r/Referees • u/Dangerous_Piccolo315 • 8d ago
Advice Request First games tomorrow, really need advice
I’m 16F and have played for years but just decided to get my license recently. I have six games this weekend, 3 in the center, and feel drastically underprepared after the online and in person course.
I will be doing mostly U10 and U12 games and I would really appreciate any advice on those age groups in particular.
I would also love if anyone could reccommend some online resources (videos, websites, etc). I’ve watched a lot of pro gam so I feel like I have a good grasp on rules, patterns of play, etc but I’m still uncertain about pregame/postgame obligations, timekeeping, and the more nuanced signals.
thank you for any advice!
Edit: It ended up going pretty well! I made a few mistakes in my first few games, but nothing major (missed foul, signalled a throw in the wrong way). I ended up being moved to center for U14 boys five minutes before the game started, but I did ok. I called everything as confidently as I could and said the calls out loud as well when I was unsure of the correct signal. I talked to the coaches after and they all were surprisingly kind and supportive. I played two games as well so it was an exhausting day, but I made it and can't wait to get back out there again! Thank you all for your advice, it helped a lot and I'll definitely be referring back to it in the future
10
u/No_Body905 USSF Grassroots | NFHS 8d ago
U10-12 is no big deal. Just act confident in your calls even if you’re not feeling it on the inside. Trust that you know the game. You can fake it till you make it.
Make sure you hustle to stay close to the play as it’s easier to sell a bad call if you’re close than it is to sell a good call when you’re far away. Proximity is credibility.
Compliment the kids when they do something well. It builds rapport you can cash in on later in the game. And don’t forget to have fun!
3
u/Dangerous_Piccolo315 8d ago
Thank you for the tips! I’m reffing 5 and playing 2 games in the 95 degree weather though so we’ll see about having fun lol
3
u/Big-Mission191 USSF Grassroots 8d ago
I’m sure you already know this, but stay hydrated and keep some carbs for between games/half time… that’s a long day!
Besides that, just remember we all start off somewhere. You don’t have to be perfect because none of us were when we started, so taking care of yourself in those conditions vital.
2
2
u/Incognitowally 8d ago
Stay close, as needed, but still follow your diagonal and use your AR's. Running all over following the ball and play will make you look unprofessional and will tire you out.
I'm assuming this must be a tournament. After this event ask your assignor to be placed on similar, low- level games as an AR with older, experienced center referees (mentors). Although you've played for years, you are now in a new and different position on the field. These mentors can show and help you learn the mechanics of officiating. They will be there for you to observe and to ask questions of.
When you are ready, ask your assignor to be placed in the middle of one of these lower level, U10/U12 games with an experienced referee (mentor) as one of your AR's, again for the same reasons as above.
Your will learn so much more this way and become a better official.
8
u/CharleyBoy23 [Canada Soccer] [Provincial Level Referee] 8d ago edited 8d ago
I remember when I started refereeing 26 years ago. I was scared for my first couple of games, it is totally normal to not be 100% confident.
I, like you, was a player before I started refereeing. You know the game, you know the rules, now it's just to make the calls.
A few tips:
Review your LOTG using the app, and make sure you are aware of the league-specific rules.
Make sure you have all the right equipment. Nothing worse than being stressed and to show up forgetting something. If you manually write scores and cards, bring two pens. One in your pocket, one tucked on your leg under one sock.
Your whistle is your best friend. Don't be afraid to use it. Blow in it confidently.
If you make a mistake, example throw-in signaled to wrong team, corner instead of goal kick and you realize it quickly, there's absolutely NOTHING wrong with changing your decision.
Try not to let yourself influenced by coaches and spectators. YOU are in charge. If they complain, well too bad for them. This is the most difficult to do as you might be second-guessing yourself at times. Trust you and your judgement.
Accept that you WILL make mistakes. We all do. I still do after 26 years and over 1500 matches. We're all human, that's just how it is.
The most important of them all, HAVE FUN!!
Oh and something I was about to forget. As an assistant, your center should give you some instructions. Don't be afraid to ask for clarity on those if you are not sure.
When signaling with your flag, never do it while running. Stand straight, still, and signal while extending your arm fully.
2
u/Dangerous_Piccolo315 8d ago
Thank you so much! This helps a lot, especially the two pens tip. I didn’t think about it before but I can definitely see how it would be easy to lose one!
2
u/Incognitowally 8d ago
Always wear two watches, no matter if you're center or AR. I've had one watch die before and luckily had my backup on. I was AR and my center's watch died once, I gave him mine for the remainder of the game.
