A&H

Respect handshake

M

Morgan521

New Member
I'm aware that respect handshake is to be used at grassroots.

Just out of interest how many actually implement it. Or at what level do you start implementing it.

In my experience I don't see it at the vast majority and the players would find it ott in all honesty.
 
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The correct answer is: Do what the league rules say to do.

In reality - if the teams are walking out of the changing rooms at the start of the game, I'll lead them out and line them up for the handshake. That's easy and probably what they do expect, even if I'm on my own. Ditto if I'm doing any match with neutral AR's - that's a good sign that you're at a level where handshakes will be expected, even if it's a league cup final/semi in a competition that wouldn't normally have them.

If they're bimbling around the pitch waiting for me to get the game going, I'll count myself lucky if I blow my whistle and get two captains jogging towards me, I'm not going to push my luck and try to herd 22 players into position.
 
GraemeS said:
The correct answer is: Do what the league rules say to do.

In reality - if the teams are walking out of the changing rooms at the start of the game, I'll lead them out and line them up for the handshake. That's easy and probably what they do expect, even if I'm on my own. Ditto if I'm doing any match with neutral AR's - that's a good sign that you're at a level where handshakes will be expected, even if it's a league cup final/semi in a competition that wouldn't normally have them.

If they're bimbling around the pitch waiting for me to get the game going, I'll count myself lucky if I blow my whistle and get two captains jogging towards me, I'm not going to push my luck and try to herd 22 players into position.
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Yeah it's the in reality part that is interesting.

I've officiated in a league where the secretary says they're part of it but on the ground the players show no sign of it being common or wanting to fulfil it.


Hence I thought I'd ask if others have similar.

Full disclosure, I just get on with the game, bring the captains in.
 
Morgan521 said:
Yeah it's the in reality part that is interesting.

I've officiated in a league where the secretary says they're part of it but on the ground the players show no sign of it being common or wanting to fulfil it.


Hence I thought I'd ask if others have similar.

Full disclosure, I just get on with the game, bring the captains in.
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I guess the bigger, more important question would be when / how you do the pre match Law 4 kit & jewellery check? It's generally easiest and best to do this all in one go, pitchside, immediately prior to the start of the match. If you have all the players together for that requirement, then segueing from there straight into the Respect handshake is much more straightforward
 
Russell Jones said:
I guess the bigger, more important question would be when / how you do the pre match Law 4 kit & jewellery check? It's generally easiest and best to do this all in one go, pitchside, immediately prior to the start of the match. If you have all the players together for that requirement, then segueing from there straight into the Respect handshake is much more straightforward
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Not really a bigger/more important question as it wasn't the topic 🤣

Just fulfill it before kick off when I pop over to speak to the teams.
 
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Morgan521 said:
Not really a bigger/more important question as it wasn't the topic 🤣

Just fulfill it before kick off when I pop over to speak to the teams.
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Hey, just trying to be helpful :rolleyes: ;) . From my experience as a Match Day Coach, it's far easier to do a proper kit check with all the players in one place. And if you've got them all together then it's really easy to then do the Respect protocol. Whereas, as @GraemeS says, once they are all out on the field, it's just not going to happen without seeming pedantic.
 
Russell Jones said:
Hey, just trying to be helpful :rolleyes: ;) . From my experience as a Match Day Coach, it's far easier to do a proper kit check with all the players in one place. And if you've got them all together then it's really easy to then do the Respect protocol. Whereas, as @GraemeS says, once they are all out on the field, it's just not going to happen without seeming pedantic.
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Edited my post as didn't want it to sound harsh.. was only in jest! 🤣

The Respect handshake takes place out on the field, so unless you're doing a kit check on the pitch with the starting 11s and then going straight into the handshake I don't think they're linked. I don't think that's great either tbh.

It's just a generally query, as a player aswell i found it abit ridiculous and stuffy.

