Regaining Control

[cZulu]

It seems a question that is never asked, and I know its to be avoided in the first place, but what do other refs do in an attempt to regain control of a match once its lost?

Specific scenario: I give a penalty decision in the first 10 mins - thinking back I now admit it was a poor decision and I knew this within 5 seconds of giving it but I had to hold up my confidence to the players. Cue every decision I make receiving dissent in one form or another and my capability being called into question regularly by the players too. I obviously use warnings and YCs as appropriate but this appears to fan the flames. I can also imagine its equally easy to avoid making decisions, or letting things go in this scenario, but again would make things worse too.

I am a junior referee and I'm going to make the odd mistake. I am still not feeling great following this game yesterday; its easier said than done to review, learn and move on to next week - especially when this team is on my roster next Sunday too!

Thanks for your help.

 

[Anubis]

Well Could you have recinded the pk? Of course that in itself can have control implications, but, we do all strive to make the correct call.

Controlling a game is like being a conductor controlling the orchestra. You speed it up, you slow it down, you let it play along smoothly, you mix it up a bit
Or as another user typed during the week, its driving the new car....

if you feel the games getting away from you, kill it stone dead, until its back in your control. Free kick must be where the offence was, not three four yards away
Give the soft foul, the maybe foul
No moving restarts either.
Use positive language ' work with me guys"
Throw ins where ball went out, again, not six yards away
Say, please, tnanks
Make the most of stoppages, slow things down, ie at a sub or if the ball gets booted to Narnia, dont rush to get a replacement on

setting myself up to be hammered here but if one team feeling aggrevied, give them something, give them the 60 40 corner kick goal kick, if its them defending
Give them the I dunno throw esp if its on their coachy side.

work with the players, empthasize, be humble, not arrogant

even something trival like ball out of play and playee next to you asks you to wait til he does his laces, do it, he might appreciate it with a " thanks ref" and you might slowly get him back on your side

I always use players names if I know them, and I have no issue with the players using mine, am not a robot and they are not just numbers, they are human and part of the same sporting event as me.....

" Davie, thats your second foul in ten mins, be careful please", is for me, better than " oi 5 cut that out".

From your post, you " held your confidence" but, ( obv i never saw the decision but purely based on how i read your post) you lost your credibility.
If the players dont buy into you, then yes, you can be on a hiding to nothing

Top flight example, Andre Marriner, bit older, not the fittest, but, reads the game well and the players trust him. Rare for him to have an angry mob chasing him round the pitch. Having that trust allows him the odd missed fk on the halfway line, because the players know he will get the next one right. They buy into him as a referee but, more so, as a person.

Hope 1% of that helps

 

[Big Cat]

It seems a question that is never asked, and I know its to be avoided in the first place, but what do other refs do in an attempt to regain control of a match once its lost?

Specific scenario: I give a penalty decision in the first 10 mins - thinking back I now admit it was a poor decision and I knew this within 5 seconds of giving it but I had to hold up my confidence to the players. Cue every decision I make receiving dissent in one form or another and my capability being called into question regularly by the players too. I obviously use warnings and YCs as appropriate but this appears to fan the flames. I can also imagine its equally easy to avoid making decisions, or letting things go in this scenario, but again would make things worse too.

I am a junior referee and I'm going to make the odd mistake. I am still not feeling great following this game yesterday; its easier said than done to review, learn and move on to next week - especially when this team is on my roster next Sunday too!

Thanks for your help.

Hardest part of the job arguably. Don't worry too much cos you're in the same boat as the rest of us
It's like most aspects of Refereeing. Communication..... Takes a lot of practice. Find things that work for you over time and note them down.

Top advice from @Anubis above BTW. Spot on

 

[Justylove]

The biggest issue I've found if I've made a poor decision and need to try to wrestle match control back is all in my head.

I found that my mind would be wandering and dwelling on the decision, meaning that I wasn't focused on the moment in hand, that then might be the difference between getting into a good position to read the next phase of play and causing further problems due to a perceived lack of credibility.

I also found that in those momentary body language and signals would become a bit more tentative and ragged, further giving off an aura of lack of confidence/control.

My advice - when there is a break in play soon after the event, give yourself a mental telling off, then park the incident, then for the next 5-10 minutes or so make an extra effort to make sure your signals have a real snap to them.

 

[refeire]

Chances are everyone thought what a crap decision that was .. and then quickly moved on, leaving you to be the only one dwelling on it and damaging your own performance by doing so.

There isn't a referee who has made/not made a call they regretted very shortly after it. Keep in mind our decisions do not have to be instant. When it's stonewall you will naturally react instantly, when it's not so clear-cut do not hesitate to use that next second or 2 to make your mind up. A late decision is better than a wrong decision.

I once had a handball, I took a quick moment to do a mental replay and think deliberate/unnatural or accidental ... hmm then pointed to the spot. It wasn't the quickest decision I've ever made but looking back I knew it was correct and that gave me confidence for the rest of the game.

I wouldn't agree with rescinding the penalty unless you had an AR you could credibly say advised you of something. Otherwise if alone your credibility will be totally shot and you will be in for the longest game of your life, you'll be getting it from both sides.

 

[Tim - 2013]

Two possibles.

Sometimes you'll get a gentleman's pk done...they're rare, but the kicker will shank it knowing it wasnt right. Thats sweet.

But, I'd go chat with the AR most likely to have seen it right. Yeah, not a PK, was not what I thought.

Back to game, no PK, sorry, making sure we get it right...

I do this because I tell my ARs to let me know if I totally missed it. If they see me coming, they know I want their POV. Doesnt matter if they're 50yds away...we refs watch the game differently than the fans (they watch a game while we watch every play)

 

[Justylove]

Two possibles.

