Having started work at 6 a.m., I had already had a long day by the time I arrived at this fixture for the 6:30 p.m. kick off. I had refereed both teams previously and knew reasonably well what to expect but, as with yesterday's game, I still managed to have a few surprises along the way.
I spoke to the captains before kick off about the duration of the game, explaining that we'd just managed 45 minutes each way with a 6:15 start the previous evening and I suggested 40 minutes each way. They agreed with me and we kicked off right on time.
The game was close in the first half with both teams having plenty of chances but either not taking advantage of them or finding a last ditch save/clearance denying them their goal. The first goal arrived on 21 minutes for the home team. A home substitute responded to my request to step off the field of play with barbed comment about a decision a few minutes earlier. He earned the game's first caution and more of him later ...
Just before half time a home player jumped into a tackle and although he won the ball I adjudged that he had been reckless in his actions and gave him the game's second caution. The second half started with a bang as the away team's industrious midfielder flicked out at an opponent after he fell to the ground and he got a caution for his troubles.
The game changing event occurred in the 9th minute of the second half as a central defender for the away team was outpaced by one of two brothers playing for the home team. He tripped the player as he entered the penalty area and with only the goalkeeper between him and goal. He was dismissed and didn't protest strongly. The goal from the penalty made the score 2-0.
An inspired substitution by the home team saw the new player score with his first touch to make the score 3-0. A few minutes later, the home team had two players cautioned for the same type of jumping, reckless challenge as their team mate in the first half (who said referees aren't consistent???). Their team scored a fourth goal in the next minute and we finished at 4-0.
The substitute who received the game's first caution took this opportunity to adopt an aggressive attitude towards me when I asked to speak to him about a further derogatory comment he had made. I gave him a second caution and dismissed him from the field. I then went to my own car, changed and made my way to the home team's base for some well earned chili.
Calories 1054, max hr 89% average 76%. Four in four completed successfully and all four were good games to referee. Let's hope this run continues at the weekend when I have a relatively long trip to Keighley ...
Showing posts with label Laws. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Laws. Show all posts
Tuesday, 14 April 2009
Saturday, 28 March 2009
Game 53
This game nearly never happened which would have been a real shame as today I witnessed two teams battling fairly for survival in the first division of my Supply League (the highest division without Assistant referees).
The home team had a few problems last week resulting in their game being postponed and this week's was also in danger until the decision to give the "go ahead" was made yesterday morning. I set off later than planned but made good time and arrived around 55 minutes before kick off. I collected both team sheets, changed and got out for my warm-up.
Regular readers will know that I've been managing a hamstring injury for a few weeks ago when I rather too enthusiastically joined in with Chuckle Elder's sprint session a few Fridays ago. Speaking of Chuckle Elder he now to be known as Sandy. The reason is simple ... On Thursday the District FA had their first semi final for the Saturday Cup and Johnno was on the line for Chewitt. All through the game some good natured banter was heading Johnno's way from Sandy and a few other mates. Close to the end of the game, Johnno flicked his heels up and threw a lump of dirt straight into Sandy's mouth. The touchline, having been sanded to help with drainage, contained a high proportion of SAND, hence the name Sandy. It made more sense in the pub after today's games... honestly!
Back to today's game and the weather conditions were changeable with a strong wind blowing the clouds around, covering the ground in dark shadows then bright sunshine moments later. It made life difficult for both defences as long balls played from the goalkeepers hands were moving around in the swirling air currents and quite a few times, headers were misjudged giving rise to unexpected chances to score.
I think the away team could have played all day and not scored a goal, though not through a lack of trying. They hit the cross bar and goal post twice in each half and had a couple of shots scrambled away, as well as the home goalkeeper making a number of brave saves. The home team also had their chances but the away goalkeeper, while seemingly not on the same wavelength as his defenders made a few good saves and a few ugly ones himself.
As with games like this one, with the ball moving around a lot AND the ground being hard and bobbly, there seemed to a lot of shouts for handball. The early ones were waved away but players seemed to think they could get away with a few deliberate ones and then one misjudged a bounce and controlled the ball with his upper arm ... while standing just outside the goal area his team were defending - kick from the penalty mark awarded!!! The kicker moved up smoothly, the goalkeeper dived to his right, the kicker played the ball to the goalkeeper's left but got under the ball and lifted it cleanly over the goal.
This all happened in the early part of the second half and I'm getting ahead of myself again. In the first half one of the home team's midfielders had been putting himself around the field, giving me a little lip and generally making a nuisance of himself. For the majority of the time, we had some good banter but we fell out just before half time when he went in late on an opponent and collected the game's first caution.
Just after the penalty kick a reckless challenge saw a second home player collect a caution. There was a disagreement over a challenge (which I had already penalised) right in front of what passes for a technical area for the home team. One of the substitutes ran on to the field and firmly pushed an opponent away from his team mate and as a result got the game's third caution.