I'm not meaning to debate the positive/ negatives of the protocol itself. Just wondered how much its actually adhered to in the real world to quote another poster
 
Morgan521 said:
Not really a bigger/more important question as it wasn't the topic 🤣

Just fulfill it before kick off when I pop over to speak to the teams.
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I mean, it absolutely is a bigger/more important question in two ways.
1: It's part of the LOTG, which is higher in the hierarchy of rules than competition rules which determine if a respect handshake is required.
2: Consequences of not carrying out the handshake are limited to a glorified slap on the wrist - consequences of failing to carry out a procedure designed for player safety could arguably escalate to legal action and significant financial damages if you end up being proven negligent by deciding you can't be bothered with it.

Morgan521 said:
The Respect handshake takes place out on the field, so unless you're doing a kit check on the pitch with the starting 11s and then going straight into the handshake I don't think they're linked. I don't think that's great either tbh.
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At higher levels, you'll see how this becomes a much more obvious routine and how they do become linked. Players won't be on the pitch for the whole time from around 30-45 minutes all the way up to KO - they'll be in and out of changing rooms, and likely will end up in the changing rooms 5-10 minutes before KO and will stay in there making final preparations until they're told to come out.

At which point the ref will call them out, can check kit as they walk through the changing room door, can ask them to line up either by the changing rooms or by the pitch (depending on how it's all set up) and then can lead them onto the pitch and line them up for handshakes. I do understand how it feels over-officious to try and gather people who are already on the pitch into a specific area for handshakes, but 90% of the time handshakes are mandated and expected, that's not actually what happens. Rather, they're being pulled out of changing rooms and led onto this pitch, at which point stopping for handshakes before scattering does make more sense.
 
GraemeS said:
I mean, it absolutely is a bigger/more important question in two ways.
1: It's part of the LOTG, which is higher in the hierarchy of rules than competition rules which determine if a respect handshake is required.
2: Consequences of not carrying out the handshake are limited to a glorified slap on the wrist - consequences of failing to carry out a procedure designed for player safety could arguably escalate to legal action and significant financial damages if you end up being proven negligent by deciding you can't be bothered with it.


At higher levels, you'll see how this becomes a much more obvious routine and how they do become linked. Players won't be on the pitch for the whole time from around 30-45 minutes all the way up to KO - they'll be in and out of changing rooms, and likely will end up in the changing rooms 5-10 minutes before KO and will stay in there making final preparations until they're told to come out.

At which point the ref will call them out, can check kit as they walk through the changing room door, can ask them to line up either by the changing rooms or by the pitch (depending on how it's all set up) and then can lead them onto the pitch and line them up for handshakes. I do understand how it feels over-officious to try and gather people who are already on the pitch into a specific area for handshakes, but 90% of the time handshakes are mandated and expected, that's not actually what happens. Rather, they're being pulled out of changing rooms and led onto this pitch, at which point stopping for handshakes before scattering does make more sense.
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I say it's not a more important question.... on this thread.... as I've asked about something else completely.

So in context, it really isn't.
 
GraemeS said:
I mean, it absolutely is a bigger/more important question in two ways.
1: It's part of the LOTG, which is higher in the hierarchy of rules than competition rules which determine if a respect handshake is required.
2: Consequences of not carrying out the handshake are limited to a glorified slap on the wrist - consequences of failing to carry out a procedure designed for player safety could arguably escalate to legal action and significant financial damages if you end up being proven negligent by deciding you can't be bothered with it.


At higher levels, you'll see how this becomes a much more obvious routine and how they do become linked. Players won't be on the pitch for the whole time from around 30-45 minutes all the way up to KO - they'll be in and out of changing rooms, and likely will end up in the changing rooms 5-10 minutes before KO and will stay in there making final preparations until they're told to come out.

