A&H

Managing the before match "stuff"

RefJef

RefChat Addict
Big day for me on Saturday: my first game since completing my course (this time round. I first qualified as a ref in '99, but life got in the way and the whistle got put in the back of the drawer for many years after only a couple of years officiating. Have done some school games over the last couple of years, but this is my first non-school game for some time.)

Once I blow the whistle to start the game, I know all will be well. What concerns me is minimising the "faff" before kick off, particularly the respect handshake - which we never did back in the day.

What I'd be interested in would be your suggestions for a timeline for a 2pm kick off. i.e. when to do the pitch inspection, kit check, Respect handshake, coin toss etc.

On the course, they suggested lining up both teams, doing a kit check, then doing the Respect Handshake. Would you then give the teams another few minutes to warm up before calling captains in for the coin toss?

I know all the above is important, but in my limited experience Ive found getting the game underway promptly and with a minimum of fuss the best policy.

I've had a read through these threads: http://www.refchat.co.uk/threads/the-talk-with-the-captains.6875/ and http://www.refchat.co.uk/threads/pre-match-player-briefing.7342/

which have been useful, any more advice - particularly re timings - would be helpful.

The game is an OA friendly.

Thanks

J
 
The Referee Store
Good luck....

Do the pitch inspection before the teams start to warm up. Advise the Capts that you will do the kit inspection just before kick off, so the players are aware. Get a team together to check their kits, then do the other team. Organise the respect handshake, then do the toss.

Allow 5 mins for this before ko...
 
Hi Jeff,

If it's possible, I'd speak to either the manager when you get there or a local referee who is on the leagues that the teams are in. Ask them whether they would like to do a respect handshake or if it is standard practice for the league the teams play in. If it isn't usually expected, I'd leave it out - allowing you to get the game underway without the players thinking you're a jobsworth.

In terms of the timings for a game on a 'parks pitch', I'd probably go for something like this.

Based on a 14:00 kick off:
  • 13:40 - enter field of play for inspection
  • 13:45 - check home team
  • 13:50 - check away team
  • 13:58 - call captains for the toss
  • 14:00 - kick off
Best of luck for the game on Saturday - remember what you have been taught on the course and also what you have learnt from back when you first started refereeing. Let us know how it goes!
 
Pitch inspection as soon as you arrive, if there are problems you need as much time as possible to get them dealt with.

Equipment check - speak to both team managers / captains and ask them when is convenient. I see no point in doing both teams together, but in asking the teams you are showing them respect but also making it clear that you have a job to do.

Handshake depends on the competition. If the competition doesn't require it I wouldn't do it personally, but if you want to and you aren't leading both teams onto the pitch I would do it just before kick off. Get the teams lined up with the help of the captains, tell the captains to stay around after then do the handshake. Once finished the captains are still with you (if they have listened), you do the toss and get the game started.
 
For grassroots football at grounds I've never been to before, I usually aim to arrive about 45 mins before KO - make this closer to an hour when you get to the level neutral AR's are involved, while you can get away with dropping it down towards half an hour if you know the location of the ground, are confident traffic will be OK, are planning to turn up in kit and/or have refereed the teams before and know they don't need to be briefed in detail. 45 mins may well feel a little excessive if all goes well, but you'll need the time if you run into traffic/get lost or something about the pitch needs discussing/modifying.

* First thing you should be doing when you arrive is introducing yourself to the home team manager/captain at the very least - away team as well if there's someone obvious to speak to, but don't go hunting around if they're not there yet.

* Pitch inspection can be done as and when it's convenient for you, although I'd recommend doing it pretty soon after your arrival in case anything needs fixing. Don't be afraid to go out there on your own if the teams are still back in the changing rooms. I tend to have a cursory glance and check nets/flags almost straight away and then check in more detail (dog mess, condition of the pitch generally etc.) while warming up - that's something you can get away with at grassroots, but you're expected to do a thorough pitch inspection in one go at higher levels.

