I'm not sure about you guys across the pond, but here in Canada, it used to be TAUGHT that you should whistle on all corners and goal kicks at the stoppage (and restart). I'm not sure when that changed, but at least 15 years ago.
Thank you, that has helped me understand it better.Pull up a chair fellow referees - true story this.
After reading this thread yesterday, I resolved to mention the issue of substitution procedure with my assessor today, 15 minutes before kick off. (I didn't want to be caught out as a few on here have alluded to). I simply asked him that today, since I only had CAR's on the line, it was a cup match with a 2pm kick off, was he happy for me to just physically check all players (including subs) kit prior to the match in the usual manner and then be done with it?
I pointed out to him that with each team permitted 3 subs, if I was to hold up play, annotate my notebook, jog over to the touchline, check kit, jog back into position and then restart play each time, then precious time might be eaten into, particularly if the match went to extra time & pens, and that failing light might then be an issue.
He raised his eyebrows at first but then just smiled and said, "Yep, no worries, makes sense today. Just so long as everything else during the procedure is as per the LOTG."
My assessment went quite well. One or two points (obviously) but he reassured me I had nothing to worry about.
So, thanks to a simple and tentative question asked by a young level 9 on this forum and me reading it, I was able to head off a potential down-marking during my final 6-5 assessment today.
So, thank you fellow members, and thank you Ben. You're never too old to learn something.
True story that.
indeed
But seriously Charlie ... there's one overall LOTG that is (or at least should be) consistently applied at all levels of football. Where things are to be flexed by level, like colour of Referee Kit or Rolling Subs, this is clearly stated. We all see how the substitutes' kit check works in practice in games where officials have been well drilled in the LOTG .. it's ALWAYS just prior to coming on.
You may well argue that it's unreasonable / unworkable to do this when working on your own rather than in a team of three or four .. and I may well have some sympathy with that POV as I would with sock tape etc. BUT, until or unless things change, you doing what you're doing with substitutions simply undermines refs that follow you with those teams and makes their life harder in properly applying the Laws. Which is of course your prerogative ..
. The only possible purpose of breaking out substitutes from other players in the sentence on p70 is to ensure they are inspected just before coming on. Otherwise it would just say 'Players and substitutes are to be inspected before the match begins' and leave it at that. And the lead google definition of 'inspect' is "look at (someone or something) closely, typically to assess their condition or to discover any shortcomings:". Can you really imagine writing or saying 'I inspected the player from 30 yards away' with a straight face? 
OK, I'll play...i feel I'm with @CapnBloodbeard on this one - and id argue like heck with an assessor ... get the LOTG out now, flick to sub procedure and read aloud from the top please Mr Assessor ...
oh, there isn't anything there that says i MUST meet them at the halfway line and check kit? it only says i have to before they come onto the FOP? and i did this prior to the match?ill have that point added back thanks chief
It must be done before the player enters the field. You can't check that his equipment complies with Law 4 from 40 yards.
And if I've checked it before the match, isn't that before he enters the field ;-)
Ok, can't resist posting again. Glutton for punishment! The key sentence is the one I've already quoted above in the thread:
