Season's Reflections...

Apologies for my lack of input over the past few months, but exams have dictated little time for any form of extra-curricular activities!

My first season (perhaps more of a half-season) has drawn to a close, and because of a planned seven-month trip to Canada, it may well be my only season as a referee for a while.

Back in March I decided to quit from refereeing men's football. It was only through miscommunication that I ended up there in the first place - I asked the County Officer for the number of a local league, and he, not knowing of my tender age, sent me through to the Devon & Exeter Football League. In every match, I was the youngest man on the pitch, and it was consequently very difficult to exert the same control one could have over, for example, an under-14s match. I only started refereeing youth football in December, and found it quite a shock just how comparatively 'easy' it was. I often found myself taking my lack of confidence from my Saturday men's game into my Sunday youth game, but my decision to resign almost freed me, and my refereeing has improved no end - to the point that I am actually a little disappointed that the season has ended!

My most memorable experience undoubtedly came in March, when I was appointed to a game in the town of Bovey Tracey. For 80 minutes, the game was a rather dull encounter - no goals and, from me, no cards. Then, the home side's forward collided with the away side's on-rushing goalkeeper, and couldn't move off the pitch. The two teams put their differences aside as they applauded the player as he was lifted into the ambulance - clearly an emotional day for him, having requested a minute's silence for his friend, tragically killed on holiday. This, I thought, was a primary example of how football can bring people together, and the togetherness shown by the players in that moment was a joy to behold. One could forgive me for being a little surprised, when, in the final ten minutes of the game, both teams proceeded to kick the living daylights out of other. The niggly challenges from the first half were now nasty lunges, the playful banter now loud cursing. Just as the game is nearing its end, I hear one of the players spitting behind me. Unfortunately, the 'behind me' part is especially important here, and, having no clue who had spat at who, decided to play on - cue the fairly standard calls of "you don't know what you're doing ref!", and the title of this very blog, "you're not fit to referee!". Undoubtedly from people who have never even considered being the man (or woman) in the middle of the park, but sometimes, there's just no pleasing people.

It's easy to remember the bad things and forget the good moments. That match, and perhaps two or three others, stand out, yet I have refereed nearly thirty games this season, most of which have passed without incident. While there is still a lot of work to be done with regards to improving the respect shown to officials, the behaviour of the majority - players, coaches, supporters and, dare I say it: club-appointed linesmen - has been impeccable, and most games have been a pleasure to referee. I might have even gone as far as to say some of the football I have seen has been of an excellent standard, but as the 'new' referees are often confined to the lower divisions, I think I'll leave that until another time!

Showing Dissent the Red Card

Television hosts rarely analyse it, managers rarely speak about it. Dissent, or questioning the referee's decisions by word or action, is rife in football, and FA campaigns such as 'Respect' have been a complete failure in attempting to combat primarily verbal abuse.

I can use my own experiences as an example. The following do not leave a referee exempt from verbal abuse:

• Being young. I'm a 17 year old referee, at the centre of a game made up primarily of twenty-something year old's. They don't 'feel sorry' for me because I'm young and innocent - in fact, it makes the job much harder, as it forces me to 'rule with the cards', as it's difficult to give a stern telling off to someone who is a few years older than you.
• Being new. Desperately trying to explain that it is only your third game and that you haven't really got to grips with things is no excuse for appearing completely out of your depth on the football field. Turning up for my first game without a badge even prompted questions as to whether I was qualified, and, to be honest, I have no doubt that I looked completely unqualified that day. So, if you are starting out refereeing, don't expect to get the sympathy treatment for a few games. Prepare for the worst.

The game I officiated in today was up there with some of my worst experiences. It was the type of game in which I was checking my watch every two minutes, desperate for it to speed up and allow me to blow for time. It seemed every decision I made was one that could be debated. Seeing as though it was a fairly nondescript clash, I decided to let the game flow a bit, and not blow my whistle for every 'foul'. Big mistake. The home side seemed to think that they were Manchester United, although the only thing that they had in common there was their red kit. They expected each and every nudge and push to be given as a free kick, and seemed outraged when they found that they were at Broadclyst Recreational Ground, not Old Trafford, where things are done a little differently.

