http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php This is a discussion forum powered by vBulletin. To find out about vBulletin, go to http://www.vbulletin.com/ . en Sat, 04 Feb 2012 13:00:54 GMT vBulletin 60 http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/images/misc-football/rss.jpg http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=266 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:47:50 GMT This week I want to talk about two handshakes – one good and the other another example of the British media having to write about something. *The... This week I want to talk about two handshakes – one good and the other another example of the British media having to write about something.

The good one first…

Last Saturday evening I was the guest of Chris Foy at the Brighton versus Newcastle FA Cup 4th Round match. I thought the match had the potential to create an upset in the cup – Premier League team at the Championship team’s home ground.

The first half was wildly forgettable!

However, the second half was more exciting with Brighton eventually coming out on top. Brighton’s new stadium creates a great atmosphere when the home team fans get behind their club, so in the end I was not disappointed.

But back to the handshake.

Bear in mind I’m sitting in the stand of a noisy football ground, I cannot hear what the referee or any player is saying, so all I can comment on is what I saw.

And this is what I saw – for no apparent reason Lee Probert – the match referee – shakes hands with a home team player in front of the benches.

It was following the award of a goal kick and both Lee and the player were setting themselves up for the kick being taken. I suppose as they ran back there had been some discussions about some facet of the game.

Again all of us in the crowd were oblivious to this – all we saw was the two men shaking hands.

For all we know they could have been having a wager of the outcome of the match – it didn’t matter. The visual of these two shaking hands said they’d reached an agreement about something.

It simply showed a positive relationship between player and referee. That visual, seen by the benches and the other players will have sub-consciously registered with them that Lee was approachable.

Before we leave the south coast and head to west London, I’d like to talk about Chris in his role as 4th official.

I was sitting next to Simon Breivik who is the sports scientist for the PGMOL and lives in Brighton so gets to the games when his schedule allows.

He was surprised how well behaved the two managers were, commenting that normally the home team man was a lot more animated at the 4th man.

As far as I could see Chris was simply being Chris.

He was NOT holding a gun to anyone’s head, which leads me to think that because of his profile in the game the managers gave him more respect than they give so called “lesser officials.”

Psychologists call this the Halo Effect.

What you and I need to do is know how to develop it short of getting on the Select Group referees’ list! Sometimes it’s as simple as introducing yourself to each manager by first name and saying you’re there to help if you can.

Off to west London…

It’s been well written about that the FA decided to abandon the pre-match handshake between QPR and Chelsea. Just in case you’ve been on the moon John Terry and Anton Ferdinand are involved in a high profile spat that has gone all the way to court.

As ever, it’s not for me to comment on the situation but like you I’m watching things unfold. And I’m delighted that I’m just an interested spectator!

I can state that many column inches were subsequently dedicated to the issue of whether Anton would shake John’s hand and, in the event of the abandonment of the Fair Play Handshake, asking if it meant the death signal for the Respect Programme.

Poppycock!

The FA was put into the gap between a rock and a hard place or the devil and the deep blue sea. The same journalists who feigned shock and outrage over the lack of any handshakes were at the game ready to cover the handshake and they would have been allocated so many words to cover the incident.

When the incident was cancelled they still had to write a story so they majored on the death knell of the Respect Programme!

They could only speculate that the entire QPR team would avoid John Terry rather than knowing for certain. Can you imagine if they had not shook hands how long the press would have been using the images for?

It was not an ideal situation for the FA. However, faced with a similar problem, you and I must not give people a chance to cause us problems.

It reminds me of what I was taught when learning to referee: you’re far better having a dodgy offside rather than a dodgy goal or a dodgy goal kick rather than a dodgy corner!

Dodgy offsides and dodgy goal kicks go away more quickly. ]]> The Renegade http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=266 http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=265 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:28:40 GMT Got called in at the last minute to run the line, I was not impressed by the refs instructions in the dressing room, I herd a lot better. mid way... Got called in at the last minute to run the line, I was not impressed by the refs instructions in the dressing room, I herd a lot better. mid way through the game play came close to me near the corner flag, two player's challenging for the ball the ball went out,I flaged goal kick, the attacker gave me a load of verbal. I flaged the ref and ask him to give the attacker the red card. the ref said Ill have a word he did'nt mean it and ran off. never said anything to the player. What could I do as an assistant ref that day. ]]> crusader nick http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=265 http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=264 Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:47:17 GMT *The first newsletter of the year*... Sent out on the 10th January 2012 talked about the Vincent Kompany send off, not in terms of the tackle but... The first newsletter of the year...
Sent out on the 10th January 2012 talked about the Vincent Kompany send off, not in terms of the tackle but the theatre that followed the tackle.
Interestingly, it spoke of opinions being like belly buttons, that we’ve all got one! The article caused reaction from the thousands of fellow referees who read the newsletter.
Some supported Chris’ decision, others thought it was wrong.
As I said to you...
That the newsletter wasn’t about the decision, it was about the theatre surrounding the decision, in fact, any decision.
Last Sunday morning at the Academy, one of the coaches – Jas Basi – talked about Match of the Day being bereft of real incident in the programme; having to fill the time they decided the lunging challenge was good filler.
At the time I’d not watched MOTD so I was unaware of the “rock solid” knowledge that had been dispensed by the experts on the programme. When I got home I watched MOTD and now feel up to speed with the issue.
If the previous paragraph sounded...
In your head a little ironic – there’s a reason. It’s all part of the circus that is called football!
Well this week I’ve handed over the Newsletter to the Blog of Steve Wilson – who is a MOTD Commentator, written following last week’s MOTD. He is eloquent and really describes situation that you and I as referees are subject to.
Enjoy.


