Refereeing – Page 6 – extricate.org

My first cup final in charge!

Recently, I officiated at my first cup final. Like the other final appointments I have had this was in the capacity as Senior Assistant (My experience on the Combined Counties has really helped here).

This time it was my turn to be in charge for the ‘top’ (Division 1) cup final for the Farnham and District Sunday Football League. It was an honour to get this appointment considering this has been my first season and is obviously a reflection on my performance. It also meant that I would be provided with neutral assistants to form my team. Exciting!

The game itself was hosted at Farnham Town FC which is great little ground. Unfortunately, we did not have the weather on the day: It rained pretty much throughout. I was able to keep warm with all the running about but my poor assistants did not have the opportunity to move quite as much!

Despite the conditions, there was a good crowd present with the seating at capacity. I didn’t really notice this until half-time as from the moment I led the teams onto the pitch for the Respect handshake I was in the zone and filtering all that out. I’ve been involved in these many a time when acting as Assistant but it was certainly a real thrill to be doing it as the actual referee.

Also present were the various officers of the league which meant I was acutely aware that I really did not want to be screwing this one up!

The game itself was a feisty, competitive and passionate affair. Both teams really went for it although the differences did show by the end both on the pitch and by the 3-2 result. ‘Only’ two cautions were required (both for dissent). Unfortunately, there was also an injury: A dislocated shoulder but by the reaction from the player and his team I got the impression that this was an old ‘war wound’ (he didn’t seems shocked at all!)

After the game my team received their medals and of course so did those actually playing! Both sides were ultimately a credit to Sunday football which does get a bad name from some quarters. I was happy to have worked with two neutral assistants who really helped me out (With club-provided assistants you can never fully ‘trust’ them as they are obviously impartial). With the neutrals I could happily let them call fouls and so on in their part of the pitch which really helped with credibility.

We were visited in our changing room after the game by an assessor: We had been stealth assessed! He was very complimentary, particularly so once he realised this was my first season! In particularly he was happy with my application of Law and the development point that he had for me was to reduce any non-official signals which could cause confusion and/or draw unnecessary attention. A very fair comment and I will be working on just that from now on. The league officials were also happy…. and the players seemed to be as well!

In all, a very exciting and enjoyable day that gave me a real buzz. As the game went well it also meant it should be memorable for the players, team officials and supporters as well (for the right reasons) which ultimately meant I did my job properly on the day.

My first cup final

nehyl_u17_cup_final_trophy_2010 — Shiny.

It has been a good season. I’ve been appointed to a few quarter and semi finals at county level and was really pleased to get a league cup final. U17s to be precise and being held at Cove football club. These appointments tend to be based on performance during the season which is naturally a good benchmark.

I ended up as Senior Assistant on the day although the benches were easily managed. The game itself went really well, albeit a little one sided, and in my opinion was excellently controlled by the referee. I was particularly happy with my own performance and especially the feedback I got after the game. I had to suppress a smile when I heard some of the spectators behind me debating whether I was professional or not! Must be doing something right.

One red card: In the dying minutes a defender from the losing team (who were not going to come back at that stage) decided to punch a goal-bound ball away. His own team couldn’t believe that he did it. Certainly one of the easiest to sell dismissal decisions I have ever witnessed!

It was a fun game and of course I got my trophy from officiating on the final, and it was nice to meet the various league officials who were present. It has hopefully also helped raise my profile and will lead to more opportunities in the future.

This was my first cup final. I have my second this weekend and I will be the referee in charge for it! I have worked in many referee teams now and this will be my first opportunity to be leading one…. very exciting!

“It’s not the premiership, ref!”

I am privileged to have been appointed as referee in the main cup final for the Sunday league in which I officiate. It looks to be a challenging game by all accounts: The finalists ended up #1 and #2 in the top division. Thankfully I am to be provided with neutral assistants.

In addition, I am acting as Assistant in another league’s U17 cup final and that in conjunction with my recent county cup quarter an semi appointments means I must be doing SOMETHING right!

By some coincidence, I had two games today: One Sunday league, one U17s. Clear blue skies and the sun beating down meant it was going to be a challenging one from a stamina perspective as well.

The Sunday league game was a little niggly. I’ve had the home side quite a few times this season (“Doesn’t this league have any other refs nowadays?”) and the game ended 2-3 with the deciding goal coming in the final play of the game.

This brings us to the title of this blog entry. Sometimes with this level the players REALLY don’t expect any cautions to be issued and you can get comments like that one along with, “It’s just Sunday morning football”. This is something I don’t ascribe too. The problem is, if you start ‘bending’ (Or let’s be honest here: Blatantly disregarding) Law in this way you are being inconsistent from the very start. I do strongly believe in man management to handle problems but these are more for cutting off dissent and flashpoints between teams.

