What all new refs should know

[ProfZodiac]

In my career as a referee, I've come across some unwritten rules that many refs know. The uninitiated are usually the young and recently certified. What follows is all the advice I can give.

Wear sunscreen. If you have any Irish blood in you at all, wear sunscreen. If you don't have any Irish blood in you at all, wear sunscreen. That's probably the only thing I can tell you that would be scientifically confirmed. Everything else I know comes from my own experience.

When the assignor calls, don't say no.

You can only get better by doing more. If this means getting up earlier each Saturday than you want, do it. If this means giving up your Memorial Day long weekend to officiate fifteen youth matches, do it. Whatever it takes, do it.

Club linesmen are not to be trusted. They are all parents of participants in the game. If they get unruly or biased, take the flag away. Nobody will think less of you for doing so.

Coaches are usually boneheads who don't know the game.

Players will always ask you how much time is left. If you want to tell them, fine. If you don't want to tell them, fine.

If the coach asks how much time is left, don't tell him. He should know better.

Go with your instinct. You're probably right. And even if you're not, you are.

The Laws of the Game are a dictionary, not a Bible. (Roehl Sybing)

Be amiable. I cannot possibly tell you how much this helps. If you can chat with the coaches and players, they will like you more and not challenge your calls.

But don't be too friendly. If you know somebody on the field, pretend you don't. The same goes for coaches.

Don't be afraid to pull a card. You have them for a reason.

If you have a Zero Tolerance Policy, use it, but don't abuse it. It is a shield, not the Great Wall of China.

Always have confidence. This is crucial. If you look unsure of your call, you will be exploited for that.

Don't reverse your calls unless you have a compelling reason to do so. Otherwise you will open a can of worms you don't want escaping.

Gatorade is good; water is better.

Talk to other refs. Discuss tough games. Ask for advice.

After you set your watch, try to forget you're wearing it. It makes the game seem much quicker.

Eat breakfast.

Rain sucks. Get used to it.

Carry a cellphone. Have the assignor's number on speed-dial.

Use common sense. If a player is clearly injured, but stubborn and won't take a knee, blow the whistle.

There are exceptions to every rule.

Wear two watches. Carry extra whistles.

Never forget your coin.

If you need to get something signed to get paid, do it before the game, not after. You never know what a coach will do if he's lost a big game.

Do not referee to get in shape, get in shape to referee.

Your whistle is a tool. Use it when necessary. Each ball going into touch does not merit a shrill whistle that does nothing but annoy everybody.

Be on time. I cannot stress to you enough how tough it is to get a game going when you're late.

Do not procrastinate with recertification.

Have all your equipment with you. Always have an alternate jersey. Better yet, get all three alternates.

Anchor the goals. If this means having parents stand on the back bar, do it.

Give 10 before you're asked.

Protect the goalkeeper. He is the most vulnerable person on the field, besides maybe yourself.

Say with pride, "I am a referee."

No matter what you say, no matter what you do, somebody is going to disagree with you at least once a game.

Know that you are a strange breed. Not many people are willing to take the kind of abuse you're likely to receive. Ignore those abusers.

But above all else, wear sunscreen.

[Statesman]

Wear sunscreen. Indeed.

When the assignor calls, don't say no. Don't say no if you really are available and they really need your help :)

Coaches are usually boneheads who don't know the game. Nobody is a bonehead and that attitude will get you in more trouble than it's worth. A recreational coach might not be as well-versed in the game as the EPL coaches, but they are still human beings trying to let the kids have some fun, just like you. I've seen quite a few referee "boneheads" as well.

Players will always ask you how much time is left. If you want to tell them, fine. If you don't want to tell them, fine.Always do your best to answer a polite question ... especially how much time is left. Unless you are in the middle of dealing with something else there's no reason not to. The only time you shouldn't give in to questions is when they are a form of dissent.

If the coach asks how much time is left, don't tell him. He should know better. ALWAYS let the coach know how much time is left, (unless you are busy at the moment, of course). Why shouldn't you? Cooperating with coaches is a lot easier than pissing them off by ignoring them.

The Laws of the Game are a dictionary, not a Bible. (Roehl Sybing) I'm not sure I like either of those ... it's more of a description of how the game is played rather than the definition.

Be amiable. I cannot possibly tell you how much this helps. If you can chat with the coaches and players, they will like you more and not challenge your calls. This, after you just told new referees to ignore the coach when he asks how much time is left?

Gatorade is good; water is better.Water is good to hydrate before and after games (and during the week leading up to it), but Gatorade gives the specific electrolytes your body depletes while active, so it's actually better during the game and immediately after.

Talk to other refs. Discuss tough games. Ask for advice. And read BigSoccer multiple times every day!

