Refereeing guidance
- Thread starter BrumRef
- Start date
I was told by someone the RDOs had a meeting on Monday about it so I’m assuming they did and are finalising it which is what that statement make it out like their doing - it’d be great if all counties do but I doubt it as I have seen certain counties advertise it on twitter to email the RDO with interest and they’d send you a link but I think the counties have already decided what they’re doing and some are more supportive of their refs than others
Hi everyone the guidance has been given early to this page the guidance seems aimed more at non league does anyone know if they’re going to release a grassroots/ youth orientated document. This document has 5 pages so make sure to read all as it’s hard to see there’s 5 pages.
FA Referee Specific COVID Guidelines released. - Ref Support UK
Please contact your County FA or The FA with any questions or clarifications.
refsupport.co.uk
Not sure they had it early. It was freely available on the FA website at the point they postedHi everyone the guidance has been given early to this page the guidance seems aimed more at non league does anyone know if they’re going to release a grassroots/ youth orientated document. This document has 5 pages so make sure to read all as it’s hard to see there’s 5 pages.
FA Referee Specific COVID Guidelines released. - Ref Support UK
Please contact your County FA or The FA with any questions or clarifications.refsupport.co.uk
RefJef
RefChat Addict
A little disappointing if that is the advice for referees that we were promised (and I’ve been told by FA and my County that I will get them emailed directly to me) - my problem isn’t with the guidance, it’s that whoever has written them is clearly so far devolved from the weeds of grass roots football that I operate in that they have no real idea of what happens in my refereeing world. And that annoys me.
Ive got a number of games lined up for August, in all but one I will be operating as a lone wolf, so no ARs to check kit for me.
The interesting take away for me was that players are to be responsible for their own kit, with ARs giving a cursory glance to check players equipment.
This, I think, is important- “your honour, I did a cursory inspection of the players kit, but in this cursory inspection I did not see his ear ring. The guidance is quite clear that players are responsible for ensuring their kit complies with the Laws of the Game, therefore I can not be held accountable for the fact his ear ring snagged on the goal net and he now resembles a pound land Van Gough.”
Will be interested to see if this is total advice we receive from the FA - disappointing if so as it does not address the situation most of us will find ourselves in.
Ive got a number of games lined up for August, in all but one I will be operating as a lone wolf, so no ARs to check kit for me.
The interesting take away for me was that players are to be responsible for their own kit, with ARs giving a cursory glance to check players equipment.
This, I think, is important- “your honour, I did a cursory inspection of the players kit, but in this cursory inspection I did not see his ear ring. The guidance is quite clear that players are responsible for ensuring their kit complies with the Laws of the Game, therefore I can not be held accountable for the fact his ear ring snagged on the goal net and he now resembles a pound land Van Gough.”
Will be interested to see if this is total advice we receive from the FA - disappointing if so as it does not address the situation most of us will find ourselves in.
That was the problem that I had with it is it’s not aimed at grassroots football I have no ARs as you said we don’t have a MOAS system so I wonder if there will be 2 different sets of advice, one for NLS and one for grassroots - according to that advice am I as a 15 year old meant to ask the money is sent to my bank accounts as I’m sure some refs my age won’t and I know my mate who often runs the line for me doesn’t have access to a bank account and he won’t feel comfortable messaging a manager and asking him to put cash in an envelope. I’m hoping we’ll get our second part emailed directly to us earlier like my RDO said it’ll be sent directly to us so I wonder if this is not for grassroots as well although I queried refsupport about it with no response yet
I'd have to disagree that you can't apply. This guidance to being a lone wolf.
Whilst it makes reference to mostly happenings at NLS games, they feel universally applicable to me.. For example, kit check, this happens with or without an AR - you just follow the guidance as if you are an AR.
You follow the same principles. There has to be an element of personal responsibility here. You do what you are comfortable with within the guidelines.
For a grassroots game I interpret like this
Arrive in kit
Wear a mask
Socially distance
Warm up, mask off, socially distance, mask on kit check socially distanced, mask off for kick off. Don't touch ball pre match. Coin toss, social distanced.
Referee game as normal taking care not to be within 1m+ encouraging quick restarts so participants aren't to close for too long.
After match, mask on, socially distanced, get paid, go home.
We are not going to be the covid police. If you have concerns you raise them. With someone at the game, and or you report to the league later.
I might have missed something in my above overall assessment - what specifically were you looking for that's not there?
Whilst it makes reference to mostly happenings at NLS games, they feel universally applicable to me.. For example, kit check, this happens with or without an AR - you just follow the guidance as if you are an AR.
You follow the same principles. There has to be an element of personal responsibility here. You do what you are comfortable with within the guidelines.
