The Ref Stop

appointed to a last match of league where one participant may be relegated.

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The OP asked about finding out results so a bit OT but...

Last season I had a game that went South. I was poor, I got rattled, on video, fell apart a bit. It was a senior game 35+.
I wasn't focused. And things went wrong. And match control went early with lots of players not happy. Coaches afterwards complained, not just to me, but to my refsec. It was my promotion review game and it cost me any chance of promotion.

I was distracted by work but also, in retrospect, I was rattled early because the game and players somehow did not make sense. Of course, we all have bad days (this was really bad) but we can usually rescue things. In the aftermath, I learned that, the game was much more serious than I thought, the tournament much bigger, teams and players had travelled further, the players much more experienced, the coaches also more experienced - they were mostly 40-50 and looked like pub stuff but I had a player with Champions League appearances on the field.

Would I have changed decisions? No. (Well, some of my decisions were so bad in that game, of course I wish I had got them correct). Would my game management and match control have been improved? Lord yes. Small thing but I booked said CL player and was very dismissive when he approached me, thinking he was a petulant pub player. I got my tone wrong and I am sure it affected the players and coaches feelings about me.

Making mistakes so you don't have to!

(By the way, the tournament happens again in 3 weeks and by quirk of fate I have the same two teams again!)
 
The Ref Stop
The OP asked about finding out results so a bit OT but...

Last season I had a game that went South. I was poor, I got rattled, on video, fell apart a bit. It was a senior game 35+.
I wasn't focused. And things went wrong. And match control went early with lots of players not happy. Coaches afterwards complained, not just to me, but to my refsec. It was my promotion review game and it cost me any chance of promotion.

I was distracted by work but also, in retrospect, I was rattled early because the game and players somehow did not make sense. Of course, we all have bad days (this was really bad) but we can usually rescue things. In the aftermath, I learned that, the game was much more serious than I thought, the tournament much bigger, teams and players had travelled further, the players much more experienced, the coaches also more experienced - they were mostly 40-50 and looked like pub stuff but I had a player with Champions League appearances on the field.

Would I have changed decisions? No. (Well, some of my decisions were so bad in that game, of course I wish I had got them correct). Would my game management and match control have been improved? Lord yes. Small thing but I booked said CL player and was very dismissive when he approached me, thinking he was a petulant pub player. I got my tone wrong and I am sure it affected the players and coaches feelings about me.

Making mistakes so you don't have to!

(By the way, the tournament happens again in 3 weeks and by quirk of fate I have the same two teams again!)
But again I think you're helping make my point. You did research, it affected how you approached a player and because that research wasn't quite right, it got you in more trouble. If you'd done no prep and simply approached the game with an open mind, you would have seen how the player acted and responded to that - but because you mistakenly thought you knew how to deal with it, you were blinkered, your attitude changed and it caused you problems.
 
Here is a question to make a point. Game result (for this game in OP) is 5-0 at 90 minutes. You have timed about 6 minutes of added time untill then. How long added time do you play?
5-0 in last game of the season could mean many things.

It could mean a dead game with meaningless results. Play 6 minutes added time and the frustrated team can go for a leg breaking tackle in the last minute. Even when played in good spirit, usually no one really wants to keep playing another 6 minutes.

On the other hand one more goal either way could mean a change in promotion or relegation to one of the teams or another team not even in the game. Not play all of the added time and you could rub a team off promotion.

So yes it matters that you know what the game and results mean to the teams or the competition. It is part of game management.
 
One other thing I find. Usually before the games I will be offered a drink and have a quick chat with the home club chairman (Step 7 league or Contrib/Supply reserve team league usually done with CAR's)

It's of use to at least know how the team is doing, maybe how they got on in their previous game, it helps to establish credibility and the fact you are not just turning up for the money!
 
Lets hope they research us too!!! I wonder what joys of joys that would bring up!!!! ;)

'Yeh, him, he likes a tackle but don't call him a ****!!!'
 
