An open letter to Conference Referees/linesmen...

[supergas]

It's something I've been thinking about for the last season and a half...something I've wanted to say to the refs and linesmen/women we've seen over the last 18 months at the Mem if I ever met them in person. It's some advice and (I hope) it's neutral - it's a way for them to improve and therefore everyone (players, fans, managers, the league) will all be happier with them. I'd love suggestions and comments as I plan on sending it to the Conference and Football League once it's polished, but here are the key points...

Whilst I appreciate the difficult job the match officials do, there are many simple things they get wrong that are easily fixed that could easily lead to better performances overall

• Linesmen. Enforce throw-ins from the correct place. Flag when they're taken from the wrong place. The ref doesn't let the attacking team sneak 5 yards at a free-kick, so take responsibility for stopping them sneaking 5 yards from a throw-in.
• Linesmen. Have a chat with your ref before-hand and let them know you can help make decisions. If you see something that warrants a free-kick, flag. Manage upwards. He can wave it away if he disagrees, but the chances are he's waiting for confirmation of a decision he wants to make anyway. 
• Linesmen. At halftime, have an honest chat with the man in the middle. Can you help improve his decision-making in the second half?
• Referees. All anyone wants is consistency. Across 46 matches it's hard, but when you're in control for 90 minutes it's easier. A tackle on the halfway line demands the same response from you as a tackle in the penalty box. The result is different but the offence is the same.
• Referees. Demand more from your linesmen. Insist they make decisions for things they see and decide (based on what you saw) that you then give. 

Have I missed any good ones?

[c4h10]

I wish refs would always leave their linesmen/women in the same position for the second half of a game. If one of them is having a better game than the other (and that invariably seems to be the case), at least defenders and attackers from both sides will get equal treatment overall.

[Deleted]

Feb 9, 2015 23:32:42 GMT supergas said:

It's something I've been thinking about for the last season and a half...something I've wanted to say to the refs and linesmen/women we've seen over the last 18 months at the Mem if I ever met them in person. It's some advice and (I hope) it's neutral - it's a way for them to improve and therefore everyone (players, fans, managers, the league) will all be happier with them. I'd love suggestions and comments as I plan on sending it to the Conference and Football League once it's polished, but here are the key points...

Whilst I appreciate the difficult job the match officials do, there are many simple things they get wrong that are easily fixed that could easily lead to better performances overall

• Linesmen. Enforce throw-ins from the correct place. Flag when they're taken from the wrong place. The ref doesn't let the attacking team sneak 5 yards at a free-kick, so take responsibility for stopping them sneaking 5 yards from a throw-in.
• Linesmen. Have a chat with your ref before-hand and let them know you can help make decisions. If you see something that warrants a free-kick, flag. Manage upwards. He can wave it away if he disagrees, but the chances are he's waiting for confirmation of a decision he wants to make anyway. 
• Linesmen. At halftime, have an honest chat with the man in the middle. Can you help improve his decision-making in the second half?
• Referees. All anyone wants is consistency. Across 46 matches it's hard, but when you're in control for 90 minutes it's easier. A tackle on the halfway line demands the same response from you as a tackle in the penalty box. The result is different but the offence is the same.
• Referees. Demand more from your linesmen. Insist they make decisions for things they see and decide (based on what you saw) what you then give. 

Have I missed any good ones?

Go to Specsavers? 

[supergas]

Feb 9, 2015 23:46:28 GMT c4h10 said:

I wish refs would always leave their linesmen/women in the same position for the second half of a game. If one of them is having a better game than the other (and that invariably seems to be the case), at least defenders and attackers from both sides will get equal treatment overall.

Surely they do? Can't remember the last time we got to abuse the other linesman in the second half...also, was it just me or was the linesman in front of the East Stand vs Lincoln always a yard out of line...not slow, just always a yard further up the field than he should have been...?

[Deleted]

one thing that would help all officials would be to introduce the 10 yard advance for any dissent or swearing at officials like in rugby,must be easier to do your job knowing your unlikely to get dissent/abuse,

[supergas]

Feb 10, 2015 0:49:18 GMT @1973 said:

one thing that would help all officials would be to introduce the 10 yard advance for any dissent or swearing at officials like in rugby,must be easier to do your job knowing your unlikely to get dissent/abuse,

Very much like this. Should be introduced at all levels ASAP

[gassince1957]

The 10 minutes sin bin for a yellow card would be useful too.

[Antonio Fargas]

Feb 9, 2015 23:32:42 GMT supergas said:

A tackle on the halfway line demands the same response from you as a tackle in the penalty box

To be fair, if this suddenly happened, it would break the game. For a few games, at least, I would think. We've all got used to entirely different criteria being brought to bear for a challenge in the box.

Maybe the penalty box was never a good idea, and we should just have free kicks all over the pitch. Discuss.

[Mark Ash]

I'm sure the 10 yard advance idea was trialled some years ago but found to be unhelpful. Football, being a fluid game of varying angles, isn't all about gaining ground in the way that rugby or nfl are. I suppose it could just be an option.

I do agree with the 10-minute sin-bin though. Perfect solution for all the arguing. Rooney and co would soon learn to shut up when they've watched their team concede a vital goal while they're sitting on the bench. The fans would blame the players rather than the ref (rightly) and refs wouldn't be afraid to enforce it. At the moment they have to risk sending off stars just for dissent, and they won't do it.

[mjhgas]

Message to fans: if you think you can do better, get yourself on a referees course and we'll see you in a few years having worked hard to get to the Football League!!!

