Strange experiences

[Justylove]

A few years ago I was appointed as an AR for a supply league game in late Feb. Weather had been bad and the ground we were at was fairly well known for not taking excess water well.

Turned up at the game, the referee opened by telling me and my fellow AR that this was his first year back at 4 after having been a L3 for 3 years and he got stitched up and demoted. He went on to say that he thought supply league football was s**t and he couldn’t wait to get promoted again. His problem was that whilst he was near the top for assessors, he was bottom of band C for clubs (again because he’d been stitched up by a couple of clubs). His only hope was that this game was played as it was the last game of the marking season and he could ‘persuade’ both clubs to give him marks in the high 90’s.

We did the pitch inspection and the pitch was not playable, mine and my other AR’s opinion was it wasn’t even marginal and it was bolting it down. Both clubs were expecting it to be called off and were surprised when he told them it was fine and we were playing.

Game was a farce, both sides slipping and sliding around and it was a miracle that no one (including us AR’s, where the mud on our line was ankle deep) got injured. At one point the home side kicked off after conceding a goal and the ball rolled 2 yards and stopped dead.

Both sets of players were suitably unimpressed and the kindest comment was “That was a f***ing joke”

After the game the referee in question spoke to both club secretaries and asked each of them to give him a mark between 95 and 98 as he needed it for promotion.

I could see from the home team secretary that this was not going to happen as he’d been out surveying the wreckage of the pitch....

Don’t know what marks he got, but he didn’t get promoted that year!

 

[OIREF!]

After the game the referee in question spoke to both club secretaries and asked each of them to give him a mark between 95 and 98 as he needed it for promotion.

Even if you think you've had a good game why would you ask such a question and expect a positive outcome?

 

[Justylove]

Even if you think you've had a good game why would you ask such a question and expect a positive outcome?

I know, but he knew that it was the only way he had a shot at getting his club marks into a band that would give him a chance of going back up to L3.

Any other ref wouldn’t have played the game due to the conditions, but this was his last chance in the marking season.

All in all, a shining example of how not to act as a L4 referee!

 

[one]

I know, but he knew that it was the only way he had a shot at getting his club marks into a band that would give him a chance of going back up to L3.

Any other ref wouldn’t have played the game due to the conditions, but this was his last chance in the marking season.

All in all, a shining example of how not to act as a L4 referee!

And how not to set promotion criteria?

 

[es1]

I know, but he knew that it was the only way he had a shot at getting his club marks into a band that would give him a chance of going back up to L3.

Any other ref wouldn’t have played the game due to the conditions, but this was his last chance in the marking season.

All in all, a shining example of how not to act as a L4 referee!

and also he'll have had no idea of the fortunes of anyone slightly above him on the club marks list which could easily have seen him move up without having had a game at all! crazy!

 

[Martiju]

Pointless exercise.
I'd have told him to ram it.
You're an assistant referee not a stats compilation device.

Absolutely. And what's more, the number of FK applies to the number of fouls, which is down to what happens on the pitch, not some evening-up exercise.

 

[PinnerPaul]

I know a level 7-8 (bottom rung for England I guess) who mics up and has buzzer flags for college games...



That's why I always say 'come out and do the jogging and you can try my routine, but once I'm done you can quit or stay and do more'. Some people need a solid workout, others don't even bother. I find it somewhat annoying when I get an A/R that doesn't want to warm up.

I find it even more frustrating when I get a referee that doesn't want to warm up. I had a cup semi-final once where he didn't warm up, we stayed indoors until kick off because it was sheeting down with rain and he didn't want to go out. First ten-fifteen minutes of that match I was absolutely gassed, with my chest exploding because it was up and down that line rather rapidly as you do in the early stages and it was all in my half. Killer.

Now I just ask 'are you warming up?' no. 'Do you mind if I go and do so?' and just go and warm up on my own if need be. Least by asking, any observer shouldn't get too irate with me for doing so.



Turned up to a game with the team of referees, a senior ref, a/r and me as the junior a/r. About twenty minutes before kick-off, another ref turns up and the game has been assigned to him. So, they ended up swapping.

First ever game on the national Youth Leagues (way back), both myself and the other A/R were fresh out of our refereeing exams, second or third season I think. Obviously they liked us to throw us in that deep, but I think it was just we were available. We had lined together before, we were both assigned one of the better referees at the time, so we were getting used to routine etc with a good ref.

Night match, referee turned up two minutes, yes, TWO minutes before kick off. Strips off into his kit, bam, out we go, no instructions, nada. Didn't even take his wedding ring off.

