So I know we've talked some about this before, but I'm curious what you all think about this situation. I was scheduled as AR2 for a premier U14G game this past weekend in a district I've never been assigned to before. It was a last minute thing because it was a rescheduled game and most of the refs in the district were working a huge tournament on the other side of town. So I get to the field and shortly thereafter another referee shows up. He tells me he will be the CR and that it is just the two of us because the scheduled CR can't make it. We start talking about how to run the game and he tells me that he had asked the assignor if he could run a 2 man system (ala High School). The assignor said no. So he tells me we're gonna run CR and single AR, no club linesman on the other side. Essentially a H.S. type 2-man only I'm on the sideline acting like a normal AR. We ran with me in the right backs position in the first half due to a mis-communication. Before the second half he asked me to switch to the other half of the field (left backs position). Good spirited game ends up in a tie. I had no foul calls in the first half, but one foul and 3 offside (including one that negated a goal) in the second half. Game ended 2-2 draw. After the game we were approached by a parent, supporter of the team whose attacking end I was on for both halves. He asked the CR if we were really allowed to switch sides like that. The CR was very cordial and explained that it is a referee discretion to do so. The guy kept going telling us how it is unfair that one team had me on their end for the entire game and came dangerously close to accusing us of bias. Then the kicker, he (almost predictably) tells us he's a referee too. CR caught him though when he asked where he referee's. The guy's answer: "All Over". Couldn't identify what level of games either. So anyway, I'm rambling but I'm just curious of the opinions out there. This was kind of a strange situation for me, and certainly an odd way to go for my first game ref'ed in this district.
I've been always told you shouldn't switch sides so the same AR has the same defending end. I don't know if there is a rule about it, I'm sure someone will.
1. Why didn't the parent offer to help out when he saw your crew was 1 man short? 2. Seems a little unusual for the ref to move you around since you were missing an AR2, but still within the referee's discretion. 3. How in the world did you not have any foul calls in the first half of a 'spirited' game that lacked an AR2? Was the ref that on top of play in your area, or nothing really happened that required you to flag a foul, or what? Usually, the AR will flag more fouls when the crew is short.
I can offer no firm guidance but will tell you my experience as an AR for a National ref that at one time was being considered for the FIFA list. We were doing an early-morning game that was very one-sided with most calls at my end of the field. The sun was to my back, thank goodness, but if we stayed on a left it would be in the other AR's face for the second half. For the second half, he switched to a right diagonal, and had the other AR and I switch across the halves instead of staying on the same touchline, specifically so that we'd be switching the teams we judged like would normally happen. I can't remember exactly what he said about it, but my impression was that it was a fairness/consistency issue. In a game with only one AR, that seems even more important. So, if you switch diagonals at half, instead of staying on the same touchline, switch across the field. The part that really bugs me is not getting a club line. Seems like that would have been important. It's hard enough for the CR to shade that end of the field and try to cover offside, without having to judge both touchlines and the goal line.
I quite often get games where I only have one AR (rec level friendlies). I generally ask both coaches to signal ball out of play on their touchline, telling them I will determine the direction of the restart. The O-40 men's league games I do have no ARs at all, and generally no coaches. That's quite a workout. I just advise them it's probably not a good plan to play an offside trap, and if the lines are poorly marked I'll call out, can't see the line, keep playing if it's a close call on out of play. It usually works, though there are those who'll moan. They'd moan if they had a full crew of FIFA refs though.
there is no rule against it. it is completely within the ref's discretion. it is a practice that is good to avoid for the very reason noted in this case, it is unusual and there could be an appearance of disadvantage. and, it doesn't necessarily rise to the level of accusing anyone of bias - it just doesn't have the same feeling of equality (and probably rightly so, as the change is typically done for a reason, i.e., the CR wants to have a more experienced AR on the end where there is more activity). i personally haven't come across a scenario where i thought i needed to do it as a ref and i know that i was annoyed by it the one time i had it done to me as a coach.
switching the ars' section of the lines at halftime is a pretty common practice in the uk from the boards i read from over the pond. nothing in the lotg or ussf guidance to prevent it. we are neutral, so it should not really matter if we cover the same team on both halfs.
no disagreement that nothing prevents. and, no disagreement with the principle that we are neutral. but, it then begs the question - if everything is equal, why is the switch being made? i've seen it done in 1 AR situations with a club linesman on the other side, with the "desire" to have the 1 AR on the side where there has been more activity and calls to make (or not make). that makes perfect sense, but it still leaves the other team frustrated when they have an offside call made or not made on the other end because they never got the 1 AR. i've also seen it done in 2 AR situations, where one was more experienced than the other and the CR wanted the more experienced one on the busier end. again, i get it, but seems to undermine the principle that the ARs are equivalent when they're being switched for this purpose. again, neither scenario is meant to suggest that the AR is biased. and, it can be justified to want the more experienced AR on the busier side where more calls may need to be made. but it's still asking for questions when a call then doesn't get made on the other end.
LMAO I was waiting for someone to pick up on that. Well there were a couple of reasons. First, it was a U14 Girls game. Although being a premier league they still play a lot cleaner ball than when you move over to the U14 Boys or older girls divisions. Second, we had a heavy wind all game blowing from my end to the opposite end. That coupled with the nature of play kept the ball on the far end from me during much of the first half (I think this may be why he had me switch ends of the field). The team attacking to my end of the field only had the ball near the PA maybe 5 times all half. Finally, the referee was very good about hustling and being on top of play. There were three cases where I was ready to pop a flag but he whislted right away. I didn't have any offside calls because the although the attacking team would regularly get themselves in an offside position, the defending team repeatedly retreated and put them back onside. The game did get considerably more chippy in the second half though. In the first half blues were up 1-0. Reds came back and scored 2 in the early portion of the second half and then blues knotted it back up with an equalizer 10 minutes before full time. The last 10 minutes of the match got really rough, but the CR managed things very well IMO.
I had a u13 boys challenge this weekend where one of my ARs did not show due to a car accident (he's ok) and the other AR was a young inexperienced ref. I started the game with a club linesman (i.e. only signal ball out of play). Three minutes in, already 1:0, my area assignor runs over in his sneakers, blue jeans and t-shirt and relieves the club linesman. I run by the coaches and quickly inform them of the change and that the new AR although not in uniform is a certified official who will be calling offside and fouls in his area. I was glad to have a certified AR on that side of the field as a lot of activity took place on that half of the field during the first half of play (i.e. multiple offside calls, pk, foul with advantage leading to score, 2 break away scores one where the keeper misplays the ball and collides with the attacker, 5:0 at half). Durning half time my assignor (the new AR) went to change into his uniform and we decided to switch AR sidelines for the second half in the interest of game management & control. Everything worked out fine as the game ended 7:0 with no complaints.
when you only have 1 AR we are not suppose to run the HS 2 man system. I tell teams during the equipment check etc that this is how it works, I will do my very best to get into position to call the offside calls, but they are living a dangerous life if they have a defense the relies on traps, and that I will only call it offside when I am sure, so don't bother raising your hands to try and help me. then depending on the AR, I may shy away from his end and half of the field. Also depends on the age of the players. It creates alot of running for the CR because now you need to actually get ahead of the ball at times to try and get in position to make the offside calls, which can build bad habits. For some reason this spring there are TONS of local games needing refs. I think the main reason is this spring the U15+ divisions are very popular, which takes out alot of refs. For instance, I coach my sons U18B team (actually if you take 1 player off we are U16, but...) we have 6 certified refs on our team, so on game days that takes 7 refs (including me) off the schedule.