[Antonio Fargas]

Feb 10, 2015 9:55:23 GMT mjhgas said:

Message to fans: if you think you can do better, get yourself on a referees course and we'll see you in a few years having worked hard to get to the Football League!!!

Must we?

[philbemmygas]

Feb 10, 2015 9:44:58 GMT Mark Ash said:

I'm sure the 10 yard advance idea was trialled some years ago but found to be unhelpful. Football, being a fluid game of varying angles, isn't all about gaining ground in the way that rugby or nfl are. I suppose it could just be an option.

I do agree with the 10-minute sin-bin though. Perfect solution for all the arguing. Rooney and co would soon learn to shut up when they've watched their team concede a vital goal while they're sitting on the bench. The fans would blame the players rather than the ref (rightly) and refs wouldn't be afraid to enforce it. At the moment they have to risk sending off stars just for dissent, and they won't do it.

Allegedly this was what the "respect" campaign was supposed to do, unfortunately they tried a bottom up approach.  How can you enforce it with children when you see their idols doing it week in week out.

as you rightly say, if they booked these mega-millionaires as soon as they start then it would filter down to all levels.  We live in hope!

[blackthorngas]

The respect campaign is laughable. You only have to watch rugby union on tv to see real respect for the ref. Great burly blokes getting a dressing down and saying " yes sir, sorry sir". The sin bin would be a great addition to the game.

[Deleted]

I don't think the sin bin will work in football. In rugby it works because the number of players is important, but not so in football. Going down to 10 men for 15 mins isn't really going to have much effect. For the sin bin to have any effect the player should be made to be off the pitch for a minimum of 30 mins, and if they are sent to the sin bin with 5 mins to go they should be forced to carry over the lost 25 mins to the start of the next game they are selected for. That might make managers sit up and do something about discipline on the pitch.
I prefer the idea of players being treated on the pitch, but the game continues, as in rugby. The ref can make a judgement call as to whether to stop the game or not. This will certainly stop players feigning injury to slow the game down. I know the ref's are not Doctor's, but if a bloke goes down holding his ankle or his knee it's not really life threatening is it !
I also think football can take something from Cricket. If a player gets booked for verbal abuse (or dissent) of the ref, he loses half a weeks wages, or a weeks wages.

[eastville1966]

Here's one which annoys me:

Linesmen: Ensure the ball is in the quadrant when taking corners. Lost count of how many times a corner-taking player will move the ball outside the marked area before taking it. Not convinced what advantage there is but the markings are there for a reason.

[diddygas]

Feb 10, 2015 17:16:36 GMT eastville1966 said:

Here's one which annoys me:

Linesmen: Ensure the ball is in the quadrant when taking corners. Lost count of how many times a corner-taking player will move the ball outside the marked area before taking it. Not convinced what advantage there is but the markings are there for a reason.

[diddygas]

A lot of fans don't realise that as long as a fraction of the ball overhangs a fraction of the line it is allowed. So the ball itself doesn't need to be in the quadrant or even touching the lines around it.

[Staffordshire Gas]

Refereed in the Conference for many years.Lots of pressure on officials from Assessors.Their appraisail can make or break a Ref's future but over a full season their verdicts paint a pretty good overall opinion.Thought the ref at Nuneaton-Jason someone- was the best this season and Mr Rushton who wev'e had a couple of times top notch.
Fitness test at Lilleshall is very tough.Refereed Bath City at Bangor in the FA Cup one year and Bangor won it in the last minute.Chaiman told me I was the best they'd ever had .Following month at Telford in the Conference when I backed my linesman up for disallowing a Bangor 'Goal',same Chairman told me I was the worst they'd ever had!!!
Ran the line in the famous Liverpool v Arsenal title decider in May '89 (Immortalised in the film 'Fever Pitch') and got a bollocking from the assessor for allowing the subs to warm up behind me which'Could have been distracting'.Felt like replying and saying'Shall I ask them to warm up over at Goodison?

[eastville1966]

Feb 10, 2015 18:26:40 GMT diddygas said:

A lot of fans don't realise that as long as a fraction of the ball overhangs a fraction of the line it is allowed. So the ball itself doesn't need to be in the quadrant or even touching the lines around it.

OK with that, but I've seen corners with the ball clearly outside (not overhanging) the line. Pedantic may be but it does annoy the crap out of me.

[diddygas]

Feb 10, 2015 18:53:25 GMT Staffordshire Gas said:

Refereed in the Conference for many years.Lots of pressure on officials from Assessors.Their appraisail can make or break a Ref's future but over a full season their verdicts paint a pretty good overall opinion.Thought the ref at Nuneaton-Jason someone- was the best this season and Mr Rushton who wev'e had a couple of times top notch.
Fitness test at Lilleshall is very tough.Refereed Bath City at Bangor in the FA Cup one year and Bangor won it in the last minute.Chaiman told me I was the best they'd ever had .Following month at Telford in the Conference when I backed my linesman up for disallowing a Bangor 'Goal',same Chairman told me I was the worst they'd ever had!!!
Ran the line in the famous Liverpool v Arsenal title decider in May '89 (Immortalised in the film 'Fever Pitch') and got a bollocking from the assessor for allowing the subs to warm up behind me which'Could have been distracting'.Felt like replying and saying'Shall I ask them to warm up over at Goodison?

Of course referee assessors are needed but they can also create more problems than help. Most are not as qualified as the referee and some are on a power trip. Particularly lower down the football pyramid.