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Open Age First Game - Plans

OldNavyRef

OldNavyRef

Well-Known Member
Level 5 Referee
I have seen a post about first games of the season. I have just had my first friendly game of this season.

Game went fine. 3 penalties, but all were stonewall, the usual complaints, but I think everyone just accepted them for what they were, blatant.

I think I managed to grey man really well. So I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't have any reason to book anyone. Possibly should have for a pointless tackle in the midfield at the end. But I felt the match didn't need it.

I did notice a striker and defender get in a heated argument after a tackle, I was going to bring them together to try and defuse it, but decided against it.

I took on advice from last year. If you give a penalty. Just point to the spot and jog off to the side, no real point in engaging. If they follow you, retreat outside the 18 yard box and set the 18 yard box as the 'come any closer and you're getting booked' marker.

I felt in great shape as I actually rested in my off season, but kept my running up. The sprinting was a shock to the system and I feel a little sore from it.

Trying to add 'not over engaging' in to my refereeing style. Not sure what others have to say about this. But I think over explaining each decision is pointless and players use it as an attempt to confuse / use your words against you. Happy to explain if I think the player(s) actually have a genuine question.

Also I delayed my time in making decisions. This one opens you up to being accused of being influenced by the shouts of the players. Sometimes I find the shouts useful though... Controversial but I think sometimes the shouts mixed with what you have seen can create a clearer picture.

My goals this year is to get to level 5. Currently a level 7, I have one successful observation under my belt (hopefully it carries over) and I have a load of games refereed and assistant refereed games, so hopefully they carry over too.

One further change is I didn't sign up to the youth league this year. I wasn't enjoying managing the teenagers. It felt too thankless for the money. The games were unnecessarily difficult. My main regret from this is they had some cracking venues at the end of last year for their finals. But I want to go down to 1 game a week (might occasionally do 2).
 
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OldNavyRef said:
I have seen a post about first games of the season. I have just had my first friendly game of this season.

Game went fine. 3 penalties, but all were stonewall, the usual complaints, but I think everyone just accepted them for what they were, blatant.

I think I managed to grey man really well. So I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't have any reason to book anyone. Possibly should have for a pointless tackle in the midfield at the end. But I felt the match didn't need it.

I did notice a striker and defender get in a heated argument after a tackle, I was going to bring them together to try and defuse it, but decided against it.

I took on advice from last year. If you give a penalty. Just point to the spot and jog off to the side, no real point in engaging. If they follow you, retreat outside the 18 yard box and set the 18 yard box as the 'come any closer and you're getting booked' marker.

I felt in great shape as I actually rested in my off season, but kept my running up. The sprinting was a shock to the system and I feel a little sore from it.

Trying to add 'not over engaging' in to my refereeing style. Not sure what others have to say about this. But I think over explaining each decision is pointless and players use it as an attempt to confuse / use your words against you. Happy to explain if I think the player(s) actually have a genuine question.

Also I delayed my time in making decisions. This one opens you up to being accused of being influenced by the shouts of the players. Sometimes I find the shouts useful though... Controversial but I think sometimes the shouts mixed with what you have seen can create a clearer picture.

My goals this year is to get to level 5. Currently a level 7, I have one successful observation under my belt (hopefully it carries over) and I have a load of games refereed and assistant refereed games, so hopefully they carry over too.

One further change is I didn't sign up to the youth league this year. I wasn't enjoying managing the teenagers. It felt too thankless for the money. The games were unnecessarily difficult. My main regret from this is they had some cracking venues at the end of last year for their finals. But I want to go down to 1 game a week (might occasionally do 2).
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You will need more than one game a week to achieve 7>6 >5 in the season.
Good luck with it.
 
Yes to not over-engaging. Players don’t really listen beyond the first words and if she thought it was a foul then your subjective opinion and diatribe is not going to change her mind.

Just one or two words are needed - most of the time - to communicate, especially non-decisions.

Once in a blue moon you might need to calm a captain with a technical explanation. As the games get tougher, you will find that longer chats on the run are actually a precursor (or mask) for low level dissent.

IMHO of course and every ref is different;)
 
I did 7-6 last season and didn’t get my 6-5 in in time at the end of last season. I am doing 6-5 this season but have had to start again on everything, quite rightly. Personally for me, two promotions in a season was too ambitions, both from an experience and a time point of view.
 
Redref34 said:
I did 7-6 last season and didn’t get my 6-5 in in time at the end of last season. I am doing 6-5 this season but have had to start again on everything, quite rightly. Personally for me, two promotions in a season was too ambitions, both from an experience and a time point of view.
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I've pinged an email. If it is possible, I'd love to pull it off. But it might just not be possible.

Time will tell.
 
santa sangria said:
Yes to not over-engaging. Players don’t really listen beyond the first words and if she thought it was a foul then your subjective opinion and diatribe is not going to change her mind.

Just one or two words are needed - most of the time - to communicate, especially non-decisions.

Once in a blue moon you might need to calm a captain with a technical explanation. As the games get tougher, you will find that longer chats on the run are actually a precursor (or mask) for low level dissent.