* Don't forget your coin!

* Introductory chat with the teams (if you want to do one!) and kit inspection should be left until relatively close to kick off, as then there's more chance of them retaining information and less chance of someone changing their kit and causing a problem. I always try to work around their warm up/team talk as well, there's no point seeming overly-officious and making enemies before you've even kicked off by interrupting. Work your own warm up around this as well if you can - there's little point warming up 30 minutes before KO and then standing around waiting for that whole time.

* Double-check that you've got your coin!

* Respect handshake - mandatory if you're leading them out of changing rooms, optional (and best avoided IMO) if you're summoning them from next to piles of bags on the side lines. If the latter is the case, simply walk towards the centre of the pitch about 2 mins before KO, big blast of the whistle (first chance to show control I've always been told) and get on with the coin toss and KO. Don't be afraid to start a couple of minutes early if everyone's ready, there's no TV cameras to stand around awkwardly waiting for - and similarly, don't be afraid to be firm if one team is faffing too much.

Good luck!
 
I'd get there an hour early. Drop your kit off, then do the pitch inspection (you probably want to stay in your civvies for that, do it with your team if you have AR's). Then change and warm up, after that you'll probably be returning to your changeroom with about 20min before kickoff, plenty of time to get ready (mentally as well). At some point you'll fit in the kit inspection - you want to do it after the warmups. If it's the sort of area where the teams will be on the field kicking a ball around at this point, just leave your room a few minutes early to do it.

Like deusex I don't see the need to track down the manager/captain on arrival. I'll introduce myself to the captains in due course anyway, don't see any benefit there. When in Rome though - if it's the norm in your area then do it.

When you're warming up, keep an eye on the other teams if they're out on the field warming up - you may be able to spot potential kit clashes at this point in time. "Hey, just wondering, is that the jersey your keeper is going to be wearing? Just a bit concerned about it clashing with the other team, do you have a different jersey?" - these issues can be handled amicably, and the earlier the better. Of course, if you're going to tell the keeper to change because it clashes with the other team, maybe check with the other team first to confirm that they are wearing what they're warming up in!

If I had to do a respect handshake, I'd be looking to take the field several minutes before kickoff, maybe 5 minutes (doesn't hurt to let the teams know).
 
A word of advice following the new law changes this year.

As your "authority" technically starts from the moment you enter the FOP for the pitch inspection, I'd be inclined to do that as soon as you get there. That way if there are any problems then it can be dealt with as if it was a game and you don't have to deal with misconduct reports etc.
 
Well that went well!

Arrived at the ground at about 1.10pm, found the home team coach, went to my changing room to drop my bags. Did pitch inspection, got changed, went out, did kit check whilst each team was warming up (checked with their coaches to see if it was a convenient time to do so), did my warm up, and then found myself waiting around a bit!!!

We did do the respect handshake (not really sure its worth it) - I asked the coaches if they wanted to and one said it'd make the game (a friendly between two local teams) seem a bit more important. Then coin toss, then kick off.

Game went well, felt in control pretty much throughout, no major dramas. Couple of key incidents when I wasn't really sure, I just stayed confident and believed in, and stuck with, my decision.

For example: A breakout from yellows, hoofing the ball up the pitch had me sprinting to at least get anywhere near to play. A bit of keystone cops defending from Orange had the ball pinging all over the box. Ball heading roughly goal-wards, and high in the air, orange keeper and yellow attacker both looking skywards at the ball and chasing it, collide, yellow attacker goes down on the goal line calling for penalty, ball ends up in goalies hands.

Bit of confusion everywhere, to be honest I was sure exactly what had happened, player looks hurt so I blow, indicating head injury. (I was pretty sure it wasn't a head injury, but I felt it an easy sell, and the game, at that moment, just needed the heat taking out of it.) Explained that it was an accidental collision, and I'm going to restart with a drop ball. Yellow attacker remains on floor, insisting it should be a penalty. I explain again what my decision is and what's going to happen, offer him the chance to get up and play on, or we call over the physio and he can go and have some treatment. Still lying on the fall complaining (more, i think, to try & influence me than in real pain) so physio comes over, he gets up and goes off. Quick chat with nearest other yellow striker who is more than happy for me to drop the ball for the keeper, game plays on, all seem happy!

