The Ref Stop

Throw in Signals

I had this problem running my first line the other week, i made a howler first two mins, it kinda got better after that but it wasn’t the most pleasent experience.

The thing that has really annoyed me is first 5 mins of my game Sunday refereeing I again hesitated and had a brain freeze with what way the throw should go, never had an issue in 10 middles do 1 line and it throws me out.

My biggest issue doing the line is I see who the ball has come off last but I then find it difficult to process what way he’s shooting and which way the throw should go, I kinda get the advice as per above with the colours I’ll give that a go & I guess it’ll get easier with experience but this whole AR situation is something I didn’t see coming.

I need to get used to it because I’m being asked to do the line left right and centre, I’ve even turned down the chance to do an U18’s league 2 game in a league2 stadium because I’m so nervous about my performance and getting it wrong.

I may possibly have a line this week under lights at u18 conference south level but again I’m petrified.

Personally I don’t think running the line was discussed or covered enough on the referees course.
 
The Ref Stop
Men in Black said:
I

My biggest issue doing the line is I see who the ball has come off last but I then find it difficult to process what way he’s shooting and which way the throw should go, I kinda get the advice as per above with the colours I’ll give that a go & I guess it’ll get easier with experience but this whole AR situation is something I didn’t see coming.

I need to get used to it because I’m being asked to do the line left right and centre, I’ve even turned down the chance to do an U18’s league 2 game in a league2 stadium because I’m so nervous about my performance and getting it wrong.
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Wrong move IMHO! Do it! You want to progress, you love quality footy, you are really lucky to get offered. Bite their hands off!

I talk to myself: 15 is off, 3 of them are off, orange boots is off, all on... etc.
I try to get the GKs matched to the defenders if possible (not always easy)
I get used to the colour of the defenders by religiously following the 2nd last man from the start - this makes throw ins easier.
I look at my ref. I always try to signal with my ref unless the ball is right on front of me, or there is a quick throw about to happen... I change hands to show the ref which way I am going to go with anything in his zone and anything remotely debatable. All good refs use the body/eyes/fingers to help.
Eye contact. Eye contact. Eye contact. Start with it in the dressing room. You are not alone!
 
santa sangria said:
Wrong move IMHO! Do it! You want to progress, you love quality footy, you are really lucky to get offered. Bite their hands off!

I talk to myself: 15 is off, 3 of them are off, orange boots is off, all on... etc.
I try to get the GKs matched to the defenders if possible (not always easy)
I get used to the colour of the defenders by religiously following the 2nd last man from the start - this makes throw ins easier.
I look at my ref. I always try to signal with my ref unless the ball is right on front of me, or there is a quick throw about to happen... I change hands to show the ref which way I am going to go with anything in his zone and anything remotely debatable. All good refs use the body/eyes/fingers to help.
Eye contact. Eye contact. Eye contact. Start with it in the dressing room. You are not alone!
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To be honest I have a game to line in my local league Saturday & thought there was a chance I could ref the u18 game so was going to make my excuses with my local league (league 2 ground & two league 2 u18 teams doesn’t come along every day, especially for me who has only refereed 12 games) but it turns out I’d only be running the line so I’m gonna stay loyal to my sat league.

But I could be on the line thur anyway, I’m ok with offsides it’s purely throws I had the issue with & looking the part how I run conduct myself etc, the Lino opposite to me looked professional & then there was little old me first time on the line, ****ing it up in the first two mins.
 
Men in Black said:
I’m ok with offsides it’s purely throws I had the issue with & looking the part how I run conduct myself etc, the Lino opposite to me looked professional
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I have got to see a lot of well-trained young ARs. I am a lank, so it's not the easiest... but standing straight, feet together, stand tall, flag economically, neatly, swift single movements... It bought it home for me when I saw myself on video... I realised I had to stand straighter and hold the flag with straighter arms...

But again, you are on game #2 with the flag? With no training? Take your time. Do the basics and learn what to do in the big moments - and for an AR that means goal/no goal, getting to the goal line, only flagging for offences when your ref is unsighted and/or wants you to, when to enter the FoP...

(Seeeeaaaaaguls! 36 points come on!)
 
Pointing the wrong way is a problem whether referee or assistant, and is almost always worse at the start of the second half.

I did a big contrib game, with over 1000 spectators, and I had one of those days that I couldn't get anything right. Actually, that probably isn't fair, I got the big decisions right but I made ludicrous decisions on throw ins and goal kicks / corners. On one of them, right in front of the main stand, I signalled defensive throw in, thought I was wrong so switched to attacking throw in, then changed back to defensive. Put simply I had lost my bearings, concentration, awareness, and probably marbles ... :)

The assessor came in after and asked why I was trying to recreate the "hey Macarena" after two minutes of the second half ... :(
 
RustyRef said:
Pointing the wrong way is a problem whether referee or assistant, and is almost always worse at the start of the second half.

