Sorry for the long post. It took some time to process...
I've heard it said many times on here not to let the game get away from you as a referee.... Well I hate to say it, but I had one of those yesterday.
U13s A-League clash, both teams wanting to finish in 4th place so for the they both had something riding on it.
Game went well for the first half (this was the game that I paused for the two minute silence)
It was fairly physical from the start, but the only real disciplinary incident of note was when the Home defender got back to nick the ball away just as the Away forward took a shot... Forward kicked the defender's ankle who went down hurt and I gave a FK to the defending team. Away forward not happy saying it wasn't a foul and I explained to him that although it was accidental, it was still a foul. As he walked away he muttered '********' under his breath. I called him back and gave him a warning that he was walking a very fine line (should I have sin-binned him for this? - probably)
By the second half the Home team were 2-0 up and some silly tackles started going in from the losing team. Thankfully none of them made contact, but in hindsight, me letting them go un-punished was the start of the slippery slope.
Home team then started doing similar, and I could feel the game getting away from me a little, but I (wrongly) thought I could keep it under control.
15 mins to go and with the score still at 2-0 one of the Home defenders got hurt in a challenge and as my attention was focussed on him (down on the ground in pain) I apparently missed a shove in the back by the Home team as the ball went out for a throw. Away coach (out of his technical area - again something I failed to deal with) starts having a go that I'd missed the shove. I pointed to the downed player and foolishly asked 'What about him?' to which he replied 'So? What about the shove?' By now the injured player was receiving treatment so I went over the coach to talk to him and explain that I didn't see the shove to which he said 'They've been doing it all game, you haven't given any of them!' I replied and explained that putting hands on an opponent isn't a foul unless there is a clear push and that both teams had been doing it all game. I asked him what he expected when both teams were doing it and he replied that he expected that I should be giving the fouls as I was 'the only one being paid to do their job'. The injured defender can't continue and goes off and Home team are down to 10. We restart with a throw in.
From then on it was a fast descent into chaos. Here is where I truly felt like I was on a runaway train. Every player on the Away team was now screaming 'In the back Ref!', 'That's a foul Ref!', 'REFEREE!' at every single challenge, none of which were anything other than normal footballing challenges, but I think they were following their coach's example. One of the Away team players who had been very vocal all match about how I wasn't giving any fouls then said 'He told me to shut the **** up!' after words were exchanged between him and another player (I didn't hear it) but I stupidly said 'Maybe you should listen to his advice' (not my proudest moment)
Away team then score to make it 2-1 and we head into the last 5 minutes. It's all the Away team as they desperately try for an equalizer against 10 men and there are some robust but fair challenges from the Home team, despite the screaming appeals. Then the Away team get a FK on the edge of the area. Player steps up and as he hits it, a Home defender shouts 'Aaagh' in (in my eyes) a deliberate attempt to put him him off. I caution the defender and award an IDFK. Away coach is claiming they can retake the first FK and I explain that it as now an IDFK for the UB. (although I think I should have awarded it from where the defender made the shout, not the spot of the first FK?) The Home team start encroaching so I mark out the distance and make them reset with a warning not to do it. At this point I had every player shouting and gesticulating what they could and couldn't do and I just blew my whistle and said loudly 'Stop with all the moaning or this game is going to get abandoned' The IDFK is eventually taken, but charged down and cleared.
I eventually played something like 7 minutes of added time before I blew the final whistle.
To be fair, all the coaches shook my hand as did some of the players, but that is a game I will be filing in the 'ones to forget' book.
I've heard it said many times on here not to let the game get away from you as a referee.... Well I hate to say it, but I had one of those yesterday.
U13s A-League clash, both teams wanting to finish in 4th place so for the they both had something riding on it.
Game went well for the first half (this was the game that I paused for the two minute silence)
It was fairly physical from the start, but the only real disciplinary incident of note was when the Home defender got back to nick the ball away just as the Away forward took a shot... Forward kicked the defender's ankle who went down hurt and I gave a FK to the defending team. Away forward not happy saying it wasn't a foul and I explained to him that although it was accidental, it was still a foul. As he walked away he muttered '********' under his breath. I called him back and gave him a warning that he was walking a very fine line (should I have sin-binned him for this? - probably)
By the second half the Home team were 2-0 up and some silly tackles started going in from the losing team. Thankfully none of them made contact, but in hindsight, me letting them go un-punished was the start of the slippery slope.
Home team then started doing similar, and I could feel the game getting away from me a little, but I (wrongly) thought I could keep it under control.
15 mins to go and with the score still at 2-0 one of the Home defenders got hurt in a challenge and as my attention was focussed on him (down on the ground in pain) I apparently missed a shove in the back by the Home team as the ball went out for a throw. Away coach (out of his technical area - again something I failed to deal with) starts having a go that I'd missed the shove. I pointed to the downed player and foolishly asked 'What about him?' to which he replied 'So? What about the shove?' By now the injured player was receiving treatment so I went over the coach to talk to him and explain that I didn't see the shove to which he said 'They've been doing it all game, you haven't given any of them!' I replied and explained that putting hands on an opponent isn't a foul unless there is a clear push and that both teams had been doing it all game. I asked him what he expected when both teams were doing it and he replied that he expected that I should be giving the fouls as I was 'the only one being paid to do their job'. The injured defender can't continue and goes off and Home team are down to 10. We restart with a throw in.
From then on it was a fast descent into chaos. Here is where I truly felt like I was on a runaway train. Every player on the Away team was now screaming 'In the back Ref!', 'That's a foul Ref!', 'REFEREE!' at every single challenge, none of which were anything other than normal footballing challenges, but I think they were following their coach's example. One of the Away team players who had been very vocal all match about how I wasn't giving any fouls then said 'He told me to shut the **** up!' after words were exchanged between him and another player (I didn't hear it) but I stupidly said 'Maybe you should listen to his advice' (not my proudest moment)
Away team then score to make it 2-1 and we head into the last 5 minutes. It's all the Away team as they desperately try for an equalizer against 10 men and there are some robust but fair challenges from the Home team, despite the screaming appeals. Then the Away team get a FK on the edge of the area. Player steps up and as he hits it, a Home defender shouts 'Aaagh' in (in my eyes) a deliberate attempt to put him him off. I caution the defender and award an IDFK. Away coach is claiming they can retake the first FK and I explain that it as now an IDFK for the UB. (although I think I should have awarded it from where the defender made the shout, not the spot of the first FK?) The Home team start encroaching so I mark out the distance and make them reset with a warning not to do it. At this point I had every player shouting and gesticulating what they could and couldn't do and I just blew my whistle and said loudly 'Stop with all the moaning or this game is going to get abandoned' The IDFK is eventually taken, but charged down and cleared.
I eventually played something like 7 minutes of added time before I blew the final whistle.
To be fair, all the coaches shook my hand as did some of the players, but that is a game I will be filing in the 'ones to forget' book.