At which point the ref will call them out, can check kit as they walk through the changing room door, can ask them to line up either by the changing rooms or by the pitch (depending on how it's all set up) and then can lead them onto the pitch and line them up for handshakes. I do understand how it feels over-officious to try and gather people who are already on the pitch into a specific area for handshakes, but 90% of the time handshakes are mandated and expected, that's not actually what happens. Rather, they're being pulled out of changing rooms and led onto this pitch, at which point stopping for handshakes before scattering does make more sense.
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At higher levels the routine is simple, I completely agree.

Im asking about about grassroots though, where teams will be out 30 minutes before a game and not return to a changing room etc.

I was only intrigued to find others experiences.

I've no problem with doing one, that wasn't the issue if it came across that way.
 
At our grassroots level (County League and below) the respect handshake is always done. Whether or not the handshake is done actually forms part of the league's team sheet questions which each coach has to fill out. It's therefore expected and forms part of pre-match protocol so I always ensure it happens, irrespective of whether or not the players want to.

Even if the players are out on the pitch already, it's a simple enough thing to blow your whistle and shout either generally or at both captains something along the lines of "Okay gents/whatever let's all come in for the handshake please and then we'll get going." :) 👍
 
Kes said:
At our grassroots level (County League and below) the respect handshake is always done. Whether or not the handshake is done actually forms part of the league's team sheet questions which each coach has to fill out. It's therefore expected and forms part of pre-match protocol so I always ensure it happens, irrespective of whether or not the players want to.

Even if the players are out on the pitch already, it's a simple enough thing to blow your whistle and shout either generally or at both captains something along the lines of "Okay gents/whatever let's all come in for the handshake please and then we'll get going." :) 👍
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Yeah it's expected at ours and again, on forms post game.

Yet doesn't seem to be adhered to. Hence wondering if it was wider spread.
 
Morgan521 said:
Yeah it's expected at ours and again, on forms post game.

Yet doesn't seem to be adhered to. Hence wondering if it was wider spread.
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Not round these here parts Zur! :D

Can't think why referees aren't doing it if that's the case ... 🤔
 
Runner Ref said:
Other than Cup Finals, don't think I ever did one at grassroots. Then again, until I got to a supply league of some soft, a kit inspection was never ever done.
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Please feel free to tell IFAB to amend Law 4, then:
The players must be inspected before the start of the match and substitutes before they enter the field of play.
 
ChasObserverRefDeveloper said:
Please feel free to tell IFAB to amend Law 4, then:
The players must be inspected before the start of the match and substitutes before they enter the field of play.
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Please feel free to come to my neck of the woods and tell them you're doing an inspection. In my years of refereeing, playing and spectating; I've genuinely never seen one done at grassroots
 
Runner Ref said:
Please feel free to come to my neck of the woods and tell them you're doing an inspection. In my years of refereeing, playing and spectating; I've genuinely never seen one done at grassroots
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Genuinely interested to know where on earth no kit inspection is done, and the reasons for it. Even if it's from a distance, I always do one. And when I've had NAR's I insist they support me by doing kit while I do the pitch as it is so much quicker that way.
 
Gabriel said:
Genuinely interested to know where on earth no kit inspection is done, and the reasons for it. Even if it's from a distance, I always do one. And when I've had NAR's I insist they support me by doing kit while I do the pitch as it is so much quicker that way.
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Come up to the North West and you can witness it. We do an 'inspection' from afar, but we're not quite lining them up
 
Runner Ref said:
Come up to the North West and you can witness it. We do an 'inspection' from afar, but we're not quite lining them up
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From NW myself - will never line them up below Step 6, and will either observe as they warm up, or check as I count 11 a piece at the start of a half.

Lining up would just be suicide, respect gone before KO.
 
When I was in the north west I refereed predominantly the Cheshire League (reserve and lower division pre level 4) and that was always handshakes.
Mid cheshire Sunday league wasnt handshakes as I recall nor was the alty Sunday league.

Could only imagine trying to ask in the Liverpool leagues 😂

I used to do some NW u21 as well and I just can't remember if we did or not on that one
 
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