FROM STEVE WILSON
I'm not sure that there is a European president, a cabinet minister or a city banker anywhere who is doing a tougher job under more critical scrutiny just now than Premier League referees.
Every weekend there is a catalogue of evidence made up of slow-motion, frame-by-frame replays to prove that the men in black are becoming less adept at applying the laws of the game appropriately. Managers criticise them, players swear at them, fans lambast them and the press hammer them. Even some of their former colleagues supplement their income by joining the throng.
How often have you heard people demand both "common sense" and "consistency" in the same sentence? Have a think about that one.
What is actually meant by a referee using common sense? As far I can see it is suggesting that a referee should see each decision within the context of the game; therefore not necessarily applying the absolute letter of the law. For example, we have all heard that a referee has ruined a game by sending off a player too early for a borderline challenge that he could have punished with a yellow card.
OK, so let's say we allow the referees some flexibility - but then don't expect consistency - because each ref will be applying his "common sense" in a slightly different way.
I get to spend a considerable chunk of my weekends hanging around in tunnels of various football grounds and almost always end up having a chat with the referees as they arrive. What I am never allowed to do, at least on the record, is to chat after the game.
We do often speak afterwards though. Some of the refs will ask you confidentially what you thought about a decision; some have even asked to have another look at a decision on a TV monitor in a quiet room away from the bustle of the tunnel.
Obviously they do not walk off the pitch absolutely convinced that they have got every single call right. What I am absolutely certain about, though, that no referee who has reached the top of their profession has made a call that they cannot defend given what they saw at the time.
The problem is that 10 people will see a decision 10 different ways. Here's an example from Saturday's game between Chelsea and Sunderland. Fernando Torres was booked after going down in the Sunderland box after a challenge by Phil Bardsley.
My first reaction, as I saw it in real time, was that it looked like a penalty. Then I saw the replay, and I felt that, although there was contact, Torres was ready to fall if Bardsley gave him anything to fall over. The players' knees collided; the question was who was initiating the contact?
In the press room afterwards one of football's most distinguished newspaper men, Patrick Barclay, said that he felt it was not a penalty but that the yellow card for Torres was unnecessary. On Match of the Day that night, Alan Shearer was absolutely convinced that it should have been a penalty. I am still not certain.
My point is clear. There are three different views on the same incident, all formed by reasonable experienced people and with the benefit of replays; which the referee, Phil Dowd, didn't have.
This could take us into a discussion of video replays. I think I'll leave that for another day, aside from saying that I am not in favour.
I would also not be in favour of referees being allowed to talk to the cameras after the game. If they did they might undermine their authority by having to attempt to defend a clear mistake and if they chose not to talk it would be something that would surely be interpreted as an admission of an error.
They are not perfect, but who is? I do think that their fitness tests could be more rigorous, but I passionately believe that our refs are honest and give decisions based only what they see, or think they see.
On the whole they might make fewer errors in 90 minutes than many of the players they are refereeing. And what about the managers who knock them? How many times have you heard those same managers say they didn't even see a major incident?
Now who needs their eyes testing?


You can follow Steve at Steve Wilson's Blog ]]> The Renegade http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=264 http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=260 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:41:02 GMT I’ve just had a very interesting weekend – Saturday I was talking to 30 Rugby League referees at Hemel Hempstead and then Sunday I was coaching a new... I’ve just had a very interesting weekend – Saturday I was talking to 30 Rugby League referees at Hemel Hempstead and then Sunday I was coaching a new referee at the Academy.

Starting with the coaching – surprisingly for an Academy game we had two head injuries on an U12 game.

At the Academy we always have a trained physiotherapist (or two) on every game. This means these young lads don’t have to worry about some well meaning amateur moving someone and making things worse.

Of course, as referees we don’t have to make any incorrect calls about moving a player just to get the game going again.

Whilst some physios (and players) may be “cute” at the first team level – trying to run down the clock with less serious injuries – at the Academy the referee doesn’t have that problem.

The challenge I had yesterday was the second injury, which looked like a simple coming together, with one player getting injured. The coaches of both teams and I were on the opposite touchline but even from there nothing appeared untoward with the incident.

The player was treated and the game moved on.

After the game – as I was going to my car to get a mentoring form out of the boot (trunk) a person approached me and enquired if I was the Referee Assessor. I said “yes” as that’s easier than explaining I’m really there as a coach!

He told me that several of “his” parents had told him that the “perpetrator” of the foul had told the parents that he’d “done the opponent” because he’d been “done” in the corner!

Wow!

I know that Gary Neville on Sky last week suggested that Chris Foy (and referees in general) should have given Chelsea a penalty on his gut feel and experience and as referees we all know that is a very dodgy road to head down!

However, my gut feel (and the two coaches) was that this was not – as FIFA state – a foul that was using excessive force or brutality.

My referee, when I questioned him at the end of the quarter and also when I subsequently called him at home said that as far as he was concerned it was okay.

I have a new referee, who has played the game, and throughout the game called most fouls correctly – so I make the presumption that he knows what a foul is. It of course doesn’t mean he couldn’t have made a mistake.

I have my knowledge and experience of the game plus the two coaches’ combined expertise. Again, that doesn’t mean we have to be right.

How do I answer the parent whose son has been hurt in a football match? His opinion has – on the face of it – been shaped by the parents of his son’s teammates.

