The Ref Stop

Feel like such a berk.

One of my first games I went to acknowledge keepers and assistants and by the time I got to say ready to assistants, I forgot to arrange for them (CAR).
So hastily went to my bag and sought out two assistants.
About to kick off the game again and some kids had came from the park next door and nicked a corner flag and started berating the keeper with it.
Now, in hindsight having had no assistants at the beginning meant the kids attacking the keeper before game started was a good thing as didn't have to stop play.

More recently I went to a step 6 game for an evening fixture and the referee had forgotten his shorts.
The home club found some spare black shorts for him but they were keeper shorts complete with the old padding you used to see in them.
I agreed to allow the middle ref to wear my shorts whilst I wore the padded ones.
Since then, I've always had both of my kits on me at all times.
Thankfully, his father lived locally and had a pair of shorts and they arrived as we had just buzzed the players before the match. Quick change of shorts and we were ready.
He said he gave me a couple extra marks for the offer of my shorts as he said it was great team work. I said he needed to look the part in the middle to sell any decision he gives.
 
The Ref Stop
This thread is one of the reasons I love this site. We can all take confidence from knowing that others have done the same dumb things we have ;-)

For me it’s

1) As AR2 I was asked to keep a full match record. Came out of dressing room, did net check, went for coin toss, reached for my pen and notebook to mark who has KO and no notepad and no pen. Run of shame back to the dressing room followed.

2) match with CARs. Arrived later than normal due to a huge traffic issue (in fact I always arrive very early meaning I leave home very early - I wouldn’t of made this match at all if I was any later leaving) anyway did pitch inspection, team sheets, coin toss, keeper thumbs up....oh bugger no CARs. Laughter all around while I go get the flags and brief some CARs.
 
Three for me.
1. Forgot matchball.
2. Went to blow for captains no whistle.
3. Went to give CAR's flags, no flags.
Not all the same game though!
I thought it was just me and this thread makes me feel better about them.
 
Forgot my red card but had some Christmas cards and (red) envelopes on the back seat of the car. Folded one up and stuck it in the back pocket of my shorts. Told the team I was sharing a changing room with what I'd had to do. They laughed and said they hoped I didn't have to show it. 86th minute, 2nd yellow, fastest flash of red ever and away to set up for the restart. Heard a little voice behind me say, "You can't send him off with that ref..." just did mate, just did ;)
 
Blown up 5 mins early with one of my mentors assisting.

Missed the captain not wearing shin pads in the inspection when my ref was national head of referees.

Still think crushing my big toe metatarsal bones by reffing with my laces too tight for months is my greatedt achievement though;)
 
I guess with many refs using super duper watches now. Its easily done. I seen some refs use the both countdown thing.
I press the watch and it counts from 0-45mins. nice and simple.

It's amazing how marketing works. We buy a watch to either tell us the time or count the time. A bit of marketing and people are convinced that complicated ways of doing these things somehow benefit us
 
I dont wish to over egg my position on this but I will never understand why a stop watch on one hand and a "normal" time watch on the other hand is not good enough for folk
You start stopwatch at kick off, 3pm. On the remote chance you stop and then dont restart your stop watch during the game, well, ht is 345 on your other watch at the earliest....

we all use the time in this way every day, we start work at 8 and the watch/clock tells us its lunch at 12
same as ht

no super countdowns, bleeps, resets required.
 
I dont wish to over egg my position on this but I will never understand why a stop watch on one hand and a "normal" time watch on the other hand is not good enough for folk
You start stopwatch at kick off, 3pm. On the remote chance you stop and then dont restart your stop watch during the game, well, ht is 345 on your other watch at the earliest....

we all use the time in this way every day, we start work at 8 and the watch/clock tells us its lunch at 12
same as ht

no super countdowns, bleeps, resets required.

That has been my method from day one. I'm not against technology, I've been pro VAR since it's inception and goal line technology is great. I can't comment on buzzer flags as I'm only a 2nd year level 7 but if there's a genuine justification for spending the £500 on them then I'm all for it (I used them once running the line on a step 9 game and it seemed daft when there were about 30 people there and players were playing for expenses but the ref had ambitions to get as high up the ladder as poss and wanted to get used to them so they were right for him).

But complicating telling the time seems counter productive to me. With buzzer flags, Nike kit (I use that so I'm a hypocrite here), top boots, valkeen whistle etc there are refs turning up to games with £1000 worth of gear! Still, upto the individual I suppose.
 
That has been my method from day one. I'm not against technology, I've been pro VAR since it's inception and goal line technology is great. I can't comment on buzzer flags as I'm only a 2nd year level 7 but if there's a genuine justification for spending the £500 on them then I'm all for it (I used them once running the line on a step 9 game and it seemed daft when there were about 30 people there and players were playing for expenses but the ref had ambitions to get as high up the ladder as poss and wanted to get used to them so they were right for him).

