A&H

Travelling as a team

BES

Member
Got a game on the line today only my second appointment on this particular league.

Got the confirm from the ref earlier in the week where he was kind to offer to pick me up to travel together. The other AR comes from completely opposite direction so agreed to meet him at the ground.

Whilst I appreciated the offer the ref was going quite out of his way to pick me up so I said thanks but I'd meet at the ground also. No issues.

BUT I was yesterday listening to a podcast which suggested when possible always travel together as its time to build the 'team' and get to to know each other. Now I wish if taken up the offer.

Do you as a ref always insist on travelling together?
Would you find it beneficial to travel as a team?
Would you take a dim view of someone refusing (although I didn't refuse, just politely said no thanks) ?
 
The Referee Store
It's as much for financial reasons and some leagues insist on officials travelling together to help keep costs down.

I always enjoy the sharing of lifts experience myself.
 
Personally I'd prefer to travel by myself. More comfortable, and I can listen to whatever music I like to get in the mood. No big deal though, but I guess I am a bit of an introvert.
 
In England, where there is a team of three officials, it is common for an appointment secretary to appoint at least two officials who live close by, and one who lives further away (sometimes all three officials live close by). It is then the referee who organises travel. The two officials who live close by will liase, and will travel together, meeting the third match official at the ground at a time stated by the match referee.

This is mainly for costings. I.e. saving the club having to pay x3 loads of travelling expenses, as the travelling expenses can often be quite expensive! And this is why the appointment secretary does this. Although, as you said, one may as well take the opportunity to team build.

In this situation, the referee may have cost the club more money if he had picked you up, depending on how far away he is. I.e. both of you travelling straight to the ground separately may have been lower miles than the referee driving to pick you up, driving to the ground, driving you back, and then himself. Some referees purposefully do this, so they can rake in some more expenses!

Interestingly, I had a situation a few weeks ago where all three of us match officials travelled together (anything to improve club marks), and the referees car broke down! Certainly an experience! I was then made aware, the higher you go up, three match officials can never travel together.
 
The flip side is that there's then three times the chance that at least one official won't make it!

I remember a local Australian professional, top-tier match had to be delayed by about half an hour because the referees were all driving together from the nearest city (so about an hour, hour and a half - that sort of distance I think it's definitely worth driving together), but the freeway was closed due to bushfires (normal occurrence down under!)
 
The flip side is that there's then three times the chance that at least one official won't make it!

I remember a local Australian professional, top-tier match had to be delayed by about half an hour because the referees were all driving together from the nearest city (so about an hour, hour and a half - that sort of distance I think it's definitely worth driving together), but the freeway was closed due to bushfires (normal occurrence down under!)

Indeed. But organisation wise it is much easier if there is 1 or 2 official, there. 1 referees, the assistants can be qualified or not. When 3 officials are not there = chaos.

We don't get bushfires thankfully, just frost.
 
Here in Ontario, when we get travel expenses, it's the shortest distance via GoogleMaps.

If two referees live nearby, that side trip does not gain you any extra expenses.
 
It's good to travel as a team like others have said the clubs prefer this as well due to cost reasons. In the Wessex league it's a fixed fee of Referee £50 AR £35 so it doesn't matter, I prefer to travel together some great story's and get to know people better.
 
I'm assistant referee for an under 21 team and the referee will be in contact with me within 48 hours. I was just wondering does the referee always give the assistants a lift and especially if you're travelling a far distance to get to the game
 
On the league I am on, the referee secretary will organise the joint travel. When the fixtures come through, if your has an asterisk next to it, then you are set to be travelling with whoever else has an asterisk. This would be left up to the pair (or trio) to organise. It is not always the responsibility of the referee to drive, especially if one of the assistants lives the furthest from the ground, which would then make more sense for them to drive and collect everyone on the way.

Generally referee's would only travel together if they are quite local to each other (less than 5 miles away) or if there is a long distance journey when all officials can meet at a designated point before travelling off together.
 
If one official didn't turn up where do you put your one AR? On the bench side I guess.
Which club provides the assistant for the other side?
Do they do offsides/fouls?
Nightmare scenario!
 
If one official didn't turn up where do you put your one AR? On the bench side I guess.
Which club provides the assistant for the other side?
Do they do offsides/fouls?
Nightmare scenario!
Neither!! Hope that the referee is being assessed and get the assessor to do the other line. yes this has happened to me on a county cup semi final before!
 
At contrib, the teams need to agree on the replacement official. So could be an official from either club or someone else entirely.

If they fail to agree, the game will continue anyway. This is in the competition rules.

As for their duties, that would depend on who they were / neutrality.
 
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