As an example there was a clear deliberate handball by a defender in the area. No-one disputed the penalty. This was also an absolutely clear caution for me. However, because of the players’ expectations as described above this did damage my match control a little. No such argument with a caution for some ‘afters’ following a challenge later in the game, however. In retrospect I still feel I was in the right for both of those: Players can’t pick and choose which Laws apply and neither should the referee!

Amusingly, I had the comment “This isn’t Sunday football” during the U17s game so let’s talk about that one now…

At this point the sun was at its peak and I was feeling it. I had already grabbed my emergency water from the car and the home team also provided me with some but I was having to dig very deep. It is great how you see a friendly face wherever you go though: One of the players was a fellow assistant referee on a supply league game recently. Great guy with a great attitude. He was also very honest and stated how his team had one of the worst disciplinary records in the league, complete with a recent game being abandoned! Hey, I love a challenge.

The game itself was excellent and reminded me why I love refereeing this age group: The skill level and attitude is typically very good indeed. There were three cautions in this one (Two for tackles, one for aggressive behaviour when retaliating) but all were accepted in good grace. I felt it demonstrated my tolerance level early on with the first two cautions as they came at the same time (tackle then retaliation)… I was thinking at the time, “Yeaaaah, nailed-on match control!”. I’m a little sad like that.

You see, the players at this level accept that the Laws have to be applied so there is no arguing with a card when they know a tackle is dodgy, or if they have just shoved an opponent (I still don’t understand the “This isn’t Sunday league” comment). This is normally when the managers and supporters (parents, girlfriends!) are encouraging a good spirit and you typically do not get that same support network with Sunday league adults.

I am learning to be ‘firm yet fair’ with cautions. The players may need a little educating in some leagues to fully accept them but I must keep up the self-confidence to issue them rather than back down in order to appear to be a nice guy. The youth games really help me realise when my approach is ultimately the right one: It’s a great training ground for open age.

Bonding the referee team: Tasty treats, T-shirts and Timekeeping

I was happy to be assessed when acting as Senior Assistant Referee on the Combined Counties Football League at the weekend. This is a supply league and I am picking up a lot (good and bad) from working with the various referees.

The results of the assessment were extremely positive, especially with regard to my speed and fitness which is something I have always been keen on improving.

However, like a good breakfast sets you up for the day, so does bonding with the rest of the referee team at the beginning. If this doesn’t happen then it will drag people down leading to a spiral of decay which we really don’t want to happen! In other words, the quality of the team was linked strongly to the my performance and therefore the eventual assessment.

I have posted before on this sort of bonding but now have some further thoughts to share:

BE ON TIME: If anything sows ‘invisible dissent’ in a team it is one member arriving late, especially if they are not particularly apologetic for doing so. The others have made an effort to get there early or on time and there has typically been at least five days notice of the location and timings. If it starts to get close to the wire this will also cause nervousness in the team as they know they will be below full strength and have to call in a club-nominated official which will reduce match control effectiveness.
WARM-UP TOGETHER: It surprises me how often this does NOT happen (typically when older referees are leading the team). This is KEY in my opinion and I would ALWAYS do it. Not only is it important for bonding but it is vital for injury prevention and gives the right message to the players (“We take this game seriously”).
LOOK THE SAME: I liked this one: The referee had a collection of t-shirts with him that he gave us to warm-up in. The result? Looked like a team! Was a good feeling as well. You can also apply this to making sure you arrive in similar dress and even the same brand of refereeing kit if feasible.
SWEETS: Sometimes the changing room can resemble a buffet party. It’s nice when each member has brought along their own snacks (jaffa cakes? Sports drinks?) and make an effort to share them. You can extend this if acting as Senior Assistant by having boiled sweets with you and offering them to the benches if they are getting angsty… or perhaps if they are well behaved?! I’ve not tried this one myself yet but will report back on the results.
CARE ABOUT THE GAME: Blindingly obvious but if you want to gain the respect of the players then make the effort. Warm-up leads into this. From the moment you are leading the players onto the pitch be focused yet friendly and full of smiles. If the atmosphere is appropriate then take this into the bar afterwards as well!

I would love to hear about any other tricks and tips you have found to help with this! Horror stories also permitted!

Coming back from the brink: Avoiding the negative feedback loop trap

First impressions count in refereeing. The first few minutes of a game are when it is particularly essential to be bold, confident and get the decisions right. It establishes your credibility and then allows you to slip into the background again. In fact, a good start will let a referee ‘get away with’ any minor complaints such as disputed throw-ins or little trips without too much harm to match control.

However, things can and will go wrong.

