The Ref Stop

Remembering Offenders

Status
Not open for further replies.
R

Rye87Ref

New Member
Level 7 Referee
Does anyone have any hints or tips for remembering / noting offenders from fouls. In my last couple of games I have intended to caution an offender for a foul, but by the time I have dealt with the immediate aftermath of awarding the foul (near the edge of the penalty area), I have lost in my mind who the offender was. So I've ended up looking as if I didn't even want to bother speaking to him, never mind cautioning.

Are there any tips or is it simply just a matter or trying to concentrate even harder??
 
The Ref Stop
Don't take your eyes off the offender regardless of what else is going on. Obviously if there is an advantage you cannot do this, I recite the number in my head like a mantra until the game stops and I can whip out the card.
 
This is where using a power tank pen comes in really handy(unlike a pencil) you can grab your pen and write on the back of your hand number and shirt colour, just to make sure you get the right one, such as R7(red 7) or Y6 (yellow 6) then you can deal with your "aftermath" then call over the R7 or Y6......not failed me yet
 
As it can be difficult to even see a player's shirt number, let alone remember it, I tend to focus on a distinctive physical feature and try to remember that. It has the disadvantage that obviously you can't call the player over using that feature ("over here ginger beard please"!), but I do find that makes it easier to pick the players out of the crowd once the incident's calmed down.

I'd also suggest that if you are stopping play (as opposed to playing advantage) and there isn't a big flare-up, start talking to the offending player almost immediately. It helps keep the player in mind if he reacts either by staring at you, protesting his innocence or looking shifty, and also signals to the other team that you're dealing with the tackle and hopefully reduces the chance of any retaliation.
 
SM said:
Don't take your eyes off the offender regardless of what else is going on. Obviously if there is an advantage you cannot do this, I recite the number in my head like a mantra until the game stops and I can whip out the card.
Click to expand...
I like to shout the players number for advantages especially if I'm going back to caution him. Ideally for me, the player knows he's getting cautioned as play is going on, that way I don't get a situation where he goes on and does another cautionable offence.
 
I've had this happen a couple of times when getting caught up in the melee of a red card offence.....
Need to find some way of identifying them first. A particularly shocking haircut or garish shoes. Failing that, get the number, walk around if you have to.
If you can, pull them aside before everybody gets involved.
If you have the number, write it somewhere - on your hand, or just pull out your notepad and scribble it somewhere without looking.
If it's an advantage scenario, you may want to try writing it down somewhere without looking while play is continuing.
Neutral AR's share this responsibility too - and if it's gotten quite messy, the AR's should be moving into a position where they can identify offenders and/or help prevent others from getting involved.
 
I did a game fairly recently where there was a foul which could have been a soft caution, but also it presented an opportunity for a good breakaway advantage (in an otherwise opportunity shy game). Could only get a part of the offenders shirt number "1" (so 1 of 2 players on the pitch at the time as he wasn't the keeper!) and I noted his hair style and cut from behind as I turned to follow play.

Attack came to nothing and the ball is dead. I'm looking for the player and the 10 and 11 on the team are the same height and have the exact same haircut from behind. They were standing together facing away from me. No idea which one it was.

Said to both of them "don't do that again", thanked my lucky stars it wasn't a certain caution and got on with the game.
 
Slightly related - good tip/instruction I received on Sunday as AR, from referee in prematch, was if possible, to note number of defender "guarding" goal post on my side at corners.

That way if DOGSO by handball occurs on "far side " of referee we can between us identify the defender.
 
This is the for told reason why I don't play an advantage unless it's a clear shot on goal now especially when it dugout area and it caution or even a simple freekick to give
 
Right I'll repeat myself if a tackle that is involving a caution and a striker that has a clear shot on goal is the only time I'll play an advantage any other time I'm stopping play to caution that player
 
ref craig said:
Right I'll repeat myself if a tackle that is involving a caution and a striker that has a clear shot on goal is the only time I'll play an advantage any other time I'm stopping play to caution that player
Click to expand...

You're robbing yourself of a great plus point on an assessment if that's the case. If you play an advantage and then go back and caution the player your assessor will be very happy as you've covered two aspects, especially at 7-6 level.
 
But I don't see upside of playing advantage unless clear site on goal even tomorrow as its my assessment day tomorrow I'm not going to be playing hardly any advantage unless I can see the teams having good passing
 
To be fair this is a problem that I've never encountered.

I think I can be too quick with the whistle sometimes, however most of the time the teams I've had are more than happy with the free kick.
 
ref craig said:
But I don't see upside of playing advantage unless clear site on goal even tomorrow as its my assessment day tomorrow I'm not going to be playing hardly any advantage unless I can see the teams having good passing
Click to expand...

If there is an advantage to be had why take that away from the team that has also just been fouled? I attended a workshop once where advantage was split into thirds using a traffic light system starting from red in the defensive third. Very rarely play it in the defensive third and it progresses up the field. You need to make a judgement based on various factors such as skill level, space, the conditions and the place on the field. Players will appreciate an advantage even if they don't manage to do anything with it, you're letting the game flow. They won't just appreciate, but they will respect a referee who not only plays the advantage, but, if necessary, goes back and issues a caution.
 
YorkshireReferee said:
If there is an advantage to be had why take that away from the team that has also just been fouled? I attended a workshop once where advantage was split into thirds using a traffic light system starting from red in the defensive third. Very rarely play it in the defensive third and it progresses up the field. You need to make a judgement based on various factors such as skill level, space, the conditions and the place on the field. Players will appreciate an advantage even if they don't manage to do anything with it, you're letting the game flow. They won't just appreciate, but they will respect a referee who not only plays the advantage, but, if necessary, goes back and issues a caution.
Click to expand...
I had an assessment where the assessor referred to advantages I gave in the yellow zone with a shrug of his shoulders and was borderline critical of me for allowing one in the defensive third. I don't know if I should have been marked up for good advantage at 7-6 (as he praised me for my use of it in a number of other situations, including one that led to a goal), but I think not scoring over "standard expected" could have been down to the fact that he really wasn't impressed with the one I played in the "red zone".

As far as I'm concerned, as long as the match is being played in good spirits (which this one definitely was), I'm not going to interrupt that by blowing my whistle for a petty foul that didn't dispossess the fouled team. If I'd felt a need to stamp down, that would have been a good chance to grab some control....but I didn't feel that was the case.
 
GraemeS said:
I had an assessment where the assessor referred to advantages I gave in the yellow zone with a shrug of his shoulders and was borderline critical of me for allowing one in the defensive third. I don't know if I should have been marked up for good advantage at 7-6 (as he praised me for my use of it in a number of other situations, including one that led to a goal), but I think not scoring over "standard expected" could have been down to the fact that he really wasn't impressed with the one I played in the "red zone".

As far as I'm concerned, as long as the match is being played in good spirits (which this one definitely was), I'm not going to interrupt that by blowing my whistle for a petty foul that didn't dispossess the fouled team. If I'd felt a need to stamp down, that would have been a good chance to grab some control....but I didn't feel that was the case.
Click to expand...

In my first 6-5 assessment I made a judgement call to allow an advantage in the red zone to a team who had played the other team off the park and had ran circles around the other team. I'd taken the view that there were no players around him and their skill level was high enough and the conditions good enough for me to allow an exception to the rule. The player decided to go on a run from the center of the defense and lost it just before the halfway line. I also know of a level 3 who did something similar and the player lost the ball and it resulted in a dismissal for serious foul play after he lost it and the other team went on the attack. The assessor was not pleased.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top