The Ref Stop

Would you report this?

DazN

Well-Known Member
Level 7 Referee
Referee didn’t turn up for my son’s U13 game this morning so the home side had the guy from the cafe stand-in.

I was CAR and as he gave me his pre-match talk I got the impression he didn’t really want to do it so I said I was a referee myself and offered to officiate but he assured me he was an ex-league referee and knew what he was doing so I thought fair enough.

I hate criticising a referee but he didn’t have a great game. The game was out of control by half time with lots of dissent and some bad tackles going in. He sin-binned a lad for 5 minutes for a bad tackle at one point and didn’t know how to restart following a head injury.

In the second half I gave two clear offsides against the home CF which he reacted badly to despite his coach shouting he was clearly offside both times. The only other incident was a ball that I indicated has crossed the goal-line which resulted in a goal for the home side. The away side ended up winning 4-3 and ended a long unbeaten run for the home side so tempers were frayed.

As I was walking back to the referee to give him his flag the home CF called me a *****. I turned to his coach and told him to which he shrugged and then I said I was going report it to the league to which he said ‘You’re not the appointed ref, you have no authority to do anything’ The same player then shouted ‘Yeah piss off’ to me. Another lad then said ‘He always cheats’ as I’d officiated him for another team before and he clearly didn’t like my decisions. I told the ref but seeing as he is just a bloke helping out I doubt he’ll do anything.

Our league has a respect app that we can report but that is meant for refs so I’m not sure what I should/can do? It feels wrong to do nothing.
 
The Ref Stop
That absolutely has to be reported. I don't give one if I'm standing in and not actually appointed.
Taken from FA futsal and mini soccer handbook:
Any person who referees a game of Development Football has the authority to apply the Laws of Mini-Soccer even if they are not a fully qualified referee.
Taken from SCOR-Y:
In cases where there are no officially appointed Match Officials in attendance, the Clubs shall agree upon a referee. An individual thus agreed upon shall,for that Competition Match, have the full powers, status and authority of a registered referee
In my opinion, that extends to reporting incidents as well.
 
That absolutely has to be reported. I don't give one if I'm standing in and not actually appointed.
Taken from FA futsal and mini soccer handbook:
Any person who referees a game of Development Football has the authority to apply the Laws of Mini-Soccer even if they are not a fully qualified referee.
Taken from SCOR-Y:
In cases where there are no officially appointed Match Officials in attendance, the Clubs shall agree upon a referee. An individual thus agreed upon shall,for that Competition Match, have the full powers, status and authority of a registered referee
In my opinion, that extends to reporting incidents as well.
The issue here is that the stand-in referee is unlikely to report anything at all, but in this case the CAR is a qualified referee and can report, using the method advised by ARF above.
 
The issue here is that the stand-in referee is unlikely to report anything at all, but in this case the CAR is a qualified referee and can report, using the method advised by ARF above.
The challenge there is they are going to end up with a report from a CAR but nothing from the qualified referee in charge of the game. He was told about it but chose not to act, so going to very difficult for the CFA to do anything.
 
The challenge there is they are going to end up with a report from a CAR but nothing from the qualified referee in charge of the game. He was told about it but chose not to act, so going to very difficult for the CFA to do anything.
Fair comment, but the CFA can ask the home club who the referee was, then invite his version of the truth.
 
I doubt anything will come of it, but as an official I feel I should at least report it.
It's an interesting one. I run the line for my two boys at away games regularly and I've occasionally thought about potential misconduct and the reporting of such. Ultimately, I'd only take something to the CPS is there was a realistic chance of a charging decision. I'm yet to be troubled by such a dilemma
 
They could, but I suspect they wouldn't. It just isn't credible to charge someone based on the word on a CAR when the actual referee has chosen not to act.
Had an incident last year when CAR for my son's old team. Oppo coach spent much of the match barracking the U16 ref (armband being worn), screamed at one of our players, and for the last 10 minutes of the game all his U12 players joined in.

I sent a report in to league and County FA, as did several of our parents. Not sure anything would have happened based on those reports alone but assuming the referee also made a report (he'd taken no disciplinary action during the game - think it was one of his first 5 fixtures after completing the course) as the coach got a touchline ban and fine. Thankfully the coach is out of the league now.
 
I reached out my local FA and they were keen for me to report it. They even sent me the form. No idea what will come if it, but I’ve done my bit.
You did the right thing. It is now in the hands of the county FA. If they need any more input from you they will get in touch. If they don’t assume they have dealt with it.
 
Well done for reporting it, even if nothing comes out of it...

Had an "interesting" one in my penultimate season. Home team I had ref'd regularly over several years. Good bunch of lads on the whole, one of the players was a tough but mostly fair competitor, who's tackles occasionally stayed into card worthy area, but always accepted them without complaint. This particular day was no different and I had no cause to speak to him regarding his challenges or conduct... Last minute of the game, I was aware of a different home player and an away player engaging in a bit of verbals as they run down the pitch, so I decided to keep a close eye on them. Ball goes out of play, as they await the throw, away player shouts into the face of home home player "go f'k yourself" and shoves the home player in the chest. I hold the throw and call the away player over for a chat, at which point he decides to give me expletive filled verbals as well, so I send him packing with a staight red.... Send in the report that evening and think nothing of it.

On the Wednesday, I get an email from the FA asking for my observations. Away team have lodged a complaint about the "grossly unfair" red card including a supposed witness statement from the player's dad, along with it they make a number of unsubstantiated and wild accusations about the home team's tough, but fair player. I submit my responses to the complaints as does the home manager. Red card upheld and away player serves 2 match ban for being mouthy. I was copied in on the FA's response to the home team, which they state that whilst they have no evidence to take action against the home player, he will be "observed" for 12 months! :eek:
 
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