I stopped trying to play advantage (none of them had come off anyway and I'd had to bring play back) and tightened up on my game control to make sure the game didn't get away from me. A trip (on himself) by a home defender saw him sprawling in front of an away attacker, who then fell over him and demanded his own kick from the penalty mark - which was dismissed. I also picked up on one of the away centre halves wearing a bracelet made of wooden beads. It certainly hadn't been there during the pre-match inspection but he assured me it had been hidden by a sleeve - he went for a walk to the touchline to "adjust his equipment".
It was at this point I realised that I had stopped being concerned about the residual tweaks from my hamstring injury and I was running freely around the field. I was even outpacing many of the players with less than 10 minutes to go. It also meant my positioning was good and when a ball was played across the away team's penalty area I was well placed to dismiss calls of handball. I noted the second away centre half wearing a bracelet and I had told this one he had to remove it before the game, but again I hadn't seen it until this point,
Another trip to the touchline to "adjust his equipment" meant his team didn't deal with a long throw in very well and in fact played it out for a second, even longer throw-in. It bounced and bobbled across the penalty area and the home team captain smashed the ball goalwards but it hit the goalkeeper and spun up into the air, dropping towards the goal line. Another attacker chased the ball but the spin saw it twist and turn into the back of the goal.
The teams played out the last 7-8 minutes and it finished at 1-0. A valuable 3 points for the home team in their survival battle. Calories 1376, average hr 78% and (a lesson not to referee while carrying a virus) max hr 110%
The home team had a few problems last week resulting in their game being postponed and this week's was also in danger until the decision to give the "go ahead" was made yesterday morning. I set off later than planned but made good time and arrived around 55 minutes before kick off. I collected both team sheets, changed and got out for my warm-up.
Regular readers will know that I've been managing a hamstring injury for a few weeks ago when I rather too enthusiastically joined in with Chuckle Elder's sprint session a few Fridays ago. Speaking of Chuckle Elder he now to be known as Sandy. The reason is simple ... On Thursday the District FA had their first semi final for the Saturday Cup and Johnno was on the line for Chewitt. All through the game some good natured banter was heading Johnno's way from Sandy and a few other mates. Close to the end of the game, Johnno flicked his heels up and threw a lump of dirt straight into Sandy's mouth. The touchline, having been sanded to help with drainage, contained a high proportion of SAND, hence the name Sandy. It made more sense in the pub after today's games... honestly!
Back to today's game and the weather conditions were changeable with a strong wind blowing the clouds around, covering the ground in dark shadows then bright sunshine moments later. It made life difficult for both defences as long balls played from the goalkeepers hands were moving around in the swirling air currents and quite a few times, headers were misjudged giving rise to unexpected chances to score.
I think the away team could have played all day and not scored a goal, though not through a lack of trying. They hit the cross bar and goal post twice in each half and had a couple of shots scrambled away, as well as the home goalkeeper making a number of brave saves. The home team also had their chances but the away goalkeeper, while seemingly not on the same wavelength as his defenders made a few good saves and a few ugly ones himself.
As with games like this one, with the ball moving around a lot AND the ground being hard and bobbly, there seemed to a lot of shouts for handball. The early ones were waved away but players seemed to think they could get away with a few deliberate ones and then one misjudged a bounce and controlled the ball with his upper arm ... while standing just outside the goal area his team were defending - kick from the penalty mark awarded!!! The kicker moved up smoothly, the goalkeeper dived to his right, the kicker played the ball to the goalkeeper's left but got under the ball and lifted it cleanly over the goal.
This all happened in the early part of the second half and I'm getting ahead of myself again. In the first half one of the home team's midfielders had been putting himself around the field, giving me a little lip and generally making a nuisance of himself. For the majority of the time, we had some good banter but we fell out just before half time when he went in late on an opponent and collected the game's first caution.
Just after the penalty kick a reckless challenge saw a second home player collect a caution. There was a disagreement over a challenge (which I had already penalised) right in front of what passes for a technical area for the home team. One of the substitutes ran on to the field and firmly pushed an opponent away from his team mate and as a result got the game's third caution.
I stopped trying to play advantage (none of them had come off anyway and I'd had to bring play back) and tightened up on my game control to make sure the game didn't get away from me. A trip (on himself) by a home defender saw him sprawling in front of an away attacker, who then fell over him and demanded his own kick from the penalty mark - which was dismissed. I also picked up on one of the away centre halves wearing a bracelet made of wooden beads. It certainly hadn't been there during the pre-match inspection but he assured me it had been hidden by a sleeve - he went for a walk to the touchline to "adjust his equipment".
