Refereeing

[YorkshireRoyal99]

If anything i think its getting worse from own experience. With so many junior leagues now setup, tagged with "academy" brandng, coaches think they are the next Klopp, and a win at all stakes mentality is forming, which is passing through kids and parents.

It's definitely getting worse. With VEO and social media grassroots decisions are constantly under scrutiny.

Players expect perfection when they play in front of one man and his dog on a Sunday.

As i always remind them, you get the same level of referee that you play at. You want a better ref? Play at a better standard.

Good shout about VEO. I am often seeing clips now from JPL games and even grassroots being posted on social media, attempting to crucify a referee or basically shame them. It will be a dying trade soon, brining less quality, or even no games for some.

I see it these days, more so on a Sunday rather than Saturday, where teams can't find a ref. Nobody wants the hassle that some teams will give on a Sunday morning, especially when they are travelling as well.

Only had it on a Saturday though when the referees can't be arsed travelling over to our place (we are the outlier in our league, 12 miles from our closest away game).

[Sutekh]

I see the idiots in power are now talking of introducing 10 minute "sin bins" into the game. That'll be a real positive move for everyone. No chance, of course, of those teams getting a player "binned" turning on the "parking the team bus" tactic and playing like they're defending the dying moments of a 1-0 lead.

[6ft Kerplunk]

There was a match being played on the pitch next to Jnr II's before they kicked off last week and a player got sin binned.
We were all a bit bemused by it as we didn't realise it was a thing. Guess it might be getting piloted at some grass roots levels.

[LWJ]

There was a match being played on the pitch next to Jnr II's before they kicked off last week and a player got sin binned.
We were all a bit bemused by it as we didn't realise it was a thing. Guess it might be getting piloted at some grass roots levels.

It's at all grass root levels up to and including step 5.

It is only for dissent, not for fouls.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

I see the idiots in power are now talking of introducing 10 minute "sin bins" into the game. That'll be a real positive move for everyone. No chance, of course, of those teams getting a player "binned" turning on the "parking the team bus" tactic and playing like they're defending the dying moments of a 1-0 lead.

It happens at the level I play at, sin bins are a thing and they are quite common. We played a team who suffered 3 sin bins within the final 10 minutes of a game when we were 4-3 up, we brought out the powers that Reading FC have and conceded to a last minute penalty to draw 4-4.

[Franchise FC]

I see the idiots in power are now talking of introducing 10 minute "sin bins" into the game. That'll be a real positive move for everyone. No chance, of course, of those teams getting a player "binned" turning on the "parking the team bus" tactic and playing like they're defending the dying moments of a 1-0 lead.

It happens at the level I play at, sin bins are a thing and they are quite common. We played a team who suffered 3 sin bins within the final 10 minutes of a game when we were 4-3 up, we brought out the powers that Reading FC have and conceded to a last minute penalty to draw 4-4.

When will the lawmakers truly understand that any changes and trials need to take place at the TOP level, not the grass roots.
The grass roots game, particularly the kids, will simply mimic what they see from the professional game, so giving them a different set of rules is, to me, pointless

[YorkshireRoyal99]

I see the idiots in power are now talking of introducing 10 minute "sin bins" into the game. That'll be a real positive move for everyone. No chance, of course, of those teams getting a player "binned" turning on the "parking the team bus" tactic and playing like they're defending the dying moments of a 1-0 lead.

It happens at the level I play at, sin bins are a thing and they are quite common. We played a team who suffered 3 sin bins within the final 10 minutes of a game when we were 4-3 up, we brought out the powers that Reading FC have and conceded to a last minute penalty to draw 4-4.

When will the lawmakers truly understand that any changes and trials need to take place at the TOP level, not the grass roots.
The grass roots game, particularly the kids, will simply mimic what they see from the professional game, so giving them a different set of rules is, to me, pointless

Yeah I can't say it improved the situation. It's all well and good saying they take 10 minutes out but the general comments towards the ref from the opposition's touchline was basically the same as well. The ref wasn't suffering disgusting levels of abuse or anything, but obviously enough to warrant sin-binning 3 players, and it could have been more. It serves nothing but frustrating the opposition further, as they think they are being hard done by. The refs don't get much help at Step 8-amatuer level.