He admitted that he was too far away from the incident, so he was going on hearsay.

For me, if all the parents heard this player tell them “he’d done him because...” so would the referee.

So whilst Gary Neville is wrong to expect us to give penalties (or any decision based on “gut feel”) I do think that we have to trust our reactions to incidents to allow us to make the best decision at the time.

Meaning that I’m confident that the referee called it right from all the evidence I absorbed at the time.

Now of course, if someone shows me a film of the incident taken from the other side of the field and it was a brutal challenge my experience and so therefore my gut feel will change for future incidents.

Here’s my gut reaction I think the player who is playing U12 football may have used the incident to show post event bravado. Haven’t we all had the player who when he feels some contact from an opponent tells you that he’s been elbowed?

What I’m saying is: I’m going to trust my judgement until it’s been proved wrong then obviously my level of experience will have been and will be updated.

To briefly finish with Saturday, as I’ve said I was talking to RFL Referees.

I know it’s a corny statement but you could get what I know about rugby league on the back of a postage stamp so I couldn’t talk to them about their Laws (I actually think they’re called rules!)

Amply illustrated when I said I could leave the dressing room and look like I knew what I was doing as a referee. My co-presenter Tom Mather agreed that I could look like a Rugby League referee until the first breakdown!

I don’t even know what a breakdown is or was!

So all I could talk about was the skills and attributes that I think underpin our specialist skills for our sports.

This is the same talk I shall be giving to my friends at Accrington Referees Association on Thursday because to build a succesful 'anything' you need solid foundations.

If you'd like me to help with your foundations by visiting your association just let Fiona know.

Click here to email Fiona. ]]> The Renegade http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=260 http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=259 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:07:36 GMT As a referee, it is important to have the right kit/equipment. In this post, I will give you some advice on purchasing these.

First of all, don't worry if you haven't got a kit to begin with. When I first passed my course I was refereeing in a black polo shirt and tracksuit bottoms. However, you will need to find a kit quickly as leagues will expect you to turn out to games in the right clothing. Obviously, referees need: a shirt, shorts and football socks. Make sure that they are mainly black with white trim. Any other colour will not be accepted by most leagues so don't go out and buy a bright yellow one and turn up to a Sunday morning match looking like you've just come from the World Cup.

I would suggest purchasing a kit from the internet. There are some great sites that do them a lot cheaper. If it is your first kit, don't splash out on a really expensive one as you will find that you will grow out of it. The best thing to do is to see if you could get a second-hand starter kit (most likely off ebay). Other sites to try are:
http://www.referee-equipment.co.uk/A...l/default.aspx
http://www.team-colours.co.uk/referee-centre/

The RA shop is a good website. However, I personally find it a bit too expensive.

This website does a really good combination starter pack for £60:
http://www.refkit.co.uk/acatalog/Tea...lete_pack.html

After buying your kit. You need to purchase some equipment. To begin with, I would start with:

• 2 whistles
• Stopwatch
• Card wallet (with cards)
• Assistant referee flags

These are the basics. Two whistles are important because if one breaks, then you have a spare. I would recommend getting whistles with different tones (just incase someone on the pitch next to you has the same whistle, you can change it to stop confusion). If you put these whistles on to a lanyard, it helps to keep them together and make them easier to hold.

A stopwatch is vital. Some referees carry two just incase one breaks. I would suggest getting one for your wrist as it makes it easier to carry. These can be expensive so I suggest trawling the internet to find one (try ebay).

A card wallet can hold some paper for noting the scores and your red and yellow cards. I wouldn't bother wasting money on buying those special slips of paper that fit into the wallet as they can get confusing! Just use some plain paper.

The likelihood of you actually using your own flags is rare. Therefore, I wouldn't buy an expensive set! Remember, club officials are going to be using them and they don't always take the best of care with the referees' gear (one time a guy handed mine back to me broken!). Do not buy any buzzer flags as most leagues don't like them.

Finally, buy a decent pair of football boots. If you already have a pair and they are bright pink or something similar, consider investing in some darker ones.

As always, if you want to ask any questions feel free! If any of you guys could suggest any other websites that sell kit, then please do as I am always on the lookout for cheap kit/equipment. ]]> Mrs Referee http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=259 http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=258 Sat, 22 Oct 2011 12:54:56 GMT Who’d be a referee? I know that most of us who read this newsletter referee Association Football although we do have some officials from other... Who’d be a referee?

I know that most of us who read this newsletter referee Association Football although we do have some officials from other sports.

It strikes me that we have all have to deal with the same challenges whether the ball is spherical (any circumference) or any other shapes.

This was demonstrated on Saturday morning (UK Time) when the referee in the Rugby World Cup semi-final sent-off the Welshman for a “tip challenge”.

The commentator’s first words were “that is a controversial decision”. Well they were his first words after he realised the player had been sent off!

The commentator is a professional media person paid to see what happens and report to you and me on it and he missed a sending off – surely that’s controversial in itself or was that just a mistake

BUT DON’T GET ME STARTED!

I don’t know enough about Rugby Union to be able to offer an opinion about the rights and wrongs of the decision. So I listened to the so-called experts on the television and they were unanimous in the condemnation of the match referee.

“How could he have ruined a World Cup Semi-Final by sending someone off when the guy didn’t mean to injure someone?”

Then in the cold light of day we get the considered opinions from former players who don’t earn a living from TV. Plus we got the authorities backing their referee.

