Yesterday I was assigned two games on a large 3G pitch. Given that I lack weekly practice (not in a fitness sense, just from an officiating perspective) and do about a game a month, I might have foreseen that this might be a challenge. Omens were perhaps not good as regards treatment of referees when, as soon as I arrived, I received a strict telling off from staff for daring to use a toilet in the clubhouse for Covid security. What if I'd needed to get changed?? In the car, I presume..
Anyway, leaving that aside, my first U15 fixture was a positive experience overall. But the ten minute turnaround before a tight division 1 U13 fixture was not ideal. Pitch is, as mentioned above, very large for this age group. Players start with great energy and fairly clean--competitive, but quite easy to referee; as match goes on, the level drops and decisions are to be made.
2-2 at half time, one penalty each; the first is a certainty, the second questioned by home team (keeper got flick on ball, but makes contact with legs of player who has gone round him). I am patronisingly told, after giving a free kick late in the first half, that I have played way over. I politely inform manager that we are into one minute of additional time.
In the second half, there is another penalty for a late tackle and a calm word with the culprit, who walked away from me and seemed unapologetic (I had my teacher's hat on; probably could/should have shown yellow as well).
Managers start to question 50/50 decisions more--'watch the afters', 'we're trying to educate them, so please explain what he's done wrong there' etc. This sort of thing is like water off a duck's back these days.
One thing I can definitely improve upon, however, is my positioning on free kicks (and more generally) and spotting handballs in the area. Apparently I missed two in quick succession yesterday. I have a tendency to take up a position inside the pitch from view of taker with the idea that I can more easily spot offside runners (even with CARs). However, thinking about it while driving home yesterday, I realised that experienced refs take up a position behind the taker, presumably to gain better view of incidents in the wall and near to goal. Any thoughts.
Thank you for reading.
Anyway, leaving that aside, my first U15 fixture was a positive experience overall. But the ten minute turnaround before a tight division 1 U13 fixture was not ideal. Pitch is, as mentioned above, very large for this age group. Players start with great energy and fairly clean--competitive, but quite easy to referee; as match goes on, the level drops and decisions are to be made.
2-2 at half time, one penalty each; the first is a certainty, the second questioned by home team (keeper got flick on ball, but makes contact with legs of player who has gone round him). I am patronisingly told, after giving a free kick late in the first half, that I have played way over. I politely inform manager that we are into one minute of additional time.
In the second half, there is another penalty for a late tackle and a calm word with the culprit, who walked away from me and seemed unapologetic (I had my teacher's hat on; probably could/should have shown yellow as well).
Managers start to question 50/50 decisions more--'watch the afters', 'we're trying to educate them, so please explain what he's done wrong there' etc. This sort of thing is like water off a duck's back these days.
One thing I can definitely improve upon, however, is my positioning on free kicks (and more generally) and spotting handballs in the area. Apparently I missed two in quick succession yesterday. I have a tendency to take up a position inside the pitch from view of taker with the idea that I can more easily spot offside runners (even with CARs). However, thinking about it while driving home yesterday, I realised that experienced refs take up a position behind the taker, presumably to gain better view of incidents in the wall and near to goal. Any thoughts.
Thank you for reading.
