Refereeing guidance
- Thread starter BrumRef
- Start date
Perfect cheers @Justylove 
Essentially the same... Waste of paper
RefJef
RefChat Addict
Essentially the same... Waste of paper
Agree.
Not the FAs finest hour. We could have had that a week ago.
Anyway, roll on Saturday- I’m sure we’ll all make our games as safe as possible and enjoy getting back in Black.
Justylove
RefChat Addict
Not sure what you expected in terms of content that was dramatically different from the main guidance. You have it in plenty of time for your game on Saturday as well.
Apparently it is several versions old as well.. Its a CYA exercise and was probably a government requirement to allow fball to restart. I would hope and expect its been checked over legally and given some scientific approval to, to ensure the guidelines are there and not cause the FA any issues.
As I say We are all at liberty to choose what we want to do, and there's nothing thee that I wouldn't have done myself anyway.
RefJef
RefChat Addict
but that’s pretty much my point - it’s all just common sense, and nothing new. We got the go ahead about two weeks ago(?) that fixtures could start again on August 1st, along with guidance for clubs.
Knowing I would be refereeing games from the outset, I read and familiarised myself with the guidance. All good, no dramas, have been thinking through a few scenarios whilst digging out my kit etc.
Then earlier this week I’m told that I would be receiving “Return to Football” guidance relating specifically to match official. I was also told that I would need to see this before officiating any games.
I waited, an waited, and then at 5pm today this drips into my inbox. A bit of a damp squib really, nothing new, and nothing that couldn’t have been sent out last week.
I know I’m making a mountain out of a molehil, and I suspect as @JamesL says probably the FA have been directed By the government to deliver specific guidance for match officials, hence the last minute.com nature of the guidance.
As ever, those of us who operate at the lowest of levels will continue to make football work amongst the weeds of grass roots, just as we do week in, week out when we have a pitch invasion by a flock of sheep, or an angry archer shooting his arrows behind one of the goals (both of which I have dealt with in my time without any guidance or Frameworks from the FA). I love working at this level of the game - and despite promotion last season will continue to do so - it can just be frustrating when some administrators forget the unique challenges of officiating at these depths.
Confusing part for me, we have to wear masks before (Up until the warm up) and after a game yet players and team officials don’t
LothianRef
Member
At least you’re all getting games. It looks like, annoyingly, I’ll not have any until October despite the fact that the Scottish Government advice allows outdoor sports for all ages from mid-August.
Totally agree but as usual, some people wanted chapter and verse to cover every scenario which may occur
The FA always tries to deliver guidance to separate groups with the advice tweaked for that group. It's usually club officials, match officials and players. Occasionally they throw in parents and coaches as other stakeholders. I'm not sure why this should be any different. You also need to remember that "grassroots" for The FA is football played at Steps 3-6 of the NLS. Everything below that is regarded as "social football", where the social interaction between players is more important than their skill or achievements.
It has been well documented that the mask is not to protect you from others but to protect others from you. The clubs have got to look after themselves and you have to look after you. That's made pretty clear by the guidance that you are not required to enforce social distancing and that each player is personally responsible for their own social distancing.
Anyway I've got to go now. From midnight I am locked down again. Seems silly really. I'm not allowed to visit my daughter and grandson and vice versa, but if she lived just 150m down the road in the opposite direction, in another part of West Yorkshire, I could visit any time I wanted. It's a funny old game.
Assuming the FA will be talking to the government about this as you said no mention whatsoever for the return just that fans can’t go to the pilot games like NLS and cricket and other sports I think so waiting on the FA to release the guidelines altough I don’t know how it’s going to work for clubs that have had pitches cut and marked out if they do delay it the 2 weeks further
Justylove
RefChat Addict
Though if the infections continue to rise, we could see a more stringent lockdown again that could impact football as a whole
I think today’s press conference is concerning - particularly regarding the issue of having no fans at test pilots. This is surely going to impact the reintroduction of spectators throughout the NLS and the prospect of a September start for steps 3-6 must be under threat now. This coupled with the disruption that local lockdowns could cause during the season has left me, and I’m sure others, feeling a bit deflated after getting excited at the prospect of the season starting in 5 weeks. Hope I’m proven wrong at the situation starts to improve again 