General Referees

headingtonoldboy

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The refereeing standard this season seems to be worse than previous seasons and I get the impression that the majority of referees are out of their depth. There must be a reason why they are so poor. I feel that the game has overtaken the officials and they have failed to keep up. I think it is time to bring in ex professional players as referees as they do in other sports. At least ex professionals have more of an insight into the technical side of the game, something I think current referees don't have. Any thoughts?
 
First Post so be gentle.
I actually thought that this season has seen a massive improvement in the standard of official's that we have had. Don't get me wrong the one at the weekend was poor and one or two others but there has been plenty of games where haven't noticed them at all, and they have let the game flow and been consistent with their decision making which is all you can ask. I did wonder if not having thousands of fans screaming at every decision had made it slightly easier for them.
 
Absolutely not shortcutting players who it is obvious make little attempt to learn the rules of the game when they are playing. If there is one thing i have known (and i have refereed to a decent level) it's that players and fans have very little understanding of the laws of the game.
 
The refereeing standard this season seems to be worse than previous seasons and I get the impression that the majority of referees are out of their depth. There must be a reason why they are so poor. I feel that the game has overtaken the officials and they have failed to keep up. I think it is time to bring in ex professional players as referees as they do in other sports. At least ex professionals have more of an insight into the technical side of the game, something I think current referees don't have. Any thoughts?
I think the majority of referees do well and are certainly not out of their depth.
 
I think we've had a mixture of decent and poor performances from the officials this season. And (certainly in the case of Huxtable) both decent and bad from the same ref - which I guess goes to show that refs are only human!
I think the difference this season has been that many of us usually watch the games in person, with no replays, at a much lower angle and in the excitement of the crowd. You get a very different view of the game and the ref when watching it on a screen at home, so you see the ref's howlers as well as their outstanding decisions!
 
I think we've had a mixture of decent and poor performances from the officials this season. And (certainly in the case of Huxtable) both decent and bad from the same ref - which I guess goes to show that refs are only human!
I think the difference this season has been that many of us usually watch the games in person, with no replays, at a much lower angle and in the excitement of the crowd. You get a very different view of the game and the ref when watching it on a screen at home, so you see the ref's howlers as well as their outstanding decisions!
There a big lack of consistency with the refs this season which in itself is nothing new. But take last night Curtis should have been sent off but the ref bottled it.
 
There is also a theory that many would be referees drop out of the program because of the abuse they get from parents at junior level and the players at grassroots. This then cuts down the available talent coming through and as the senior game needs refs, they are having to recruit from a low standard.
 
It`s a hard job and not many are made of the right stuff to do it.
Then factor in most of the players are trying to con the ref far too much!
There is also little genuine respect for them and I am amazed anyone steps up to do it!!
 
It`s a hard job and not many are made of the right stuff to do it.
Then factor in most of the players are trying to con the ref far too much!
There is also little genuine respect for them and I am amazed anyone steps up to do it!!

I think the powers that he should look at their training regime, apart from the rules of football that they must know but role play scenarios, so as to give the refs a chance of what may happen match day and how they react and how they deal with the issue in hand.
 
I think the powers that he should look at their training regime, apart from the rules of football that they must know but role play scenarios, so as to give the refs a chance of what may happen match day and how they react and how they deal with the issue in hand.

If they start red carding a few for cheating/diving and getting in their face/arguing that would draw a line.
Too many players seem to think conning or mouthing off at the ref is part of the game.

Or take notes from Rugby..... 10 yard advance for every incursion/argument at a set play...... that kind of thing.
 
If they start red carding a few for cheating/diving and getting in their face/arguing that would draw a line.
Too many players seem to think conning or mouthing off at the ref is part of the game.

