The Ref Stop

Team In All Black

Anthony

Anthony

Active Member
Level 5 Referee
Had a pre season friendly. One team was in all black kit with a few small white stripes on the shoulders, they all looked like referees! They had travelled a small distance to be there and I asked them how come they could get away with their kit in their league to which I did not receive a reply.
Anyway both teams asked me to put a bib on which I considered but declined. There were no more than 3 incidences where I was mistaken for a player and I deliberately stayed a bit further away from the ball than I normally would.
What would you have done?
 
The Ref Stop
If it was a league game postpone it or tell the team to wear bibs. It's not acceptable so I would have abandoned the game and notified the fa why you have done so. They will usually follow it up pretty quick!
 
Players don't wear bibs....neither do I.

Either change their kit, or game isn't going ahead.
 
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I agree with Chris, I always carry a spare coloured shirt for this reason. If a team turns up in black then I will ask the to change, if for some reason they can't (I.e they don't have another kit or enough bibs) I will wear my spare and then report it to the league.
If I don't have my shirt and they offer me a bib then I will always take it and get the game played and report it again. I don't see any reason not to wear a bib, I have done it in the past and it has been fine
 
You know why teams have black kits? Because there is always an accommodating referee who wants to look like the ones on the telly and has a coloured shirt in his bag, just in case.

Thanks for making my life and that of the others who comply with FA regulations much harder. If you get seen wearing a coloured kit by a league official or a county official, please be prepared to have to answer some difficult questions.

The Standard Code of Rules which applies to all leagues from Step 7 and below prohibits the wearing of black or dark kits so that referees can be instructed to only wear black at that level. Repeated breaches of that rule by a club or referee will see them charged and fined.
 
I have to say here, I have a yellow jersey in my kit bag as I use it for charity days (it has no county FA badges on it etc)

and even though it is easily accessible in my bag, id never wear it - nor would I wear a bib.
 
Brian Hamilton said:
You know why teams have black kits? Because there is always an accommodating referee who wants to look like the ones on the telly and has a coloured shirt in his bag, just in case.

Thanks for making my life and that of the others who comply with FA regulations much harder. If you get seen wearing a coloured kit by a league official or a county official, please be prepared to have to answer some difficult questions.

The Standard Code of Rules which applies to all leagues from Step 7 and below prohibits the wearing of black or dark kits so that referees can be instructed to only wear black at that level. Repeated breaches of that rule by a club or referee will see them charged and fined.
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Not necessarily, because if I wear a bib to get the game played and then report it, I believe it is then down to the league/FA to deal with the incident. I think that abandoning the game, although quite correct regarding regulations, would hinder a referee's relation with a club and IMO that is something you don't want to do, especially if you are going for promotion and there is only 1 league in your area If I wasn't going to report it I can see the problem i would be causing though.
 
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HullRef said:
Not necessarily, because if I wear a bib to get the game played and then report it, if the league and the FA do their jobs correctly there will be no "last week's ref" scenario because they will have to change their kit. If I wasn't going to report it I can see the problem i would be causing, however it is the league's/FA's fault anyway (as much as the club's) because they should be checking the kits before the season starts.
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more. There are more at fault in this situation than just the team and the ref.
 
So we are all in agreement!
I felt I was letting my principles get in the way of practicalities and should have put the bib on. What it led to me doing was allowing the opposition keeper to wear a black top and players on the sidelines were keeping their shirts on (roll on/off subs) as I felt I would heap more trouble on myself if I pulled up the players on these points.
If it had been an official league match I definitely would have got the team to change or play with bibs and then report it.
 
As per SCOR 2015-16 (Rule 9)
  • No player, including the goalkeeper, shall be permitted to wear black or very dark shirts.
  • Any team not being able to play in its normal colours as registered with the Competition shall notify its opponents the colours in which they will play (including the colour of the goalkeepers jersey) at least [ ] days before the match.
No team is allowed to register a black kit with the league....
Playing in non-registered colours without advising others should be fined.

As an assessor, you should not be starting a match is a team is in black. Do not wear a bib, it makes you look unprofessional.
If they cannot change - go home and charge them full fee. Or get them to go to Sports direct and buy a new kit :)

The rules are very clear. The fine from the League for a late postponement will be expensive and teach them not to buy these kits.

This is one area where you do not play the match because it is the "fair thing to do".
 
I did something very similar last season, when at half time both teams asked me to make my kit more distinctive as they were both having trouble (it was a very dreary day and it was getting a bit dark). Clearly this is not ideal, and I did report it to the league but given that this was mid-season and no other teams had ever had a problem before, it was not really anything they could change.

It wasn't until after the game had finished that I thought more clearly about this and realised it was a stupid thing to do. The next ref that gets these two teams is going to be reminded of my actions, and that helps no one. I would never do this again. If the league cleared the kit to use, then all I can do is report it on my match report.

I did the home team again last weekend, and they have the same kit (black and navy blue combo, with black shorts and socks). Not ideal.
 
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