[paultheroyal]

There was a match being played on the pitch next to Jnr II's before they kicked off last week and a player got sin binned.
We were all a bit bemused by it as we didn't realise it was a thing. Guess it might be getting piloted at some grass roots levels.

its been in our grassroots league for a couple of seasons now. Gets more challenging when a parent referee activates it.

[Winston Biscuit]

Wolves game on Tuesday night a linesman gets injured and can't carry on, 4th official takes over but they have no spare 4th official. Matey in the crowd says he will do it as he already does some coaching and refereeing for the local under 12s. Only thing he had to be shown was how to use digital board.

Moment he will never forget being 4th official at his own club (and keeping his cool so as to not celebrate his teams late winner)

[paultheroyal]

Wolves game on Tuesday night a linesman gets injured and can't carry on, 4th official takes over but they have no spare 4th official. Matey in the crowd says he will do it as he already does some coaching and refereeing for the local under 12s. Only thing he had to be shown was how to use digital board.

Moment he will never forget being 4th official at his own club (and keeping his cool so as to not celebrate his teams late winner)

Have a similar story.

I was fourth official at a Premier League game, it was an evening kick off. 30 minutes before kick off and the referee still had not turned up, before the day where mobile phones really kicked off. I wont name the ref. It become clear that he was not going to make it, game needed to go ahead on time, all our preparation pre match out the window as we had to make plans and switch roles for the game. Club secretary had contacts in who could take my place so for me to become the linesman. Game went ahead and those in the ground would of been none the wiser other than programme name changes. Game passed with little incident.

The strong rumours were that the referee was "playing away" and shacked up in a hotel and got himself in a spot of bother. No story came out about him but he was not on the select group of referee's the following year.

I ran the line at a Reading FC match in a pre-season friendly and i also officiated many "reserve and Unders" matches, but i lived to close to ever be regularly appointed. I was never asked to disclose back then what team you support. However, if anything when i did Reading, you just switch on, do your job and could never be bias. I am sure LWJ could vouch for that type of approach too.

[Winston Biscuit]

I ran the line at a Reading FC match in a pre-season friendly and i also officiated many "reserve and Unders" matches, but i lived to close to ever be regularly appointed. I was never asked to disclose back then what team you support. However, if anything when i did Reading, you just switch on, do your job and could never be bias. I am sure LWJ could vouch for that type of approach too.

Old friend of mine was close to getting to be an official in the PL (he was in the 'select group') but didn't make it due to continual knee issues and had to give up. He was a big Man Utd fan but put Wimbledon down as his club as they were close to where he was from and knew it would be believed. Said there was no way he would volunteer to give up the chance of officiating at Old Trafford

[paultheroyal]

I ran the line at a Reading FC match in a pre-season friendly and i also officiated many "reserve and Unders" matches, but i lived to close to ever be regularly appointed. I was never asked to disclose back then what team you support. However, if anything when i did Reading, you just switch on, do your job and could never be bias. I am sure LWJ could vouch for that type of approach too.

Old friend of mine was close to getting to be an official in the PL (he was in the 'select group') but didn't make it due to continual knee issues and had to give up. He was a big Man Utd fan but put Wimbledon down as his club as they were close to where he was from and knew it would be believed. Said there was no way he would volunteer to give up the chance of officiating at Old Trafford

Fair play to him and i am sure alot of that goes on.

[Sutekh]

I ran the line at a Reading FC match in a pre-season friendly and i also officiated many "reserve and Unders" matches, but i lived to close to ever be regularly appointed. I was never asked to disclose back then what team you support. However, if anything when i did Reading, you just switch on, do your job and could never be bias. I am sure LWJ could vouch for that type of approach too.

Old friend of mine was close to getting to be an official in the PL (he was in the 'select group') but didn't make it due to continual knee issues and had to give up. He was a big Man Utd fan but put Wimbledon down as his club as they were close to where he was from and knew it would be believed. Said there was no way he would volunteer to give up the chance of officiating at Old Trafford

Fair play to him and i am sure alot of that goes on.