But what are you doing with that knowledge? And whatever your answer, my follow-up question will be "Why aren't you doing that in any other match?"

Facts are facts.
Show me where I said I'd adjust my refereeing style or "assume" anything based on any research I'd done. I do it for every match. Read what I wrote rather than try to dissect anything I say fella. ;)
 
Yes in that you will always know more about the laws than the players, the fact you may research and find that the blue five is always carded and the red three is often sent off for VC is actually irrelevant.....you need to referee what is in front of you........regardless.

Is this some sort of "Let's see who can state the obvious the most times" competition or something? :wall: If it is, I think you may have just won .... :D
 
Facts are facts.
Show me where I said I'd adjust my refereeing style or "assume" anything based on any research I'd done. I do it for every match. Read what I wrote rather than try to dissect anything I say fella. ;)
So go on then, answer my question. What do you do with that knowledge?
 
So go on then, answer my question. What do you do with that knowledge?

Same thing you do when researching/swotting/studying for an exam. You've only a rough idea of what the question paper will throw up but if you've armed yourself with info beforehand then you're doing yourself no harm. Having prior awareness will always be better than being unaware. Being proactive is a good thing. You carry on being :reactive" only - I'll do both ...
 
Same thing you do when researching/swotting/studying for an exam. You've only a rough idea of what the question paper will throw up but if you've armed yourself with info beforehand then you're doing yourself no harm. Having prior awareness will always be better than being unaware. Being proactive is a good thing. You carry on being :reactive" only - I'll do both ...
I think that's a really poor analogy, swotting up for an exam is analogous to knowing the laws. And I'm more than happy to do that.

What you're describing seems closer to learning and preparing for the exact exam questions - great if it goes exactly as you expect, but with some serious downsides if something unexpected happens. Except in this case, you're still not giving me any concrete benefits or adjustments that are made as a result of this research, which still makes it seem like a waste of time at best.
 
Sorry just no sense at grass roots, yes know who is top and who bottom, be aware of local derbies other than that the recent disciplinary record relies on LWR......and we all know how variable that is.

You have to set your stall early in every match, slacken or tighten according to circumstances.............
 
But again I think you're helping make my point. You did research, it affected how you approached a player and because that research wasn't quite right, it got you in more trouble. If you'd done no prep and simply approached the game with an open mind, you would have seen how the player acted and responded to that - but because you mistakenly thought you knew how to deal with it, you were blinkered, your attitude changed and it caused you problems.
I disagree. I didn't know enough. It was a very important occasion and I didn't know enough about it.

I have another reason to research matches prior. I am in a competitive situation with a tight group of well trained officials looking for promotion. Our general attitude and actions either side of the actions on the pitch do matter. At the level where there are betting companies present (different country so I can't give you a like for like), and in the highest youth leagues, the officials I am working with know the leagues, teams and players. It is expected. We have to know about match context. It is essentially part of the job.
 
I did occasionally look if some of my long term red card-eees were eligible to play just in case they turned up, it used to be time based and not games based so it was easier to look! Caught one out after a game that gave me two different names when I carded him yellow and then sent him off, he was banned and gave me his real name in error.... Facebook caught him out though!!!
 
Last kickoff of the day, so they may be relegated prior to kickoff, or in the hunt to stay up. Would you find out the results of the other match prior to kickoff, or avoid knowing?

Think as usual there is a lot of over complication on this thread.
OP has not asked whether they should have a full on briefing pack, watch lots of game footage or check out which players are potentially troublesome.

The simple question was would you want to know what each team needed to do going into a game that kicks off later, especially if it had ramifications (like potential relegation) for one team?
 
That's what this forum is for.

Discussion, points of view, debate, disagreement/agreement. Else it need not exist. ;):cool:
 
That's what this forum is for.

Discussion, points of view, debate, disagreement/agreement. Else it need not exist. ;):cool:
I disagree ;)

I don't think he is disputing that. He is pointing out it has been taken off track to what the OP did not intend it for.
 
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