A&H

Open Age Apparently I'm being reported...

D

dylan22

New Member
Level 7 Referee
Game this morning, fairly well contested and some excellent football being played by both teams (and some great goals too), finished up 3-2 to the home team after being 2-0 down - gave a penalty for the home team after a trip, no complaints from anyone.

The players on both teams were chatty and friendly and aside from a few 50-50s there was nothing of note really happening - that is to say apart from one the of home team's defenders; he was a bit gobby throughout the first half, I'm not really sure why, none of his team were complaining at all. Anyway, nearing half time, said home team defender and away striker go in for a 50-50, bit of a coming together, but nothing really to call, away striker wiggles away with the ball and defender then pulls him back - easy FK, nothing really happens then blow up for half time.

I'm having a drink and just thinking about the game for 5 minutes at half time and home defender comes up to me away from his manager giving a team talk and starts asking me why he didn't get a FK - I don't know if this is right - but I told him it was HT and I was just having a breather, I didn't want to talk to him about it. He wasn't leaving so I explained the decision and he still wasn't going so I just ignored him and he eventually went back to his team.

Just before KO as the players are coming back on I called the defender and his captain over, speaking directly to the captain, I said I didn't appreciate the defender talking to me at HT - captain apologises, defender starts saying that he didn't say anything and it was 'my word against his'? - I said I didn't really know what he meant by that.

5 minutes in and defender is clearly pushing the away striker, try to call him just to have a bit of a chat he doesn't come so I booked him and the manager then subbed him - hear a few players talking saying that he's going to cost them games this season, which made me feel a bit better - I know that's not the best thing to think...

Away team make a sub, first half lineman who seemed friendly and chatty in the first half, comes on with 15 minutes left and starts right from the off calling me 'woeful', 'terrible' - whatever - I was a bit confused at this point, no one else was saying anything and there wasn't much happening.

Blow up for FT, handshakes all round, away team sub refuses to shake my hand, tells me he's not going to and that he'll be reporting me - I said that's fine, again still a bit confused - packing my things away and the sub comes over quite aggressively asking for my name - I said that I don't need to tell him and wasn't going to, he then starts shouting, by this point home players are kind of standing around watching - again I said that he should contact the league sec or ask his manager. He replies saying that he is the manager and keeps asking, eventually I just said he wasn't having my name - do I need to tell him?/should I have told him? - again says he's going to report me and asks what the lowest score he can give before writing a report is, told him I absolutely no idea and walked off - by this point everyone else had gone bar the player who's still muttering something.

Wow, apologies for the long post but I was wondering - was I perhaps overreacting about the player coming over at half time? And do I have to give my name in these situations?

Dylan
 
The Referee Store
I would have given him my name because why not? He can easily find out.

Other than that I don't think I would have done anything different. You're not under any obligation to explain decisions at half time (or indeed at all). I definitely wouldn't worry about any 'report'. That's S.O.P. for frustrated players.
 
Quite within your rights to have a peaceful halftime break. You told him you didn't want to discuss, he should have walked away.
If a player wants my name he can have it, it's public knowledge so just give him it.
I'm usually prepared to discuss my decisions assuming I remember the incident but may suggest the best time is after the final whistle.
 
@Dylan - always give the players / officials your name. They can find out in so many ways, so not giving it can look petty.

Aa for the lowest mark, it is usually specified in the league rules. Normally, making them look in rule book stops them, as they have lost their copy, or the secretary complete anyhow return and can't be arsed with low marking.

Don't worry, players threaten to report all the time. Being on a league committee, we get at least 2 a month. Standard response to the club is "comments noted". Unless there is good reason to worried, the league and the CFA won't be bothered either.
 
I wouldn't be worried about it whatsoever.

Couple of things I would say, and this isn't criticism, but on the whole it doesn't really work to your advantage too often to ignore somebody completely when they do talk to you, no matter how little you want to talk to them.

Obviously I understand in both instances you have asked him to move on and he carried on, but typically if you repeat your summary of 'I've asked you to move away a couple of times now nicely, please do so for your own sake before you end up in trouble' complete with over exaggerated arm gestures shoeing him away.

As others have said give your name freely, obstruct nothing if they ask.

In the situation described not only are they likely not to be bothered enough to even submit such a report, but if they did it would almost certainly end up in the bin without seeing the light of day.
 
I was told I'd be reported about 10 times last season by various players from various teams. Don't worry about it, unless you were wrong in law, or did something stupid like fing and blinding at a play across the pitch the league and CFA won't be overly bothered.

I know my league take them on board, don't don't take any action unless the same things are a common theme across several matches. And even then they just send someone to watch one of your games.

Incidentally on the 3 leagues I officiate on teams have to submit a written report for a mark below 65.
 
I've lost count of how many times I've been told I will be reported and, with the exception of one occasion, when I was technically wrong, nothing has ever come of it. I was even once reported whilst acting as an assessor - a manager continually tried to interrupt the debrief to berate the referee for the number of cards for his team, and eventually I just couldn't resist pointing out that they might not get so many cards if he set a better example. This that one got a laugh at county FA ..!

