A&H

Pre-match word with Captains

Libano Ref

Libano Ref

New Member
What are your main focuses when speaking to the skippers right before kick off and the coin toss?

I usually like to focus on establishing a bit of trust in them keeping their players in line. I've used the term "I trust you etc." almost every time.

It usually gives (most of) them a different sense of responsibility that's not come from the gaffer himself.

Be good to know what everyone's trick here is.
 
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Most of the league games I do have a requirement for the captains to be present at team sheets 1 hour before kickoff, so it's a bit easier to speak to them as they are not so focused on the immediate game starting.

Typically the only games I do in the middle now where this doesn't happen are cup games so I will just clarify the comp rules with them:

Cup game and we have to have a winner today. If we're level at 90 minutes, there's no ET, straight to penalties.

In this competition there's no sin bins in operation for dissent (if applicable as it is in one comp I do games for).

Any questions? No away skipper heads or tails?

Generally at the toss, the captains are thinking about the game already so not really going to take in too much. Having said that if I have CAR's, I brief them in front of the skippers so they cannot argue that they have not heard what my expectations are, especially for offside (YMMV here as I know certain parts of the country don't have CAR's doing offsides, but they do where I am based).
 
Justy is right with the idea of "keep it simple", what do you want from them specifically as the captain?

The way I always frame it is that they're responsible for making sure their players are listening to me - I'll give the players information like they're close to a card for dissent, PI etc, and it's the captain's job to help his team by getting the right response to that information from his players.
 
"Skippers, I expect you to be the ones that manage the behaviour of your teams. I don't want to do that, but if I have to then I will. My preference though is that it is you doing it rather than me. Let's have a good game and work together to make sure that happens."

I'm still learning my middle spiel. I used to say more, but now I pretty much just say the above in various ways.
 
Libano Ref said:
What are your main focuses when speaking to the skippers right before kick off and the coin toss?

I usually like to focus on establishing a bit of trust in them keeping their players in line. I've used the term "I trust you etc." almost every time.

It usually gives (most of) them a different sense of responsibility that's not come from the gaffer himself.

Be good to know what everyone's trick here is.
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Slightly controversially I don't talk a lot before or during games.

I'm at Sunday league level so bear that in mind. But I'll go and say hello to each team when I arrive (or when they do if they're later!) and then inspect pitch and warm up and leave them to it.

Before kick off I introduce myself again to captains and get their names. Go through the coin toss and at most I'll mention the pitch condition and if that changes expectations from me. i.e. it's sticky so take it easy on standing legs etc.

Then during it's just pre-warning (i.e. "easy" or "don't" if I see a bad challenge about to happen) or "play on" and any explaining needed on decisions.

The more you talk, the more a part of the game you become and the more players want to talk back and it escalates.

Maybe I just have a really annoying voice!
 
"90 minutes to go, we'll all see you in the bar. You're home, you toss. You're away, you call. Catch it in the air"

(or clarify competiton rules / sin bins as per the indomitable @Justylove above)
 
Mine is along the lines of "work with me, if any of your players start getting out of hand get hold of them before I have to get hold of them".

Depends on the captains though. I did one contrib game where I went to shake the home captain's hand in the tunnel and he refused and said he doesn't speak to referees. After the game my ARs asked if I'd thought about identifying someone else who was sensible to talk to, but why should I, the club have appointed this idiot as captain so they have to face the consequences. Just means one step of the ladder is missed out and what might be a chat with the captain automatically escalates to a caution. The away captain, who I had refereed loads and was a top guy, found it highly amusing (very sadly he passed away from Covid last year aged just 38).
 
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