Regaining Match Control

[GraemeS]

I think the term "match control" is rather ambiguous and often used to describe a situation where the players have just decided to be a bunch of %&£!'s but want to make it somebody else's fault. The referee has no "control" over individuals whether collectively or otherwise. You're there to watch, listen and blow your whistle accordingly. Everything else is about the other 22 people out there.

Not convinced by that argument at all. If players have decided to be a bunch of %&£!'s you've got two options - do something about it or shrink into the background and let them cause trouble. Most of the time, where you land on that scale will directly correlate with how good your "match control" will end up appearing.

Obviously there will be rare occasions where you do everything right to try to regain control and nothing works, but I can count the number of times I've ended a match feeling like there was nothing I could have done on one hand. Far more common to look back on a match with a laundry list of things you could have done differently. It might have made no difference, but you can't just assume it wouldn't have.

 

[RustyRef]

Not convinced by that argument at all. If players have decided to be a bunch of %&£!'s you've got two options - do something about it or shrink into the background and let them cause trouble. Most of the time, where you land on that scale will directly correlate with how good your "match control" will end up appearing.

Obviously there will be rare occasions where you do everything right to try to regain control and nothing works, but I can count the number of times I've ended a match feeling like there was nothing I could have done on one hand. Far more common to look back on a match with a laundry list of things you could have done differently. It might have made no difference, but you can't just assume it wouldn't have.

Agree, the referee is the one with a whistle and cards, not either team. If a referee lets unruly players behave badly without sanction then that is still a loss of match control, albeit a self inflicted one.

 

[PinnerPaul]

Fantastic thread - great advice - I could have 'liked' nearly every post!

 

[Big Cat]

It's like having a really bad patch in the middle of a round of golf. Not what you set out to do, but good golfers with the right mentality will still post a reasonable score in the Clubhouse afterwards. The rest will lose their heads and have a nightmare

 

[one]

It's like cruising along and all of a sudden, baaaam, corona virus hits. You know there is an end to it so you ride it out and come out a better person at the other end of it.

 

[santa sangria]

I agree with everything said above... also:

Pro-active: communicate with the players more, tell them to challenge smart, play the ball, watch the hands, whatever, and anticipate - get into better positions...

Which leads me on to the big one for me...

Positioning: I'm surprised no one has mentioned it. I think you can do loads with positioning if you are smart and/or have the legs. Get close to problem players chasing other players, go to the corners, don't be a stranger to your ARs - sometimes your presence is needed in "their area", get side on to every aerial ball, anticipate short goal kicks, keep moving at corners, take non-by-the-book positions waiting for corners so the players can see you. This - if it's not all part of your natural game - and you can take it to extremes - can get you back control.

 

[one]

I agree with everything said above... also:

Pro-active: communicate with the players more, tell them to challenge smart, play the ball, watch the hands, whatever, and anticipate - get into better positions...

Which leads me on to the big one for me...

Positioning: I'm surprised no one has mentioned it. I think you can do loads with positioning if you are smart and/or have the legs. Get close to problem players chasing other players, go to the corners, don't be a stranger to your ARs - sometimes your presence is needed in "their area", get side on to every aerial ball, anticipate short goal kicks, keep moving at corners, take non-by-the-book positions waiting for corners so the players can see you. This - if it's not all part of your natural game - and you can take it to extremes - can get you back control.

You can do all that and you still lose control of the game? (Scratches his head)

 

[Justylove]

You can do all that and you still lose control of the game? (Scratches his head)

You can, but the point is being proactive is a way in which you can either retain or regain control.

Regaining match control might mean you end up with 8 or 9 in the book, versus not regaining it and having 3 in the book and WW3 having broken out.

 

[santa sangria]

You can do all that and you still lose control of the game? (Scratches his head)

LOL This thread isn't about me - but - in the last two years I've got much better at talking to players and learning when to interfere - or minimise/maximise interference. I had to really mess up a game two years ago almost to the day to go to the next level. But no, I haven't lost a game in two years. Maybe one of the two tonight...?