught here on recording is TLC (Trail-Lead-Center(Ref)). The lead AR and R keep eyes on players while Trail records; then lead records, and R records last--either when lead is done or it is clear there is no hot spot of potential problem.
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Tried that for many years. It hardly ever worked. as AR I worked with referees who asked for it that way and they didn't follow it themselves. Last 5 years or so I have changed it to something more risky in theory but in practice much easier to follow and not as risky as it sounds "anticipate problems brewing and don't put your head down for recording if the case".
 
I think if you have never worked together before, even if all 3 of you are experienced, then a 'full' briefing is justified, but often if I'm with two who I've been out with before the referee will just say something like "Been out with both of you before, you know how I work. Happy? Any questions?" and off we go.
 
PinnerPaul said:
I think if you have never worked together before, even if all 3 of you are experienced, then a 'full' briefing is justified, but often if I'm with two who I've been out with before the referee will just say something like "Been out with both of you before, you know how I work. Happy? Any questions?" and off we go.
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This is exactly what I do to be fair.

I officiate a number of Charity games and I always work with the same two assistants, so normally it's a quick 'You both know how I'm going to referee the game so same as usual lads' always suffices
 
Depends on the competence of your ARs. Level 7s doing one of their first ever games then its a very short conversation. You're trying to avoid disasters instead of trying to look like a polished team. My first ever game as AR the pre match chat was 10 mins long. No idea about half of what was said, it was too much info and I was 34. But equally, as I got more experienced I wanted a bit more from the pre match.

The key is what you do before pre match. The informal chat you have with your ARs when you first turn up. Once you know the level and experience then you can taylor your pre match accordingly.
 
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