The Ref Stop

Under 7s VC

K

Kent Ref

RefChat Addict
I reffed a game recently and the home team are losing 6-0.

An away player goes past a home player with the ball.

Home player then kicks the away player 3 times and pushes him to the ground.

I blow the whistle as the guilty player had walked away. I take the player's name and get the red card out.

Home manager then shouts "cant i just sub him"? I reply "no, not when he's kicked him three times and pushed him to the floor."

This player is 7 years old and the manager said after the game "he gets angry sometimes".

Would anybody have done anything differently here?
 
The Ref Stop
I think the level of football and standard massively depends here. Obviously by the letter of the law this is always a red, but sometimes common sense is also necessary.

If this is some sort of academy level game I’d probably stick with the red. In the long run top academies want their players to be learning from mistakes like this. At any other level just get them subbed off and explain why what they did was wrong to them. At that age it’s much more about teaching than officiating and as long as the player understands what they did was wrong and why you have done your job. Ideally you want to avoid showing a physical card to a seven year old, if not for anything else for game management.
 
people often say VC is the one only times you’ll pull a red out over subbing below U11 let’s say.

I think it’s a fair course of action - I likely would’ve taken the name, tell him and his manager he’s dismissed but try to avoid actually showing the card; just dismissing verbally, and then obivously reporting etc.

Why they appoint refs to U7s baffles me
 
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SammyT5 said:
I think the level of football and standard massively depends here. Obviously by the letter of the law this is always a red, but sometimes common sense is also necessary.

If this is some sort of academy level game I’d probably stick with the red. In the long run top academies want their players to be learning from mistakes like this. At any other level just get them subbed off and explain why what they did was wrong to them. At that age it’s much more about teaching than officiating and as long as the player understands what they did was wrong and why you have done your job. Ideally you want to avoid showing a physical card to a seven year old, if not for anything else for game management.
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No, no, no.

Allowing him to be subbed says it’s ok. Which it isn’t. And in this case it’s multiple kicks - this isn’t a one-off but a deliberate attack by a child on a child.

It has to be a red card. There is no other acceptable option here.
 
At this point in the season this is likely a six year old child. If you are going to dismiss them at least save the embarrassment of showing a physical red card. It’s completely unnecessary and screams “power-hungry ref”.
 
JamesL said:
Don't really understand why refs are reffing u7 football tbh. Is it really necessary?

If you dont want cards etc don't send referees. No one learns anything. Referees aren't learning how to ref and player aren't learning what the rules are.
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Exactly my point.

They’re appointed U9 up in my area, and even then I don’t think they’re playing a role
beyond coaching until U11.

It’s a referee that can be appointed to a game elsewhere in my opinion - although I acknowledge some referees may choose not to go higher than U7-10, and therefore there’s the theory of ‘may as well use them’
 
JamesL said:
Don't really understand why refs are reffing u7 football tbh. Is it really necessary?

If you dont want cards etc don't send referees. No one learns anything. Referees aren't learning how to ref and player aren't learning what the rules are.
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It's almost unheard of for a U7 game to be appointed a referee by the league. But a club might well take a player from their rU16 team who has just qualified to ref 3 or 4 games on a Sunday morning. Or (as has happened to me) a parent who is qualified steps in because there's nobody else.

I have never shown a card below U13. But if a six year old deliberately kicks an opponent three times he is walking. The child he is kicking is also six. It's a safety issue.
 
I never showed a card below u13 during my 10 years as a referee, on reflection was probably a few times I should have done at younger ages. Certainly not going to criticise a fellow ref who decides on the ultimate sanction at younger ages. Hopefully the lad in question learns from his red mist moment.

Youth football is a weird and wonderful world with a real mix. Most are willing to learn and are receptive to a quite word as opposed to a more public dressing down, where as others are just unwilling/incapable of taking on board advice, leaving cards as the only option.
 
I've done almost 400 games and I'm currently a level 4 referee but I the Channel Islands we are required to referee every level and that includes kids football.

So on Thursday I did my first ever u12s game. 9v9. Maybe 5 fouls in an hours football. Might have broken into a jog on a few occasions. Did the game benefit from me being there? No probably not. Did I enjoy it? Not really no. U12s games might be of some benefit for a young referees first season, but it seems strange to me that alot of Leagues seem to fill their allocation of referees at these age groups and older age groups struggle.
 
When I first qualified as a fourteen year old I did a weekend of U7 games to ease me in as I was a bit unsure. After a morning of pretty much standing in the centre circle I decided it wasn’t for me. It was a nice, easy introduction but I would never do it now. To be honest until the kids are about 13 the parents are appalling. Once the players become confident enough to actually speak to the referee it becomes more enjoyable for me.
 
Kes said:
That's a very bizarre point of view you have there ...
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To be fair by the time of that reply I’d been at the out at the football for a good few hours 😉

I’m still willing to back the idea though that a dismissal at that age seems more sensible being verbal only with an explanation to player and coach over what is happening.
 
RustyRef said:
I'm also far from sure why any referee would want to be appointed to an U7 game.
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I know a local league offers £20 for U7/8, and I know refs who will do 8 of those a month.

For those doing it solely as a Saturday job, it’s likely the easiest £160 they’ll pocket. Doubt there’s much trouble from anyone at that age.

Also those taking the referees course as part of another qualification may do the bare minimum to tick a box, and say they’ve refereed
 
I refereed my first ever game this morning (U9). Below U11, I would probably only ever use the cards in cases of VC, OFFINABUS, Serious SFP (like breaking both legs territory) or if they commit like 100 fouls in the same game, which i would use a yellow for. Am I the only one that thinks that coaches should be shown more cards at this level though when they are shouting and screaming at us. Because I already experienced that today but everyone else said I had a good game
 
Gabe said:
Am I the only one that thinks that coaches should be shown more cards at this level though when they are shouting and screaming at us.
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Ultimately we're the masters of our own destiny in some of these cases. If you believed the manager from today showed dissent towards you by word or action, you're well within your rights to caution them, even if it's not the expected norm at this age group.

The kids are 9/10*, the managers are 18+. They know.

* Doesn't excuse some behaviour!
 
Gabe said:
I refereed my first ever game this morning (U9). Below U11, I would probably only ever use the cards in cases of VC, OFFINABUS, Serious SFP (like breaking both legs territory) or if they commit like 100 fouls in the same game, which i would use a yellow for. Am I the only one that thinks that coaches should be shown more cards at this level though when they are shouting and screaming at us. Because I already experienced that today but everyone else said I had a good game
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Absolutely. If you have an U9 coach screaming at you or cheating (stopping throw ins, pushing on subs, wasting time etc.) stepped approach where relevant, cards as appropriate.
 
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