Hi all,
Just done a quarter-final playoff between two outmatched teams. First ten minutes, there's a player running toward the byeline when there's a pull that brings him down, penalty, expecting some lip which is fine. Home team pulls away and are clearly better, with two incidents of dissent - one of which I give a verbal warning for, the other is loud enough that everyone can hear for a fairly innocuous decision, and I decide to let it go.
As soon as I'd let it go I knew I shouldn't have, since it was public and directed, but I've already told the home team so when the same player starts giving me more verbals for a free kick at the end of the half, I follow up with a sin bin - I think this actually worked, because second half there was nothing from that team at all. Winning the game probably helped!
The odd thing was late on, with the game clearly gone (4-0), away team put on a big fat lad who's clearly just there for some fun. The very first thing he does is trip a home player near his corner flag in a way so late that he couldn't possibly have been trying to play the ball. I'm actually thinking about booking him as I go over, but in the end it feels like it was so silly that the game didn't want it. Later on on the halfway line he's involved in a sandwich and clearly shoves a home player over, so I once again decide I should have been more proactive and issue the yellow.
Last minute - ball over the top, red controls it and is moving back toward his own goal when the big lad rugby tackles him. Definite yellow in my mind, clearly not considering the safety of the opposition - of course away are very unhappy! One player starts giving me clear dissent, and says 'go on then, sin bin me, send me off', so I oblige. With only one minute left there's then a foul on the halfway line, free kick to away - they wanted the advantage, and the fouled player shouts 'you f***ing idiot', so that's then another red. He garnishes with a few more choice insults on the way off, and the game ends with away clearly very ticked off.
The weird thing is, after the strong decision in the first half to punish dissent early (though not as early as I could have!) the game was much easier to control, and this felt like I'd really made a bit of progress in my own refereeing. Second half, again being firm but fair and trying to keep the players' safety in mind, and there's no end of grief! There's no doubt in my mind that the decisions were technically correct in Law, but is this one of those dark arts that you pick up with time, knowing when to not apply Law?
Oh well, one more down, 4 games to Level 5!
Just done a quarter-final playoff between two outmatched teams. First ten minutes, there's a player running toward the byeline when there's a pull that brings him down, penalty, expecting some lip which is fine. Home team pulls away and are clearly better, with two incidents of dissent - one of which I give a verbal warning for, the other is loud enough that everyone can hear for a fairly innocuous decision, and I decide to let it go.
As soon as I'd let it go I knew I shouldn't have, since it was public and directed, but I've already told the home team so when the same player starts giving me more verbals for a free kick at the end of the half, I follow up with a sin bin - I think this actually worked, because second half there was nothing from that team at all. Winning the game probably helped!
The odd thing was late on, with the game clearly gone (4-0), away team put on a big fat lad who's clearly just there for some fun. The very first thing he does is trip a home player near his corner flag in a way so late that he couldn't possibly have been trying to play the ball. I'm actually thinking about booking him as I go over, but in the end it feels like it was so silly that the game didn't want it. Later on on the halfway line he's involved in a sandwich and clearly shoves a home player over, so I once again decide I should have been more proactive and issue the yellow.
Last minute - ball over the top, red controls it and is moving back toward his own goal when the big lad rugby tackles him. Definite yellow in my mind, clearly not considering the safety of the opposition - of course away are very unhappy! One player starts giving me clear dissent, and says 'go on then, sin bin me, send me off', so I oblige. With only one minute left there's then a foul on the halfway line, free kick to away - they wanted the advantage, and the fouled player shouts 'you f***ing idiot', so that's then another red. He garnishes with a few more choice insults on the way off, and the game ends with away clearly very ticked off.
The weird thing is, after the strong decision in the first half to punish dissent early (though not as early as I could have!) the game was much easier to control, and this felt like I'd really made a bit of progress in my own refereeing. Second half, again being firm but fair and trying to keep the players' safety in mind, and there's no end of grief! There's no doubt in my mind that the decisions were technically correct in Law, but is this one of those dark arts that you pick up with time, knowing when to not apply Law?
Oh well, one more down, 4 games to Level 5!
