24 replies about two watches! Sweet! but there are two types of one watch refs- ones who have had their watch fail, and ones who will. put me down in the “garmin left watch with refwatch app, right hand with count up that I never touch” column. Ref watch app is dead reliable and perfect for both hs and ussf.! I’ve never been much for analyzing my field coverage or whatever on the garmin, but I have enjoyed having the metrics- distance covered, top speed, average HR.
I've used two for awhile now. One is the running time and one that I use in USSF to track stoppage time or in high school/college to keep a stopped clock. I've certainly had times where I've forgotten to restart my watch and the second watch has saved me. I've also opened up my bag on game day to find one of my watches dead and been grateful to have two.
If you guys want to get good at keeping time, might I suggest reffing American Football for a few years? It'll make you on point at keeping time, and it's only a minor inconvenience for such a necessary skill
I am an America football referee as well. I'm a back judge (for college, playoff, and other games where 7 officials are used, I can be the back judge, field judge, or side judge), so I am familiar with timing while working the game at the same time. I normally do the play clock, but there is one time where I had to keep both play and game clocks because the stadium clock failed.
I usually wear two on my left - one ref watch with countdown & stoppage timer plus my fitbit. On more casual matches, i might start fitbit count-up as a backup. if match timing is important - HS games without stadium clock, more competitive matches, not trusting my dual partner/AR1 to keep proper time, etc. I'll wear a Timex sports watch on right wrist for do-not-touch count-up. I like being able to glance at it to verify it's running and to see the current time. I've had issues with sweat vs. fitbit's touchscreen and don't want to watch-fiddle in the middle of a match and/or accidentally pause it.
How do you normally record stoppage time on your watch(es) if using 2 watches? Would you stop the count-down watch, and estimate how much time elapsed on the count-up watch before resuming the count down on your count-down watch?
When I used to have only basic count-down/count-up watches, the count-up would run continuously and i'd stop/start the count-down one to account for stoppages (soft of like NFHS timing). When count-up watch hit regulation time, i'd decide how much of the remaining count-down time to use (stoppage time). No estimating needed as long as I remembered to properly stop/start on the count-down - which didn't always happen. Like most ref watches/apps, my current one displays both the current count-down timer and accumulated stoppage time - independent start/stop controls. For USSF matches (unless there is an extended injury) I start/stop the stoppage timer as warranted, count-down runs continuously... When the count-down timer hits zero, it automatically starts counting-up to the accumulated stoppage time. Count-up watch is just in case I screw the pooch on my ref watch and I have no AR backing me up on time - then i'll just estimate stoppage time. Like @jayhonk said, I usually record current countdown time as that is what's on my primary watch, then do the count-up conversion for reporting afterwards. For NFHS, I simply start/stop the count-down timer - no need for the stoppage timer. And makes it quick to verify stadium clock. Running a count-up watch when there's no stadium clock is just a Plan 'C' backup. I tried running two count-down's for HS once, but felt like i watch-futzing and checking both way too often. And if I forgot to restart one of them, it usually meant i forgot to restart both.
Use your first watch the way you always do. Just start your second watch and ignore it--it's there for back up.
I often find before the game that my second watch (count-up) is still running from the last game, even if it's days later.
That makes sense. I'll stop the count-down watch as required, have the count-up as a backup, and then add back time from the count-down watch when I've reached the end time for the half (if my competition uses added time). In HS, I'll just run the countdown, and have count-up as a silent backup. The only difference is that I don't add time back unless the stadium clock is in error.
I’ve got a question for you. Not to detract from the original thread but why do college officials or some football officials wear headsets? I only say this because they still huddle together I.e. flags. Or is the huddle more for show in which case that seems a moot point. I’m sure there is something I’m missing. But please enlighten me!
The huddle is so that all don't talk over each other at the same time when it comes to complex situations. The headsets are connected to radios are there to relay pertinent information (under 2 (minutes in the half, certain rules change), under 1 (minute in the half, 10-second runoff could be in play), coach wants to decline the penalty, etc.) or things that are for the officials ears only (e.g. an offensive player is close to lining up illegally). Most of the time, officials communicate basic things either by signals (count, unbalanced line, where the outer-most offensive player is, etc.) or through the radio (penalty type, clock status). Radios are for the crew, thr clock operators, and for replay to enable quick and secure communication.
It is called "redundancy" ... In other words having a back up replacement on hand. A back up watch, a second whistle, and two writing utensils, etc... and should be utilized by all refs on all games, IMHO.
I go a step farther - I have two backup watches in my bag. If one of them is dead, I use the other one. If both are working and I'm working with a young referee who thinks it's a good idea to just use his/her phone to keep time, I give them my other watch and tell them to keep their phone in their bag. After the game, I advise them to go to Walmart or Target and spend their game fee on a cheap watch with a stopwatch feature.
try just 1 watch. and when you 1. fail to restart it, or 2. stop it [ any number of ways] during play. where are you time wise? tied game 2-2, if you let it run and 1 team scores, and you are way past the real end....tough deal for a ref. easy fix, strap on the 2nd watch! Rod
just for fun. I was at a tourney some time back. the center ref. had no wrist watch. he was carrying a cell phone for a timer. the phone rang and he was actually talking on it running down the field! Rod
I feel like a total dork wearing two watches and the wife has told me I look like one. But alas, I still do.
Plenty of communication you never see on the headsets. But huddling up after a flag (and especially multiple flags on the same play) means that all can get the enforcement right.
Fwiw Didn’t know where else to post this. The stopwatch used by Jack Taylor in the 1974 World Cup final is up for auction. Taylor awarded a penalty to the Netherlands after just 60 seconds when West Germany’s Berti Vogts fouled Johan Cruyff. https://bnps.photoshelter.com/galle...World-Cup-final-up-for-sale/G00008gxVC6tjSYM/
The stopwatch is interesting. Did he carry it in his hand? Or put in pocket? It seems that one could easily accidentally stop it. Weren't wrist watches with stop/start capabilities available then? I started reffing in 1981 - I had one.
Stop watches with wrist straps were available in the 1970s. Nevertheless many "older" referees did use hand-held stop watches. Some had them on a chain clipped on the waistband and kept it in the front pants pocket, others had it on a cord round the neck and kept in the shirt pocket, and some did actually hold it in one hand although usually with a cord wrapped around the wrist in similar fashion to the whistle. However in his book, Jack Taylor writes "I always wear a watch on either wrist, a stopwatch to record any interruption and the other to record the actual time..." The one shown in the photo was probably a commemorative item given to him by FIFA based on the engraving on the back. PH
Also the watch in photo doesn't have the ring or loop at the top for attachment of a cord or chain that most other vintage analog stopwatches have. See examples here: https://www.amazon.com/Mechanical-Stopwatch/s?k=Mechanical+Stopwatch Highly unlikely it was used as the watch for the actual game. Photos of him during the match in his book do not show him holding a watch in his hand. It may have been in his bag in the dressing room! PH