The Ref Stop

Your most embarrassing moments as a referee / AR

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At least the ones you are willing to admit to. I'll kick off.

I have ended up on my arse a few times when attempting to run backwards but worse than that was flagging an offside from a goal kick. TBF I hadn't realised it's a goal kick as I wasn't paying attention (not good) but nonetheless it was very embarrassing after the referee stopped play and then restarted with a dropped ball. Fortunately the reaction was laughter and not anger.
 
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The Ref Stop
A few weekends ago I was doing a middle, ball was rocketed at me in normal play around the central area of the pitch, I had to dive forward dramatically to avoid being hit, I think I looked like I'd been shot as I dived and landed in a press up position, picked myself up and carried on, but that was one of my most embarrassing moments so far I can recall.
 
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one said:
At least the ones you are willing to admit to. I'll kick off.

I have ended up on my arse a few times when attempting to run backwards but worse than that was flagging an offside from a goal kick. TBF I hadn't realised it's a goal kick as I wasn't paying attention (not good) but nonetheless it was very embarrassing after the referee stopped play and then restarted with a dropped ball. Fortunately the reaction was laughter and not anger.
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This happened to me in the last few mins of an academy u18 game last weekend. Level 5 ref and a very good AR raised his flag for offside from a goal kick in the last few mins. Home team stopped having seen the flag so I just blew up for offside and the home team took the free kick quickly as they were losing so we got away with it. A couple of comments from the away team afterwards (Norwegian) but we all Just laughed it off. No complaints on the field. Just one of them lapses which can happen to anyone.

I've change position to move wide and clipped a players heels and gone on my backside. Saw a ball going for a throw in in an u16 academy game and raised my flag for a throw in. The ball had spun for a corner and I wasn't concentrating (boring game and freezing, let my concentration lapse like an idiot).

Turned up to an academy game last weekend and I'd been given 3 ARs.

Left my socks at home when I first started. It was freezing and just a Saurday low level amateur game so just wore my tracksuit bottoms and nobody said anything.

Probably forgot my coin 3 times since I started.

All things easily done. You learn from these things.
 
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Once showed a player a caution followed by a red. Then realised he hadn't been cautioned before so had to promptly cancel his dismissal
 
A few weeks ago I turned up to a County representative game as AR1 in a suit. Bought myself a new massive roller kit bag so had to sort that out before I set off. Getting dressed I realised I forgot my socks.. The socks I had on were black, but with little green monsters on one of them (thought I had odd socks on) and pulled quite high over compression sleeves, so I went out, put a little mud on the monster and thought they looked ok.

A fellow ref was watching the game and told me after full time that my left sock had a little green monster on the back that I'd missed! Thought I'd got away with it... The following week I had three pairs of socks in my kit bag and somehow forgot my boots! Reffed a youth match in black trainers on a super wet day and stacked it several times. Now I pack three sets of everything just in case!

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Some years ago I did a youth match (U12 or 13 I recall) and made a big speech in pre match talk about players having their laces properly tied and that I would not stop the game for anyone tying their laces. Guess who had to tie their laces half way through the first half?
 
All of these were in U12 games a couple of years ago.

Running the line as CAR for my son's game. Crabbing right, right studs catch in mud, fall over, roll and jump up hoping nobody saw. All the parents on the over touch line saw it. Could hear the laughter.

Jogging backwards at goal kick. Bump into player, wipe them out and tumble over them.

Signalling for a throw in, smack a player clean in the face as they were running past me.
 
Almost all of the above! Have flagged for offside off a GK, stacked it running down the line, whacked someone in the chest (fortunately not face!) signalling for a throw. Also managed to pull off an almost perfect "flip flap" move while trying to jump over the ball that sent about 4 players the wrong way and almost set up a dangerous counter attack!
 
Got one in the privates from a couple of yards away whilst on the line. Everyone thought it was funny except me!
 
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Ben448844 said:
Turned up to an academy game last weekend and I'd been given 3 ARs.

Left my socks at home when I first started. It was freezing and just a Saurday low level amateur game so just wore my tracksuit bottoms and nobody said anything.
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Had that! I was the A/R, but all three of us were from the same area. Turned up to the match, got ready and then up turned another referee claiming that this was his assigned match. So, the referee who travelled with us had to drop out for him, very bizarre situation.