After you set your watch, try to forget you're wearing it. It makes the game seem much quicker. Just make sure you don't forget to note the time of critical events (bookings, goals, confrontations, injuries, etc).

Eat breakfast.

Rain sucks. Get used to it. Yes, but it sure beats doing 4 games in 113 degree weather! (CA-N last summer ... that was brutal).

Never forget your coin. And if you do, just hide a blade of grass in one hand and ask the captain to pick which hand it's in.


Anchor the goals. If this means having parents stand on the back bar, do it. Another young boy died recently from a goal falling on him in San Jose. It's closer to home than you think. Do it.

Give 10 before you're asked.Be active in getting 10, but don't interfere with the quick kick in doing so -- just yell at the players "ok let's get back, that's far enough, move out of there young man" etc. Then if the attackers ask for 10, you can do a ceremonial restart. Never do a ceremonial restart unless the attackers ask for it.

But above all else, wear sunscreen. Truer words were never spoken.

[ProfZodiac]

I think if it's not a U-6 matchup, the coach should be timing it himself. If he's not, he's not doing his job. It's not in your job description to cover his ass. But chatting is good.

When I say coaches are boneheads, I mean assume they don't know the game at all. Many of them don't. It always happens, I get asked for a substitution on the opposing team's corner. Keep your wits about you and don't wave on every request you hear.

I know a few referees who instruct the kids to "play like it's the last minute", rather than checking the watch. The time is the coach's concern and the referee's concern. The players shouldn't alter their style of play much based on the time period. Except in MLS, where the Revs pack it in.

[Ref Flunkie]

Good thoughts ProfZodiac. I tend to agree with you on the coaches angle. I'll have to think of some later but one I can think of now is to blow the whistle hard.

[Crowdie]

The LOTG are an attempt to describe the game. Nothing more. Nothing less.

The game is more important than the laws.

Always remember what it feels like to be fouled.

Use the LOTG to control the game. Don't let the LOTG control you.

The role of the referee is to provide an enviroment where players can show their skills.

Coaches are not the enemy. Their job is to provide the players with the skills that you are providing the environment for.

Referees do not send players off. Players try to stop opponents having a fair chance to show their skills.

To every youth player on a Saturday morning their game is a World Cup final. Referee it as such.

It is not a sin for a referee to smile.

Spectators are never neutral.

Crowdie

[Caesar]

Water is good to hydrate before and after games (and during the week leading up to it), but Gatorade gives the specific electrolytes your body depletes while active, so it's actually better during the game and immediately after.Behold the PepsiCo employee :D.

I'd be inclined to agree with Porf here. For all the hype, sports drinks actually don't provide much additional benefit over plain ole' water, particularly if you're only out there for an hour or so. I drink them if I want something that isn't carbonated after a match, but for a day refereeing I'll just take 6 litres of water with me and top up during breaks. It's cheaper, and essentially just as good.

[Footer Phooter]

1. Club linesmen are not to be trusted. They are all parents of participants in the game. If they get unruly or biased, take the flag away. Nobody will think less of you for doing so.

2. If the coach asks how much time is left, don't tell him. He should know better.



1. Definitely had this problem over the weekend.

2. I'd go ahead and tell him anyway. While he should know better, at the same time, it's not really a big deal to have to tell him, and I don't like to ignore reasonable requests if I can help it.

[jc508]

I like all of the helpful hints for refs except for the time issues.

If a player or coach asks politely how much time is left, just tell them quickly.
If I am asked in the middle of play, I tell them to hold on for a stoppage. I then try to spot that player and let them know.

What do I tell them? I look at my watch and usually tell them the number of minutes left regardless of the seconds. I simply state, "about XX minutes." It makes it easy, it satisfies the person who inquired, they appreciate your cooperation, and there is one less thing for them to complain about.

[GlennAA11]

I'd be inclined to agree with Porf here. For all the hype, sports drinks actually don't provide much additional benefit over plain ole' water, particularly if you're only out there for an hour or so. I drink them if I want something that isn't carbonated after a match, but for a day refereeing I'll just take 6 litres of water with me and top up during breaks. It's cheaper, and essentially just as good.

For some one like me who is prone to cramping I find that I need the sportsdrinks when I am playing or refereeing. I would imagine that most people could probably get by on plain ol' water though.

I like most of these suggestions and the ones others have added, but agree with everyone else on the time issue. It's just not a big deal, and you have to pick your battles judiciously. I almost never have had a coach ask me time questions anyway, unless he thinks time is up and I should blow the game dead. Usually it's just the players and even then it's one or two who ask a lot. No need to create an impression that you're some imperious hard-ass who won't even tell people how much time is left. Better to be amiable and reasonable when it comes to things like that.

