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Glasses/Contact Lenses...

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SimplYY

New Member
I'm 19 years old and last year doctor notice that i have some minior issues with my eyes. I have diopte of -0.75 on both eyes. Now i'm considering to apply to be a referee. I heard that you can wear glasses all plastic and referee a football match. Is that true? And what do you suggest, glasses or contact lenses? If contact lenses, which one? Keep in mind that i will wear contact lenses only when i'm on the pitch as a referee. Thanks to anyone who helps :)

P.S. If there is some errors in my text, don't judge it, English is not my main language.
 
The Referee Store
SimplYY said:
I'm 19 years old and last year doctor notice that i have some minior issues with my eyes. I have diopte of -0.75 on both eyes. Now i'm considering to apply to be a referee. I heard that you can wear glasses all plastic and referee a football match. Is that true? And what do you suggest, glasses or contact lenses? If contact lenses, which one? Keep in mind that i will wear contact lenses only when i'm on the pitch as a referee. Thanks to anyone who helps :)

P.S. If there is some errors in my text, don't judge it, English is not my main language.
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You can wear glasses and referee, but it will cause you lots of problems, both from a dissent and practical point of view. (no pun intended :))

My eyesight is not particularly bad in strength terms (so I'm told), but I'm blind without glasses or contacts. Contacts make life so much easier all around.

Soft contacts, the rest is preference.:)
 
I wear contacts on the pitch. Partly because I have them anyway, and partly because I have been hit in the face by a ball wearing glasses and it's not a pleasant experience.

If you can get contacts, go with it - I think glasses are fine technically, but I'd be surprised if you could reach the higher levels without at least being able to say that you've tried contacts.
 
OK then. I will go to my doctor and see what he has to say about daily disposable contacts and see how they would fit me. Thanks for your answers.
 
Glasses are good - I use them. They mist up a bit when it's raining but unless it's cats and dogs you should be alright.

However I have heard "ref go to specsavers" before so I'd recommend contacts anyway :D
 
GraemeS said:
I have been hit in the face by a ball wearing glasses and it's not a pleasant experience.
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Schoolboy error there Graeme. As already alluded to by @PP62, the match ball should have formed part of your pre-match checks. If it was wearing glasses, it should have been made to remove them before kick-off.
I think you need to tighten up on that aspect of your game mate and be a bit more vigilant next time. ;)
 
I wear daily disposable lenses for refereeing. I've wore glasses on a handful of occasions and there's the obvious dissent regarding Specsavers but it also affects your peripheral vision so I wouldn't recommend them
 
I wear glasses day today, though I really only need them for driving and long term computer use.

I always wear daily disposable contact lenses for refereeing, they took a bit of getting used to but unless you can't get lenses that fit they've got to be better than glasses.
 
RegalRef said:
You can wear glasses and referee, but it will cause you lots of problems, both from a dissent and practical point of view. (no pun intended :))
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Obviosuly I have to disagree with you @RegalRef (maybe one day we shall agree, but on what subject it yet to be seen).

I have worn glasses for my 5 seasons officiating. I make a joke of it at the pre-match which takes the wind from their sails, and during the game I can make reference to them.

After taking advice from many sources pre-wearing them, it was made clear that the ref does not need specifc sports glasses, as we are not getting involved with play (deliberatly heading the ball / going on on one with a player / receiving flying elbows at headers etc) as as such use an older pair for games.

It has never even been mentioned in assessments; do not find it a problem at all.

As I progress up the levels though I am intending to start with contacts as I appreciate that you don't get prematch chats with teams as you do in the parks, and that the relationshp between players and officials changes accordingly.

Back to the OP @SimplYY - dont let it put you off, and unless you can afford to, don't spend lots on sports glasses for an activity you havent't yet tried. could be a £200 white elephant (but at least youd be able to see it!)
 
Probably depends on the level as well, has anyone ever seen senior level referees wearing glasses? In my first season as a L3, and in one of the first games, my coach (ex Premier League referee) came to watch me. The assistants I had were both first year L4s, but one was much more experienced than the other but he worse really thick glasses, almost slightly comical in appearance. After the game my coach wanted to know why I had made him senior as the benches had been on at him all game and were using his glasses as supposed evidence that he couldn't see what he was doing.

Ridiculous I know, as with the glasses on he probably had better eyesight than myself and the other assistant, but at that level you just don't see officials wearing glasses. Coach's view was that even if the other assistant was first year and the bespectacled one 10 years at that level, I shouldn't have had the latter anywhere near the technical areas as it was just a red rag to a bull.
 
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