These were their words (and then they appointed the referee in question 4th official for the final!)

-------------
AUCKLAND, 16 Oct. - The International Rugby Board has issued a statement of clarification regarding the Tip or Spear tackle.
Law 10.4(j) reads: Lifting a player from the ground and dropping or driving that player into the ground whilst that player’s feet are still off the ground such that the player’s head and/or upper body come into contact with the ground is dangerous play.
A directive was issued to all Unions and Match Officials in 2009 emphasizing the IRB’s zero-tolerance stance towards dangerous tackles and reiterating the following instructions for referees:
- The player is lifted and then forced or ‘speared’ into the ground (red card offence)
- The lifted player is dropped to the ground from a height with no regard to the player’s safety (red card offence)
- For all other types of dangerous lifting tackles a yellow card or penalty may be considered sufficient
Regular directives to Unions, Match Officials and Judicial Officers have been issued to reinforce the IRB’s zero-tolerance stance regarding dangerous tackles and the promotion of player welfare.
The policy was again reiterated to team officials at a Team Managers seminar in Auckland two weeks before the start of Rugby World Cup and during the Tournament and there have been a number of other Tip Tackle cases at Rugby World Cup 2011.
IRB
----------------------
Of course, the media then show other referees not sending off for this offence. I think the number of similar offences in this World Cup was 5. However, they omitted to tell you that the Disciplinary Panel of the IRB gave these players tough punishments even though they were not sent off.

Okay there’s a big difference between football and rugby in terms of danger, however the sentiments are the same.

My man at Umbro – Adam Knight – is a rugby player and he thought it was a yellow card! When I sent him the IRB Statement he said still a yellow card.

My response to him was “typical player! Until someone breaks their neck, then it’s the referees fault!”

His response “Naturally”

This is the same for us with dangerous pitches – everyone wants us to play on them until they get hurt then it’s our fault! Or they cannot understand a red card for a lunging tackle which doesn’t make contact until we get the sad incident at Birmingham a couple of seasons ago.

In other words you could say: we don’t have a popular job, which means we have a job to be popular!

Maybe our satisfaction and enjoyment has to be a quiet satisfaction after orchestrating a game so that all of the contestants go home safely at the end and that when the dust has settled the majority respect the part you played in it.

Of course, as a Welshman for a day I was disappointed the boys didn’t win, as a referee I was disappointed the referee was the centre of attention, as a coach of referees I was pleased the referee was seen to do his job and get supported by the Authorities.

FROM THE FORMER CHANNEL ISLAND CORRESPONDENT

Before I issue the newsletter I always get it to Leggy to check that I’ve got it right in Law and also it makes sense. These are his comments which I believe are worthy of repeat here:

The clear parallel with football is the tackle that endangers the safety of an opponent.

After the tackle and the red card you will hear many (including the perpetrator himself) claim that they did not mean to hurt the opponent. Just as everyone has said about Sam Warburton and it was true of the Welsh skipper and is generally true of the dismissed football player.

But if you pull out of a side road, misjudge the approaching car and cause an accident it will be your fault and you will be in front of the beak. By definition an accident is not intentional, but the "lack of care" is dangerous / reckless / life threatening (depending on circumstances). Same with football’s “lungers” and rugby's “tip tacklers.” ]]> The Renegade http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=258 http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=257 Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:07:56 GMT I’m writing this on Thursday, 13th October 2011 and I’ve copied an article from a magazine I get every Friday called “The Week”. It should not shock... I’m writing this on Thursday, 13th October 2011 and I’ve copied an article from a magazine I get every Friday called “The Week”. It should not shock you that this magazine is published every seven days!

Anyway, the copy of The Week I’ve extracted the article from is dated 8 October 2011. So it was published before the France versus England Rugby World Cup Quarter Final.

THE ARTICLE – Page 26 NEWS - Sport
“What is it with France and World Cups,” asked Henry Samuel in the Daily Telegraph. In South Africa last year, the nation’s footballers attracted universal derision for openly mutinying against their coach; provoking “such shame and outrage” that captain Thierry Henry was called in for a summit with President Sarkozy. Yet it seems that history is about to repeat itself. This French farce has been a long time in the making, said Mike Averis in The Observer. When France flunked this year’s Six Nations – losing to Italy for the first time in the event’s history – Lièvremont (the French Coach) “went into meltdown”, dropping six players and accusing them of “betraying” the national shirt. He plans to step down after the World Cup. If France lose on Saturday, as expected, it will be the end of “one of the sadder four years in French rugby history”.

Now if you’re British (or French) you probably know that France stuffed England!

No news there really except that Henry and Mike – who are at the top of their profession (sports journalism), have made such a basic error that other members of their profession could call it “controversial”!

They made their decisions based on all the evidence they had at the time, plus their years of experience in journalism and came up with England to beat France in the RWC Quarter Final.

Now would either write the same article on the Sunday after the game? No, of course not.

Can you see what I’m driving at here?

You and I make decisions as referees, sometimes get some wrong and we get pilloried by the media. The media make decisions and get some wrong and they don’t get pilloried by their own – I can hear their bosses saying: “but journos are human, how are they supposed to correctly foretell the future without a crystal ball?”

And of course, there was no call for Henry and Mike to be relegated to the “Caterham Mirror” for a week or two was there?

All I ask for you and I as referees is the same rules.
But I’m dreaming – what you and I have to content ourselves with is doing all we can to get our decisions right.

And if our colleagues on the TV are in the correct place – the place you would be if you had their fitness levels – then rather than castigate them understand how they made the decision and explain that to your work colleagues.