If you say you're a Man City supporter could you still get, say! a Liverpool or Arsenal game and have the temptation to help out "your" club? Have to wonder after some of the refereeing and VAR foul ups so far this season?

[paultheroyal]

Old friend of mine was close to getting to be an official in the PL (he was in the 'select group') but didn't make it due to continual knee issues and had to give up. He was a big Man Utd fan but put Wimbledon down as his club as they were close to where he was from and knew it would be believed. Said there was no way he would volunteer to give up the chance of officiating at Old Trafford

Fair play to him and i am sure alot of that goes on.

If you say you're a Man City supporter could you still get, say! a Liverpool or Arsenal game and have the temptation to help out "your" club? Have to wonder after some of the refereeing and VAR foul ups so far this season?

You just disclose your main club, might of changed now and they might dig a little deeper, but if you have been in the refereeing game a long time, genuinely, you become brainwashed into the refereeing etiquette etc and bias does not come into it at all. Thats not to say there were some teams i could not stand, normally linked to an official of that club, previous experience and your approach might be different in that game.

[6ft Kerplunk]

Here's as good a place as any to put it as I keep forgetting. Jnr II's team had a really good ref doing their match a couple of weeks ago. Made clear decisions and talked to the players throughout explaining why he had or hadn't given decisions and praised the kids for good play. Little things like picking up on the kids names so when he was explaining stuff it made it feel more personal to them. Meant all the usual teenage whinging and whining was kept under control and the game flowed so much better for it.

[paultheroyal]

Here's as good a place as any to put it as I keep forgetting. Jnr II's team had a really good ref doing their match a couple of weeks ago. Made clear decisions and talked to the players throughout explaining why he had or hadn't given decisions and praised the kids for good play. Little things like picking up on the kids names so when he was explaining stuff it made it feel more personal to them. Meant all the usual teenage whinging and whining was kept under control and the game flowed so much better for it.

Thats great to hear and the way it should be. However, and sadly, also seen examples where coaches take the "dont speak to my kid like that" or just genuinely dont like that approach.

Certainly for kids football, behaviour on the pitch totally stems from coaches and to an extent parents. If the parents etc dont tolerate it then games would be far more enjoyable etc - sadly that is not the case.

[LWJ]

I ran the line at a Reading FC match in a pre-season friendly and i also officiated many "reserve and Unders" matches, but i lived to close to ever be regularly appointed. I was never asked to disclose back then what team you support. However, if anything when i did Reading, you just switch on, do your job and could never be bias. I am sure LWJ could vouch for that type of approach too.

I was 4th at the Reading FA youth cup against FGR.

Certainly had to calm myself when I first went into the ground, but as soon as the game started it was like any other match and I had no interest in the score.

[paultheroyal]

I ran the line at a Reading FC match in a pre-season friendly and i also officiated many "reserve and Unders" matches, but i lived to close to ever be regularly appointed. I was never asked to disclose back then what team you support. However, if anything when i did Reading, you just switch on, do your job and could never be bias. I am sure LWJ could vouch for that type of approach too.

I was 4th at the Reading FA youth cup against FGR.

Certainly had to calm myself when I first went into the ground, but as soon as the game started it was like any other match and I had no interest in the score.

That would of been a great experience, well done.

[Snowflake Royal]

I ran the line at a Reading FC match in a pre-season friendly and i also officiated many "reserve and Unders" matches, but i lived to close to ever be regularly appointed. I was never asked to disclose back then what team you support. However, if anything when i did Reading, you just switch on, do your job and could never be bias. I am sure LWJ could vouch for that type of approach too.

Old friend of mine was close to getting to be an official in the PL (he was in the 'select group') but didn't make it due to continual knee issues and had to give up. He was a big Man Utd fan but put Wimbledon down as his club as they were close to where he was from and knew it would be believed. Said there was no way he would volunteer to give up the chance of officiating at Old Trafford

This doesn't surprise me, the two refs I play with, one who is a ref development officer, are two of the least honest people on the pitch every week.

[Sanguine]

Paul, fourth official in the PL is right at the top of the tree, would we know who you were, recognise you as a league referee?

I can see why there is a struggle for Sunday league referees - increasingly a cesspit for violent behaviour and abuse.