The Ref Stop

My First Game

Sadly life experience has taught me that it's far better to expect people to be idiots....that way you can be pleasantly surprised when they are not, as opposed to bitterly disappointed when you approach it the other way around

I wonder if you realise just how condescending and patronising that statement is. What a sad outlook on life.

Maybe I should have qualified that by substituting "people" with "players"........
 
The Ref Stop
To be repetitive, the only difference between a friendly match and a league match is the fact that they are are not playing for points. So why "bend the laws" ?
Why do the players/managers expect it? Because the referee allows it !
When i have done friendlies i have told the managers it will be treated as a league match, and not one (perhaps i was lucky) manager complained, but i did have two or three players mention the fact that the last referee said that he wouldn't send the bookings in (sigh) Therefore i will state LWR..... strikes again.
 
1. No problem with that, doesn't really have a massive impact on things.
2. Roll on roll off not a problem
3. Nope, not OK. Been around for a while now so no point in neglecting it.....
4 & 5. Nope not ok. Players generally aren't capable of differentiating between non competitive and competitive fixtures......and will throw it back in your face later on in the season.....Far better to maintain a consistent approach to such offences than it is to wobble your consistency up and down according to the status of the fixture.
If a players gets away with it in pre season, they will carry an expectation into the season of how they will be dealt with.

Even worse, why do you think it is acceptable to be abused pre season, but wouldn't accept it during the competitive season?
Cheers, appreciate the detailed and helpful answer.

Worth stressing that on number 3, I'd always jokingly mention the sock tape to the player so that the point was registered .. just wouldn't stop him playing with it in place. On 4 & 5, happy to agree to disagree. I'd see it as knowingly flexing your approach to take account of the differing circumstances rather than in any way 'wobbling' .. and trust me, the players would still know that they'd stepped out of line, it's simply the choice as to whether to reinforce that with a formal card. Likewise, I don't think it's in any way acceptable to be abused pre season .. I stressed that I was talking about borderline rather than clear cut cases and even in those situations, the player would be made abundantly clear that I took a dim view, just less likely to resort to Yellow or Red cards.
 
That Qualifies absolutely nothing and simply reinforces just how disrespectful you actually are towards players, take the chip off your shoulder.

Not disrespectful at all.....it's an observation based on many years of experience.

The nicest most mild mannered person can turn into a snarling rabid monster once they step over the white line to play......and many are very remorseful once sent off or cautioned......but that behaviour is learned no doubt reinforced by watching their idols on the TV, coupled with a belief that it's 'part of the game'.....not to mention those referees who fail to deal with it robustly.....and you have the recipe for your average troglodyte player on a Sunday morning.

The level of football is no guarantee that players have evolved beyond that stage....often the worst offenders on a Sunday are those that play at a higher level on a Saturday and see the Dog and Duck team as a chance to blow off some steam......or those who are the way down the pyramid, frustrated at getting slower and older, so take it out on their opponents and the officials.

Maybe you have hyper intelligent, mega polite choir boys in your leagues?
 
Not disrespectful at all.....it's an observation based on many years of experience.

The nicest most mild mannered person can turn into a snarling rabid monster once they step over the white line to play......and many are very remorseful once sent off or cautioned......but that behaviour is learned no doubt reinforced by watching their idols on the TV, coupled with a belief that it's 'part of the game'.....not to mention those referees who fail to deal with it robustly.....and you have the recipe for your average troglodyte player on a Sunday morning.

The level of football is no guarantee that players have evolved beyond that stage....often the worst offenders on a Sunday are those that play at a higher level on a Saturday and see the Dog and Duck team as a chance to blow off some steam......or those who are the way down the pyramid, frustrated at getting slower and older, so take it out on their opponents and the officials.

Maybe you have hyper intelligent, mega polite choir boys in your leagues?

No I don't referee choir boys but I do have more respect for fellow human beings than to call anybody a troglodyte, as you put it. Which is a phrase you have used many times before when tarring anybody that has every kicked a ball (me included) with the same your as thick as pig sh*t and I'm better than you brush.
 
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