TWO ORDINARY GUYS - ONE EXTRAORDINARY SUMMER

I’m writing this on Friday, 14 October 2011 after spending a very enjoyable and informative Thursday evening at Surrey FAs Referee Training Evening held at Imber Court, East Moseley.

If you’re marking the evening - it was top drawer. Great facilities, great buffet but above all, great guest speakers.

These two guys describe themselves as ordinary referees – funny how most people who achieve greatness remain humble. Darren Cann and Mike Mullarkey – the good looking one of the two (he told me to say that!) – travelled from Exeter and Norwich to Surrey to talk to 160 of their colleagues about their experiences last summer.

This for me is one of the great strengths of refereeing – can you imagine Wayne travelling to speak to footballers about how to improve? Darren and Mike told us about their experiences over the summer of 2010.

But it wasn’t “I am” or even “We are” it was “if we can do it then you can if you do what we did – which was nothing special!”

In fact, their speciality was to commit themselves to officiating, to make the sacrifices called for when you pursue something special and to learn what was required of them.

I always say to my charges at the Academy especially when talking about lining – “the signals you develop now will be used throughout your career.” It amazes me when I see sloppy signals from any assistants.

We all watch MOTD and yet a number of our colleagues don’t seem to pick up that the top guys have excellent signals.

The other thing they had – which allowed them to officiate on the World Cup Final – was some luck. Their luck was someone else’s bad luck.

Like most officials Howard, Darren and Mike had ideas about who could be doing what games at the competition.

Three of the teams who they felt could have “gone all the way” committed errors and at that level it looks like “one strike and you’re out!”

Of course, they also needed England not to progress and as Mike said last night – they were disappointed about that as Englishmen!

I do think they were lucky to line on the World Cup Final: they were lucky they committed to making their dreams happen, they were lucky they went training when their mates went down the pub and they were lucky they did whatever it took to get the skills and the fitness required.

If you’re prepared to be that lucky great things can happen for you. ]]> The Renegade http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=257 http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=256 Fri, 07 Oct 2011 09:06:29 GMT In this week's newsletter I said that Martin will have filled in the missing bits...

Based on that evidence – and the psychological ability of everyone to fill in the missing bits of information – Martin decided the challenge endangered the safety of an opponent and sent off Jack Rodwell.

You can of course think that you don't do that and that's his problem...

Let me give you a concrete example of "filling in the missing bits!"

If today someone comes into your house, office or school and their overcoat is wet you fill in the missing bits and presume that it's raining outside!

So if you're going out you take the necessary precautions.

The chances are it's raining but you can only be sure if you go outside and check.

The reason for that is simple - you and I don't have time to check every fact before we act.

Yes we can go outside to check it's raining but what if it's the fire alarm going off in your building and someone is shouting "FIRE" are you going to have a look before you leave the building? ]]> The Renegade http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=256 http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=255 Fri, 07 Oct 2011 08:56:17 GMT I’d like to put a more considered view regarding the sending off of Jack Rodwell at the weekend. It will also be labelled as controversial because I... I’d like to put a more considered view regarding the sending off of Jack Rodwell at the weekend. It will also be labelled as controversial because I don’t think the whole of the blame should sit with the referee – Martin Atkinson.

One of the benefits of today’s television is that most angles are covered and by Monday you and I could plainly see why Martin sent off Rodwell.

Yes, Martin was in a great place to judge the challenge, perhaps as you and I both know he was too close to the action. However, he saw – because you and I saw his view – Rodwell lunging at Suarez.

The actual contact was hidden from Martin because of the angle the tackling player was moving towards the player in possession.

The next piece of evidence that Martin got was the Liverpool player hitting the ground as if he’d had his leg run through with a blunt knife.

Based on that evidence – and the psychological ability of everyone to fill in the missing bits of information – Martin decided the challenge endangered the safety of an opponent and sent off Jack Rodwell.

I’ve not spoken to Martin about this but I suspect he would agree that he simply made a mistake. Everyone – because the media lead us that way - latches onto it as it was “controversial”.
If that was “controversial” then the miss that Fernando Torres made at Manchester United should be labelled as “controversial”. Neither Martin nor Fernando deliberately made the wrong decision.

They both did the best they could at the time and they are both considered world class at what they do!

And this is the same as you and I do every time we take to the field. You and I do our best.

Plain and simple.

If you’ve done the best you can with the knowledge you had at the time I cannot see why anyone would label that as controversial. They can label it outrageous or incredible or crazy but controversial is ridiculous.

Now if you want to use the word “controversial” when talking about the Sending Off then I think you should look at the controversial way the player reacted to the challenge.

I can accept that originally he wants to get out of the way instantaneously but when he knows he’s not been hurt surely he gets back up on his feet to show to Martin that he was not “endangered”.

Would I be wrong in saying that the player – Suarez (who deliberately handled the ball on the line at the World Cup to cheat Ghana out of a chance of a World Cup victory) – controversially play acted to gain his side an unfair advantage?

Would I be wrong in saying that this is against the Laws of the Game?

Would I be wrong in suggesting that it’s a travesty of sportsmanship that neither manager (David Moyes nor Kenny Dalglish) have rounded on the player for trying to get another player sent off.

If I’m wrong in suggesting play acting is against the Laws and should be railed against by the people in the game rather than label the referee controversial then I apologise.

Okay I’m dreaming – so let’s get back to what you and I can change.

