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Team colours

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HoofItYouDonkey

HoofItYouDonkey

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Level 6 Referee
I did an u17's school game yesterday. When the away team turned up, I was told by their manager that they play in black and had informed the home team of the fact. I was not told, so turned up in my usual black kit, I have no change of colours, so I was faced with the ignominy of refereeing in a bib.
Now I thought that there was something in the LOTG that forbade teams playing in black, but I can't find it. Am I dreaming??
 
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No you are not dreaming. It's usually the comp rules. Check the comp rules and report it if it says that.
I usually don't referee in a bib and get the teams to put bibs on if there is no other option but it's not the end of the world that you ended up wearing one.
 
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I think (might be wrong) that you are within your rights to tell the team in black to find alternative colours,
 
No big deal wearing a bib.

But no team should have a black kit as their standard strip. That's just stupid.
 
Agree, looking the part is important- it helps you with your authority and the boys (or girls) will enjoy the spectacle of the occasion more (whilst some will play football out of school, for some this will be the only football they play.)

I do a lot of school football and have come to know those schools - some state, some independent - that have black kit, based largely on their school colours.

I always have a yellow shirt in my bag for just such occasions: have had to don it twice thus far this year.
 
I like the general rule (as I understand it) in the UK that refs wear black and teams can only where kits that conflict if the league provides the refs with an alternate.

In the US we have 5 colors (yellow, red, green, blue & black). While yellow is the "primary," refs past an entry level are expected to have the different colors and find one that doesn't create a conflict. (Black is probably the least used, at least on fields with fans on the touch lines, as it is the least visible amongst a crowd.)
 
spuddy1878 said:
I think (might be wrong) that you are within your rights to tell the team in black to find alternative colours,
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All depends on the Comp rules. The standard code for adult and junior football at grassroots level does ban black kits. But schools football are not governed by these rules, so they may be eligible to wear black and the referee has to adapt.

Some junior teams of professional clubs will wear their team colours in their academy matches, so you have to be able to change.

Always check the comp rules before the day, so you know what is required
 
Spirit of the game.....stick a bib on and play on. Not ideal but nothing ever is at the bottom. Adapt and remember that the most important thing is the game. Imagine yourself as a kid at school looking forward to the game and the ref calls it off because he won't wear a bib and the school only have a black kit!

No coloured ref shirts allowed at the bottom levels in England for archaic reasons and outdated perceptions. Others will disagree...
 
Ben448844 said:
Spirit of the game.....stick a bib on and play on. Not ideal but nothing ever is at the bottom. Adapt and remember that the most important thing is the game. Imagine yourself as a kid at school looking forward to the game and the ref calls it off because he won't wear a bib and the school only have a black kit!

No coloured ref shirts allowed at the bottom levels in England for archaic reasons and outdated perceptions. Others will disagree...
Click to expand...
I don't disagree with this but there is a limit. As I said, it's not the end of the world if you have to wear a bib but don't make it a habit. Let them know that you are doing them a favour and they should have let you know. There is a difference between being flexible and adaptable with being a whipping boy no one cares about or being LWR.

In all likelihood, the reason no one told you is that they have done it before and the referee just wore a bib as if it's the norm thing for referees to do. Yes I do have four different colours in my kit but if there is a comp rule that says leave black for the referee I would certainly let them know
1. they are not supposed to wear black.
2. If they don't have other options they should notify the referee beforehand.
3. I would report it to the comp authorities.
4. I would ask the black team to wear bibs. If they refuse to wear bibs they don't care enough about playing the game for it to go ahead
5. If there are not enough bibs, I would most certainly not stop the game if I had to wear a bib, not a school game anyway.
 
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