Make sure the assessor is there when you do your pitch inspection!! I did mine not realising that the assessor was getting a cup of tea and he marked me down as he thought I had not done it!!
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- Thread starter UKColt
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Hah, mine pulled me up on this because I did my pitch inspection before he arrived.
He took my word for it though, and then said I should do the inspection nearer to the time!
boulderdomb
Active Member
Hah, mine pulled me up on this because I did my pitch inspection before he arrived.
He took my word for it though, and then said I should do the inspection nearer to the time!
That's weird feedback (not sure if others will agree) - I was told by multiple referees to do the pitch inspection after you meet and greet with the secretaries (some even do the inspection whilst talking to the secretaries) and usually still do it in my suit. I guess everyone has different procedures.
The reasoning: Any issues found could potentially be resolved before kick off, if you wait closer to kick off you're running the risk of needing to delay kick off especially at games with paying spectators.
My assessor said he would be there 45 mins before kick off. He turned up 1 hour before kick off to make sure I was on time. I already had arrived when he got there. I did my pitch inspection before the players had gone out to warm up whilst he was sat having his tea. He spoke to me after saying that because its done soon, its less stress in preparing for the game and liked that approach over turning up with 15 minutes til kick off with pitch inspection, equipment inspection and personal preparation to rush leaving the ref unprepared.
One of my colleagues was marked down on a Sunday game for not re-checking his nets before kick-off. He did his inspection, then as you can imagine on a Sunday morning all the players warm up by kicking balls at the keeper. His observer advised him he should re-check in case the nets came loose.
Interesting he felt they should be rechecked. If they were checked sufficiently at first inspection there shouldnt really be a need. I understand the point as it is done typically by the assistants at the starts of each half at higher level matches. Did the observer also advise about rechecking nets after half time?
zarathustra
RefChat Addict
I always do a pitch inspection, but I don’t normally wait for the observer to turn up before I do it. I’m very funny about my prematch stuff, I.e. how long before the match I check the pitch, when I go out for my warm up and how long I’m out there. How long before kick off I check the players etc.
It the the only thing I don’t like about getting observed is that observers mess with my prematch.
It’s also the same when I get a match somewhere where the changing room is miles from the pitch.
It the the only thing I don’t like about getting observed is that observers mess with my prematch.
It’s also the same when I get a match somewhere where the changing room is miles from the pitch.
I was picked up on this two weeks ago. Observer explained it well - we are being judged on the next level not the current level and substitutes are expected to be managed properly as you go up so you need to show that you understand how it’s meant to happen. He said “trust me - if you tell the teams ahead of time that you expect subs to be one on one off and at the half way line 90% if them will listen”. I tried it last week by briefing the managers ahead of the match - with roll on and roll off - and probably did 7 subs all correctly without a word of complaint from the teams.
I met my observer and he arrived one hour beforr the match, grabbed a tea and a chair whilst we chatted for 5 mins then said speak to you at the end. He then watched and left me to it and didnt even acknowledge me until after the match. Only thing he said in the period was well done on getting inspection out of the way with over 40 mins to go and before teams were on it. He turned up early delibrately to see my full pre match and how I do it. He made a point of not interferring so he got a full idea of my way so he can then say consider this or try that after. Next game I used what he said. Most things i will adopt. Only a few things I preferred my way so will stick to that. Aslong as it works.
This is from my only observation so different observers may do it differently. I liked this approach though and it worked for me.
Depends when they were checked. I've done several games where we've checked the nets as part of the pre-match inspection, but then when I or one of my assistants have checked again following the fair play handshake a problem has been found. I've even seen this in a Football League game where an AR has found a problem and kick off has been delayed while they get the ground staff to fix it.
It's the same reason why you will see assistants at senior levels re-check the nets after half time.