The Ref Stop

First step 6 middle

I was a level 3 / 4, I just couldn't be *rsed to get assessed or any of the training, so I pretended to be a Level 7... I'd of got away with it if it wasn't for those pesky kids!!! :devil:
 
The Ref Stop
Getting back to what this thread was started for :)

Had my first step 6 middle today and for me I felt it went well despite calls from players saying I've missed this and that.
I had an experienced league officer who is also an observer on one line and another experienced guy on the other, both higher levels than me, and their feedback was great. The observer ref said only thing he might have done was caution the keeper for time wasting. I had a highly visible word with him about this and he sped up a bit after but I could have probably dealt with it quicker.

I cautioned a player for dissent.
This is something that is bugging me.
I'm wondering whether I should have just ignored it and had a quiet word when next out of play. But what I did do was stop play, called him over and told him he was very close to seeing red.
After turning down a penalty appeal he said to me "did you not see that?" I replied with a no.. He then said "your a ****ing..." and paused before not completing his sentence.
I commended him for it and said that if he finished what I thought he was going to say he was off but I said also that I will caution him and he best be on his best behaviour from now on.
Should I have done it differently?
Would you have sent him off or waited until its out of play next and had a word?

Caution for dissent sounds right here. Where was the ball and who had it when you stopped play? if his team had it or the opponents had it with no attacking opportunity (on a counter) then stopping play was also correct. If you had to wait until ball is next out of play, you still should caution for that. A word is not enough but a send off is too harsh for me.

How did he react/respond to the caution and the 'talking to'?
 
2000m in 12 mins?

If anybody at any level is not capable of that then (imo) they are not suitable to take to a pitch wearing a badge.
All very well saying serving the game and all that but if your taking a pay, then in return, there should be some very minimum standards set in return.
I've ran the line for a few demoted L5s recently who couldn't run 1K in 12 minutes, yet those refs get the choice appointments (below the pyramid that is)
 
I've ran the line for a few demoted L5s recently who couldn't run 1K in 12 minutes, yet those refs get the choice appointments (below the pyramid that is)


Its understandable, safe pair of hands and all that, the flip side being its still sport,your getting a payment for your duties, one of which includes being fit enough for the task in hand
Its confusing, as, if ones admin was constantly messed up, the league would act, yet if ones fitness is not, acceptable, the league still appoint

Its only fair to the teams that whoever is appointed is classed as suitable, one of the measures being, fitness.
 
Its understandable, safe pair of hands and all that, the flip side being its still sport,your getting a payment for your duties, one of which includes being fit enough for the task in hand
Its confusing, as, if ones admin was constantly messed up, the league would act, yet if ones fitness is not, acceptable, the league still appoint

Its only fair to the teams that whoever is appointed is classed as suitable, one of the measures being, fitness.
Yeh, i mean don't get me wrong. There's still a lot to learn from these fellas, but their ability to officiate is clearly compromised by age & fitness
Can be frustrating when those same names block younger refs from getting decent games each week
 
Yeh, i mean don't get me wrong. There's still a lot to learn from these fellas, but their ability to officiate is clearly compromised by age & fitness
Can be frustrating when those same names block younger refs from getting decent games each week



certainly a place for them and servicing the game is admirable. Time waits for nobody though and if/when my day comes that am not capable of producing my best at OA or u21 or so, then its time to concentrate on other levels.
Far better to be a good referee at a lower level than pretend your still a good referee at a higher one, for starters, the teams will have a lot more respect for you..turning up unable to keep up for a fast game you are met with groans, whereas turning up for a slower game, you are welcomed.
 
Agreed with regard to fitness standards.

Let's not forget however, @Ciley Myrus that at the lowest levels of grass roots, there are a good percentage of players who couldn't do 2k in 12 mins either ... ;)


Thats a fair and valid point, but there are not expected to be up with play for 90mins and some touch the ball less than a dozen times in the entire game, plus, a lot of them will pay subs or so on....the ref actually comes away with cash in hand for his duties.....


a paid game is like an unofficial contract, for me, your expected too..

turn up on time
officiate fairly, and neutrally, if not to a great standard, but at least to one which is fair
take disc action when needed
report as required
and display a level of fitness suitable for the task in hand....