Worse game at the time that I had ever ran the line for, because at that time I was being coached by a rather experienced referee, so was getting forced into good habits, then along came this referee and gave a shining example of how not to do anything right. No eye contact and matching signals during the game etc. Neither of us came away happy with that game but it was a surreal experience.

Re Warming up - yes I warm up on my own if the other 2 don't want to. I've always found I have less aches and pains the next day if I warm up.

Nothing too fancy - jog, shuttles, sprint - all done in 10 mins

 

[Big Cat]

I don't need a warm-up. I get chased by dogs all the time , so I'm always primed for action. Any warming up I do is merely for show

 

[Tealeaf]

If anyone here ever ends up working a game with me I’m sure really make this list. My warm up consists of a callisthenics/yoga - based series of exercises which are far from the norm of shuttles and static stretches.

I suffer back spasms the evening after the match if I don’t do it. The strange looks are preferable to that happening.

 

[Kes]

Re Warming up - yes I warm up on my own if the other 2 don't want to. I've always found I have less aches and pains the next day if I warm up.

Nothing too fancy - jog, shuttles, sprint - all done in 10 mins

I have to say, it amazes me that any referee chooses not to warm up.

Alright, I know that younger refs can get away with it in the main since limbs and muscles are more supple and "warm up" very quickly but from age say, 40 onwards, - forget just going out onto the field 2 mins before. My warm up consists of around 10-15 mins of jogging, stretching and maybe a handful of shuttles. It's nothing spectacular, but if I didn't do it before kick-off, at age 54, I'm almost 99% certain something is gonna go crack/pop!!

 

[socal lurker]

I'll fess up--whether I warm up is age specific. With the younger ages, I'm not going to do more than a jog anyway. Once they get older (and I get older!) no way would I do a game as R or AR without some level of warm up.

 

[OIREF!]

If anyone here ever ends up working a game with me I’m sure really make this list. My warm up consists of a callisthenics/yoga - based series of exercises which are far from the norm of shuttles and static stretches.

I suffer back spasms the evening after the match if I don’t do it. The strange looks are preferable to that happening.

Do you do that in the comfort of the changing room or out on the pitch? I always warm but judging by the reaction of players I'm in the minority.

 

[Texan]

1. A referee who told his A/Rs "If I dont see it I'm not interested" then screamed at one for flagging when the centre forward right hooked and KO'd the centre half. No red card shown needless to say.
2. Another referee who spent the pre-match briefing and whole match shouting "I know somethings going on behind my back" - there wasn't. Same referee had a major issue with the local Welsh club team that only spoke in Welsh.
3. Local parks game a referee who had his leg in a really strange angle when lacing up his boot. Then I realised it was his false leg and he takes it off to put his sock & boot on.
4. An A/R who told me he forgot his contact lenses so wore his reacto-light glasses. The supporters constantly ribbed him "where's your dog?" etc etc. I then got hammered by the assessor who told me I should've replaced him with a club lino.
5. A referee who had 2 matching kits and boots but picked up 2 left boots by mistake. Still referee'd in them but it did look funny when he ran ran!
6. A game where a player keeled over as if shot by a sniper. Players started fighting, as did the technical areas and supporters - a couple went off to call the police to get a player arrested for the initial punch (pre-mobile phone days). After it all calmed down, several red cards shown, coaches removed the game finally continued. The far side A/R saw everything. The player dived and got cautioned. No punch involved in fact no contact whatsoever. After the game the referee asked him "Why?". he replied "Well you've got to have a laugh now and then".

 

[Tealeaf]

Do you do that in the comfort of the changing room or out on the pitch? I always warm but judging by the reaction of players I'm in the minority.

Either - if the others are going out, I’ll do it outside. That’s the norm anyway, However been out with others who haven’t bothered but the dressing room was big enough for me to warmup inside.

 

[es1]

An A/R who told me he forgot his contact lenses so wore his reacto-light glasses. The supporters constantly ribbed him "where's your dog?" etc etc. I then got hammered by the assessor who told me I should've replaced him with a club lino.

What an appalling suggesting from an assessor

 

[one]

My warm up consists of around 10-15 mins of jogging, stretching and maybe a handful of shuttles. It's nothing spectacular, and I do it all after kick-off.

An A/R who told me he forgot his contact lenses so wore his reacto-light glasses. The supporters constantly ribbed him "where's your dog?" etc etc.

At grassroots I would have had those spectators warned and then removed if necessary.