As referees, you and I need more facts, better facts and clearer facts to make more correct decisions.

How do you and I achieve that lofty goal?

I would suggest it’s all to do with our positioning, our fitness but principally our awareness.

You and I start to develop our awareness by first of all acknowledging you and I could know more about refereeing because if you and I say “I know everything” we close down our ability to learn.
Then we watch our colleagues on the park; our colleagues on the TV and mentally watch our own games and ask the question “what could you and I do differently and better?”
This flies in the face of the standard response that we normally get every week namely: “what a mistake by the referee, he must be an idiot” that you and I hear so many people voicing.

Just consider this – if Martin referees 20 high profile games how many mistakes would he make compared to you and I refereeing the same games?
Or of course how many high profile mistakes would the players make?

I’m reliably informed that Martin has had the most "red cards" this season and this is the first that even the media considered to be wrong!

So this weekend start to develop (or improve) your awareness by asking yourself the question: “what can I do differently to get more, better and clearer facts?”

ONE FINAL THOUGHT

Enjoy your refereeing and give a little prayer of thanks that you’re not being watched by the world and his dog with slo-mo cameras! ]]> The Renegade http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=255 http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=254 Sat, 01 Oct 2011 11:15:54 GMT Unless you’ve just joined the mailing list you’ll have received the last newsletter sent out on Monday evening it started like this… *Newsletter... Unless you’ve just joined the mailing list you’ll have received the last newsletter sent out on Monday evening it started like this…

Newsletter from Monday 26/09/2011

By the time you read this I will have probably hosted London FAs first Mastermind Group of the season with referees who wish to improve their officiating…

The essence of the Referee’s Mastermind Group (RMG) is to sit in groups and discuss our experiences coming up with solutions and plans to improve our performances.

I suggested that unless you get enjoyment from officiating then get out and do something else. It’s not worth the hassle; well I have to tell you that Monday’s Mastermind was extremely enjoyable.

We had about 30 referees ranging from Level 2b to Level 10 and we argued about how to be better referees for 2½ hours.

COMMON SENSE

There was a discussion about using common sense and one of the London Referees’ Committee said there was no room for common sense in refereeing.

This was argued about – as everything is – and we came to the decision that he might be right but he was probably wrong.

Then the next day one of the referees sent me this little story about commons sense which aptly describes why common sense is needed when we referee…

Jeff,
Following on the conversation on Monday night about common sense application of the laws, a work colleague reminded me of an apt saying, coined by a well know comedian.
“The difference between Knowledge and Wisdom. Knowledge is knowing that a Tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a Fruit Salad!”
Whilst knowledge of the laws is important, common sense application is wisdom!
Regards,
Mark Jenkins

Two things here: I think common sense is a necessary skill if you want to get to the top in refereeing, when you get to FIFA you best apply the Laws rigorously!

And just in case you want to take me on consider this: if you’re refereeing on a council park and you’ve got 22 players there all ready to go and you discover that the field is only 89 metres long you’d be well advised to use common sense and play the game!

Secondly, Mark was discussing at work what he’d been talking about the night before at a referees’ meeting. BRILLIANT!

IMPROVING YOUR PERFORMANCE

The reason we meet on a monthly basis is to improve and therefore enjoy our refereeing more. For us to improve we have to have a “growth mindset”.

Simply put a “growth mindset” knows that to master any skill you have to understand that you will make mistakes. The secret is to learn from those mistakes.

However, those with a “closed mindset” will not expose themselves to making any mistakes so that they cannot be ridiculed for them.

The way to cultivate a “growth mindset” is to add the word YET to any sentence when talking about current situation.

For example: “I’m not a level 4” could leave you thinking you never will be. Whereas the same statement with the word “yet” added gives you the oomph to strive on.

“I’m not a level 4 yet!” To complete the power set ask yourself a powerful question like: “How do I get the skills needed?”


This is what our Mastermind Group is about on Monday night and we asked the question:

• “What can we do to ensure our performance is spot on?”

If I was in charge of assessments we’d mark referees with four categories:

A – Excellent
B – Very Good
C – Good
NY – Not Yet

Not yet doesn’t say “no never” it says “not yet” which leaves hope and also encourages a growth mindset to find the answer.

This idea is another from my coach and friend Peter Thomson who helped teach me that refereeing is about managing people (principally me) and not just applying Laws.
Remember this weekend that you will make mistakes – that is to be expected – and those mistakes will help you grow in experience and wisdom. ]]> The Renegade http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=254 http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=253 Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:29:19 GMT By the time you read this I will have probably hosted London FAs first Mastermind Group of the season with 47 referees who wish to improve their... By the time you read this I will have probably hosted London FAs first Mastermind Group of the season with 47 referees who wish to improve their officiating.

Because of the work I do at the Charlton Academy they’ve kindly let us use a room at The Valley for the cost of the refreshments. They will benefit in the long term by having better referees on their games.

The essence of the Referee’s Mastermind Group (RMG) is to sit in groups and discuss our experiences coming up with solutions and plans to improve our performances.

Whilst refereeing is an individual sport (for most of us) it’s nice to get together so that you and I can compare notes and see what someone else is doing that we like (so you and I can nick it) and see what others are doing badly (so it can be ignored).

By the end of the session the referees will have a plan for their season the template of which I’ve nicked from my coach and friend Peter Thomson.

You can find out for free some of the great ideas Peter has about improving yourself by following this link.

Peter Thomson International

Sunday last I was refereeing (at my age) at the Academy because we were an official short due to assessment games needing to be completed before the end of the month.