For a grassroots game I interpret like this
Arrive in kit
Wear a mask
Socially distance
Warm up, mask off, socially distance, mask on kit check socially distanced, mask off for kick off. Don't touch ball pre match. Coin toss, social distanced.
Referee game as normal taking care not to be within 1m+ encouraging quick restarts so participants aren't to close for too long.
After match, mask on, socially distanced, get paid, go home.
We are not going to be the covid police. If you have concerns you raise them. With someone at the game, and or you report to the league later.
I might have missed something in my above overall assessment - what specifically were you looking for that's not there?
What you’re saying is right but my point was some referees are less likely to have read up as much as some of us have and that we/they shouldn’t have to interpret this ourselves. Some referees will not read 5 pages of guidelines which means there will be inconsistencies, like you said we are not the COVID police but I feel like the information could be easier to read and that this is more to cover the FA than anything, interpret it as you like but I know my mate will not read 5 pages and won’t be the only one not to. I think you’ve summed it up extremely well James and will forward your summary aswell as the official one to him.
RefJef
RefChat Addict
Complete disagree
Now, personally, I’m not really bothered about getting advice from the FA, I’m pretty sensibl, know what’s what, and in a months time I will find myself indoors, in a smaller space, with the same amount of people (I am a teacher) to my mind, a far more hazardous proposition, so I’m not too worried about knowing what to do to referee a game of football on my own. If I had any worries, I just wouldn’t do it. (Referee the game)
What irks me is the arrogance of the FA implying that all games have (at least) three officials. It says to me that they have no idea what happens at many, many games up and down the land every week.
Well, they can keep on (mis)managing the multi-million pound game, I’ll keep doing my best to help 22 blokes pay five quid a week to run around on a football pitch for 90 minutes on a Saturday or Sunday morning.
@RefJef my reply was no aspersion on your good self and sorry if you felt it was.
My thoughts are, and I am sorry if you don't agree, that producing two lots of guidance which essentially say the same thing seems ineffective, it just moves the responsibility of a task to another person. What you actually do would be the same.
The laws of the game does the same thing; it talks about the responsibilities of all the match officials, we just takeover some of those responsibilities allocated to an AR when we are a lone ref.
Maybe I stand corrected then and there is a completely different set of guidelines to arrive.
I am certain the content will not change drastically though
I honestly don't know why someone wouldn't at least read the info... Its 5 pages... What did they do with the laws of the game... All 100+ pages of it...
Not to argue with you I believe they should, but lots of new refs won’t and use what they’re taught on the course - we were never told to read it even advised to, I chose to do so to improve myself and my knowledge and some refs don’t do this as seriously as some may and I just feel it could’ve been communicated better to us and that it does often feel like we are the last thought at step 7 grassroots refs. I choose to go solo and work it out myself like you did when interpreting it, my point is that some people won’t read 5 pages let alone the entire LOTG book, I’m sure someone will correct me if they should’ve done so but we weren’t asked to. I don’t mind these but I have a feeling that some are lazy like some people are lazy in all aspects of life and will not bother and enforce it in their own way not according to the guidelines creating more inconsistencies than there already are at this level
Fair point.
RefJef
RefChat Addict
Under promise and over deliver, alas I think the FA has done the reverse.
When it was announced that football could kick off again on 1st Aug, my phone began to ring red hot with teams contacting me to ask me to ref for them in the coming weeks.
i was delighted to say yes, read the info the FA had sent out to team, all made sense to me, sat back and began looking forward to this Saturda.
Then, earlier this week, I was told I would be getting referee specific advice from the FA. It’s now less than 48 hours until I blow the final whistle on my opening fixture, and I haven’t received any advice as how to proceed as a lone wolf. I’m not bothered by that, but if they are saying they are going to give advice, they should do so.
As it is, I would have thought the advice would be pretty easy to cobble together - just add a couple of line to the other advice about what to do if working alone without ARs.
As a result of all this, I don’t feel any less prepared for fixtures from Saturday, but my opinion about the FA and their competence to run grass roots football has been diminished.
When it was announced that football could kick off again on 1st Aug, my phone began to ring red hot with teams contacting me to ask me to ref for them in the coming weeks.
i was delighted to say yes, read the info the FA had sent out to team, all made sense to me, sat back and began looking forward to this Saturda.
Then, earlier this week, I was told I would be getting referee specific advice from the FA. It’s now less than 48 hours until I blow the final whistle on my opening fixture, and I haven’t received any advice as how to proceed as a lone wolf. I’m not bothered by that, but if they are saying they are going to give advice, they should do so.
As it is, I would have thought the advice would be pretty easy to cobble together - just add a couple of line to the other advice about what to do if working alone without ARs.
As a result of all this, I don’t feel any less prepared for fixtures from Saturday, but my opinion about the FA and their competence to run grass roots football has been diminished.