One bit of advice
- Thread starter Rory
- Start date
socal lurker
RefChat Addict
If you go through the New Referee section, I think you'll find a lot.
One piece? Act like an experienced ref. That means look like an experienced ref by dressing carefully, giving confident arm signals, and blowing your whistle with confidence. If you act like you belong, it will help a lot in setting the tone for a game.
One piece? Act like an experienced ref. That means look like an experienced ref by dressing carefully, giving confident arm signals, and blowing your whistle with confidence. If you act like you belong, it will help a lot in setting the tone for a game.
Kes
I'll Decide ...
Must be cut throat other side of the Welsh border. Always happy to help out other referee's.Listen to your RDO/Observers, they want you to progress, don't listen to other referee's, they're not your friends. (And yes, I know you could say this means you shouldn't listen to me.)
Richard smith
Well-Known Member
BE confident
If offered Advice for a senior member of your RA
Take it
If offered Advice for a senior member of your RA
Take it
Anubis
RefChat Addict
This confidence thing sets you up for a fall imo, mutton drressed as lamb and all that, majority of players will rip you apart if you pretend to be anything that you are not ( making incredibly incorrect calls but making them confidently)
one piece advice for first, and any game, enjoy it
And other refs? granted some will be genuine. Some will offer poor advice, bad habits and all that. And yes, remainder are to be avoided, same as any industry or workplace and so on,
one piece advice for first, and any game, enjoy it
And other refs? granted some will be genuine. Some will offer poor advice, bad habits and all that. And yes, remainder are to be avoided, same as any industry or workplace and so on,
My advice would be to remember that whatever happens, it's just a game of football and there will be another one next day/week.
Alot of new refs have a bad experience at a game or things don't go well and then quit. Well mistakes and poor decisions happen all the time even at the very highest level, its part of being a ref. Its not a big deal (even though it may feel it), it's just one of 100s of games you will do if you co tonue refereeing so move on and enjoy the next one.
Remember, one of the best refs in the world and the PL once gave 3 yellow cards to the same player in a World Cup ko game! Mistakes happen, don't worry about them. Learn and move on.
Alot of new refs have a bad experience at a game or things don't go well and then quit. Well mistakes and poor decisions happen all the time even at the very highest level, its part of being a ref. Its not a big deal (even though it may feel it), it's just one of 100s of games you will do if you co tonue refereeing so move on and enjoy the next one.
Remember, one of the best refs in the world and the PL once gave 3 yellow cards to the same player in a World Cup ko game! Mistakes happen, don't worry about them. Learn and move on.
Yes, I warned a bench that their side was fast approaching a sin bin
The manager's response was, 'are you surprised?' [sic... based on my decisions]
There's no Ref in the League who wouldn't face a similar conversation from time to time. Bench's and sides will be unhappy with EVERY Ref on an occasional or reasonably frequent basis
Of course, the bench ignored my warning, did nothing to influence their players and the Sin Bin happened shortly after. Typically, the bench remained possessed by perceived injustice (from my decisions) and failed to listen or heed the warning. I don't know if the bench's testimony of my foul recognition was accurate or not. But that's largely irrelevant
A new Ref may lose ALL confidence during this normal exchange between Ref & Bench. An experienced will typically still lose SOME confidence
I doubt there are many (even very experienced) Refs who are impervious to this typical sort of exchange
Just worth pointing out this sort of stuff to a Ref facing their first game(s)
Yes.Seriously?
I take it you're not in the RA then?
What a strange thing to say!!
I am.
It's not a strange thing really, the referees you're mingling with when you start out tend to be those who aren't going for promotion for whatever reason, or others learning the trade. Whilst you can pick up some good advice, quite often the advice can run in counter to what the Development team/observers will be recommending. And sometimes, referees can have certain ideas about how the game should be run/played that are in direct conflict with that. Listening to them, with all the good-intentions of learning, can hamper your development.
What I'm basically saying is, if it comes to it, listen to your observer/RDO over other referees, no matter how often the other refs think their way is better.
I'm always happy to help as well.
Kes
I'll Decide ...
I get that (sort of).
Your statement was a bit sweeping though.
I have some good friends who are referees and certainly not in the "old fart stuck in their ways" bracket either. Listening to them and exchanging views and experiences hasn't done me any harm. You may well have found your colleagues to have been more of a hindrance to you than a help but I can assure you, you're in the minority there Rob. The existence of of the RA (and other support groups) bears testimony to that.
