The Ref Stop

Single referee calling offside

RefIADad

RefIADad

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As a referee in the United States, I don't officiate very many games where we don't have two neutral assistant referees. On Sunday, I only had one assistant, so I was fully responsible for offside on one half of the field. I have also worked some small-sided games on smaller fields where we only used one referee.

For my colleagues in other countries who are the sole referee and have to call offside, what positioning tips do you use to give yourself a chance to call offside?
 
The Ref Stop
Be faster, be fitter, go deeper, go wider. :)

Alternatively, referee it the same way but be more aware and alert that you also have to detect offsides and do the best you can from the position you are.
 
I had a lone game last night and I really made an effort to get wider and get in good positions. Especially at dead balls but any time I could read the play I tried to get deeper and wider. And I consider myself something of a specialist at it... but...

Of course, second half, last 10 minutes I ended up calling two offsides from the centre circle, both with goals from the next touch... both of which were well... laced with doubt.

In the end when on your own, wherever you end up positioned just do your best as it is close to impossible to see everything with certainty when solo.
 
RefIADad said:
As a referee in the United States, I don't officiate very many games where we don't have two neutral assistant referees. On Sunday, I only had one assistant, so I was fully responsible for offside on one half of the field. I have also worked some small-sided games on smaller fields where we only used one referee.

For my colleagues in other countries who are the sole referee and have to call offside, what positioning tips do you use to give yourself a chance to call offside?
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The advice I’ve been given is to stay wide...which isn’t ideal when play ends up on the other side of the pitch and you aren’t in the best position to call the correct decision.

It was a worry of mine before I started but I haven’t found it to be much of an issue yet. The blatant ones you can see from behind and anything borderline I let go...if i get grief off the back of it I explain it’s almost impossible for me to tell without AR’s so to give me a break, players/managers seem to accept that as fair enough.
 
Eddie said:
The advice I’ve been given is to stay wide...which isn’t ideal when play ends up on the other side of the pitch and you aren’t in the best position to call the correct decision.

It was a worry of mine before I started but I haven’t found it to be much of an issue yet. The blatant ones you can see from behind and anything borderline I let go...if i get grief off the back of it I explain it’s almost impossible for me to tell without AR’s so to give me a break, players/managers seem to accept that as fair enough.
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The diagonal though... remember the diagonal. Deep and wide diagonal... when you can... but it's not realistic all the time... many thread on here about it
 
In the league I ref in you usually end up with one reluctant parent an one coach doing the line. They help with ins and outs, I do everything else. A lot of it comes down to instinct. Both teams are warned that if they think I get the decision wrong that's fair enough but be very careful about how you tell me. As above, if you get grief, you can try to explain how difficult doing offside on your is, most coaches understand the situation.
 
santa sangria said:
Again, loads of posts on this. Use the diagonal, otherwise you'll be a headless chicken. And you should practice the diagonal ;)
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Disagree. When on own with no assistants I always worked an oval around the pitch. Running diagnal will probably be how you got caught calling offside from the centre circle.
Of course, nothing is rigid though. The best position to be is from one which you can make the correct decision. What works for one wouldn't work for another etc.
 
JamesL said:
Disagree. When on own with no assistants I always worked an oval around the pitch. Running diagnal will probably be how you got caught calling offside from the centre circle.
Of course, nothing is rigid though. The best position to be is from one which you can make the correct decision. What works for one wouldn't work for another etc.
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And an oval will still leave you at halfway......
 
Mintyref said:
And an oval will still leave you at halfway......
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A diagonal will take you through the centre circle. An oval should take you around it.
An oval allows you to take a wide position at either side a diagonal is rigid. One corner to another increases the chance of getting caught in the middle as you attempt to get wide left for all decisions.
Yes you might have to make the call from half way. But you should be wide rather then central hopefully increasing your accuracy.
 
One assistant worse than none id imagine.

Could it be an option (depending on level of game) if there are two of you rather than three then referee a half of the pitch each ?
 
JamesL said:
A diagonal will take you through the centre circle. An oval should take you around it.
An oval allows you to take a wide position at either side a diagonal is rigid. One corner to another increases the chance of getting caught in the middle as you attempt to get wide left for all decisions.
Yes you might have to make the call from half way. But you should be wide rather then central hopefully increasing your accuracy.
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Trouble is to be accurate you need to be level with play....if not you're often guessing.........we all are......thank God for VAR! Oh wait that's not grass roots is it?
 
Sheffields Finest said:
30 years of research, hundreds of scientists, and the Minty Circular Patrol Zone has now morphed into the Oval Pathway...... I can't wait for the Parabolical Path... COMING SOON!!! ;)
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Only if someone has marked the centre circle out with two centres.......
 
Mintyref said:
Trouble is to be accurate you need to be level with play....if not you're often guessing.........we all are......thank God for VAR! Oh wait that's not grass roots is it?
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Even when level folk get it wrong. It's about having the best chance to make the right decision. When on your own it isn't fool proof. Never will be.
 
JamesL said:
Even when level folk get it wrong. It's about having the best chance to make the right decision. When on your own it isn't fool proof. Never will be.
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Of course you're right, let's just have NARs every match....(wouldn't trust a CAR as far as I could throw one.....
 
spuddy1878 said:
One assistant worse than none id imagine.

Could it be an option (depending on level of game) if there are two of you rather than three then referee a half of the pitch each ?
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(underline added)

Oh, let's not go there - In the US, we're just getting most high school-sponsored matches away from this idea of two whistles, or even three(!), on the field.
 
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