A&H

Over-exertive warm up

RegalRef

RegalRef

Politically Incorrect
Just before the nonsense starts, I enjoy a good warm up to get the blood pumping....

Had an academy game at the weekend, I was AR. Referee I know a bit from the academy meetings. Not his biggest fan if i'm honest, tries to constantly talk over people, way over the top in enforcing his thoughts or viewpoint about something, or at least telling you when you really don't care. He's one of those.

Anyway, he's level 7, this is his first game with NAR's, (which he assumes we don't know), but it is pretty clear that is the case as well as the fact I had an email from academy chap asking me to look after him as it was his first. Other AR is also in academy, experienced, good lad who I know well and we've done about a dozen games together.

We go out for warm up and ref takes some small cones out . Strange but nothing of concern.

We go through the standard lap of pitch, stretches, shuttles, more stretches.

Then the cones come out. He describes a ridiculous exercise where he will time these ridiculous amount of 50 yard shuttles, relays, blah blah blah. For the next 20 minutes. Which he won't take part of more than 50%.

Anyway, I tell him no way in a jokey way to start with which he didn't seem pleased with, so I flat told him no. Don't need beasting before a game.

Laughably he came out with 'all my other assistants do it no problem'. I told him good for them, be my guest I'll watch.

Other assistant had a go (he's younger than me and a little more willing to keep the peace), stopped half way through and it nearly killed him. As I said I know him well and I could tell he was a yard off his usual game. He told me at half time he was done in.

Thoughts?
 
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RegalRef said:
Referee I know a bit from the academy meetings. Not his biggest fan if i'm honest, tries to constantly talk over people, way over the top in enforcing his thoughts or viewpoint about something, or at least telling you when you really don't care. He's one of those....
Then the cones come out. He describes a ridiculous exercise where he will time these ridiculous amount of 50 yard shuttles, relays, blah blah blah. For the next 20 minutes. Which he won't take part of more than 50%... so I flat told him no.
Laughably he came out with 'all my other assistants do it no problem'.
Thoughts?
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Level 4 candidate. Promote him already :D
#PeterPrinciple
 
In my opinion a pre match warm up should be tailored to the weakest member. The few times I've been lucky enough to have NAR my advice about warm up is do whatever normally works for you, but lets stick together while doing so. We all know our bodies and know what works best.

On the flip side he might have just been trying his best to lead as he thought he had to. Its hard to judge, you want to look in charge, without being too bossy in my opinion.

My first ever game I warmed up to within an inch of my life and tried to stay within about two yards of the ball at all times. After about 15 minutes both legs were cramping up beyond belief. Needless to say I learnt my lesson!
 
RegalRef said:
We go through the standard lap of pitch, stretches, shuttles, more stretches.

Then the cones come out. He describes a ridiculous exercise where he will time these ridiculous amount of 50 yard shuttles, relays, blah blah blah. For the next 20 minutes. Which he won't take part of more than 50%.

Anyway, I tell him no way in a jokey way to start with which he didn't seem pleased with, so I flat told him no. Don't need beasting before a game.

Laughably he came out with 'all my other assistants do it no problem'. I told him good for them, be my guest I'll watch.

Thoughts?
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If somebody pulled that stunt on me I'd think he was having a laugh or a wind up!! :eek:

Sounds like you did well to remain jovial about it.

I'd have reminded him that he was a football referee for the day, not somebody's personal trainer - and certainly not mine!!

Cheeky barsteward!!

Some people have ideas way above their station..... :cool:
 
Kes said:
If somebody pulled that stunt on me I'd think he was having a laugh or a wind up!! :eek:

Sounds like you did well to remain jovial about it.

I'd have reminded him that he was a football referee for the day, not somebody's personal trainer - and certainly not mine!!

Cheeky barsteward!!

Some people have ideas way above their station..... :cool:
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Must admit I was relieved it went the way I expected and they didn't finish it. Would have looked a bit of a tw@t if it was actually a breeze and I'd thrown my toys out of the pram for nothing.

While I did start jovial with him, when he didn't take the bait and back off I sharpened my teeth a little I have to admit. Lucky for us both he quickly backed down.
 
You did the right thing.

I like a decent warm up, and there is an obvious happy medium here, but cones? Blimey, what are they teaching these kids. What next, resistance bands?

@DaveMac is right, I always tailor my warm up to the ARs (assumed) fitness level, so if I get a couple of guys in their 50s/60s, like I did a few weeks ago, I'd tone it down a bit. In the end though, it's a warm up not a competition and a decent number of plyometric exercises are fine for most people.
 
There are obviously many issues with what happened, but setting up a warm up that you expect others to do that you are not leading/doing??? Crazy
 
Padfoot said:
I always love the look on young ARs faces when they ask about a warm up and I place my jar of sports balm on the table and say 'help yourselves...'!
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I prefer the look when I do that but take my shorts off and tell one of them to do the front and the other to do the back.
 
I had a warm up last week as an AR... The ref I was teamed with wanted me and the other AR to do all that stuff aswell, I politely declined. I've been around quite a bit, I've done plenty of physical activity within my job and in sport. The referee explained to me what he was going to do, I politely said that I was going to do my own thing as his warm up would have absolutely no benefit to me.

Generic running is fine. But when it comes to stretching, I know my body. I know exactly what I need to do, for how long and how often. Doing sprints and ridiculous little exercises which I can see won't have any impact on me physically isnt my idea of fun. I'm very much Into sport and fitter than most. My fitness test at work last week for example, at almost 29yrs old I got 7:28 on my mile and a half.. I'm fitter than most and know exactly what my body needs.

Thankfully the young ref was fine with it, he was simply doing what he was taught in the academy down here. It could have been a bit awkward if he'd taken offence to me saying "I'd rather do my own thing if that's okay". I know you're part of a team etc but I'm quite prone to back injuries since damaging it in Afghan a few years ago, I'm not going to risk hurting it just to please someone :)
 
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SM said:
There are obviously many issues with what happened, but setting up a warm up that you expect others to do that you are not leading/doing??? Crazy
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Yeah, I'm lost here. Did he seriously say 'here's a warmup you're going to do, but I won't be doing it?'
Sounds like an idiot of the highest order.

davidbartlam said:
Thankfully the young ref was fine with it, he was simply doing what he was taught in the academy down here. It could have been a bit awkward if he'd taken offence to me saying "I'd rather do my own thing if that's okay". I know you're part of a team etc but I'm quite prone to back injuries since damaging it in Afghan a few years ago, I'm not going to risk hurting it just to please someone :)
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I'd feel a little annoyed as a ref...unless there was a particular reason given: "I need to do my own particular warmup for an old injury' would be more than enough.
Personally I think the warmup is also an important chance to get to know each other, so it should be done as a team unless there's a pressing reason not to. Some certainly get a little more vigorous than my liking, but each to their own. I don't like it when an AR just 'can't be bothered'....but I also tailor my expectations as a ref to the level of match and the team I'm with if I know them. At any level below 'I think I'm refereeing professional football even though I'm not', I feel like we probably overstate the impact of that whole 'look like a team doing drills before the game'. It's nice and all.
 
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