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And that's one of the key points too, you do have to take skill levels into consideration. I had one of these a few weeks ago in the WNL, in my mind the player deliberately tried to intercept the ball, it grazed the top of her head and went to the attacker (in an OS position) who went on to...

Nothing wrong with using homophonic language, that's cool (and your call). Using homophobic language, on the other hand... 😉

Heaven forbid that players should be extra careful not to endanger an opponent when the conditions are bad. (Cue some pundit saying "he had to go for it, what else was he meant to do??!!")

Congrats mate - getting over that fear is often the hardest thing, and not only did you do that but you shone. Nice one. This thread is a must-read for all referees who've ever had a miserable game. Not only that, but a great example of how this community pulls together to give the best...

I think there's always going to be problems in terms of language and interpretation, but your final point I think is pretty much the point of the change in the law in that it moves the focus onto defenders needing to defend instead of relying on what is, after all, a technical offence to get...

The crucial thing is that it is not an offence to be in an offside position. Therefore, there is no sense in which the laws 'punish' a defender for making a decision one way or another. The defenders job is to defend, not to try and catch an attacker offside. So coaching for an offside trap...

This, for instance: To be honest, the best thing you can do is complete your course asap then take to the field with the confidence that you - almost certainly - know the laws better than anyone else there.

You can do this, but it will also affect the way in which the players regard you and your other decisions, so in my opinion best to be avoided. What might be better in this kind of scenario is to give yourself a second or two - often the player reactions will confirm what you think you saw or...

I think that's what he's saying - because pundits, commentators and reporters use their own frames of reference for what they think should happen that will always lead them to think that decisions are made inconsistently (as the frames of reference are moving all the time). If they were to use...

Well, given the description it sounds like a red for OFFINABUS. ;) 😁

The way I think about it is that the dissent caution no longer counts as a caution when determining a red. So apart from the fact that an individual player can't return after two dissent cautions, no red card would be shown. If they pick up other cautions for foul tackles, delaying restart...

I'm sorry, that's so patronising. Whatever our opinions about individual decisions, these referees are at the top of their game and are being paid, as professionals, to make the tough decisions. On the other hand, Richards was invited in his capacity as a former MC player (just as Carragher...

This is a brilliant discussion about what makes a great referee over a good one. I started out on a teaching degree many years ago, with a lovely idealistic view of how I would treat the children as individuals and how they would respond to my teaching them, supporting them and helping them...

Oh I make the decision quickly enough, I just have to resist replaying it in my mind and questioning whether it was the right one, especially if there's a strong reaction. I know enough (and have seen enough videos of my games) to know I'm getting it right much more often than not (even when...

That's still the big one for me, over 20 years later! Second-guessing yourself is incredibly unhelpful when refereeing - I have to tell myself regularly just to make the decision and move on.

That's a really big question and reading all of the posts on the forum wouldn't cover it all! I reckon just three things to start. 1. Be as prepared as you can be. Make sure you have all your kit, watches, pencils, etc. and are comfortable. 2. Trust in yourself to know the laws and try...

At the risk of being sycophantic, it's also why this forum is so good - every member is potentially getting the benefit of a really wide range of approaches, tips, tricks and experiences.

My advice is to do it. I had much the same, found that I didn't enjoy being out there on my own but really loved being involved and challenging myself. For the past two years or so I have only done lines and I love it - all the best bits of officiating and much fewer of the aspects I didn't...

Risky even suggesting you're giving advantage for a PK though - and a good assessor would pick that up. At worst, it looks like you were undecided and the outcome made the decision easy in the end (which we've all done - but not necessarily conspiratorially!).

I've always worn glasses to referee (no choice) and very rarely get anything apart from the great wits in the crowd who tell me I need windscreen wipers when it's raining. I have responded to comments on my ability to see incidents by asking players if they think I need a new prescription...