IMHO of course and every ref is different;)
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One of my biggest lessons from last season was during a stonewall penalty.

I called the penalty, the assistant referee agreed and the player started asking me in what world it was a penalty.

I explained he had tripped someone and didn't get the ball, anyway skip forward 30 seconds to a minute, he eventually was saying I was stupid. So I sin binned him.

At the end the level three assistant referee said that sin bin was on me. Why bother engaging, he's not going to ever admit you're right in front of his team.
 
OldNavyRef said:
One of my biggest lessons from last season was during a stonewall penalty.

I called the penalty, the assistant referee agreed and the player started asking me in what world it was a penalty.

I explained he had tripped someone and didn't get the ball, anyway skip forward 30 seconds to a minute, he eventually was saying I was stupid. So I sin binned him.

At the end the level three assistant referee said that sin bin was on me. Why bother engaging, he's not going to ever admit you're right in front of his team.
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Bit harsh on you I feel 😂 .. ignoring him may have made him say something equally worthy or a sin bin. Get the ARs point though. Not easy to find the balance.
 
OldNavyRef said:
Trying to add 'not over engaging' in to my refereeing style. Not sure what others have to say about this. But I think over explaining each decision is pointless and players use it as an attempt to confuse / use your words against you. Happy to explain if I think the player(s) actually have a genuine question.
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Yes to this. I’m told I’m a “quiet ref” but it’s really not true. I verbalise most decisions (because at my level most players don’t even know half the signals) and even some non-decisions.

What I don’t do anymore is have a back and forth. “Is that one not a foul then ref?” Will at most get a shake of the head but frankly it gets ignored. I’m not there to make friends and win them over, their mind is made up.
 
Redref34 said:
Bit harsh on you I feel 😂 .. ignoring him may have made him say something equally worthy or a sin bin. Get the ARs point though. Not easy to find the balance.
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I think it comes down to a bit of common sense on my part. I knew it was a stonewall penalty. His team knew, he knew and the spectators knew. So when he appeals under the basis of, its a soft penalty. I could have done a quick one liner 'still a penalty' and ran off. Instead, in my infinite wisdom, I tried to win him over by explaining the decision.

Once he realised I wasn't going to change my mind, he switched to childish low-level name calling.

Sin bin.

All a bit pointless.

The assistant at the end was super chill, I asked for honest feedback, so he just asked me, what had I achieved that just jogging off wouldn't have.
 
OnlyUseMeWhistle said:
Yes to this. I’m told I’m a “quiet ref” but it’s really not true. I verbalise most decisions (because at my level most players don’t even know half the signals) and even some non-decisions.

What I don’t do anymore is have a back and forth. “Is that one not a foul then ref?” Will at most get a shake of the head but frankly it gets ignored. I’m not there to make friends and win them over, their mind is made up.
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I'm working on the right level of engagement. As I said previously, if it is some obscure law I am blowing for, I am happy to explain.

I try to acknowledge what they say as well. Like the standard halftime talk from the captain 'ref, their defense keeps kicking out when you aren't watching'.

But during the game, I don't really have to justify every decision. Especially if it is obvious to everyone. It just annoys me as I like to explain, often over explain.

Also being concise when explaining things. No long winded explanation.
 
OldNavyRef said:
But during the game, I don't really have to justify every decision. Especially if it is obvious to everyone. It just annoys me as I like to explain, often over explain.

Also being concise when explaining things. No long winded explanation.
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I gave the same advice to my son last night. Keep it simple. Keep it factual. Move on.

Explain, don't discuss.
 
"Looked a foul from my angle". Thats as far as i ever go. Occasionally ill throw in "but if I've got it wrong I'll accept that but so must you". I wouldn't use that for big calls ie penalties or a free kick from a promising area. I don't agree with saying nothing (unless the game warrants it) but certainly don't get into debates. That said occasionally you do get a player that wants that genuine debate solely to understand a decision which he will accept (rare but it happens) then that's an opportunity to have a chat and come across positively.

You've just got to be smart as to what to say and when and that comes with experience. Assume that anything you say will be used against you by the player or the manager after and adjust your language accordingly.
 
Ben448844 said:
"Looked a foul from my angle". Thats as far as i ever go. Occasionally ill throw in "but if I've got it wrong I'll accept that but so must you". I wouldn't use that for big calls ie penalties or a free kick from a promising area. I don't agree with saying nothing (unless the game warrants it) but certainly don't get into debates. That said occasionally you do get a player that wants that genuine debate solely to understand a decision which he will accept (rare but it happens) then that's an opportunity to have a chat and come across positively.

You've just got to be smart as to what to say and when and that comes with experience. Assume that anything you say will be used against you by the player or the manager after and adjust your language accordingly.
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Totally agree, I will quite often say if someone moans about a throw-in something like "sorry lads, might have got that one wrong".

For bigger decisions it is a fine line. I would never recommend completely ignoring them as that will just escalate quickly, but equally you don't want to be getting into a debate. I'll explain what I have given, but if they keep challenging it will say that they they asked for an explanation and I gave it, but it isn't Question Time and we aren't having a 5 minute debate over it.
 
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