[kevbrunton]

I agree that no matter how much or little you think the coach knows (or spectators for that matter), taking the attitude that they know nothing is not really the best way to proceed.

I always answer questions if there isn't anything else going on -- in other words, it's during a stoppage and there's not something else I am dealing with like setting a wall or moving quickly to get into position. This applies to players, coaches and when I am the AR or close to the touchline, even spectators.

Regarding the time issue, what I do the first time that someone asks me in the first half, I will tell them loud enough that most, if not all, the players here me, guys/ladies, I'll let you know when we have 10, 5 and 2 left in each half. To me, this is a curtesy that is not difficult at all to do and it solves the 14 questions that you'll get from 12 different players asking for time. I hold up my hands and say it loud enough that not only the players, but the coaches and most of the spectators will hear me. When you are playing in a stadium either for high school, college, professional or some of the higher level amateur games, everyone knows the time remaining in the half -- at least approximately depending upon stoppage time. So why not provide this when doing youth games where there are not clocks around.

If you are one of the people thinking that you shouldn't tell them how much time is left, think about why the players are or could be asking how much time is left. 1) They want to know how much time they have left to kill if they are ahead. 2) They want to know how much time they have left to tie if they are behind. 3) They are dying and they want to know if there is enough time left that they should ask for a break and them come back in at the end or if they should just gut it out for the last 2.5 minutes. There are many other reasons, but those are some. Most people probably assume that it's one of the first 2 and for that reason, they don't want to "aid" in the tactics. However, what if a player is asking for the last reason -- why not tell him or her.

[NHRef]

Bring sunscreen and use it, as one who has had basil cell carcinoma chopped off, plus several severly atypical moles, I wear it religiously. Just wish they would let us with skin on the top of our heads the use to be covered, wear hats :rolleyes:

Bring 2-3 times more water than you think you need. Especially for a several game stint.

Bring snacks, but not candy, you really don't want to end up blowing tootsie roll pieces into your whistle, it might not work when you need it.

Eat breakfast/lunch as fits before you go.

Protect Jr. ARs!! Make eye contact and the ol "thumbs up" when they make a call (whether good or bad, if they are taking heat for a call make your presence known, tell em they did good so coaches/parents can hear, then deal with it at half time.)

[Footer Phooter]

[QUOTE=NHRef]Bring sunscreen and use it, as one who has had basil cell carcinoma chopped off, plus several severly atypical moles, I wear it religiously. Just wish they would let us with skin on the top of our heads the use to be covered, wear hats :rolleyes:

QUOTE]

You're not allowed to wear hats?

[IASocFan]

You're not allowed to wear hats?

Since I wear glasses, I wear a black baseball cap on rainy days. It's the only way to see what's going on.

Also in extremely sunny or warm days, I'll wear a hat. For high school tournament or a higher level game, I may just decide to go with lots of sun block/sunscreen.

[kevbrunton]

You're not allowed to wear hats?
Technically for USSF games, we are not allowed to wear hats as it's not part of the uniform. However, like IASocFan, if it's raining or if I have a lot of games and it's real sunny, I will wear a hat unless it's a high level game or I am being assessed.

I also agree totally with NHRef's comment about protecting your Jr. AR's except it should be protect your young referees period. If you are an older or more experienced referee working a line with a younger referee in the center, do what you can with spectators & coaches to keep them off his/her back.

[MassachusettsRef]

Wear sunscreen. You should give some credit to an artist when you take their ideas. So for those that don't know, this entire post is a takeoff on a Baz Lurman song from the mid 1990s.

Anyway, a few good points in here, but I have differences of opinion with a lot of them:

When the assignor calls, don't say no.On the contrary, never be afraid to say 'no'. The assignor that doesn't recognize you have other commitments in your life is the assignor that won't be in his position for too long, or is assigning in a league that you don't want to be working in.

You can only get better by doing more. If this means getting up earlier each Saturday than you want, do it. If this means giving up your Memorial Day long weekend to officiate fifteen youth matches, do it. Whatever it takes, do it.Again, not necessarily true. And actually completely wrong as you progress higher. You need to be fit enough and mentally focused enough to be prepared to give 100% for every match you do. That's impossible if you're taking over a dozen games in one weekend. The three game set for a weekend tournament or league play is understandable and accepted by all. But anything more than that is really unnecessary and should be declined unless you really need to get a friend (assignor or colleague) out of a jam. Doing 5+ games a day does not serve the game or the players.

Coaches are usually boneheads who don't know the game.I don't think I need to say anything more regarding this misplaced comment

Players will always ask you how much time is left. If you want to tell them, fine. If you don't want to tell them, fine.Again, why not tell them so long as it's a stoppage? If minimal time is left and you don't want to be held to something you say, just give the "less than two minutes" left, rather than the "fourteen seconds".