As for the Observer cohort - it's been discussed on here many times before that there are lots of the "old fart stuck in their ways" types out there who granted, hold the key to the box-ticking on promotions but many of them (myself included) are far from being any more an "oracle" than other experienced referees who are still getting out there at weekends.
Like I said, I get what you're driving at above but the statement "don't listen to other referee's, they're not your friends." is a bit glib and ironically, not in keeping with membership of an online refereeing forum ...
Anubis
RefChat Addict
I get that (sort of).
Your statement was a bit sweeping though.
I have some good friends who are referees and certainly not in the "old fart stuck in their ways" bracket either. Listening to them and exchanging views and experiences hasn't done me any harm. You may well have found your colleagues to have been more of a hindrance to you than a help but I can assure you, you're in the minority there Rob. The existence of of the RA (and other support groups) bears testimony to that.
As for the Observer cohort - it's been discussed on here many times before that there are lots of the "old fart stuck in their ways" types out there who granted, hold the key to the box-ticking on promotions but many of them (myself included) are far from being any more an "oracle" than other experienced referees who are still getting out there at weekends.
Like I said, I get what you're driving at above but the statement "don't listen to other referee's, they're not your friends." is a bit glib and ironically, not in keeping with membership of an online refereeing forum ...
its worthy of its own thread
" Fellow referees and their contribution to your game"
whist am not 100% saying never listen , trust any other referee, am with Rob here, 75% are to be avoided.
clearly folk might be pals who are also referees, or, establish friendships after becoming referees
All any referee really cares about tho, is their game at the end of the day
def colleagues, not friends
Last edited:
Be confident (but not arrogant - don't chase a lost cause. If you make a mistake don't be afraid to say so, but try to temper it with something like "from my position...") Don't worry about giving decisions the wrong way after half time - we all do that! When you blow the first whistle, make it a loud confident one. That will show them you mean business and will also settle your nerves. Nerves are good - it's how you deal with them that determines how your game will go.
(And don't tell them it's your first game. That won't make them take it easy on you. They'll work it out but that will be after you've made some decisions, most of which will be right. Some teams still think it's my first game and I've been doing this over 25 years / 1000 games!)
(And don't tell them it's your first game. That won't make them take it easy on you. They'll work it out but that will be after you've made some decisions, most of which will be right. Some teams still think it's my first game and I've been doing this over 25 years / 1000 games!)
Justylove
RefChat Addict
Listen to advice, but make your own decisions on what you choose to take on board.
Everyone will have an opinion - players, coaches, spectators, other referees and observers, the trick is to filter out the noise and focus on the key things.
Over time if you're getting the similar feedback from multiple sources then you can see it as something you need to work on.
Prime example when I did my 7-6, first observation the observer said "At corners you should do <x>" so I did it and then on my second observation, the observer said "At corners, I'm not sure why you are doing <x>, you should do <y>" (which was what I'd been doing in the first place).
Everyone will have an opinion - players, coaches, spectators, other referees and observers, the trick is to filter out the noise and focus on the key things.
Over time if you're getting the similar feedback from multiple sources then you can see it as something you need to work on.
Prime example when I did my 7-6, first observation the observer said "At corners you should do <x>" so I did it and then on my second observation, the observer said "At corners, I'm not sure why you are doing <x>, you should do <y>" (which was what I'd been doing in the first place).
Last edited:
I'd also add try and avoid this kind of exchange putting you off in a match... It'll happen.
I had a similar one recently, got a tea from the club house after the match and the away coach came over to thank me for the game saying he thought I had an excellent game and would happily have me again... He was just trying his luck during the match.
PinnerPaul
RefChat Addict
Don't let ANY dissent go without some kind of response.
Did that when I started and wondered why every game ended up with people constantly moaning about every decision.
Even a simple "Not what it looked like to me" in response to "Surely that's a corner ref?" shows the players that you are engaged.
Obviously dissent and OFFINABUS have to be dealt with as per LOTG (Plenty of discussion to be found on here regarding the criteria for both) but just as important is managing the appeals and disagreements, ignore it and everyone will think its open season and you'll be in danger of losing control/focus.
Did that when I started and wondered why every game ended up with people constantly moaning about every decision.
Even a simple "Not what it looked like to me" in response to "Surely that's a corner ref?" shows the players that you are engaged.
Obviously dissent and OFFINABUS have to be dealt with as per LOTG (Plenty of discussion to be found on here regarding the criteria for both) but just as important is managing the appeals and disagreements, ignore it and everyone will think its open season and you'll be in danger of losing control/focus.
Kes
I'll Decide ...
More sweeping statements in there again...
It's not my/our fault you're "Billy - no - mates".