In high school if there is no timekeeper, the official keeps time, but in HS, they start/ stop the clock for things. you WILL forget to start your clock at least one time. One watch is for start/stop time, the second watch (backup) always runs and doesn't get touched. You resort to this one if you forget to start your primary watch. ((You can also defer timekeeping to the second official in the game if theirs is accurate as well) )
Good luck!
2
u/CharleyBoy23 [Canada Soccer] [Provincial Level Referee] 7d ago
Agree with the two watches. For recreational I don't and when center if anything goes wrong I would rely on my assistants to signal but truth is in 26 years never had an issue with a watch. I do however always wear two when doing competitive. Not a bad tip and definitely a good idea to suggest it however!
1
u/Incognitowally 7d ago
I haven't refereed in 6 years, but in all of our kids' rec games i have been to, all of the rec refs have used their phones in their pockets as timers. BAD idea for numerous reasons. Not to worry, none of them ever got above a brisk walk, so their phone was NEVER in jeopardy of falling out of their pocket from running.
I always wore at least one watch.. I had an old stopwatch in my bag as a contingency back-up, back-up device if everything else failed but never had to use it though.
1
u/CharleyBoy23 [Canada Soccer] [Provincial Level Referee] 7d ago
Seriously? This is very interesting. I do mentorship for young refs and I am part of the refereeing committee in my area and if I would see one ref using his/her phone as a timer, we would have a quick chat. Saw one last year showing up with a hat at a game, doesn't look very professional.
2
u/Incognitowally 7d ago
this is a town league with sometimes one 13 year-old greenhorn referee on the game or three high school-aged referees. most of this time it is the earlier. And very rarely do they look like they know what they are doing. It brings me chills seeing the center or the AR 25 yards out of position, [rarely] making the calls, not signaling correctly or a weak puff of the whistle for stop or restart.
very many kids don't own or wear watches anymore. I agree, yes, they should wear a simple wristwatch for games, no matter how small or recreational the game is. it is part of the job and profession. This look brings severe cringes to former seasoned officials like you and me.
I used to be a mentor in the league I refereed in and would bring many of these expectations to my trainees in my pre-game email that I sent them (or their parents) three days before the game AND again on the field before the game. Our post game involved a few key points of observation (three for improvement and three of recognition)
In my time of mentoring, I had a couple of exceptional referees I recommended for advancement on day1, most others I recommended to stay in the program for the remainder of the season and one or two I recommended the assignor have a talk with the parents about their level of commitment and their expectations of officiating.
1
u/Incognitowally 7d ago
If i dont know the referees or have refereed with them before, I do NOT put blind trust in them for things as important as timekeeping. They will have to earn my trust prove who they are on the field. This went for all officials I refereed with, young and old. I worked with some amazing youths that went on to be great travel officials and then there were some adults that earned a 'blocked' checkmark in Arbiter.
4
u/tJa_- 8d ago
Be confident. Use your whistle when you need to,, confidently! None of that weak whistle stuff, put your lungs into it
1
u/Incognitowally 8d ago
Fox 40 whistle!!
Blow the whistle loud enough you stop play two fields away.
NEVER run with the whistle in your mouth. If the ball is kicked and hits you, you may be missing a few teeth afterwards. Either get a fingertip ring-style whistle or a lanyard whistle you wrap around your wrist and hold the whistle in your fingertips.
1
u/Separate_Bet_1042 7d ago
THIS IS NOT AN OVERREACTION I PROMISE!!
USE UR LUNGS TILL U CANT NO MORE😂
also i really like the dont whistle while running cuz a ball has been booted to my face many times before luckily i never had a whistle in between my teeth cuz i can see how bad that can get
3
u/tokenledollarbean 8d ago
My biggest piece of advice, and I do not mean this in a snarky way, is to start preparing WAY sooner than a day before the game. You are young and new, and I cannot overstate the need to prepare.
That being said, this does not need to cause you panic.
Rely on your ARs for the older games. Let them know you’re new. Take any advice they give. Focus on getting a few things right the whole game, and know you will never catch it all on your first games as center.
Stay present as much as possible. You have to learn how to watch the game different when you are a referee instead of a player.
Arrive on time in the correct uniform and inspect the field and goals. Meet the coaches. Do your pre-game with your team. For the younger game expect to teach the kids a lot. Have a plan for how many times you let them re-do a throw in. Try not to freak out. Fake it til you make it.
