View Full Version : First AR job in years... any recommendations?
schmuckatelli
29 Mar 2006, 01:51 PM
After several years of doing CRs in the house league, I am assigned to be AR1 for a select GU-13, GU-16 and GU-19 match this Saturday. I have done ARs before, but it's been at least two years. I know that name of the CR (but nothing else) and I know the AR2 quite well - great guy, and a competentent ref.
Any advice? Any "watch out for"? Any gotchas? Thanks!
After several years of doing CRs in the house league, I am assigned to be AR1 for a select GU-13, GU-16 and GU-19 match this Saturday. I have done ARs before, but it's been at least two years. I know that name of the CR (but nothing else) and I know the AR2 quite well - great guy, and a competentent ref.
Any advice? Any "watch out for"? Any gotchas? Thanks!
Work hard to make the CR look good. :)
Even with the 2LD or the ball, whichever is closer to the goal line.
Follow the ball to the goal line.
Defer to the CR on all foul calls unless s/he is completely screened (unless otherwise instructed).
Ask pre-game whether s/he would like you to be active in helping on the field to maintain 10 yds. on free kicks and corner kicks.
Eye contact with the CR at all dead ball situations.
Have fun.
Do you get the center of one of those three games?
Gary V
29 Mar 2006, 03:07 PM
I presume you remember the principles of things like offside and ball out of play, so I won't go over all that.
Get a good pregame. If the center isn't giving one, ask questions so that he will tell you what you need. Things about calling fouls and your responsibilities on a PK are essential.
macheath
29 Mar 2006, 05:47 PM
Stay level with and concentrate on that second to last defender, don't let your eyes drift when the ball is away. Be especially vigilant in quick sequences in front of the goal, when there are a lot of players scrambling around, and offside position can change several times in a few seconds. And, of course, get a good pregame, and ask a lot of questions. You'll get specific information, and also a feel for what kind of CR you're working with.
bluedevils
29 Mar 2006, 05:54 PM
take the job seriously and work hard to keep focus on your area of control.
blech
29 Mar 2006, 06:32 PM
assist, don't insist -- remember the job is to make the CR look good
ask questions if items not covered in the pregame
focus on positioning with last defender
take that extra second to pause and make sure attacker is involved in play before flagging offside -- you wait and wait often for that moment of involvement, so there sometimes is an inclination to want to make the call, but keep in mind that you are just as much making a call by not putting up the flag
schmuckatelli
30 Mar 2006, 10:02 AM
Work hard to make the CR look good. :)
Even with the 2LD or the ball, whichever is closer to the goal line.
Follow the ball to the goal line.
Defer to the CR on all foul calls unless s/he is completely screened (unless otherwise instructed).
Ask pre-game whether s/he would like you to be active in helping on the field to maintain 10 yds. on free kicks and corner kicks.
Eye contact with the CR at all dead ball situations.
Have fun.
Do you get the center of one of those three games?
I don't know... the last time I got three AR1's in a row, the CR, AR2 and I split the duty so he didn't have to run three CRs. In that case, I knew the CR (and I knew he was kinda older, and running three wasn't in his best interests!). This time, I don't the CR, and I don't want to appear brash.
Thanks!
schmuckatelli
30 Mar 2006, 10:06 AM
Thanks, all. I appreciate your help.
schmuckatelli
03 Apr 2006, 12:05 PM
By way of follow up... All three games went well, from my perspective. I was on the supporters' side (as opposed to the technical side) of the field. My concentration was pretty good, even for the third game. I had one player question one of my line calls, but I was pretty certain I was right.
The pre-game was pretty interesting. The CR said he wanted offside first, he wanted us to snap the flag on ball out of bounds and point direction if it was in our "corner". He said he didn't want a flag on fouls, but that we should make eye contact. In other words, the other AR and I didn't have a huge responsibility, but we were involved in the match.
I did flag a couple times for offside violations (one was pretty close on the "interfering with play" question, but I believe I judged it correctly).
Thanks again for all you sage advice. I'm sure it made me a better ref Saturday.
HeadHunter
03 Apr 2006, 02:03 PM
I had one player question one of my line calls, but I was pretty certain I was right.
The pre-game was pretty interesting. The CR said he wanted offside first, he wanted us to snap the flag on ball out of bounds and point direction if it was in our "corner". He said he didn't want a flag on fouls, but that we should make eye contact. In other words, the other AR and I didn't have a huge responsibility, but we were involved in the match.
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Don't worry about the first- if you only got one objection you had remarkably well behaved players.
As to the pre-game that is flat out wrong- especially about offside. I would have worked with him as AR on th others, he is the center, but I don't even know how I would give the center first crack at offside-how would we even communicate? Its not like fouls where knowing what angle the center has is a valuable datapoint in determining whether or not to call something. The chances of this ever mattering on an offside call are so minimal as to be irrelevent.
Oh well, all I can say is if your positions are reversed use your ARs more.
schmuckatelli
04 Apr 2006, 11:50 AM
Don't worry about the first- if you only got one objection you had remarkably well behaved players.
As to the pre-game that is flat out wrong- especially about offside. I would have worked with him as AR on th others, he is the center, but I don't even know how I would give the center first crack at offside-how would we even communicate? Its not like fouls where knowing what angle the center has is a valuable datapoint in determining whether or not to call something. The chances of this ever mattering on an offside call are so minimal as to be irrelevent.
Oh well, all I can say is if your positions are reversed use your ARs more.
I'm sorry, you must have misunderstood me... he wanted us to - first and foremost - signal offside. He wanted first crack at fouls, not offside.
That said, I normally ask more from my ARs when I'm in the center...