If the coach asks how much time is left, don't tell him. He should know better.Actually, you should tell both coaches (either through your SAR or 4th official) exactly how much injury time you are going to put on towards the end of each half.

Be amiable.Definitely, but as others have pointed out, this doesn't jive with your points above about time.

But don't be too friendly. If you know somebody on the field, pretend you don't. The same goes for coaches.This all depends on the level of play you're officiating at, I think. At the high youth and amateur/pro levels, you sometimes see the same teams, players and coaches at multiple tournaments or games across the country. If you're not showing favoritism, there's no problem engaging the participants. In fact, in can be quite beneficial. When you recognize a kid that you reffed at regionals in a game at a tournament in Florida, and ask him how they did at nationals, it gives you a human side that most players (especially youth players) don't see in referees.

Anchor the goals. If this means having parents stand on the back bar, do it.I'm not so sure about this one. If you can't anchor goals without having a person standing on them, you might want to consider abandoning the match.

Give 10 before you're asked.As what pointed out, not necessarily. Just use common sense (like you said above). If it's obvious that the ten yards is going to be a problem, be proactive. But if a team wants a quick free kick, don't take that advantage away.

Protect the goalkeeper. He is the most vulnerable person on the field, besides maybe yourself.Protect your ARs, too. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it fosters a true sense of teamwork and friendship that is invaluable.

Know that you are a strange breed. Not many people are willing to take the kind of abuse you're likely to receive. Ignore those abusers.Ignore abuse, yes. But listen to critiques. As Paul Tamberino says, if the players are trying to tell you something, listen. If it's in the form of dissent, deal with that, but still try to realize what they're saying. Do they have a point? Are you missing the first foul? Has the shirt-pulling got out of hand? Don't allow them to put too much self-doubt in you, but always remember you're there for the players. If they bring up vaild points, don't allow feelings of authority or superiority to stop you from addressing them.

[ProfZodiac]

I figured people would recognize the wear sunscreen line.

Evidently, I was mistaken.

I've only abandoned one match in 7 years. And that was when I had pretty much lost control of one particular spectator, and I had no idea what he would do next. I basically gave him an ultimatum, he ignored it, so I called it off.

I will still maintain that any coach above the lowest rec level should be keeping track of the time him/herself. Telling the players is fine. I do it, but I know people that don't, which is why I added that caveat. The coach however, should know better. If I were asked, I'd probably say, 14 minutes, but shouldn't you be keeping track?

I wear a hat to every game. Regardless of condition. I've been told a few times in the past (by some of you guys no less) to leave it behind. I never listened, though, for a few reasons. Firstly, the weather in New England, as MassRef likely knows well, is never guaranteed. It could be pouring one minute and then sunny the next. Secondly, I have very fair skin and blue eyes. If I don't wear a hat, I will end up with glaucoma. Eye problems run in my family. I already wear glasses to drive (I have not yet transferred this to the field, but I know it's only a matter of time until I need to - maybe this fall when I start reffing in the metro Boston area, rather than the MetroWest area), and I'm pretty sure the speed with which my lenses became misshapen was expedited by squinting in the sun before I began wearing a hat. That hat is not going to leave my head. If it's any consolation, I always wear a baseball cap that matches the uniform somewhat, be it my black (well, it's turning brown from exposure) Zenga hat or my new black Northeastern hat, it matches. (I would consider wearing my red Red Sox hat if I knew I would be wearing red.)

I've only worked with ARs once. I'm not too concerned about them for the time being, given BAYS doesn't give AR's until U-16, and I don't plan on picking up one of those for a few weeks, at least.

Maybe 'bonehead' was the wrong word. But it should be assumed that the coach is not terribly experienced, and only is using what he was told before the season. Everything else he knows is a bonus.

[Ref Flunkie]

I've only worked with ARs once. I'm not too concerned about them for the time being, given BAYS doesn't give AR's until U-16, and I don't plan on picking up one of those for a few weeks, at least.



Wow, really??? That must make things...difficult. Shoot we get ARs for U-9 small sided games, which I find silly but thats just me.

[Footer Phooter]

Wow, really??? That must make things...difficult. Shoot we get ARs for U-9 small sided games, which I find silly but thats just me.

Our travel leagues around here start at either u-11 or u-13

[Ref Flunkie]

Do you just not call offside or are you required to keep up with that too? I can see it if they simply don't call offside.

[Footer Phooter]

Do you just not call offside or are you required to keep up with that too? I can see it if they simply don't call offside.

I'm required to keep up with it. A lot of times it ends up being an educated guess, particulary if the ball gets played forward quickly, and my back ends up being towards where the "offside" may have taken place.