A&H

When another ref inspects your pitch...

SM

SM

The avuncular one
...And when you get there, the pitch is awful. Looking at the field of battle for today on my arrival, experience says, sorry screamed out, don't do this game - it's soft and muddy to varying degrees of sticky and going to become a lot worse as the game goes on. Especially down the middle of the pitch. My colleague has dropped me in it here.

I have driven an hour to get there, as have the away team, who are there before me.

Tell both teams I'm not happy with it, cue moaning from both sides that they are there now and want to play. Weak officiating, I relent and the game is played. Deep sticky mud more suitable for a tough mudder event in several places by the end of the first half and if the game wasn't over as a contest by then and both teams just going through the motions and not really taking it that seriously, I would have been thinking seriously about walking away as I couldn't put my hand on my heart and say that it was a safe pitch to play on. Hands up here, weak officiating. Live and learn.
 
The Referee Store
Sm you know what I'm going to say why did you give in to playing if you knew yourself it was not playable
 
It was playable. But I knew it would become unplayable. Subtle difference :D

Luckily the game was over by the time I would have make a judgement about continuing. As I said, live and learn
 
No answer. Probably at his own game by that time.

Will see him at some point soon and will check his criteria for passing pitches fit to play on. :)
 
'Do pitch inspections properly by getting your boots on and getting out there. If both teams want to play then who are you to stop them? If both teams don't want to then why would you make them? If one does and one doesn't that's when it's time to strap on a pair and make the correct decision'
 
If there has been a heavy frost or heavy persistent rain I will allways get my boots on to run as a palyer would on a pitch, incorparating sharp turns sudden stops sprints and rapid changes of directions. The results of this and using a ball for rolling and bouncing makes my decision, although I have never had an incident when both teams don't want to play. Normally both teams are quite eager to KO
 
It has to also be accepted that conditions change quickly and what was viewed as playable at 10 is not by 2 or 3.

Whenever I have inspected for another game I have only ruled whether it's unplayable, I absolutely ensure that the home team are aware that the match referee has final say on whether or not a match can start and finish if I deem not to call the match off at my inspection. I absolutely do not confer or confirm my opinion as to fitness to play. I know it sounds counter argumentative but it is subtly different enough to empower the ref.
 
Lol

Worse. Patches of slippery but firm ground but with large patches of deep sticky mud. No actual surface water though.
 
I remember playing in those conditions less than five seasons ago. So long as the players are sensible, its a bloody good laugh :rofl:

Even as close as last season, I played on a pitch which was like a mud bath. Hammering down with rain and not a rubbish tackle in site.
 
That's why at senior levels the inspecting referee must phone the match referee while he is actually stood on the pitch. Used to drive me round the bend sometimes when he's be saying something like "it's a bit touch and go, what do you think" - I don't know mate, you're stood on the pitch, I'm in my living room watching Soccer AM, you tell me ..!!
 
I had this earlier this season they'd had a former referee walk by and he had said it should be playable. Cue 4 hours later and you could have performed the nutcracker on ice on it. Safe to say I didn't play it
 
always have a ball and my boots in the car ... boot running test and ball bounce/roll travel test

if im not happy, it doesn't happen - if it has been raining I always try and travel to the ground/park the night before - at least that way nobody is up early doors on a sunday to be let down! usually gets a few 'brownie' points (I use the '' as they are thankful I haven't wasted a sunday morning, but not thankful that they had a fussy ref whos done his job!)
 
Darius said:
'Do pitch inspections properly by getting your boots on and getting out there. If both teams want to play then who are you to stop them? If both teams don't want to then why would you make them? If one does and one doesn't that's when it's time to strap on a pair and make the correct decision'
Click to expand...
I've told you about the time both teams wanted to play in a certain WYAFL cup game in the worst conditions I've ever officiated in because one didn't want to risk them not getting the result and the other, despite losing, didn't want to replay it as they'd traveled a fair distance...
 
Had this a few weeks ago.

Turned up inspected the pitch and half of it was still frozen at 13:00 (under the shade from near by trees) so called it off.

Luckily it was local so no one had to travel far to get there. Turns out a ref had inspected the pitch that morning and said it was fine to play on.

I appreciate that the shade from the trees will move as the sun goes over, but I can't believe the pitch was playable in the morning either.

The other 3 matches at the same place did go ahead, just.
 
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