Refisalways(Isle of)wight
New Member
Hi everyone
I completed my 3rd mens game last Saturday. It was the most challenging I have had and I wanted to ask for some advice/opinions on some of the incidents that occurred during and after the game.
I had one assistant that was a qualified ref that "regulary ref's Saturday league and College games" whose first decision was to flag for offside before the player in question had even attempted to go for the through ball he was flagging for. For that reason I shook my head and said "play on!" but the defending team had stopped playing and then so did the attacking team to argue with the assistant and then me. I then gave the offside (probably wrongly in hindsight, a drop ball would probably been better?) so we could restart.
From then on the players on both sides were arguing with me and the assistant that had gave the "offside"
My biggest issue with the mens game is the pace being faster than the youth games i'm more experienced in refereeing, for that reason I think I struggle at times to see when there is a foul or not as everything happens that bit quicker. Any tips or advice on that? I have improved in being able to penalise for pushing by positioning myself side on to challenges so i'm looking between the two players so I can see pushes more easiliy which was an issue in game 1 so maybe my positioning could be better for tackles also?
Having potentially missed a couple of "fouls" one player told me I "didn't know what I was doing" so was binned, another player from the opposite team asked me "Do you even like football" and "Is this your first game? It's gotta be, you're awful" so he was binned also. This seemed to improve the conduct somewhat until just before half time.
The ball was right down on the goal line on the assistant's side, two players going for the ball but because of where it was (and possibly my positioning?) I could only see two pairs of legs going for the ball. The assistant however right down by the corner flag should of had a good view of it and he signalled for a corner so I also pointed for that decision. Away team now berate me as this was "Never a corner" and ask me to "Change that lino he's a useless $@%£ (female genitalia!) " I call that player over but as i do other players claim "you cant bin him he's "only" a club assistant" I decide that I wont then for that reason (which I appriciate was a mistake, right?)
Corner comes over and home team score (obviously!) More anger directed at me and the assitant and we restart. Next "foul" I dont give brings more anger and at this point I call both captains over and explain to them that firstly if the assistant gives a decision when he's in a better position than me I'm going to go with it, and everyone needs to calm down....and then it was half time.
In the second half a player I had already booked for foul tackle made another late and in my opinion high foot challenge, In the immediate aftermath an away player pushed the the player who had commited the foul but I didnt think much of this. I called over the player that had made the foul tackle and to his and both teams apparent surprise produced a second yellow card and then showed him the red. His team mates now surround me saying "if he goes, other player has to go for the push" I didnt agree and prepared to restart. Home manager calls over and asks to speak to me (In hindsight I probably should have ignored him or declined his request?) but I go over to him and asks the same thing, Why havent I sent off the other player for the push "It's unfair" I again disagree and we play on.
I give a penalty in the last ten minutes to the away team, attacker and goalie go for the ball and keeper gets to the ball but shoves the striker to the floor as he does. I thought it was a penalty and gave it. The away team initailly called for it but as I give the decision the home team players are shocked and some of the away players now agree with them that it "wasn't enough for a penalty" I stick with the decision and the penalty is scored. As we move back for the restart a defender says "I didnt think it could get much worse but there it is" and I also think at that point he said "He didnt get a rule book for xmas then, F%$£ing useless" I call him over and say i'm binning him. He claims that it wasnt him that said it and second player admits it was himself who said it, but he now says "Just put your book away and lets get on with it" which i do (which is a bad decision I admit, I should have binned the player)
Game finishes and as we come off players from both sides say words to affect of "Your not putting that (Red card) through are you?" I explain (over and over again) that whether or not I made a mistake I have to now stick with it ands report it to which most say "Nah, most referees just dont put it through if they have made a mistake" Assistant ref felt now was a perfect time to exclaim "Ref lost it in second half, useless and I'll happily tell him that to his face" (Cheers,Pal!)
Manager of home team comes to pay me the match fee and says "Unless you dont put it through, I'm going to make a report and appeal the red" I tell him "I'm going to do it the correct way and he should too".....and then I leave to go home!
As I said at the beginning, any advice or tips would be great. Be as critical as you like as I want to improve. I am reasonably happy with the performances at youth level, and the fact I have been selected to officiate on one of the youth cup finals this year suggests my club scores at that level must be high? The adult game however is much more of a challenge for me.