As others have said, never refuse to give your name. They will get it anyway, and refusing to give it looks like you have something to hide and just further inflames the situation. Just politely give your name, tell him that his club secretary will know the procedures, and then walk away.
 
I'm apparently going to be reported following yesterday's match. Away player refused to shake my hand after the final whistle as he didn't agree with the only yellow card of the game and he never even swore!
He managed to roll three lemons on my slot machine when he screamed at me from about 25 metres that I couldn't give a decision as I was looking the other way.
Didn't have the heart to tell him it may have been red if he had, but he's going to report me as part of his appeal process........good luck with that one then!
 
I wouldn't even waste a second worrying about it Dylan. Number of times idiots have said "I'll report you..." and of course nothing happens... it's a lot. Of course, almost 100% of those occasions they, or their teams, has been reported for some reason is another story (be it send off, cautions or what have you), They ALL go in.

Now it's just, "feel free to put your report in... good luck with that"

Put it behind you. Another game coming up. :D
 
Weren't you curious as to what he was reporting you for? Apart from the usual responses above, I'd have asked him why. Seems a bit strange.
 
I once had a spectator tell me he was going to report me to the FA as I was the worst referee he'd ever seen.

I got assessed on that match and got above the standard expected...
 
I once a couple of years ago at full time had a goalkeeper (losing side goalkeeper) say "My Dad works for the FA, I'm going to report you" I smiled and said crack on with that then.
 
This is weird all round.
If the defender approached in a calm manner I'll have a conversation with him. Sure, it's a little annoying given it's halftime, but leaving him upset and feeling like you're being authoritarian will be more annoying for you in the second half ;-)
I find it odd that he didn't leave....did you ask what further he wanted?
I don't see the need to be getting the captain involved....unless you felt that he was standing there eyeballing you just to be antagonistic. If not that, no need to involve the captain because a player came over to ask a question.

As for the sub who came on - he started calling you woeful, terrible etc - what did you do to deal with this? IT sounds like he well and truly crossed the line into caution territory.

As for the player wanting your name - some referees like to provide it to them as a slightly passive aggressive way of saying 'I care so little about your complaint that I'll practically help you write it!!'.

I've had numerous people threaten to write reports. Who cares? One I did get queried about, committee asked me a quick question and dismissed it.
From being on the committee myself, most complaints don't even get considered worthy of further investigation. Straight in the bin, so to speak.
 
Cheshire Ref said:
As above, however i think after giving him my name i would be asking for his and considering a misconduct report.
Click to expand...

I have done exactly that many a time! 'you're terrible' 'worst ref' 'ruined the game' 'I am reporting you!, whats your name?' 'it is XYZ ... and yours is? thank you'
 
Saying you're going to report the ref doesn't earn a caution. "Mate, that was a deadset shocker, I'm reporting you" becomes dissent.
And of course yelling at the referee is worthy of a caution anyway.....
 
I had an U12s manager tell me he was going to report me a couple of years ago, never heard a word about it again. Probably shouldn't have done, but responded at the time with "go ahead, I look forward to it". He might have thought better of it given his assistant's and his team's and own behaviour throughout the match.

Prior to and after that "conversation" he and his assistant were a continuous pain in the backside from start to finish. Attempting to reason with them was like talking to a brick wall. Would go as far to say if his assistant's behaviour was a typical example of his normal every day self, he should be behind bars and not allowed anywhere near youth football! Found out a few weeks after the game the manager in question is in fact an officer of the law. :eek: Ref'd his team again about a year later and he couldn't have been nicer if he had tried, from start to finish...
 
Mintyref said:
Quite within your rights to have a peaceful halftime break. You told him you didn't want to discuss, he should have walked away.
If a player wants my name he can have it, it's public knowledge so just give him it.
I'm usually prepared to discuss my decisions assuming I remember the incident but may suggest the best time is after the final whistle.
Click to expand...

I would suggest 5 minutes AFTR the full time whistle.

Gives you (and player/manager/whoever) time to clear heads/calm down/ have a drink.
 
Regular readers will remember that last week I was going to star in a video of my match that an irate parent was going to send to the FA.

Still waiting on that one...........:)
 
As per, chaps, thanks very much for the replies.

@CapnBloodbeard, it was very strange, it was a fairly innocuous thing - he thought he'd been fouled and then when play continued at which point he decided to pull the opposing player back I whistled for a foul against him - again nothing huge, but it was just before HT and he wouldn't let it go for whatever reason. After I explained it to him after he approached me he still didn't leave and was giving me an odd look, hence why I decided to just ignore him.

I felt the HT thing was his way of trying to be intimidating and I kind of thought he'd be revved up for the second half, which he was, hence why I decided to speak with the captain just afterwards, I thought he might be able to calm him down a bit perhaps.

I should say I have no worries about being reported - as I said, I'm still slightly confused as to what I did wrong - but thanks for the messages anyway, guys. And I'll be mindful to be more forthcoming with my name should anyone ask.

D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top