I didn’t know but one of the coaches (Jas) and one of the referees (Jake) stood and watched the end of my game because their game had finished.

Jake at the end said to me: “you looked as if you were enjoying yourself!”

My response was: “of course I was!”

This got me thinking – why does anyone referee?

The only people who can possibly be it doing for the money (and no enjoyment) are the Select Group referees as it’s their full time jobs.

The rest of us – you and I included – should be doing it because we get enjoyment from it.

If you’re not getting enjoyment from it take my advice walk away.

You and I need to qualify what enjoyment is of course.

Enjoyment can be fun - pure and simple. Some people play for fun, don’t mind losing week in and week out as long as they’re having fun. Is that you?

Enjoyment can be seeing how far you can take your career.

Some people (me included) want to do things the best they can. If that’s you as well, just make sure you’re getting enjoyment out of the process.

Your enjoyment could simply be a sense of satisfaction for a job well done.

One referee I assessed recently gets his enjoyment from getting through a game very quietly in terms of managing the whole event, picking up the incidents before they become issues and guiding the players serenely to the end.

Eighteen people in England referee full time and their enjoyment could be simply spending the money they earn from their job. I suspect their enjoyment is knowing they’ve done their job well.

I would strongly suggest that you should only be in refereeing because you enjoy your refereeing.

One further qualification should be made: this is sport so you have to say that for every 10 games you officiate you should really love two of them and cannot wait to get back out on the field.

Unfortunately, one of the games could be a massive pain in your neck, whilst the other seven are simply providing the enjoyment you want.

I think no matter how good you get 20% will be brilliant, 70% will be why you do it and the other 10% means everyone in your household may be cowering when you get home!

If the bad percentage gets much more than 1 in 10 you should think about taking up something else. ]]> The Renegade http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=253 http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=252 Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:50:51 GMT If you have just passed the referees' course then congratulations! If you had a good tutor for the course then you will probably be all ready to start your refereeing career. I thought that I would just write my next post on my blog about what to do next.

When you have finished the course, make sure to contact all of the local leagues you wish to get involved in that you have passed your referee course and would like to have some games on their league. At the end of my course, I was given a list of all the local leagues near me. We were told to just tick the ones we were interested in officiating on and this was sent off to the leagues. I am guessing that most other places do the same sort of thing. However, if they don't contact the leagues on your behalf then it looks like it is up to you to be proactive. Contact the leagues yourself, remembering to look at the type of football and the level they are expecting the referees to be. What I mean by that is, if you have just passed you might want to look at the more junior leagues first to build up your confidence before tackling adult football.

I would suggest contacting your RDO after passing. Your Referee Development Officer's contact details should be on your own county FA's website (so just google it). Speak to them and they should point you in the right direction. It also helps to get them on side incase anything happens and you need to speak to someone as you are unsure of what to do.

One last thing, remember that leagues love good correspondance so try and let them know closed dates as soon as possible as well as always replying to their messages.

Oh, I forgot to mention, enjoy your career as a referee. If you ever need anymore help then feel free to contact me, either by a personal message or by commenting below. ]]> Mrs Referee http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=252 http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=251 Fri, 23 Sep 2011 15:02:19 GMT We all know the ones; loud, abrasive, rude, foul-mouthed, annoying. There's always one on every team. No matter what level of football you watch you will always be able to see him. He could be a big bruiser of a centre half or a nippy little striker making up for his lack of height with a mouth the size of the Sahara. There's no way of seeing them coming. They seem to exist solely to make the job harder for the officials. But who are the most famous, or infamous, of these? We'll just look at the Premiership era to narrow it down a bit!


10. Dean Windass - Possibly a surprising one to start with; Windass lumbered around the pitch causing untold misery to officials all over the country from League 2 to the Premiership in a career that bafflingly lasted almost 20 years. Even more shockingly he is now employed by Sky to talk about football. Anyone who's heard him speak will know why I use the word 'shockingly'. Out of shape and with very limited ability, Windass was never too far away from the referee and always within earshot.

9. Paul Dickov - Half the size of Windass but the diminutive striker was an even bigger nuisance. Apparently a lovely guy off the pitch, when the journeyman crossed the white line he insisted on whinging and moaning at every decision - probably even when given in his favour. A fans' favourite at every club he played for and now manager of Oldham.

8. Dennis Wise - Another micro rocket, the former Chelsea captain upset opposition players, fans, officials, hell pretty much anyone he came in to contact with. The cheeky chappie routine doesn't really work when you've just mangled a player's leg. Still ground out a good career, winning England caps and trophies aplenty.

7. Lee Cattermole - A pain in the backside for referees simply for when writing up the report. He's had more yellow cards than hot dinners and probably more red cards than cold dinners. A no nonsense, overly aggressive central midfield player, Cattermole is a throwback to 'the good old days'. Unfortunately for the Sunderland captain those days are long gone and his style no longer acceptable.

6. Roy Keane/Gary Neville - It didn't seem fair to use up more than one space on these two as it seems to be a pre-requisite of being Manchester United captain that you have to antagonise officials. From Robson to Bruce to Vidic today, they have all been at it. None more so than these two though. Sir Alex Ferguson loves a hard man to lead his team and Keane was the epitomy. From bust-ups in the tunnel to leading his team to shout in the face of refs, you name it Keane did it.
Neville followed on from Keane as captain and continued the traditions his skipper had set. A prime example of an over-achiever, Neville never let a decision lie and had no qualms in being hated. No wonder Fergie loved having him around.

