A&H

Junior/Youth Stopping the game for a bit of hand bags?

DaveMac

DaveMac

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Level 7 Referee
Had a great u15 game yesterday. Both teams played good football and both managers were great. One tiny incident was stripes on the attack and takes a shot. Now I saw this perfectly and where he wellied his shot his arms flung around and did slap the Reds defender on the back. The shot was blocked and the Reds then mount an attack with a long ball down the wing. But at the same time I noticed the stripes attacker and reds defender are having an argument. Nothing too aggressive, just a bit of you slapped me, what you talking about. But I was mindful it could have gone a bit further, so have kept myself close to this incident and keeping an eye on it. Now play was about 40 or so yards away and the ball went out of play so I could then hold things up and tell the two lads to calm down.

Now I don't think this was the best approach, but wondering what what have been better. Should I have followed play more and ignored the incident. Obviously had the two players kicked off I'd have been perfectly placed. But I can't really stop a game as they are having a bit of a moan at each other. Plus the attacker seemed more likely to get aggressive just knowing how he'd been all match, which played in my mind at as the defending team was mounting an attack. The problem I had was literally between the two players and the play so meant I couldn't keep my eyes on both things.
 
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No way you can keep an eye on play adequately from 40 yards away though unfortunately...

Personally I would have gone with play and taken a very wide angle so that I can keep glancing to the two players without losing sight of play ... If you're wide you don't need to turn body but just move eyes and head for a split second to make sure its not turned into anything physical.

If you had to jog past them to get to play then a quick "calm it fellas im watching you" wouldn't go amiss!
 
I think the position I took did compromise my ability to follow play. I think the difficulty I had was my position to take a wide angle would have meant running further away from both the ball and the players arguing. So think I sort of made my mind up to see how their tiff played out but left myself in a halfway house position not giving either the best of my focus.

The arguing was taking place on the edge of the defending teams d, while play was out wide left by the halfway line. I was lucky the ball went out of play. But just interested for future reference really the best action or position. I'm inclined to feel if something warrants my attention that could brew over I should stop play, otherwise I should follow the ball.
 
I am very quick accross the ground and find it easy to sprint to a position ahead of play very quickly. If you can do this I'd say run ahead of play so you're looking backwards slightly. Not best position technically but would let you see what you needed to at that point.

This is where a pitch map and positions marked on would be superb for training purposes
 
That would have been ideal. I guess the issue I had was being on my heels a bit watching the two players, combine with the ball being knocked long down the wing. In hindsight getting to the touch line would have helped as I could have kept an eye on the play and still had the two players in the corner of my eye. But it would have been an utterly horrible position to be in!
 
Hmmm

Given the situation described, no NARs to watch the situation with the handbags and play developing a long way away, I would have been inclined to quickly stop the game (before a really good chance develops) and caution both players for handbags (AA), restart with a drop ball where the ball was when you blow up.

That said, depends on just how handbaggy the handbags were.
 
This is the problem, it was the most weak hand bag of hand bags. I was essentially staying nearby to hear two lads arguing about a supposed slap. Proper playground stuff really! But given the age I was expecting one of them to do something! A caution would have been well over the top and it wasn't that sort of game. My luck was the ball going out of play, but I reckon had i sprinted off to follow the ball I'd have heard the usual screams of "he pushed him/he punched him!"

I did feel like I got out of jail as had they broken into the other teams half and created a chance I would have been miles behind the play by the time I started really sprinting up field and I'm never a fan of running full pelt like that when I've positioned myself poorly.
 
I think the "get on with the game lads" nice and loud as you go running by could have been a good ploy so any aattempt to break up the attack can be penalised if needed. Tricky one though @DaveMac.
 
I think thats probably the best suggestion @DanRicketts least then they would have known I'm watching and a quick couple of seconds sprints I could have caught up with play and a glance back kept an eye on them.
 
Generally I wouldn't want to stop unless it looked like it was about to escalate. It would also depend a bit on field position of the ball - I'm not going to stop an attack on a precaution. Yell at them to get on with it - but as you move upfield, be aware. You may have to adopt an extremely wide position that allows you to take in both play and the 2 arguing players so they're not arguing behind your back.

This is the sort of thing an AR - even 4th official - should be watching closely (tips for the ARs on here) allowing the referee to keep up with play.
 
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CapnBloodbeard said:
This is the sort of thing an AR - even 4th official - should be watching closely (tips for the ARs on here) allowing the referee to keep up with play.
Click to expand...

Not knowing what it is like in your area, you will not get NAR's on junior football in the UK. At best it will be a parent CAR who knows a bit, but can be a kid told to do it & is sooooooooooooo happy about it.

The best solution is as @DanRicketts said call out that you have seen it.
 
True, but it's relevant info for an AR at any level - and given we get new AR's on here I figured it was worth pointint out.
Where I used to referee I was quite fortunate - we'd often get a full complement of 3 referees. Even at an U/10 match it wouldn't be unusual to have 2 AR's (but, as I said in another thread, you could do up to 5 games in a days, combination of all sorts). But it's great because as a new referee it gives you a lot of access to more experienced referees. Where I am now you generally won't get NAR on juniors.
 
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