Something that has come up this past season has been the pre-game net inspection.
I don’t mean the very first time when it’s done during the pitch inspection. That’s the real one.
I’m talking about when the referee crew splits in the middle of the field and runs to check the nets before taking up their position. This one is for the show. It was recommended to me, as a referee, to ensure that my assistant referees knew how to do a net check with the appropriate mechanics.
Fasting has been going on for a while now. Halfway point is passed and I’m sure it’ll be done sooner than I know it but it has been difficult managing it in general. I had an Over-35 Mens game to cover on the first day of the week. A friend needed me to cover the game so I accepted. He was able to give me a ride to the field in return since it was out of bus access but not that far either. The game was a rather chatty one with a lot of dissent. I had been warned that it was generally the Continue reading
The idea of this post came from Week 22 Part 2.
I was chatting with a referee colleague who discussed how he felt before a game and how he has done his best to change how he comes into a game from now on so that it wouldn’t affect his officiating. Spelt out, he meant Mental Preparation.
This is Continue reading
The anticipation for the first game is always high considering there is more than six months indoors.
I planned every element of the pre-game build-up. Having arrived back in the country a little more than 48 hours before kick-off, my first priority was re-aligning sleep schedule so that I was mentally prepared. The first night I had to sleep in three shift segments. I spent the day after watching the first day’s tournament games and was out for 5 hours. This helped me stay awake for the rest of the day but I was worn out by the time I got home and was out like a light.
I didn’t have my entire kit with me for the games; just my umbro and I co-ordinated with the rest of my crew to make sure they at least matched as assistants; they wore the 2014 kits. The majority of my referee stuff was in storage or out of town. More on that in the next post.
I had Continue reading
August has wrapped up and with the end of Ramadan, I managed a total of 19 games. The last game ended on a great note with a fellow referee coming out to watch a U14 Boys fixture that I managed and giving me some solid feedback. I have heard most of the points before about my refereeing but since I am working on most of them, he re-iterated one some of them that I am missing out on and a few extras.
The game itself only had two cautions for the home team; Persistent Infringement of the Laws of the Game and Unsporting Behaviour. The game ended up being one of the few that I have fully enjoyed and haven’t regretted any of the decisions I have made. I have made a lot of progress on the items I need to work on since my last assessment. I have two assessments as an Assistant Referee; this Friday and next Friday immediately before my assessment game. Next Friday is my final assessment in the middle on September 14th. I need to prove to my RDO, who will be coming to assess me, that I can manage a Mens’ game and continue to excel.
24 hours to go. Time is flying by. Just did my laundry so all my referee kits are good to go for tomorrow and the marathon of games this weekend. All folded with my yellow adidas 2010 World Cup jersey on top (the likely colour for the encounter).
I’m still having trouble cutting down my pre-game instructions to something sizable and concise enough to remember. Gonna have to work on that tonight and have a few more practice runs. Tomorrow’s weather forecast isn’t looking good. A thunderstorm tomorrow evening until 10pm but I’m hoping the forecasters have it wrong or it ends early.
Refereeing the Beautiful Game 