I dont think thats too much to ask
 
Agree with fitness but disagree with age. If anything age brings about experience which is a good thing.
Stamina (and to a lesser extent, speed) tapers off quite slowly with age, so there'll be lots of referees out there who can still cover the ground at a ripe old age. The fellas I'm referring to were just out of shape. Age does equate with experience, but might also translate to an absence of observations, lack of motivation and dated AOL & methodology
 
Stamina (and to a lesser extent, speed) tapers off quite slowly with age, so there'll be lots of referees out there who can still cover the ground at a ripe old age. The fellas I'm referring to were just out of shape. Age does equate with experience, but might also translate to an absence of observations, lack of motivation and dated AOL & methodology
Stamina,, speed, agility and some other physical abilities all fall under fitness. There will be some 50+ referees out there who are much fitter the some 30- referees (faster, more stamina, more agile).

Yes broadly speaking, with age fitness does deteriorate (so do some other qualities) but having age as a criteria is unfair. Have the qualities that you want as criteria. E.g. Fitness, (Stamina, speed, agility...), motivated (personality, application of admin duties, alertness, presentation, punctuation...), lotg knowledge etc.

For me looking at age as a criteria is just a lazy and unfair way of measuring the qualities you are looking for.
 
For me looking at age as a criteria is just a lazy and unfair way of measuring the qualities you are looking for
Yes, my initial age related comment was ageist and lazyish, but then went on to clarify the problems I've seen with a some colleagues who happen to be getting on a bit :old:
 
Agree with fitness but disagree with age. If anything age brings about experience which is a good thing.

Not sure I agree with that.

Most referees at our level begin in their 40's. Their "experience" is in life skills rather than on field refereeing. I'm only 8 seasons in at age 52. I assume I don't have the general natural fitness level and agility of the average 26 year old who may well have been refereeing longer than I have. I certainly don't have anywhere near the sprinting speed I had as a young man and so I have to work to stay on top of my physical shape in order to stay credible. (Thankfully, I'm not one of those middle-aged stereotypes with a projecting stomach :D ).
My point is, rightly or wrongly that I don't think you can equate age with refereeing experience at our level - certainly not until we're talking about guys in their 60s+ perhaps?
 
Thats a fair and valid point, but there are not expected to be up with play for 90mins and some touch the ball less than a dozen times in the entire game,

Not sure what sort of matches you're doing up there mate but down here, certainly in the matches I do, most players will touch the ball more than a dozen times during the 90. :wtf:

As for the notion that they're not expected to be "up with play" for 90 mins - that's just your own opinion. I doubt you'll find any coach that'll agree with it. :D

Just saying like .... ;)
 
Not sure what sort of matches you're doing up there mate but down here, certainly in the matches I do, most players will touch the ball more than a dozen times during the 90. :wtf:

As for the notion that they're not expected to be "up with play" for 90 mins - that's just your own opinion. I doubt you'll find any coach that'll agree with it. :D

Just saying like .... ;)


Indeed must be a different sport altogether.
 
I don't think you can equate age with refereeing experience at our level
That is not what I said though :).

As an example, I would give a 40 year old first year referee a better chance of handling an over vocal middle aged manager then a teen first year referee.

I do get the irony of generalising on experience while my main point is everything should be based on merit, but I still think experience, all be it life experience, is not a negative in any situation and in most cases a plus (hence a good thing).
 
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Another point to consider is that when you're in your early years as an official, you're highly motivated. Now once you're in your 20th season, motivation may well have dropped somewhat. Your motivation to stay fit and be the best you cannpossiboy be may be on the wane, but that doesn't mean that you don't still enjoy it and that you're not a valuable servant to the game. For me that's just a natural evolution. Of course,it's not universal, some will be as motivated in their last game as their first, but on the whole as we age we tend to relax a bit.

Same logic applies to playing careers. It did for mine anyway. I was still enjoying the game in my 30s but I didn't train anymore and I was turning up later and doing a less strenuous warm up etc. It was no longer the highlight of my week, it was something I was doing for fun. I imagine my refereeing career my go the same way if I stick it for the coming decades!!
 
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