The Ref Stop

Your moment of the season

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J

Jtpetherick1

Well-Known Member
As (most?) members' seasons have drawn to a close, I want to know what your personal moment of the season was. The first time you refereed in a stadium, your best decision, the first time you gave an offside as an AR, your promotion. Anything!

For me it was a strange but solid decision. A player took a corner from the side away from my (N)AR, it swung into the box and cannoned off the bar before being met by the same player on the edge of the area. He fired it low and hard into the bottom corner - GOAL! I had to ruin the day and quick as a flash disallowed it for the double touch by the corner taker. I hate disallowing goals but it felt great to be right there and on it like that with a bizarre decision I never thought I'd have to make. My AR (a FIFA badged AR) was full of praise for the speed I'd gotten there - he didn't even have time to tell me over the comms!
 
The Ref Stop
Getting a cup final (as 4O) and then getting an email to do the line on an U16 cup final as well, both in my first full season.

Unfortunately neither have happened for obvious reasons, but i felt I'd had a good season, and was happy this confirmed it for me.
 
As a referee, I have a choice of two: either a County Cup game where I had to abandon the match after the end of 90 minutes due to a waterlogged pitch, or a league game where at one point due to red cards and sin bins it was 10 v 7!

As an AR: getting to officiate at a Premier League ground (AFC Bournemouth) in the FA Youth Cup in December.
 
Passing a fitness test for the first time ever. Injury and illness have always “done me” before leaving me short of what was expected and what I knew I was capable of.

That narrowly beats my first Women’s National League game of the season - MK Dons v Plymouth at Stadium MK. Had a crowd of just over 1100 which was awesome. The noise echoing down the tunnel gave me goosebumps as I led the teams out. Pitch was massive and I felt it in my legs for several days afterwards.
 
Promotion to Tier 3. :) (I'm going to look stupid if I find out this re-ordered number system for next season doesn't mean I'm in Tier 3 lol...)

But whatever, I got promoted. :D

Best moment was smashing this County Cup match, two very good, tough, savvy teams. Went into extra time, red cards, yellows, dissent, rants from the manager, boisterous crowd, professional photographer (including photos of me and my beer belly :( ), nailed every single decision spot on in one of the most exciting back and forth ever. I was ill on that day, I was so worried I'd botched it up with two very tight offside calls, that led to goals, which led to the manager chewing me out - they did turn the match around and won it though, once that'd stopped shouting at me!

And the winning team got thrown out for an ineligible player. Drama. 🙃

It's a shame about the ineligible player, because that match was a cracker, nearly everyone agreed it was a spectacle of entertainment and the winning team really did well to turn it around. Won't forget that match tbh, and I scored some professional photos from the photographer on the day, which I will frame and put on my wall somewhere.

There's a cracking one of me showing the red card, I think I'll put that in the bathroom, opposite the toilet?
 
In an observation game (which was a new experience for me), I had a last minute PK award which decided the game. I was 100% certain on the outside, but less than that on the inside. To test the nerve, I also dished out an OFFINABUS in the aftermath. The losing manager also came close to a fine after the final whistle
So there was enough pressure for some doubts to grow ahead of the debrief. To my relief, the observer (who'd seen the foul from the other side) was 100% that I'd called it right
It was sort of an important lesson, because i'd have harboured doubts about the whole affair if I hadn't been afforded the luxury of a neutral observer. Just shows, testimony from players and managers has to be with a pinch of salt and we shouldn't dwell on their feedback to much
 
Since I didn't do any games this spring, my moment was from the fall. I'm an assistant referee. Game is in 1st half stoppage time. Blue team kicks the ball high on target in a penalty area scramble. White team's keeper makes an amazing save - but the ball is just over the goal line about a foot below the crossbar. I'm right behind the corner flag, and I clearly see the entire ball behind the goal posts. My flag goes up, and the center and I make eye contact. I nod to give the center a non-verbal that it's a good goal, and I charge up the touchline.

After the kickoff and the center signaling for halftime, one of Blue team's parents is behind me (I know him, as our kids have played together before). His only comment was, "Wow, that was an amazing spot!" Even White team's coach came up to me after the game and said he couldn't say anything about the call because I was in perfect position and was so strong with my signal. He said I was so confident with my call that he knew it was a goal.
 
Had a few good moments this season. Had my first match with AR's rather than CAR's. Was a great game and some good football played. Also was observed on that game. Ended 5-5 with a penalty in the last minute. Included my first use of the sin bin this season too. Gained some great advise from the observer and a very experienced AR too.

Oh and I got my promotion to Level 5! Also would of been my first county cup final but that wasn't to be.
 
County Senior cup semi-final appointment as referee still to be played.
Also reffed a Cornish Derby in front of 400+. That was a great game.
Also, developed a habit of advantages leading to goals this season. Special mention to a 92nd minute advantage directly leading to the winning goal in the game, and could hear spectators even shouting well done ref, great advantage among the celebrations.
 
I am mid-season but might have had the highlight on Sunday. I was AR with a great ref that I didn’t know previously.

Home captain is on a booking, challenge in front of me and said captain grabs a player round the neck to throw him off the field. I step in to prevent handbags, successfully. Ref arrived but hasn’t seen what happened. I pull him over, have the classic whisper and tell him the captain has to have the second yellow. Duly dispatched, no complaints.

All tidy enough. But the cherry on top was that a fan of the home team was stood just by me pitchside close to half way, who happens to be the current (2 time) top league referee of the year ;)
 
socal lurker said:
When I coached, by goal was always that all the kids have enough fun they sign up again next year. works for refs too!
Click to expand...

When I was a player it was win at all costs, enjoyment was just a given, I was playing football with my mates! Refereeing isn't necessarily the same. But for me it certainly has been enjoyable since I took up the whistle. I enjoy it more now I'm reffing a slightly higher standard.
 
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