The Ref Stop

pre-season delusion

norfolkref

norfolkref

Member
Level 6 Referee
More of a rant here to be honest. I've been fortunate to cover 4-5 pre season fixtures currently, with a couple more scheduled in midweek and Saturday over the next week or so.
I had a internal Vets vs Reserve team on Sunday last week, and last night 2 Eastern counties U18 sides so that one was a reasonably high standard.

What is really starting to wind me up a bit is this deluded expectation from players and especially coaches that just because its "pre-season" and a "friendly" that means players can commit whatever fouls they like and/or commit blatant dissent because they're not expecting to be carded for the offence(s)?

The vets game I gave a stonewall penalty, attacker round the GK and as hes going the GK pulls his man down. No sanction for the keeper, but another player not even involved comes by and slates the decision, slates my performance. There's a difference between frustration and dissent and that for me was enough for a sin bin. Again, collective moans and groans about pre season.. last night - made it very clear at the coin toss about respect, and that you can make the foul, make comment but expect me to apply the LoTG..
Made it 70 minutes in after applying everything in my locker - quick chat, talk with captains, public rebuke. Player commits a SPA tackle which I book him for, another player behind calls me deluded so I sin bin. I then elect to ignore the shouts from the bench (due to pitch availability and time remaining to get the game done), but at the end get it from the away coach about again pre season and "friendly".

My counter argument is why pay for a qualified referee and not get a club assistant to ref your friendly if you don't want me to apply the laws? To which the comment is always "we want the game referee'd properly" :yawn:

Just curious if anyone is in the same boat and maybe has some good quirps I can use back.
 
The Ref Stop
I find I'm more lenient for cautions depending on the temperature of the game, the only cards I've given out were for two players who could not keep their hands to themselves on Saturday. I think its easier for me due to the sides that I get in preseason, mainly step 5/6 and maybe a development game with a step 3/4 team where they expect it to be dealt with properly.

I have a high tolerance for dissent as it is and choose to manage it as much as possible preseason, but as you said teams cannot take the p*ss. Well within your rights to put them in the naughty corner for misbehaving in a game.
 
Samuel said:
I find I'm more lenient for cautions depending on the temperature of the game, the only cards I've given out were for two players who could not keep their hands to themselves on Saturday. I think its easier for me due to the sides that I get in preseason, mainly step 5/6 and maybe a development game with a step 3/4 team where they expect it to be dealt with properly.

I have a high tolerance for dissent as it is and choose to manage it as much as possible preseason, but as you said teams cannot take the p*ss. Well within your rights to put them in the naughty corner for misbehaving in a game.
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Oh 100% and I'd much rather get through the game with no cards, its more the persistence of the moaning whereas these 2 examples were directed not personal but what you would call dissent. The fouls I agree, the tolerance is higher and it was only shown because it was late and reckless.
 
My message to captains and managers before pre-season friendlies has always been “I’ll manage what I can but I can’t manage the unmanageable”

If it’s SPA or even some dissent I might set a higher bar, but if they snap someone in half or punch someone they are gone.
 
I apply the same attitude to a pre-season friendly as I would to any other game.

This whole attitude from players and coaches about "it's only a friendly" is laughable and I treat that idea with the contempt it deserves.

In 14 years of refereeing, I've only ever had 2 games that ended in a mass brawl and an early finish. And yes, that's right, they were both "friendlies". :rolleyes:
 
I would also apply a higher bar for persistent infringement - using the Capt / coach more. In a friendly, there are more inclined to substitute the player than get a YC.

But bad fouls and and RC should be dealt with as you would normally do.
RustyRef said:
My message to captains and managers before pre-season friendlies has always been “I’ll manage what I can but I can’t manage the unmanageable”

If it’s SPA or even some dissent I might set a higher bar, but if they snap someone in half or punch someone they are go
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I think I'm changing my approach here too. I've tried too hard to please clubs who don't give a damn about me, and it's backfired more than once.
 
RefereeX said:
I think I'm changing my approach here too. I've tried too hard to please clubs who don't give a damn about me, and it's backfired more than once.
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I think you give the players a chance, once they won't to play "silly buggers", then normal refereeing takes over. You can always explain to the captains, when they are close to "crossing the line".
 
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