Firstly, a big mistake can be made. A contentious penalty shout where the referee’s angle is not the best one? An off-the-ball incident which everyone else has seen? An incorrect restart of play? Actually, it may not even be a mistake: If a team has perceived it to be wrong or blatantly unfair then the same negative comments will come at the referee and may well be enough to make him or her THINK an error has been made.

Thirdly, a game may be starting to severely heat up: A few flash-point tackles (even if correctly called and misconduct given for) can still bring about reprisals from the other team and suddenly the game has switched in temperament and not in a very nice way.

Recognise when you are starting to get caught in ‘the trap’. The symptoms are:

Starting to generally feel not in control of what is going on.
Feeling of anxiety (despite the endorphins being released from all the exercise!)
Delayed physical reactions: Not switching positions to changes in play as quickly as normal.
Delayed decision making: Not calling throw-in direction etc as quickly as normal.
Loss of confidence in decision making: Greater reliability on assistants, waiting to see what the teams do first.
Weaker body language: Signals and posture ‘show fear’.
Weaker positioning on the field of play: Not as close to the action, putting in distance but for the wrong reasons!
Stopping any ‘banter’ with players.

The results? If you start to referee with the traits above you are just inviting further mistakes, further negative feedback and certainly your match control will start to slide into the abyss.

The key after a bad incident is to TAKE CONTROL. You are in control by default as the match referee so assert it! The incident has gone and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it now (other than tear yourself to bits over it). You have the rest of the match to get PERFECT. If you are close to the end of the match, think the 80 preceding minutes that have gone great for you! In fact, how about all those other games that have been great?

If anything, you need to be more assertive if the atmosphere has become charged. Tighten up the game: Perhaps play less advantage, be RIGHT on top of play (perhaps closer than normal), give those decisions QUICKLY and firmly. Handle dissent properly, be it from players or team officials: Certainly don’t just ignore it or it will eat away at both you and your match control.

If at the end of the game players want to talk to you about the incident, well, I’ve found it useful to be human and do this and BE HONEST. If they’ve clearly seen you make a mistake don’t try and deny it. Had the wrong position? Admit it. Players make mistakes too. You should value their feedback. Naturally, if this feedback turns into abuse territory then take action and make your exit as appropriate.

Remember you may well be refereeing any ‘problem’ team again in the not too distant future so you want to do your best to ‘soothe the savage beast’. Making a mistake is one thing, but making out you have not is going to particularly give you a bad start next time around.

Following a tough game, I would recommend following the advice given in Nicky Kriel’s 5 ways to reject the feeling of rejection – You can’t please everyone and you need to ensure that the negative feedback loop trap doesn’t continue onto your next game. It needs to be a confident and bold new start.

Good luck out there!

Feeling the positivity of an evening at Fratton Park

I was privileged recently to attend Pompey playing Birmingham at Fratton Park. This was the league game within days of their victory over the same team in the FA cup. Naturally, Birmingham had a score to settle…

Privileged for several reasons! As I am gainfully employed under the subtext of ‘Head Geek’ for the team’s shirt sponsor I went along under corporate hospitality. Even before the match began, the enthusiasm and drive of pretty much everyone from the club I had contact with was evident. It was clear they genuinely really cared for what they were doing and there wasn’t a detectable hint of worry. Sadly, just the following day, more than 80 employees of the club were made redundant.

The match itself was entertaining although Pompey clearly were not at their best. Birmingham had also clearly learned from the loss at the previous weekend and their back four were particularly tight. Final score: 1-2. Jamie O’Hara was the clear outstanding player to me, playing with real passion as well. We nominated him for the Partners’ Lounge Man of the Match. He was a nice guy in person as well, especially since I arrived late back from the dressing room area to see him.

Why was I in the dressing room area? Well, I am a qualified football referee myself but not anywhere near Premiership level at this point! I queried via our hosts whether it would be possible to meet the referee team after the match. I knew this would depend on a lot of variables but in particular whether they had a ‘good game’ or not. If any managers were furiously trying to beat their door down it would be particularly unlikely to happen…

Thankfully, they DID have a good game and I was taken down post-match. This meant waiting in the dressing room corridor for five minutes so I got to see the players milling about, and also to talk to the Match Assessor. So far the occurring theme in this entry is just how positive and nice everyone was and it applies here as well! The Assessor is there to report on the referee team’s performance and he took me in to see them.

Portsmouth v Birmingham 2010 Referees — Mike Jones, Mike Mullarkey, Andy D'Urso, Me, Darren Cann

He jokingly introduced me as being from the Surrey FA (well, this is technically true…) and there to conduct the assessment but there was no way I could keep that pretense up. I got to have a chat with the team and up close it really did strike me just how physically fit they were. This should hardly be of a surprise but I guess you only really ‘see’ it up close. During the game I thought Mike Jones was in his twenties: It was hard to believe that he is really 42. His two assistants typically work with Howard Webb and also featured in the Les Arbitres documentary, so to meet them as well was a particular thrill!