Thankyou for taking the time to reading all of this and I look forward to your replies
Many thanks
Dave
I completed my 3rd mens game last Saturday. It was the most challenging I have had and I wanted to ask for some advice/opinions on some of the incidents that occurred during and after the game.
I had one assistant that was a qualified ref that "regulary ref's Saturday league and College games" whose first decision was to flag for offside before the player in question had even attempted to go for the through ball he was flagging for. For that reason I shook my head and said "play on!" but the defending team had stopped playing and then so did the attacking team to argue with the assistant and then me. I then gave the offside (probably wrongly in hindsight, a drop ball would probably been better?) so we could restart.
From then on the players on both sides were arguing with me and the assistant that had gave the "offside"
My biggest issue with the mens game is the pace being faster than the youth games i'm more experienced in refereeing, for that reason I think I struggle at times to see when there is a foul or not as everything happens that bit quicker. Any tips or advice on that? I have improved in being able to penalise for pushing by positioning myself side on to challenges so i'm looking between the two players so I can see pushes more easiliy which was an issue in game 1 so maybe my positioning could be better for tackles also?
Having potentially missed a couple of "fouls" one player told me I "didn't know what I was doing" so was binned, another player from the opposite team asked me "Do you even like football" and "Is this your first game? It's gotta be, you're awful" so he was binned also. This seemed to improve the conduct somewhat until just before half time.
The ball was right down on the goal line on the assistant's side, two players going for the ball but because of where it was (and possibly my positioning?) I could only see two pairs of legs going for the ball. The assistant however right down by the corner flag should of had a good view of it and he signalled for a corner so I also pointed for that decision. Away team now berate me as this was "Never a corner" and ask me to "Change that lino he's a useless $@%£ (female genitalia!) " I call that player over but as i do other players claim "you cant bin him he's "only" a club assistant" I decide that I wont then for that reason (which I appriciate was a mistake, right?)
Corner comes over and home team score (obviously!) More anger directed at me and the assitant and we restart. Next "foul" I dont give brings more anger and at this point I call both captains over and explain to them that firstly if the assistant gives a decision when he's in a better position than me I'm going to go with it, and everyone needs to calm down....and then it was half time.
In the second half a player I had already booked for foul tackle made another late and in my opinion high foot challenge, In the immediate aftermath an away player pushed the the player who had commited the foul but I didnt think much of this. I called over the player that had made the foul tackle and to his and both teams apparent surprise produced a second yellow card and then showed him the red. His team mates now surround me saying "if he goes, other player has to go for the push" I didnt agree and prepared to restart. Home manager calls over and asks to speak to me (In hindsight I probably should have ignored him or declined his request?) but I go over to him and asks the same thing, Why havent I sent off the other player for the push "It's unfair" I again disagree and we play on.
I give a penalty in the last ten minutes to the away team, attacker and goalie go for the ball and keeper gets to the ball but shoves the striker to the floor as he does. I thought it was a penalty and gave it. The away team initailly called for it but as I give the decision the home team players are shocked and some of the away players now agree with them that it "wasn't enough for a penalty" I stick with the decision and the penalty is scored. As we move back for the restart a defender says "I didnt think it could get much worse but there it is" and I also think at that point he said "He didnt get a rule book for xmas then, F%$£ing useless" I call him over and say i'm binning him. He claims that it wasnt him that said it and second player admits it was himself who said it, but he now says "Just put your book away and lets get on with it" which i do (which is a bad decision I admit, I should have binned the player)
Game finishes and as we come off players from both sides say words to affect of "Your not putting that (Red card) through are you?" I explain (over and over again) that whether or not I made a mistake I have to now stick with it ands report it to which most say "Nah, most referees just dont put it through if they have made a mistake" Assistant ref felt now was a perfect time to exclaim "Ref lost it in second half, useless and I'll happily tell him that to his face" (Cheers,Pal!)
Manager of home team comes to pay me the match fee and says "Unless you dont put it through, I'm going to make a report and appeal the red" I tell him "I'm going to do it the correct way and he should too".....and then I leave to go home!
As I said at the beginning, any advice or tips would be great. Be as critical as you like as I want to improve. I am reasonably happy with the performances at youth level, and the fact I have been selected to officiate on one of the youth cup finals this year suggests my club scores at that level must be high? The adult game however is much more of a challenge for me.
Thankyou for taking the time to reading all of this and I look forward to your replies
Many thanks
Dave