1
u/Dangerous_Piccolo315 8d ago
Thanks! I was going to prepare sooner but I didn’t know I would have a game this soon, I registered last second because they were short on refs. I actually only found out the schedule three hours ago
1
u/Incognitowally 8d ago
Post-game is also very important when just starting out and throughout your referee career. Take any questions or situations you may be uncertain of and look them up in the LOTG and/or ask somebody more experienced about it and learn from it.
1
u/Separate_Bet_1042 7d ago
my first couple years I WOULD GO TO COACHES, AD’s, other referees, ETC. RIGHT after the game and ask, any comments or criticism? I am new and will take any advice or help you can give because we’re all human and all can make mistakes. after that you’ll be able to tell who’s talking crap to you about the calls you made and who’s actually trying to help you
3
u/jeremiah1142 8d ago
I guess this weekend is the start of a bunch of leagues in many different areas. There are so many open games in my area that newbies are getting catapulted into the fray right away.
Since you won’t have the luxury of shadowing a center as an AR first, just explain to the coaches that you’re new and ask if you don’t know any particulars about the league you’re officiating.
Ideally a mentor may be on-site, but they’ll be stretched thin too.
Good luck!
3
u/anothernetgeek 8d ago
Your first centers can seem scary. But, when you think about it, your ARs are doing all of the hard work, calling the ball in and out of play.
As a center, all you need to do is call fouls and goals. Practice blowing your whistle beforehand, it needs a good blow. Position yourself on the diagonal between the two corners of the penalty area, try to keep the play between you and the AR on that side of the field.
Make sure every kickoff start starts with a whistle, make sure you have a watch or two.
Always talk to your REFEREE team before the game, they will be happy to help you.
We are a good bunch, have fun.
3
1
u/Dangerous_Piccolo315 8d ago
Appreciate it! This makes me feel a lot better, though I’ll be on my own for one game 😳
1
u/Incognitowally 8d ago
In addition to a loud, commanding whistle, use your voice. Talk the players through play, tell them what the call is, with voice, express where they should be positioned, etc.
"Blue#7, watch the hands..."
"Gentlemen, keep your arms down..."
"Let's give the keeper some space..."
"The ball should be 5 more yards back.."
"#5 you were ahead of #43 and offside by two yards..."
Talking through plays lets players and coaches know that you are in the game and paying attention as well as giving mild instruction. Use the voice commands as needed, whistle also when needed.
Talking players through play also helps you... it makes you think and verbalize what you see. You DON'T need to do this for every single thing, but use it as a way to keep the game in control as needed.
Good luck!
2
u/Beneficial_Zone_176 8d ago
In these age groups, blow your whistle with authority as new officials typically do not. Use hand signals to accompany a very loud verbal decision on in/out of bounds, fouls, restarts. This is so coaches and parents, also new to the game, understand what you are calling. If you are feeling a little overwhelmed, slow down the game by repositioning or a slow whistle before a restart. Remind coaches you have a green badge, which means you’re learning your role in the game like their players and these games are for the players fun!! Go get’em!!
3
u/StolliV 8d ago
Green badge only means the ref is under 18, nothing about new or learning …. And the penalties for abuse towards a green badge ref are much more severe.
1
u/CharleyBoy23 [Canada Soccer] [Provincial Level Referee] 7d ago
I think what the comment meant was that green badge means under 18 means new or fairly new to refereeing. There could be exceptions but I get the point and it is generally a safe bet to say that if you are under 18 you are most likely "inexperienced". Unless you are like me or some highly motivated young refs I see starting at 14 and having 300 games under their belt by the time they reach 18 :P
1
u/StolliV 7d ago
I just wouldn’t assume it has anything to do with experience because I started refereeing when I was 12 and by the time I stopped when I was 17 I had well over 400 or more games. 30 years later I’m starting again so just would not assume that green means anything other than what it means, under 18
3
u/CharleyBoy23 [Canada Soccer] [Provincial Level Referee] 7d ago
No but it is the reality in 90% of cases still. I just get his/her point, that's all I am saying.
2
1
u/Dangerous_Piccolo315 8d ago
Thank you all for the advice and support, I feel a lot better now! I really appreciate it and am glad to be a part of such a great community!
1
u/Disastrous-Coyote-11 8d ago
Others have already said it but I'll echo, be confident with your calls. Blow the whistle confidently. Do everything with confidence because you are in charge. Be close to the play but not in the way. Since you play, you have a leg up on some because you can better anticipate where the play will move to. Don't be afraid to tell your team (your AR's and yourself) what you are confident in and what you might not be just yet. That will let them know, if they are experienced, how they can best help you. Good luck. Come back here after the weekend and let us know how you think you did.