Really, seeing the fitness level on display has served to energise my own efforts in that area. I aim to be professional in all my dealings as a referee and projecting an appropriate level of fitness is a big part of that. After all, it’s a demonstration of making the effort.

I was even gifted some neat little Premier League lapel badges which I will be sporting on future match appointments until I am ordered to take them off 😉

So much positivity in one evening: From the club, the players (especially Mr O’Hara) and the referee team (who had clearly enjoyed the match as well). If I can take just an ounce of that and apply it to my own life then great things are bound to happen…

Bonding the referee team – Lessons from judo and football

The team of referees on the mat at a judo competition is a team of three: The referee and two corner judges. In football you have the referee and two assistants (running the line). There is one distinct difference right at the beginning here: In judo, although the referee controls the contest, the ‘majority of three’ rule applies and thus he or she may be overruled. In football the assistants do just that… ASSIST. The referee has the final say.

However, there are good hints and tips I have picked up along the way. These have become especially evident on the football side where for the vast majority of games I am the referee and needing to brief two new (club provided) assistants at each match. They are strangers to me when I arrive unlike the comfort zone of most judo competitions where I know all the referees!

So here are some points which have really helped me:

Start as you mean to go on: Your strength as a team does not begin with the start of the contest or match. It should be as soon as you get together. Learn the names (I am terrible with names when meeting people so this something I try and make an effort with now) and use them. I found out just how well this worked when it was the referee using MY name regularly when I was assisting at a football match. It really helps the bonding process.
Brief the team: (Football perspective here). Vital. I was staggered when one club assistant told me after my briefing that some referees he has helped out don’t even bother doing a briefing. Nice! Remember that the briefing is not just about telling the assistants what you want them to do, and assess their knowledge: It is to help get to know them so that you are comfortable with each other. Club assistants are likely to have been abused before in previous games so definitely get the point across that you will help protect them as well. For most ‘park’ games I like doing this briefing in the centre circle prior to the coin toss as it gives a very public display of everyone working together.
Constant communication: Be it verbal or a simple thumbs-up (This sort of thing can look unprofessional in judo but there are subtle ways), keep the communication going. “Thanks Steve!” after Steve has helped you out from a tricky spot goes a long way. And it will help someone who is new and a bit nervous gain the confidence they need after those first few decisions. Important for assistants/corner judges to do this as well if there is someone new and perhaps nervous running the show!
You are a team: Support your team-mates. If a mistake occurs never ‘pass the buck’ as ultimately in a lot of cases it is the team that has failed. Work out how to resolve it as a team (if possible), otherwise make sure you also learn from it AS A TEAM. It is also good to try and stay together in breaks to discuss decisions that have been made and bring out the whole mentoring concept.
Give the referee the benefit of the doubt: If you disagree with something SLIGHTLY then take a few moments before deciding to express your opinion. Remember the referee had a different view to you so is it possible that they did the right thing with that in mind?

Any experiences from working in one of these teams? Or have you observed things that have worked particularly well? Or even particularly badly?

Bringing up the fitness and now… STRETCH!

I recently rejoined the gym on my work campus as running outside was just not happening any more. The current weather in the UK has put paid to that. I was soaked through just walking back from the gym to the office (30 seconds!) due to the lashing shower that suddenly appeared.

The adage which applies is “Get fit to referee, don’t referee to get fit”. Absolutely true and my ‘judo fitness’ has very much helped me hit the field of play running. I have yet to struggle to keep up with play but of course most of my games are at ‘parks’ level until I climb the ladder a bit more.

However, my body has not adjusted to the style of exercise too well. Lots of changes in speed (walk..jog…SPRINT…walk…stop…SPRINT) and direction have put quite a stress on my hamstrings and achilles. The achilles in particular forced me to rest but is now mostly under control. My hamstrings are tight as anything as it is due to my years of computing so this needs resolving. Some Asics Gel Lethal 11 boots are helping there!

Firstly, I’m working on running in the gym, working towards the Cooper test. I have no need to take this test for a long time but it is a nice benchmark. Starting point is 2500 metres in 12 minutes which I can manage fine on a treadmill but of course that is easier than doing it outside (even with a 1% incline). It’s good to start teaching my body the pace though. I’ll be mixing that up with interval training.

Secondly, lots of stretching. I’ve been neglecting this FAR too much. Obviously this is concentrating on my problem areas as mentioned above but I’m making sure I do EVERYTHING so I don’t just transfer the problem somewhere else. Early days but so important.

There we have a mix of aerobic and anaerobic exercise and stretching. I haven’t thought about core strength much yet but it will need to feature to help keep things balanced… hmm…