Recent content by Russell Jones

At higher levels / more confidence in your ARs you can choose to add in one specific circumstance where the AR can / should lead the decision .... handball offences from right wing crosses where the defender's offending arm is often out of sight of the referee but plainly obvious to the AR

It's entirely possible that the one penalty incident (where Antony Taylor incorrectly felt that the ball had been played) might result in that being viewed as a VAR error. It certainly wouldn't be the first this season and, because VARs are fallible human beings, will not be the last. On the...

The most usual advice is, as @Gabriel says, touching the 'correct' pocket. However, IMO, players are increasingly wise to this. My preference is to ask my ARs to take a small step onto the pitch to advise a yellow or a big step to advise a red. All that really matters though is that the pre...

Errrr ... no, just no :rolleyes:

Totally agree. And I think the 'natural silhouette' idea that @The Ginger Ref mentions is misleading at best. There are dozens of 'natural silhouettes' depending on the body movement being undertaken. The classic 'arms by the side' is only relevant when players are standing completely still...

I personally know a number of referees on the National FA Core programme that are in their 40's. Not aware of any older than this but happy to be corected!

I should have been clearer ... the learning was a general one rather than specific to your game / league :) . In the case you describe, I'd suggest anyone choosing to sit in the technical area could legitimately be treated as / dealt with either as a sub or a team official

The biggest lesson from this, is that as AR1 (or ref, if on your own) it's always worth checking that the number of people in the technical areas matches the number of names on the team card (assuming there is one!).

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On 1) I'd suggest starting from the philosophy that everyone on the pitch is human and everyone will make mistakes - especially in your early days, it's entirely to be expected! Sometimes it's helpful to register the often horrific mistakes by the players, in order to remind yourself that...

On the contrary, especially with regard to upper body contact, there is a recent increase in emphasis on allowing NFC (Normal Football Contact or, more colloquially, No Effing Chance!). Assessors these days are as likely to mark you down for giving too many 'soft' decisions and stifling the...

At the risk of being pedantic, yes I do try to sin bin / YC for every piece of dissent. In the same way a tackle that you decide is Reckless is a mandatory yellow card, so is disagreement that reaches the level of dissent. However, there is plenty of disagreement with decisions that doesn't...

Not necessarily. If the contact prior to the ball being in play causes the contact after the ball is in play then it could change the latter contact from Careless to NFC (Normal Football Contact)?

I'll answer it for him :) . Generally, either of the 'C' words aimed in my direction or anything discriminatory (sexist, racist, homophobic etc). Also, as ever, I think ignoring the 'non-verbal' aspect of the words is unhelpful. If the phrase 'Eff Off' was screamed loudly and aggressively...

Reckless my arse .... :rolleyes: :wall::)