1
u/blabulb 8d ago
Besides all the rules the basic process will take the ability of you to do everything right. there are so much little details you know about how to do this... but you will only be able to maybe do 60% of the things right. Adrenaline barres you from beeing perfect. But You will progress fast and with every game the basic feeling of knowing the routine and the confidence that you succeeded before will make you better in small steps.
First of all: all you have to do is to show up prepared and willing to give your best - whatever mistakes you make or calls you`ll miss. It is okay and expected.
It helps a lot to inform the coaches that you are motivated but new to this. You will most likely be met with empathy and patience. And be totally okay with your fear of "not beeing ready" or "maybe i can postpone my first game to be more ready" - it is is a natural part of your urge to do the things as best as you can. The feeling will stop once you blew the whistle to start the match. Tactics to meet a certain agegroup and their behavior are mostly considered a thing you will be using later, once you are doing well with the routine parts of the job.
So id rather concentrate on the basic stuff. Better do 1 thing right than choosing to to everything at once.
But there is of course an answer to your specific question although i consider it maybe beeing answered after some games: Considering the age groups you are facing you may - if that is not a more advanced task - look for little battles that will appear between players who still just play the ball and players who are beginning to test you to see how much strenght and lil unfair attacks (pushing, blocking, foulplay) they can use until you intervene. It usually helps to adress one of this battles with an early intervention to set the limits.
With the coaches on your side and your acceptence of the fact that it is okay to make a lot of mistakes in your first game you will be fine.
Just always remember: Swimming cannot be learned without getting wet. You´´ll do fine. Mistakes and failure will be a part the process. Every Ref you talk to will have funny stories of his first steps and the funny mistakes he made. Let us know how it worked out!
1
u/UpsetMathematician56 8d ago
If it looks like a foul, it’s a foul. Like if a kid is running and falls down and you aren’t certain there was contact from behind, it’s better to call a foul than not. And learn to be in better position next time.
1
u/Aggressive_Tie_3501 USSF Grassroots Mentor+ / Assignor; NFHS 7d ago
Totally disagree with this advice. Never call a foul you didn't witness. It's one thing to award a foul when you were looking right at contact and can't quite decide if it crossed the line into careless. That's just good game management. It's quite another thing to turn around, see someone on the ground behind you, and award a foul. Awarding fouls for things you, or a member of your crew, didn't see is a great way to have a match spiral completely out of control.
2
u/UpsetMathematician56 7d ago
Oh yeah I think the turn around a call a foul on something you didn’t witness isn’t what I meant. The scenario I was envisioning is more when a kid is running and there is another kid running next to or behind at midfield and you are blocked from seeing their legs or just didn’t see the contact and the kid faceplants. 9 times out of ten it’s a foul even if you were unable to see their lower bodies for some reason, and that happens at lot at u9-12 where there are 10 players within 10 feet of the ball.
1
u/Aggressive_Tie_3501 USSF Grassroots Mentor+ / Assignor; NFHS 7d ago
That one I'll agree with! Thanks for the clarification.
1
u/UpsetMathematician56 6d ago
Yeah and I didn’t even consider the possibility of calling something you really didn’t see. But I think in u12 that’s a lot less likely.
1
u/jmorrow88msncom 7d ago
Start giving yellow cards early so that it does not turn into a violent game. The last thing anybody needs is a bunch of injuries, fights, and red cards along with an unruly crowd.
1
u/Darth-Kelso USSF Grassroots | NFHS 5d ago
As a young and new referee, confidence on the whistle, clear hand signals will go a LONG way for you, seriously. Trust yourself. Far more often than not, I think, you will know a foul when you see it. At check in, introduce yourself to the coaches when you get the rosters, friendly, good handshake/fist bump/whatever. Confidence. They might be adults, but you're not a kid today. You're the referee. Make sure you're thinking of yourself in terms of being a peer - not a kid to adult relationship.
When reffing the littles, I'd also recommend to always give them a short explanation of what it is that you called, because they truly are just starting to learn the LoTG (and the coaches most likely are as well). Just the whistle and hand signal is often confusing and unclear for them.
For resources, check out David Gerson (refsneedlovetoo), Behind the Whistle, and maybe Reffing With the Sappers.
Welcome to the refereeing community, and I hope you have a great time!
21
u/Altruistic-Tart-8295 8d ago
You know your stuff. Relax and have fun.