Sign of a good referee, asking the other team if they want to sub - it's their perogative on an injury - so, ask them
I've had enough low level U11/12 games as AR where either you stand at the halfway line for an entire half or where one team keeps a defender in the penalty area at all times. However, higher level games as AR is quite fun for me.
Competitive adult game Sunday. Hispanic team vs team with a bunch of tall guys. Hispanic team down a goal. I had done both teams before. Hispanic team flops quite a bit. Hispanic player flops 10 yards away from me just outside the box. I try to signal "no" with my hand, hoping the center acknowledges it. He doesn't. DFK from 20 yards out. Hispanic player kicks the ball into the hand of a defender 5 yards from me. Natural hand position from defender, ball to hand. Center calls DFK. I get yelled at by defenders as to why the center calls the handling. I have no idea. Don't yell at me, I can only try to help the center. I told him at halftime - you should probably look at me. I'm TRYING to help you.
AR1 on a U17B match. Early in the match the incredibly lazy and non-communicative Referee, all of 45 years of age, is at the half line as a right back and forward go shoulder-to-shoulder chasing a ball to the corner across the field from me, and I am almost certain that the back has his elbow up and in contact with the forward's head. There was no point in trying to communicate with this joker through the normal channels; at the next stoppage I waited until the subs were jogging off and I just ran all the way across the field, pulled him next to me and told him that these were big boys and that he needed to get closer to play. He does so, and within the next five minutes the back has himself a well-deserved caution for a reckless tackle.
Interesting story. I actually had a game this weekend on my 45th birthday. I was up all night the night before tending to my sick grandmother, and fell down the stairs of the orphanage i own, breaking my leg on the way to the game. But i reffed anyway, knowing my assignor wouldn't be able to find anyone else. Anyway, i'm struggling to keep up in my condition, and i see a back and forward go shoulder to shoulder. It looks like there might have been an elbow involved, but my angle isn't so great. I look at both ARs, neither of whom are giving me any information (great...), so we keep playing. Then, out of nowhere, at the next stoppage, AR1 runs all the way across the field, GRABS me and pulls me close to him, and starts calling me "big boy," and saying that he wants to get closer to me (or something like that...i was too shocked to really pay any attention to what he said). Apparently AR stands for "A**hole Referee!" Can you believe that guy?
Listening to 5-minute cringe-worthy captains-coaches meetings are the worst part of AR-ing for me. PS: A couple guys mentioned not getting a pregame from the Referee. Don't stand for this. If he/she doesn't offer one, take the initiative.
I was going to put this in the best story thread, but this is probably a better place for it. I was getting ready for my first match of the day when another member of the crew, who had already worked 3 matches, flopped down beside me and said, "that was my worst experience ever as AR." The previous match had ended 16-0 (this was a travel game). Losing team played high line the entire game, forcing the AR to do 50 yard sprints over and over. Turns out the losing coach had received a yellow after the first match (which the AR had centered) for being a dickhead, and now this was payback time.
I like sarcasm like the next guy. But, I'm sure our poster was being fair when he said the referee was not putting in the effort. Here is my advice. Call your assignor and tell him. He might not know that the referee cannot keep up at that age group anymore. Get the assignor to get him off the field. And if you see the foul and are actually closer, call the damn foul!
I even tell the captains, "I'm not going to make any long speeches. You never go tell your teams anything anyway." It usually gets a few smiles. Half the time, when the players take the field, they don't even know who's kicking off.
My coin toss is about as simple as it gets. You guys are the visitors, call it in the air. "Heads" Heads it is. Which way you want to go? 20 seconds tops.
I have two things I cover beyond the coin flip. (1) Odd field issues (e.g., we have a local field with a tree overhang, and I explain the ball remains in play)., and (2) "The Assistant Referee flags are for me, not you -- please remind your team to play the whistle not the flags." The latter is for that play when the defenders stop for the improper flag and whine about it . . . .
Why bother even telling the teams which guys are the visitors? Just look at the visitors, and tell them to call it! P.S.: I get them to tell me heads or tails before i toss the coin, the way the NFL does.
I've never liked this. It unnecessarily opens the referee up to accusations of bias when the visitors lose the coin toss.
I always ask first (and get confirmation from the other team) because I don't want any disagreement over who won the toss. I doubt that anyone would believe that I could control the toss since I let the coin hit the ground. Never had it land on edge either.
You have to use a rather large coin if you're going to let it hit the ground. Most of the guys I see letting it hit the ground use coins that are too small for it and need to be caught.
Tournaments. Both teams are from someplace else. Home/visitors designated on game card. The only person who looks is the referee!
I no longer have the reflexes and coordination to catch the darn thing reliably, so I don't try. But I worked recently with a guy who was worse than me - when he flipped the coin, it sailed over his head and landed on the ground behind his back.
There is under NFHS rules. And it has to be called in the air. (Yes, I happen to have my NFHS rules book open and ready to hand this morning. Did you know the rules require the referee to carry two whistles?)