But, of course, as soon as one of their players went in heavily - worthy of a red card in any Premier League game - they even questioned the awarding of the free kick. I chose to act with sympathy, handing him only a yellow card. Big mistake again. The said player then proceeded to hurl abuse around for a while, before his manager did the decent thing and substituted him.

On the other hand, maybe these players are following in Manchester United's footsteps. You watch any game on television, more often than not containing United, and you will see their players surrounding the referee when they do not agree with his decision. What good does this serve? Absolutely none. The referee isn't going to change his decision because a few aggressive, overpaid players disagree. The only thing it will gain the players is a yellow card. So why do players at grassroots level look to replicate this behaviour? 

So what is the solution? The 6-Nations rugby tournament is on at the moment, and the contrasts between the referees of rugby and the referees of football can easily be seen. Rugby referees command authority and respect from the players. Football referees more often than not do not enjoy this privilege - or, I should say, do not enjoy this right.

If rugby players argue with the referee, or even question his decisions, they are penalised by a further ten metres. The only measure football referees can take is to caution (yellow card) the player, but this often results in further questioning for the administration of the card. I myself am reluctant to hand out cards for dissent too often. If you wrote down the names of every man on the pitch swearing, you'd be running out of ink.

Can this ten metre rule be applied to football? I can't see why not. It is a genuine deterrent, and its use could be highly effective. That said, football players are different in nature to rugby players, and I can just imagine the rule being implemented and the game moving from one end of the pitch to the other without a ball being kicked, players complaining throughout. However, if FIFA are considering ways to 'help' referees, especially through goal-line technology, then surely the desire to tackle dissent should be high up the priority list too.

How Did I End Up Here?

Forget playing. Forget coaching. Even forget managing. After just ten games 'on the job', I can already see why refereeing is regarded as the hardest job in football.

Players are praised when they have a good game. Coaches and managers are praised when the players are at their best. Praise is a hard thing to come by as a referee - you are expected to see every foul and expected to call every offside. But if you have a bad game, you'll never hear the end of it.

Let us start at the beginning. I was never a talented footballer - strong as an ox and as brave as a tiger I am certainly not. I can barely get the ball of the ground. But I love football - there had to be some way I could be involved. Refereeing seemed to check all the boxes. Another advantage was that it paid well (for a seventeen year old), and didn't involve long hours collecting shoes for customers in a shop, or waiting tables in a restaurant. To begin my 'training', I had to apply for a Basic Referee Course, and was subsequently crowded into the Devon Football Association HQ Clubhouse with forty other soon-to-be-qualified referees, while we watched 'accomplished' referees give presentations on what to book people for and what to send people off for. We spent an entire three hour session learning the measurements of the football field - I can picture myself now, an hour before kick off, wandering along the length of the pitch, just making sure that it was at least 100 yards long.

And that was it. They didn't assign us to any games, or get us any kit. But most importantly, I was still unsure  how to control a football match. Needless to say, after spending a ridiculous amount on kit, whistles, watches and cards, I found myself putting it all together in the dark, cold changing room prior to my first game in charge. It seemed a fairly unimportant, mid-table clash between two teams in the very bottom division of Exeter's Saturday League. I'm sure my nerves showed. I heard comments from the touchline - "he doesn't know what he's doing", and "he's completely lost control of this game". I have no doubt I must have looked absolutely clueless, but I have learnt numerous lessons since that day:

• 'Close' games are the worst - if a team is already 7-0 down, they'll have given up, and will blame themselves rather than you. If its 1-1 with five minutes to go and you miss a foul or an offside, they'll be all over you like a rash.
• Never - I repeat, never - change your decision. Nothing looks more ridiculous than giving a corner, being told by the team the decision was given against that it was in fact a goal kick, and, red-faced, trying to explain that you were wrong.
• Avoid stopping the stopwatch. Because, undoubtedly, you will forget to start it up again. If it's quarter to five in the afternoon, its hardly going to be the third minute of the second half.
• Players whining? Get used to it. If you booked every player who complained at your decisions, you'd find yourself a lonely man on the field by ten past three. In ten games, I've dished out four bookings - the players will only find a way to give you a harder time if you start jotting them down in the book.

Has it been worth it? Thus far, I'd say yes. I've had my bad days - unlike any 'bad day at the office' - but on a good day you get a feeling of satisfaction that can only be matched by... well, winning football matches. £40 isn't a bad figure to make for a few hours each weekend.

Let's see how this unfolds...