Sometimes you'll get a gentleman's pk done...they're rare, but the kicker will shank it knowing it wasnt right. Thats sweet.

But, I'd go chat with the AR most likely to have seen it right. Yeah, not a PK, was not what I thought.

Back to game, no PK, sorry, making sure we get it right...

I do this because I tell my ARs to let me know if I totally missed it. If they see me coming, they know I want their POV. Doesnt matter if they're 50yds away...we refs watch the game differently than the fans (they watch a game while we watch every play)

Only issue here is that the referee is likely to have Club Assistant Referees not neutral ones. Going over and doing that will kill your match control even further....

 

[Tim - 2013]

I'm in the US. I have ARs. The only time I have club linesmen is if an AR fails to show. In my games, a linesman can only signal one thing: ball out of play. The flag goes up if the entire ball leaves play. They dont determine restart direction, fouls, or offside. They must mirror the center decision. This is the modifications of the LOTG for my competitions I officiate.

I would not ask a linesmen their opinion on my own calls.

 

[Anubis]

Only issue here is that the referee is likely to have Club Assistant Referees not neutral ones. Going over and doing that will kill your match control even further....

Hopefully not too much off topic but I still find it insane anyone needs to use a CAR.
We spend hours, weeks, months, years learning our trade, yet take the word of Jimmy, whose knowledge of the LOTG extends to knowing the teams switch ends at half time, on the sideline that someone is offside or otherwise.

and to the potential benefit of his own team!

sorry will never understand that, never having done it.

 

[RobOda]

Cue every decision I make receiving dissent in one form or another and my capability being called into question regularly by the players too. I obviously use warnings and YCs as appropriate but this appears to fan the flames.

I was going to mention this; Usually, if a game is getting away from me, a caution for dissent usually re-focuses the teams and gets them off my back.

Where that has happened though, it is usually because I've not been strong enough cautioning earlier on in the game for dissent, so players are pushing as far as they can to get under my skin.

Having said all that, I wouldn't worry too much about it as we can be very harsh on ourselves. I found over the years that my "worst" performances get me the best marks from observers, so, I would try not to dwell on it too much unless it becomes a development point when you go for promotion IMO.

 

[Justylove]

I was going to mention this; Usually, if a game is getting away from me, a caution for dissent usually re-focuses the teams and gets them off my back.

Where that has happened though, it is usually because I've not been strong enough cautioning earlier on in the game for dissent, so players are pushing as far as they can to get under my skin.

Having said all that, I wouldn't worry too much about it as we can be very harsh on ourselves. I found over the years that my "worst" performances get me the best marks from observers, so, I would try not to dwell on it too much unless it becomes a development point when you go for promotion IMO.

And at grassroots level in England we have the added benefit of the Sin Bin. Making an example of a player and having them sit down for 10 minutes is a great deterrent. Even the dumbest of teams will get it eventually.

Often players will try to figure out where the line is and what they can get away with. Your role as the referee is to draw the line and be clear and consistent with players as to the punishment for crossing it.

 

[Big Cat]

Making an example of a player and having them sit down for 10 minutes is a great deterrent

Also a deterrent to Referees using Sin Bins in my experience. Raises the stakes associated with dissent? I've no problem with merely a caution, or a Sin Bin. I've used them both with equal frequency, with largely the same effect

 

[Justylove]

Also a deterrent to Referees using Sin Bins in my experience. Raises the stakes associated with dissent? I've no problem with merely a caution, or a Sin Bin. I've used them both with equal frequency, with largely the same effect

I agree it sets the bar a bit higher for giving a card, however it does give the opportunity to provide a warning to players that are getting close to the line.

 

[Anubis]

I agree it sets the bar a bit higher for giving a card, however it does give the opportunity to provide a warning to players that are getting close to the line.

Never used sin bin and not fully aware of the procedure

with that in mind, if say one team have a guy binned for dissent, when someone in the other team commits a dissent act which is certainly yellow cardable, is there a tendancy to utilise the bin again, in the interests of appearing fair, even though it was more than worthy of a yellow card?

 

[Justylove]

Never used sin bin and not fully aware of the procedure

with that in mind, if say one team have a guy binned for dissent, when someone in the other team commits a dissent act which is certainly yellow cardable, is there a tendancy to utilise the bin again, in the interests of appearing fair, even though it was more than worthy of a yellow card?

You don't get to choose, if it's in use then you have to sin bin for dissent.

Only time you don't is if the offence is committed at half time or full time when it's a "regular" caution.

 

[Anubis]

You don't get to choose, if it's in use then you have to sin bin for dissent.

Only time you don't is if the offence is committed at half time or full time when it's a "regular" caution.

ah.

in my head it was optional.

 

[Joshref]

Hopefully not too much off topic but I still find it insane anyone needs to use a CAR.
We spend hours, weeks, months, years learning our trade, yet take the word of Jimmy, whose knowledge of the LOTG extends to knowing the teams switch ends at half time, on the sideline that someone is offside or otherwise.

and to the potential benefit of his own team!

sorry will never understand that, never having done it.

The CARs only call ins and outs where I am tbf (but they seem to have to be told this about 10 times before finally getting it) but that doesn’t stop them being biased. Had to deal with 2 abusive away team CARs. The first one was reported to the FA, who have apparently been investigating it for over a year, the other one was dealt with fine. And both of these were at U12 level as well (with the same home team ironically)

 

[Ben448844]

Hopefully not too much off topic but I still find it insane anyone needs to use a CAR.
We spend hours, weeks, months, years learning our trade, yet take the word of Jimmy, whose knowledge of the LOTG extends to knowing the teams switch ends at half time, on the sideline that someone is offside or otherwise.

and to the potential benefit of his own team!

sorry will never understand that, never having done it.

Didn't use CARs at grassroots in Sheffield and its so much better than down here where I do.