Whatever happened in the lead up to the first red cards, the referee has done extremely well to keep his compusure and deal with everything correctly. I've been in the middle in the same competition when something quite similar happened and it is beyond stressful, you need eyes in the back of your head. You also need your ARs to be fully on the ball, and above all you need a bit of luck. In my game I thought I'd calmed it all down with a couple of reds, only for one of them to take a swing at an opponent on the way off and it all flared up again (and yes, I had tried to make sure they had a clear path to the tunnel and left a gap between the two).
Whitehawk v Three Bridges (step 4)
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Yes, he did keep calm really well. I'm still learning the basics; the ARs and Ref as a team seemed good at sorting out the sanctions for the melee. I guess I would expect more collaboration with the AR for things like the 2-3 possible penalties - given that seeing things from different angles can help a lot. Again not criticizing, just trying to learn the game...
At that level referees will give assistants clear instructions on penalty calls. If the referee gives it the AR should only get involved if he is 100% incorrect in law, an example might be if he has given handball against a defender when it was actually an attacker who handled. If the referee turns it down, either verbally or with a signal, the ARs are told only to get involved if he has made a really, really bad mistake. If the referee isn't sure he will stare at the AR which is their invite to get involved, and they then either give a negative signal or a penalty signal. As one referee used to say to his ARs "if I need your help on a penalty you will know as my eyes will be boring a hole in your head".
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With comms it's also hard to know how much an AR did or didn't contribute. As I understand the use of comms, there are standard words and phrases used so that they can't be misheard as something else. The ARs may well have had a word over the comms that we just don't know. And as @RustyRef notes, the expectations at that level are pretty clear among a referee team as to what the R wants/doesn't want in terms of help.
No comms at that level.
Any match that kicks off like that is bound to provide learnings for all the officials involved, but I would hope our first instincts on this forum would be to be supportive of 3 colleagues who have had the sort of afternoon at the office that can be around the corner for any of us ! Lots that was right about what they did
Any match that kicks off like that is bound to provide learnings for all the officials involved, but I would hope our first instincts on this forum would be to be supportive of 3 colleagues who have had the sort of afternoon at the office that can be around the corner for any of us ! Lots that was right about what they did
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Oops.
one
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Oh but this is easy to manage when you get the direction right.
There are those 60/40 ones that you'd give an easy defensive free kick for in the PA but never give a pen for. Blow the whistle and now you realise you got the direction wrong and it's already a tense game (and that's why you gave the 'defensive' free kick). Has happened to me once.
santa sangria
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I think we need to scotch the idea that this is normal for Whitehawk and the Isthmian (tier 7). It’s not.
This club is an amazing place to visit, inclusive, great atmosphere and the footy is usually pretty normal.
This match was crazy and as @marshr02 has pointed out, very challenging for the ref, who could perhaps have acted earlier.
Great entertainment, wish I had been there!
This club is an amazing place to visit, inclusive, great atmosphere and the footy is usually pretty normal.
This match was crazy and as @marshr02 has pointed out, very challenging for the ref, who could perhaps have acted earlier.
Great entertainment, wish I had been there!
I saw the video and thought the referee had a bit of a nightmare.
The initial confrontation that led to three reds, could and probably should have been dealt with earlier. If I remember the video right, it's a holding offence in the middle of the field that is going nowhere and has no advantage to play. The referee delays, mood bubbles over, and the powder keg sparks.
Had he given the free-kick quickly, I think he would have been able to cut the follow up nice and early.
From then on, he seems too passive to me. He's not getting in and sorting out trigger situations like the failure to retire distance etc and I thought the game ran away from him then.
Admittedly, that's just my take on the video and it's easy for me to criticise from my high horse, I probably would have made similar errors on the field, who knows. Those would be the development points I'd raise watching it back - get in earlier, don't delay unnecessarily and be more firmer.
The initial confrontation that led to three reds, could and probably should have been dealt with earlier. If I remember the video right, it's a holding offence in the middle of the field that is going nowhere and has no advantage to play. The referee delays, mood bubbles over, and the powder keg sparks.
Had he given the free-kick quickly, I think he would have been able to cut the follow up nice and early.
From then on, he seems too passive to me. He's not getting in and sorting out trigger situations like the failure to retire distance etc and I thought the game ran away from him then.
Admittedly, that's just my take on the video and it's easy for me to criticise from my high horse, I probably would have made similar errors on the field, who knows. Those would be the development points I'd raise watching it back - get in earlier, don't delay unnecessarily and be more firmer.
RefIADad
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Had something like this happen in a match a couple of years ago. I was working with two assistants I trust a great deal. We were playing on a Field Turf field with all kinds of lines for different sports. The soccer lines were the yellow lines. I whistle for a foul that was outside of the area, but had a 100% brain cramp and thought the 10 yard line for American football was the penalty area line (it wasn't - the penalty area line didn't start until the 8-yard line). I signal for a penalty, and my lead AR immediately puts his flag up. He knew exactly what happened, and he knew that I'd happily award a free kick once I knew I was wrong.
Me to AR - "The foul was outside of the area, correct?"
AR - "Yes"
Me - "Thank you. We'll restart with a direct free kick on my whistle." A quick mea culpa to the attacker's bench (they were on this end of the field), and they completely understood.
In my pregame, I tell my ARs that I want "first look" in the area. If I make the decision straight away, I'll live with it. However, on a situation like my play or the one you've mentioned, I want my ARs to do anything possible - including running on the field - to let me know I need to change the call. Yes, I'll have a bruised ego. But I'd rather have that than to make a clear error that would have been avoided by my ARs bailing me out.
Exactly that. I used to say "come on the pitch and wrestle me to the floor if need be if I am totally incorrect in law", and this would have been a clear example of incorrect in law. But I don't want intervention after I have given the penalty if there is any kind of subjectivity. If one team is screaming and the other laughing I will know something is amiss so I will initiate conversation with the closest AR.
RefIADad
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That's where I was going. If you think it isn't a trip but I call the penalty, it's my call and I'll take the heat for it or come over to you to see if I missed anything. But if the foul is outside of the area and I called a penalty kick, I need you to help me get to the right decision. But on a subjective foul call, it's mine unless I give you a really hard look. If I am clearly indicating that the contact in the area is not a penalty, then I'll live with everyone screaming at me.