My big take away's from the game:

  1. Positioning. Tried to keep to the Lazy S patrol path, right back to right back, as taught in the course, but this conflicted with the need to be within (say) about 10m of play. In the end, I kept hearing the advice of one of the course tutors who suggested positioning yourself like a sweeper, just behind the player(s) with the ball. This seemed to work a lot better (for me) than the Lazy S patrol path (although I did try to keep the active CAR in sight as well.)
  2. Backing in, niggles and nibbles: not 100% sure I'm getting these right. I.e. when defender has ball under control near his penalty area, loan striker is harassing him, how much do you let go, when do you blow etc? When I have someone to come and watch me, I'll ask them to focus on this aspect of my game.
  3. I had to work hard to re-establish my concentration at the start of the second half. It was a hot day, a big drink and rest at half time was welcome, but took a few minutes to regain my focus in the second half - one to be aware of for the future.
  4. 90 minutes is a long time both physically and mentally. Its not like when you play and you have a breather when the ball is up the other end of the pitch. You're working for the full 90.
  5. I was surprised how little I blew my whistle. Probably more to do with both teams playing in a positive manner, than me, but I'm not complaining.
  6. A summer in flip-flops, cheap black socks & a hard pitch don't mix! I've now got a whacking big blister on my big toe. Part of my match fee will be going on a pair of cushioned socks!
At the risk of sounding like an Oscar winner, I'd like to thank you all for your help, support & advice on this thread, and others, and a particularly big thank you to @Kes for getting me this game.

I think that neither team is currently sat in the pub bemoaning the referee - and I'll take that as a positive. At the end of the day, I hope (think) that I've helped 22+ blokes enjoy a game of football on a Saturday afternoon. I enjoyed it too.

(Sorry for the long post - a bit of a post match "brain dump")
 
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I would be very wary of stopping the game for a "head injury" especially when the "injured" player is on the goal line......and the keeper has the ball in hands.

The resultant drop ball could become a massive millstone around your neck if the yellow team had decided to constest it...........

In those situations the best way for the "heat" to dissapate is to allow play to continue......the GK will be hoofing the ball upfield in short order, so you should be already making your way towards the drop zone (given that there was no actual injury to contend with).....leaving the complaining player on his own......
 
Don't worry about managing dead ball/drop ball situations. :)

Preseason Game last week and I stopped it for a head injury. The drop ball resulted in a kick upfield which a brain numb idiot attacker tried to volley at goal. It missed. A defender said "that would have counted if it was a goal?"

"Nah, there would have been a free kick offence in there somewhere"

Job done.
 
... thing is, keeper was also a bit hurt in the collision and wasn't about to hoof the ball anywhere ...

It was one of those moments when everyone was looking around, thinking/asking "what you going to do ref?" Wasn't really sure what to do, but just knew something had to be done - hence I blew up for the injury & went to check on the player on the ground.

It did then dawn on me - as Padfoot has pointed out - that I could have opened a can of crock for myself with a drop ball in such a place, so I went straight on the charm offensive to allow the other yellow attacker to come to the conclusion that he wasn't going to contest it. (I didn't manufacture the outcome, but I allowed the attacker to "come to the right decision"!!!)

My refereeing, in respect of the laws, at this incident probably wasn't very good, but having got myself in a potentially difficult situation (starting by not seeing exactly what happened as I was still charging up the pitch) by staying calm, confident and unwavering in my decision I extracted myself from a potential hole. No-one, other than the floored yellow attacker, felt hard done by, and within a minute or two it was all forgotten about.

We live & learn!
 
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