5. El Hadji Diouf - Currently without a club and it's hardly a surprise. Undoubtedly talented, Diouf seems to court controversy on a daily basis. The final straw as far as his Blackburn career goes was shouting in the face of Jamie Mackie, "Fuck you and fuck your leg!" after his leg had just been broken. Spitting at players and fans on separate occasions hardly helps a referee's job and he finds every way imaginable to wind people up and raise the temperature of a game. Sending him to Scotland to play in the Old Firm games wasn't the best idea...

4. Wayne Rooney - For one of the best players in the World, Wayne is certainly a very angry young man. The pure hatred ensconced on his face every time a decision goes against him is quite frightening. It's worrying that someone as influential as the talented scouser is such a poor role model. But at least it's not just officials he has it in for, oh no. Rooney doesn't seem to like anyone. He even swore at the whole England footballing nation after a World Cup match. Some people are just born to irritate.

3. Eric Cantona - He threw a ball at a referee, kung-fu kicked a fan having already been sent off, accrued 17 yellow cards and 4 red cards in his career, capatained Manchester United and played for Leeds. I think he warrants his place on any list.

2. Paulo Di Canio - Di Canio famously made a referee's job much easier on one occasion; as the opposition goalkeeper lay injured miles from his goal, the mad Italian caught the ball when he could just have easily rolled it in to an empty net. However, this was the exception that proved the rule...
Di Canio was always in trouble as a player and has carried on that trend as a manager at Swindon. He has already sparked a touchline brawl in his short spell at the County Ground. But it was his actions as a player that have seen him make his way on to this list.
He generally wound everyone up with his antics but the moment that defines his career was pushing over Paul Alcock after he had the temerity to issue him with a red card. This is why Paulo is so high on the list and he can have no complaints. Although he probably would.

1. Robbie Savage - Before becoming an award-winning television personality and star of Strictly Come Dancing, it might interest you to know Mr Savage was also a professional footballer. And he was just as annoying then as he is now.
He ticked all the boxes for players referees hate to be in charge of. Lovely until you gave a decision against him, Savage fouled, dived, cheated and annoyed his way to a pretty decent career.
Retribution was served to football fans the country over, howver, when the Welshman got a bit too close to referee Matt Messias and caught a rather hefty blow to the face leaving him on the floor looking rather groggy. Couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke... ]]> http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=251 http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=250 Thu, 22 Sep 2011 20:34:36 GMT I was lucky this year in that I got to help out on one of the referee courses. It was interesting to see how it had changed from when I did it. That... I was lucky this year in that I got to help out on one of the referee courses. It was interesting to see how it had changed from when I did it. That last sentence made me sound so old, I assure you I didn't do the course that long ago. I actually passed in 2007.

Back when I did my course, we learnt the Laws of the Game and then had to do a written test as well as an oral examination. However, now it is slightly more practical and instead of the oral exam, you must answer some questions after watching a series of video clips. I prefer this type of test because it is more like an actual practical situation.

If you are looking to do the course, make sure to contact someone. If you don't know where to get the correct details, first of all try asking current referees as they will be able to point you in the right direction. Failing this, type your local FA into a search engine and get the number off of their website.

When you start the course, make sure to do your homework! Read up on the Laws of the Game and make sure you understand what you have been taught in the sessions. Also, don't be afraid to ask questions if you don't understand. The Laws aren't always as clear cut as they may seem and sometimes it can depend upon the situation. If you are currently on the course/have just passed/are about to go on the course and have any questions regarding the Laws, please feel free to ask me via the comments box under this post and I will reply to you as soon as I can.

Finally, when it comes to the exam, don't be nervous! It is so incredibly easy if you have a good grasp on the Laws of the Game. I personally believe it is too easy as the FA can't afford to fail people due to the lack of referees in this country. That said, you learn and develop most by doing games. Therefore, the difficulty of the test is pretty unimportant.

For everyone doing the exam, unless it has changed this year, you do a written exam first. This is a booklet full of different scenarios in a game. It is multiple choice and you have to choose the appropriate course of action (whether it be: how to restart play, appropriate sanctions, etc). The second part of the exam is where you have to watch a series of video clips and then answer the questions that follow. This again is multiple choice.

Anyway, if anyone is going through the course, good luck and remember these tips! As I have already said, if any of you want to ask me any questions, I have a fair bit of experience and knowledge to share so please leave a comment and I promise to reply. ]]> Mrs Referee http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=250 http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=249 Wed, 21 Sep 2011 16:02:49 GMT I have started this blog to advise and guide referees/potential referees through their career. To begin, I thought I would advise those who were... I have started this blog to advise and guide referees/potential referees through their career.

To begin, I thought I would advise those who were not old enough, or were just looking to enrol on to a course. Unless you didn't already know, you have to be 14 years old to become a referee. I was lucky when I took my course because I just turned 14 near the end of the course, thus, I could start the course at 13.

If you are looking to become a referee I would suggest:
1) Finding out about the next available course.
2) Make yourself known to your local Referee Development Officer for your county (these details should be available on your county FA's website).
3) Read up on the Laws of the Game (also known as the Laws of Association Football or LOAF).
4) Try and get some experience by running the line for other referees or even going out and watching experienced referees to see how they do it.

I hope these tips help and I hope you go on to enjoy your career as a referee. Feel free to ask me any questions and I will answer you as honestly as I can. ]]> Mrs Referee http://the-ref.co.uk/forum/blog.php?b=249