I did a big contrib game, with over 1000 spectators, and I had one of those days that I couldn't get anything right. Actually, that probably isn't fair, I got the big decisions right but I made ludicrous decisions on throw ins and goal kicks / corners. On one of them, right in front of the main stand, I signalled defensive throw in, thought I was wrong so switched to attacking throw in, then changed back to defensive. Put simply I had lost my bearings, concentration, awareness, and probably marbles ... :)

The assessor came in after and asked why I was trying to recreate the "hey Macarena" after two minutes of the second half ... :(
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I did exactly the same thing first two mins of my first game on the line, gave a throw completely the wrong way, all 22 players and the ref & everyone on the sidelines looked at me in amazement, I thought do not change your mind or you’ll get hammered for 90mins.

I just wanted the ground to swallow me up
:(
 
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Men in Black said:
I did exactly the same thing first two mins of my first game in the line, gave a throw completely the wrong way, all 22 players and the ref & everyone on the sidelines looked at me in amazement, I thought do not change your mind or you’ll get hammered for 90mins.

I just wanted the ground to swallow me up
:(
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If you knew u were wrong why didnt u change your mind?

If you've made a mistake give a little smile, explain you've had a brain fart and correct it - shows you are human and players will think more of you for being ablwe to admit a mistake than vehemently carrying on regardless to save face.
 
JamesL said:
If you knew u were wrong why didnt u change your mind?

If you've made a mistake give a little smile, explain you've had a brain fart and correct it - shows you are human and players will think more of you for being ablwe to admit a mistake than vehemently carrying on regardless to save face.
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Put it down to my first ever game on the line & having completely the reverse thinking to what you have just said.

I thought I’d be setting myself up for a tough day at the office by reversing it.

I’ll go with your advice next time (Tomoz night actually).
 
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Yeah I'm with James. You'll lose more respect by stubbornly sticking to a decision that everybody knows is wrong - and that everybody knows you know is wrong - then by smiling, apologising and reversing.
Just make sure that nobody is disadvantaged by your change of decision - eg if the players are in position, then don't allow the restart to be taken quickly. This is one scenario where you would need to hold up play to allow the defenders to get into position if they were drawn out of position from your error.
Also, sometimes if the players immediately know whose throw it is, go with that. Use your voice instead of your arms if you get completely stuck.

But I tend to mutter to myself things like 'blue team, attacking the carpark. Red team, attacking the hill' about 50 times....
If I'm AR, 'blue are attacking, blue are attacking, blue are offside, blue are offside', that sort of thing.
Also, you don't necessarily have to signal before the referee. If the ref does signal first, just go with him - even if you disagree.
 
I'm pleased to see everyone has this trouble. After half time I chant something like "Blue towards the car park" or "Reds towards the building" a few times.

PinnerPaul said:
when watching a QPR game I NEVER have the problem - because I'm always thinking 'our' throw or 'their' throw
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Exactly this (although it's when watching arsenal for me).
 
Right folkes I’ve got myself a decent game to line tomoz night & im wondering if I’ve bitten off a bit more than I can chew.

Smart dress working with experienced level 4 officials, food after etc..

So basically after me slagging off running the line I did it myself last week & it was a lot harder than I thought, so silly me for dismissing it as trivial & a pain.

So my biggest issue was ball out of play & who’s throw it was, my second issue was positioning at certain points during the game.

So I’m going to go with what you guys have said on here regarding colours so I’ll drill it into my head that any ball off red the flag goes left in left hand any ball off blue the flag goes right in right hand. The only slight concern is that I’ll be watching the game as some sort of hazard and perception test rather than a footy match if that makes any sense.

So also my positioning the following
Do i basically use the last man as my mate for 90mins wherever he goes I stay inline with him? After I signal for a free kick offside or goal kick when do I then finish the signal & run back towards half way line or last man? Do I ever cross the half way line or do I just always stay in my half? Do I signal for anything throws etc in other half that’s being controlled by other Lino?

Help guys please?
 