Or take notes from Rugby..... 10 yard advance for every incursion/argument at a set play...... that kind of thing.
I also. Believe as the refs seem to have stoped giving yellow cards for not retreating 10 yards at a free kick, then the refs should allow the clubs to gain a further 10 yards but not into the opposition area
 
It is a thankless task being a football referee, something I wouldn't ever consider doing either -

one thing that baffles me is since linesmen were rebranded as assistant referees, I understand that some referees instruct their assistants along the lines of 'I only want offsides and thrown ins' .... IF they are assistant referees, shouldn't the powers that be instruct referees to allow their assistants to do just that on matchday, assist?
could any current/ former referees on yf perhaps clarify why assistant referees are told what to do /or not do by referees? and often don't appear to be assisting the matchday referee

and also if the powers that be really clamped down on backchat etc hard ( captains being the only ones who are able to communicate with referees during matches), maybe, just maybe things might improve

Shirt pulling seems to go unnoticed and unpunished by most referees too? maybe there's a law that's been introduced surreptitiously that permits shirt pulling?


this (strange season) IMO weve had some decent referees as well as not so good ones officiating OUFC matches

Of course , my opinion is a bit partisan
 
I think the powers that he should look at their training regime, apart from the rules of football that they must know but role play scenarios, so as to give the refs a chance of what may happen match day and how they react and how they deal with the issue in hand.

They do role play scenarios etc. Well the full timers do but certainly lower league Refs are part time so don't get much chance to train.
 
Like being a goalkeeper, to be a referee you have to be a rare breed, they are not there to have emotions, be friendly or even to appreciate good football.
They are there to make sure the game is played within the rules and blow his or her whistle if the rules are broken.
The biggest talking point and debate over the last 100 years or so has been consistency or more to the point inconsistencies, however when you analyse the oman in the middle being outnumbered by the 22 players it is easy to understand. 22 players look a 1 referee, 1 referee has to look at all 22 players, mistakes and inconsistencies will happen.
Yes, there is a 4th official however he is more interested the management and back room staff of the team not stepping out of line and as for the referees assistants (or linesmen if you are my age) they don’t always get the offside decisions correct so assisting the referee is secondary.
You are all aware of the options. It’s either we accept what we have or accept VAR and I know what I prefer.....
 
There is also a theory that many would be referees drop out of the program because of the abuse they get from parents at junior level and the players at grassroots. This then cuts down the available talent coming through and as the senior game needs refs, they are having to recruit from a low standard.

I remember a Dad making his 10 year old lad cry on the pitch. I had to threaten to abandon the game (with the support of both coaches) before he would leave the park. Parents are a major problem from my experience.

I probably didn't help with some parents as I started reffing as a kid myself so they'd think shouting at me would have an effect but it didn't. Laughing at one bloke's bright red face when shouting abuse probably didn't help either.

Cup semis and finals were a nightmare with parents, regardless if the pitch was fenced off*, they'd still stand on the touchline and getting in the way/blocking the view of linesmen. When running the line, I learnt a technique of snapping the flag in their face or deliberately running on their feet with my boots as it was the only way they'd keep back. However many times you asked them to stay back they'd encroach forward, often onto the pitch.

*The Manor was the one exception.
 
Like many, I have seen a lot more football on TV this season.
I think that the overall standard of refereeing has been as least as good as last season for example.
Occasionally we play a game with a referee from a higher level and generally in those cases you can see the difference in refereeing.
Mind you thinking back to the Conference years, what we see now is so much better.
 
Agree with the majority that ref standards seem about the same. Seeing these games on camera and in silent grounds has revealed the extent of organised cheating though. Maybe I've been naive but didn't realise how conscious and obviously planned it all is. The way managers and backroom staff run mini-campaigns of 'verbals' from the first minute to the last, often swapping roles as the bad guy to avoid bookings. The orchestrated screams from half a dozen grown men at every physical contact. Players crumpling and diving and grumbling away ceaselessly. Even the subs seem to be under collective instruction to use their warm-ups as a way to get in the ear of linos. I know these things have always happened but bloody hell it's grim to see it so embedded in the tactics and almost celebrated as part of the game. All things considered the part time refs at our level generally do a decent job.
 
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