But complicating telling the time seems counter productive to me. With buzzer flags, Nike kit (I use that so I'm a hypocrite here), top boots, valkeen whistle etc there are refs turning up to games with £1000 worth of gear! Still, upto the individual I suppose.
not sure whats wrong with having a fancy watch.
I am genuinely interested in distance, hr, etc etc and use my polar outside of reffing too and I like a countdown feature. Easier to tell how long left if asked, without the maths.
I am not complicating time, all my life growing up I have watched football with a little timer in the corner. If i go to football ground time played is done on a timer. All I am doing by using a timer is conforming to a timing convention standard that started way before I was a twinkle in the postmans eye
 
not sure whats wrong with having a fancy watch.
I am genuinely interested in distance, hr, etc etc and use my polar outside of reffing too and I like a countdown feature. Easier to tell how long left if asked, without the maths.
I am not complicating time, all my life growing up I have watched football with a little timer in the corner. If i go to football ground time played is done on a timer. All I am doing by using a timer is conforming to a timing convention standard that started way before I was a twinkle in the postmans eye

If it works for you then that's justification enough. No criticism here, it would be over complicated for me though but I am a simpleton
 
At risk of sounding rude, if someone cannot tell how long there is to go with 2 watches on their person then I question their how they are going to manage such difficult tasks as dealing with team lines and so on

surely someone in P1 can subtract from 45?

Same with buzzer flags, I have eyes, and if I use them, and my mental awareness, I am perfectly able to see a lino waving a flag.
 
At risk of sounding rude, if someone cannot tell how long there is to go with 2 watches on their person then I question their how they are going to manage such difficult tasks as dealing with team lines and so on

surely someone in P1 can subtract from 45?

Same with buzzer flags, I have eyes, and if I use them, and my mental awareness, I am perfectly able to see a lino waving a flag.
Its not that I cant do it... but its a lot easier to look at a number that say 23. I can say 23 mins to go without having to look at 22 to work out 23 left.
I could look at a standard watch and determine how long left but I never wore/wear one, nor owned, until I started wearing a fitness tracker. I took the time off my phone which i dont carry on FOP for obvious reasons..
 
At risk of sounding rude, if someone cannot tell how long there is to go with 2 watches on their person then I question their how they are going to manage such difficult tasks as dealing with team lines and so on

surely someone in P1 can subtract from 45?

Same with buzzer flags, I have eyes, and if I use them, and my mental awareness, I am perfectly able to see a lino waving a flag.
I go by the Sun (or the moon for night games) and get time +/- 10 seconds. Can you beat that? I I don't need flags either, i read my AR's facial expressions.
 
I go by the Sun (or the moon for night games) and get time +/- 10 seconds. Can you beat that? I I don't need flags either, i read my AR's facial expressions.


What a coincidence! My methods are the same only, I also don't carry a whistle, I just say "gentleman halt the proceedings, I doth decree blue 6 committed an offence" whilst tipping my bowler hat, and play stops

basics always the best way.

If I doubt Allan Wells/Steve Cram/Seb Coe/Daley Thompson **insert great athlete of you choice *** relied on a fancy watch to inform them that they were fit !
 
What a coincidence! My methods are the same only, I also don't carry a whistle, I just say "gentleman halt the proceedings, I doth decree blue 6 committed an offence" whilst tipping my bowler hat, and play stops

basics always the best way.

If I doubt Allan Wells/Steve Cram/Seb Coe/Daley Thompson **insert great athlete of you choice *** relied on a fancy watch to inform them that they were fit !
Actually, compared to todays athletes, yes they were fit, but not on the same level..why? Technology. The new breed of athlete know all their numbers, following much more scientifically based programs because they now have access to info the last generation didnt have.
 
Actually, compared to todays athletes, yes they were fit, but not on the same level..why? Technology. The new breed of athlete know all their numbers, following much more scientifically based programs because they now have access to info the last generation didnt have.


Technology but just progress in general, says a lot for say Wells that he could run times that are a ball hair away from todays athletes, without all the mod cons....
 
I've just invested in one of these;

_104388768_digitalclock.jpg


Only £460 at auction...;)
 
What a coincidence! My methods are the same only, I also don't carry a whistle, I just say "gentleman halt the proceedings, I doth decree blue 6 committed an offence" whilst tipping my bowler hat, and play stops

basics always the best way.

If I doubt Allan Wells/Steve Cram/Seb Coe/Daley Thompson **insert great athlete of you choice *** relied on a fancy watch to inform them that they were fit !

I've started to ref from home. Helps with my ref life balance
 
Back
Top