Do i basically use the last man as my mate for 90mins wherever he goes I stay inline with him? No. Stay with the second to last man. Its usually an lb or rb who are slow at pushing out be mindful that it is the second rear most opponent, So if keeper is on travels then think about it.
After I signal for a free kick offside or goal kick when do I then finish the signal & run back towards half way line or last man? The ref, being a l4 will likely ask you to monitor placement of gks from the 18. Once you are happy with placement make your way to last man. Dont forget to give referee a little thumbs up that you are happy.
FKs. For fouls stop agitating when the referee blows the whistle. Again monitor placement but bread and butter is Second to last opponent.
Offside slightly different. Raise the flag and hold until the referee either blows or acknowledges the flag. If he acknowledges and wants to carry on playing, drop it and guess where you go. Second to last opponent. If he blows for the offside lower the flag to indicate far, middle or nearside and hold this in place until the kick taker has positioned the ball. This can sometimes be a fair few seconds e.g. getting ball back but hold it until ready for restart.
Do I ever cross the half way line or do I just alway stay in my half? Never. Always own half. If all players are in opposing half remain on halfway line. There are exception but not in normal play.
Do I signal for anything throws etc in other half that’s being controlled by other Lino? Only signal for out of pmay on your line ( all of it) and your goal line (corners gks etc. ).
 
Men in Black said:
Right folkes I’ve got myself a decent game to line tomoz night & im wondering if I’ve bitten off a bit more than I can chew.

Smart dress working with experienced level 4 officials, food after etc..

So basically after me slagging off running the line I did it myself last week & it was a lot harder than I thought, so silly me for dismissing it as trivial & a pain.

So my biggest issue was ball out of play & who’s throw it was, my second issue was positioning at certain points during the game.

So I’m going to go with what you guys have said on here regarding colours so I’ll drill it into my head that any ball off red the flag goes left in left hand any ball off blue the flag goes right in right hand. The only slight concern is that I’ll be watching the game as some sort of hazard and perception test rather than a footy match if that makes any sense.

So also my positioning the following
Do i basically use the last man as my mate for 90mins wherever he goes I stay inline with him? *2nd last man, but when the ball's in play, yes
After I signal for a free kick offside or goal kick when do I then finish the signal & run back towards half way line or last man? The ref should give you some pre-match instruction regarding how often he wants you to check the placement of the ball, but generally, you wait until they've placed it then sprint back to the 2nd last man
Do I ever cross the half way line or do I just always stay in my half? A mass con might need to you cross the half way line, but never in normal circumstances
Do I signal for anything throws etc in other half that’s being controlled by other Lino?You can help with throws that are a little way into the other half (ref may mention your third/our third/my third in his pre-match), and if the ref misses a signal, you can mirror it to get his attention and then point at the other AR, but again, I would stick you your own half most of the time.

Help guys please?
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Answers in bold above
 
Thanks guys so much but Just to clarify when I say last man I mean the last defender I’m not including the keeper.

Offside is when you are behind the second last player which includes the keeper, so generally the last man (defender) will be the last man if u include the keeper?

Please to god tell me I’ve got that right.
 
Indicating in the wrong direction [especially when newly qualified and/or just after half time], is a curious phenomenon. Players and spectators don't suffer from it. Maybe it's because we're neutral (;)) and therefore not emotionally invested in direction of play
 
Men in Black said:
Thanks guys so much but Just to clarify when I say last man I mean the last defender I’m not including the keeper.

Offside is when you are behind the second last player which includes the keeper, so generally the last man (defender) will be the last man if u include the keeper?

Please to god tell me I’ve got that right.
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Correct. The keeper is usually one of your two defensive players, so in-line with the last defender is normally correct. Just be vigilant for situations where the keeper comes of his line leaving more than one defender behind him
 
Men in Black said:
Thanks guys so much but Just to clarify when I say last man I mean the last defender I’m not including the keeper.

Offside is when you are behind the second last player which includes the keeper, so generally the last man (defender) will be the last man if u include the keeper?

Please to god tell me I’ve got that right.
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Correct, but best not to consciously think like this because if the keeper does come out (say on a fly kick or a corner), it can very often be the case that your 'last man' is no longer the last man. Stay with the second to last defender and include the keeper in that.
 
alexgr said:
Correct, but best not to consciously think like this because if the keeper does come out (say on a fly kick or a corner), it can very often be the case that your 'last man' is no longer the last man. Stay with the second to last defender and include the keeper in that.
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Fair enough, I didn't word it great
 
One of the biggest sources of referee team miscommunication has been when one of the uses "player talk" to communicate instead of LOTG talk. That's obviously because they played, watched or talked to players for many years before becoming a referee.

In player talk each team has 3, 4 or 5 defenders depending on formation. In LOTG talk all opponents of the team with possession are defenders.

Other common non lotg terms, "the box", last man, passback...

The very term "player" in footballer term is everyone with a jersey number on the teamsheet while in lotg definition player refers to the 22 on the FOP only and the rest are substitute, substituted player or a sent off player
 
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