A&H

Probably should have been wider but...

boblardo

Active Member
Level 5 Referee
Had an incident today; Red v blue

Red player heading towards corner flag in opposite corner to the blue CAR he is being closed down by a blue defender and I am running toward and looking directly at them.

The very next moment a red player runs right across my eyeline so all I see is a ugly head meaning I’m totally blindsided; I hear a coming together and at this point the red team managers and players are livid that a free kick hasn’t been given

I give a goal kick as I have no idea what’s happened or who touched the ball last

I wasn’t going to guess but maybe being wider would have helped but I think a very long season has now caught up with me
 
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Thats correct PF, ironically an older ref, more rotund ref or experienced ref would generally be further away so gets a better view than a whippet ref too close and risking what you describe!
 
I don't remember where I read this. The three golden requirements for good positioning is, angle, proximity and "play between ref and AR". However as far as importance of each:
Angle 60%
Proximity 30%
Play between Ref and AR 10%
 
That's one of the only scenarios these days where referees are encouraged to be out wide and close to the touchline. It's a danger zone because the attacker with the ball has nowhere to go and therefore there is a high likelihood of a challenge coming in. Even more so if it is close to the end and the attacking team are defending a lead, and in that scenario getting outside of the touchline is a good idea so that no one can block your view.
 
Meh. A player can run in front of you no matter where you are. I don't think your position really has anything to do with that. Getting wide is probably handy here - heck, I've been happy to run completely off the field sometimes when play is held up in the corner or right on a line. But your problem wasn't that you had the wrong angle, it's just that somebody blocked your view.
Sometimes you may be able to see such a player coming in your peripheral vision and start moving to the side so your view isn't blocked at the most critical moment. I'd highlight though, just make sure you're not directly behind the defender who's chasing down the attacker.
 
So annoying when someone blocks your view.

On a side note I had a very interesting one today, a lad that used me as a shield for a corner, I kid you not he hid behind me until the ball was kicked to go undetected, I turned to him and said what are you doing he said nothing just hovering, it was bizzare, if he had done it again on another corner i would have pulled him on it, every step I took he followed me and was an inch away from me, p*ssed me right off.
 
So annoying when someone blocks your view.

On a side note I had a very interesting one today, a lad that used me as a shield for a corner, I kid you not he hid behind me until the ball was kicked to go undetected, I turned to him and said what are you doing he said nothing just hovering, it was bizzare, if he had done it again on another corner i would have pulled him on it, every step I took he followed me and was an inch away from me, p*ssed me right off.
Was he ginger and needed some Lux protection? :foot:
 
So annoying when someone blocks your view.

On a side note I had a very interesting one today, a lad that used me as a shield for a corner, I kid you not he hid behind me until the ball was kicked to go undetected, I turned to him and said what are you doing he said nothing just hovering, it was bizzare, if he had done it again on another corner i would have pulled him on it, every step I took he followed me and was an inch away from me, p*ssed me right off.
I'd suggest that's something you want to try and quietly avoid letting happen. If he comes from behind you and has a clear header because the defence hasn't picked him up, you've let yourself be used as a key part of scoring a goal.

No need to stop him and make a big fuss about it, just move deeper or over to the other side where he doesn't want to be. He can then either follow you to a less dangerous position, of give up on the idea.
 
Trust me he knew I wasn’t happy & it wasn’t going to happen again.

Gotta hand it to him though it was something different & a new one on me.
 
Meh. A player can run in front of you no matter where you are. I don't think your position really has anything to do with that. Getting wide is probably handy here - heck, I've been happy to run completely off the field sometimes when play is held up in the corner or right on a line. But your problem wasn't that you had the wrong angle, it's just that somebody blocked your view.
Sometimes you may be able to see such a player coming in your peripheral vision and start moving to the side so your view isn't blocked at the most critical moment. I'd highlight though, just make sure you're not directly behind the defender who's chasing down the attacker.

I was running Rb to Rb and had a clear view of both players; I expected the players to be moving towards the penalty area anticipating a cross, there really was no reason for this player to be heading away from the penalty area; however I did see him and slowed my run so we wouldn't collide but it was at the point we crossed i heard the clattering of shin pads!

On reflection it really was just one of those moments!
 
I've had it happen a couple of times, you can't give what you can't see! I just point out the player who blocked me, apologise and move on
 
If you find it happening on a regular basis you need to consider your positioning and movement, if it’s an isolated incident, don’t worry about it.
 
If you find it happening on a regular basis you need to consider your positioning and movement, if it’s an isolated incident, don’t worry about it.

I'm struggling with one of these issues actually, I think I'm too far ahead of play sometimes.

Specific scenario I've been having issues with:

No linesmen, trying to keep to the diagonal; Play moves over to the left wing - I often find myself just on the edge of the area. The players are in a crossing position but not to the sides of the box, rather just a bit behind and wide of the box. (If that makes sense?)

I find that causes me to have to turn my back on the box in order to face the play, which goes one of three ways: 1. a cross, 2. a cut back across the outside of the box, 3. a throughball that bypasses me and goes into the box.

I'm just thinking I'm getting too far forward because my previous positioning would put me in the way of option 2, even if it made me more side-on. Might have gone the wrong way about this, and actually needed to drop deeper instead now that I'm thinking as I type this out...
 
Are you ahead of play in this case? If so, why? Don't do that...usually

Yes, slightly so.

As I mentioned, my previous positioning was side-on but getting in the way of cut backs, so I think I've compensated by getting a bit too far forward instead of dropping a bit further back.

Something for me to work on over the next season!
 
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