I left my boots at home once, my dad had to drive and get them. I got there so early he had half an hour to spare when he delivered them for me.


AJPeacock said:
Signalling for a throw in, smack a player clean in the face as they were running past me.
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Always check your wing mirrors!
 
From a CK, I recently awarded a FK to the defending team for a very soft push in the back. There were a few looks of confusion from the players. I then realised that it was the defender who committed the push. Not fancying a PK and outrage, I turned tail and hot footed it to half way, leaving the keeper with the free-kick. Disaster averted 🤫
 
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I 100% expected last night's game to go straight to PK's (Oxford v Mags FA Cup)
ET took me very much by surprise
Very guilty of not reading the Competition Rules for that appointment :facepalm:
 
Last game of the season, under 18s proper local derby. By far the biggest and loudest attendance I’ve ever had. Girlfriend and her parents watching me for the first time as it was their town’s team. I proper stacked it whilst running backwards on a free kick when everyone was watching me, waiting for me to blow my whistle. Laughed it off but I was SO embarrassed
 
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Some classics on here. I think I've put all mine on these boards already...

Knocked over by a ball in the face, kicked by a 14-year-old (girl).
One of my first AR games in a higher division, after walking around my team for the equipment check, about to set off when my captain realises he's not wearing shin pads. My ref laughed. And he had just finished a shift as national head of referees.
Gave a YC for a player taking a free kick before the whistle, then before the new whistle, he started a run up again, so I blew once while he was running up, the defence stopped, goal, I gave it.
Stopped a game 10 minutes early due to being totally phased by a really poor bit of whistling (see above, same game!), bonus, with my mentor as AR.
Gave a phantom yellow card for a waft of contact to an old player, who had played in the Champions League, while being video reviewed by our ref sec.
International tournament, as AR, my young ref gave DOGSO red handball penalty even though the ball was in the net, I waited two minutes to tell him it should have been a yellow and goal, when perhaps I could have told him at the time, especially as we had comms, with an assessor also with comms, who also stayed silent.

And a new one... as AR, last game of the season, my first official match with any of our long time top division referees, I wave a DOGSO red after 4 minutes, only for the ref to wave me down, thankfully with a smile.

LEARNING BY DOING!
 
Not that long ago, appointed to observe a referee going from 7 to 6.
Met up with him in the changing rooms before the match, quick chat, usual stuff. He goes out onto the pitch to carry out kit checks and do his warm-up, I decide I've time to fit in a quick "pony & trap" in the toilet before kick off. Engrossed in it as I was, and oblivious to the fact that I was the only one left in the building, I experienced that awful sinking feeling when I heard what sounded like a heavy bolt and padlock being used on the exterior door before I had time to call out!!
I spent practically the whole of the first half locked in the changing rooms before eventually being let out.

Note to self - in future, if the call of nature is too loud to ignore before a match - whistle loudly or sing whilst sat on the bog!! :oops: :(
 
In my first ever game, there was the most obvious handball on the line, I saw it, identified the player, awarded the penalty, called the player over, and then for a reason that I still can't explain gave him a warning...

Never made that mistake again.

Another was last season, I was junior AR on a premier Division saturday league, about 5 minutes in, I went to flag for offside and ended up on my arse. I was wearing studs and everything.
 
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zarathustra said:
In my first ever game, there was the most obvious handball on the line, I saw it, identified the player, awarded the penalty, called the player over, and then for a reason that I still can't explain gave him a warning...

Never made that mistake again.
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Reminds of a similar embarrassing mistake... a player scores a goal at a corner, but I don't see the use of the hand as I am side on (on my own with no ARs). All the players stop, the player looks guilty, it's clear that he's scored with the hand. I don't even need the inevitable appeals - which are muted as it's so obvious. It's a tepid grassroots game but he's already on a yellow. I am naive and not a smart referee. I give the DFK, cancel the goal but then I don't book and try to explain that I had to stop the goal but I couldn't give the YC as I didn't see it. D'oh!

Never again!
 
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