Recent content by benmc

I always tend to give each teams at youth level one free hit. Tell them to retake and tell them what they did wrong. In my opinion, giving them the what you did wrong bit it the more important bit. But next foul throw for that team goes the other way from there on.

My tolerance levels change for open age and younger matches. Open age it's much as has already been described, but for younger (I tend to do u14s), as soon as I start to be questioned or players start asking for decisions I very loudly tell the player (so that all can hear) that they do not need...

I'd have had the cards out here. Suprises me how much coaches/players/parents think we care about the outcome of a game

Went to a new fetish restaurant last night. I got toed in the hole

My dog, Minton, ate a shuttlecock... Bad Minton!

I am liking the use of yellows for the sort of fake yellow card flashing, but what still isn't good enough in my opinion is clear verbal dissent going unpunished. Pro refs seem happy to take verbal barrages with no action, leaving that precedent for the grassroots to continue. The increased use...

I am starting to think this could be a good thing for lower level domestic football, as fans of clubs that would join any such ESL type system are likely to become (even more) disenchanted and perhaps leading them to go see truely local teams, boosting their revenue and so on. "Elite" football...

The law and guidance is clear enough, but I guess the reason it keeps coming up is that we can see a leg break coming one weekend that could have been prevented had common sense been included in the guidance. As much as I agree "it's the players (or parents) responsibility", doesn't make an...

It seems pretty clear to me, regardless of facts, VAR is definitely damaging the fragile reputation between the football "community" (players, managers, fans etc) and referees. My opinion is that it needs to go. Football is not a black and white sort of sport, so trying to shoehorn in VAR...

Not with what pay they'll be offered to make decisions compared to pay they'll be offered to unpick them

Great advice. I've been caught out by not giving because I couldn't say I'd 100% "seen", but this has probably caused more issues than giving the decision. All part of the fun of trying to balance what is undeniable and "seen" and what is expected.

Perhaps consider taping it up if it won't come off?

I must admit I was surprised at the course when I did it at the beginning of the year. Very little assessment, no real chance of anything but "passing", and the majority of attendees were (well) under 20. Though I'm glad to report around half were female. After the course it was a case of do 5...

Yeah absolutely, but I make the final decision and I let the CARs know that before the match. It seems to be a county FA thing. In Northumberland, CARs do offsides, in Durham they don't.

Fundamentally, I think the in the moment decision should always be the one supported, otherwise why have a referee on the pitch?