It was at this point I realised that I had stopped being concerned about the residual tweaks from my hamstring injury and I was running freely around the field. I was even outpacing many of the players with less than 10 minutes to go. It also meant my positioning was good and when a ball was played across the away team's penalty area I was well placed to dismiss calls of handball. I noted the second away centre half wearing a bracelet and I had told this one he had to remove it before the game, but again I hadn't seen it until this point,
Another trip to the touchline to "adjust his equipment" meant his team didn't deal with a long throw in very well and in fact played it out for a second, even longer throw-in. It bounced and bobbled across the penalty area and the home team captain smashed the ball goalwards but it hit the goalkeeper and spun up into the air, dropping towards the goal line. Another attacker chased the ball but the spin saw it twist and turn into the back of the goal.
The teams played out the last 7-8 minutes and it finished at 1-0. A valuable 3 points for the home team in their survival battle. Calories 1376, average hr 78% and (a lesson not to referee while carrying a virus) max hr 110%
Sunday, 8 March 2009
Game 49
It was bright and breezy when I headed off to the smallest field in the Sunday league's top division and the weather deteriorated until I was running around in sleet with a biting cold wind tugging at my sleeves.
The pre-match field inspection revealed a broken bottle in the area encompassed by the goal posts and the pegged out goal net. It took a little time to this cleared up and even more time to rectify the jewellery worn by some players. A couple had taped down woven bracelets and were very disappointed to be told this wasn't acceptable. A third had a huge signet ring which he claimed he couldn't remove. Once I explained that if the ring stayed, he didn't play, then it came off quickly enough.
The game started easily enough and the early exchanges certainly didn't represent the league positions of the two teams. The home team are in a relegation fight having been promoted last season to this division while the away team have won the league for the last 2 seasons and are the County Cup holders.
A defensive error gave the away team an opening and they promptly scored the game's first goal on 6 minutes. The game settled into a war of attrition as the away team made repeated raids on the home goal. Two goals around the 20th minute saw the game over as a contest. Two more goals just before half time took the score to 5-0. A home player disputed the scoring of the goal from a kick from the penalty mark awarded in the 41st minute and he collected the game's one and only caution.
The second half saw the home team try to restore some pride and they got a reward with a goal in the 74th minute. This was however overwhelmed by the away team scoring 3 more goals in the following 9 minutes to give the score a lopsided look of 1-8. In the second half two players, one from each team, suffered a knee injury. One recovered after treatment and played for another 10 minutes before being substituted. The other was bleeding from two gashes down either side of the knee. He left the game, having to be carried off the field and took no further part.
So we finished with 998 calories (told you it was a small field) burned, 85% max 70% average. The niggle I have felt for the last 9 days has definitely eased. I should be able to ease myself through the line on Saturday, cope with a Sunday league middle next Sunday, before looking after the flag on a District Cup U14 semi-final line on Sunday afternoon.
From there, it will be time to begin cranking up the training once more. I have a Fat Lad to emulate.
The pre-match field inspection revealed a broken bottle in the area encompassed by the goal posts and the pegged out goal net. It took a little time to this cleared up and even more time to rectify the jewellery worn by some players. A couple had taped down woven bracelets and were very disappointed to be told this wasn't acceptable. A third had a huge signet ring which he claimed he couldn't remove. Once I explained that if the ring stayed, he didn't play, then it came off quickly enough.
The game started easily enough and the early exchanges certainly didn't represent the league positions of the two teams. The home team are in a relegation fight having been promoted last season to this division while the away team have won the league for the last 2 seasons and are the County Cup holders.
A defensive error gave the away team an opening and they promptly scored the game's first goal on 6 minutes. The game settled into a war of attrition as the away team made repeated raids on the home goal. Two goals around the 20th minute saw the game over as a contest. Two more goals just before half time took the score to 5-0. A home player disputed the scoring of the goal from a kick from the penalty mark awarded in the 41st minute and he collected the game's one and only caution.
The second half saw the home team try to restore some pride and they got a reward with a goal in the 74th minute. This was however overwhelmed by the away team scoring 3 more goals in the following 9 minutes to give the score a lopsided look of 1-8. In the second half two players, one from each team, suffered a knee injury. One recovered after treatment and played for another 10 minutes before being substituted. The other was bleeding from two gashes down either side of the knee. He left the game, having to be carried off the field and took no further part.
So we finished with 998 calories (told you it was a small field) burned, 85% max 70% average. The niggle I have felt for the last 9 days has definitely eased. I should be able to ease myself through the line on Saturday, cope with a Sunday league middle next Sunday, before looking after the flag on a District Cup U14 semi-final line on Sunday afternoon.
From there, it will be time to begin cranking up the training once more. I have a Fat Lad to emulate.
Sunday, 25 January 2009
Game 42
Yesterday's game was a changed fixture as the home team became the away team with a change of opponents as their originals were involved in County Cup action. The backlog created by the postponement of fixtures because of the weather recently has left one local side with outstanding ties in three different competitions.
Today's game was also a switch. I was supposed to be looking after a Sunday League quarter final between two First Division sides but was moved to another game as the new home team had some discipline issues. As things turned out the only people who gave me trouble were the away team.
The game kicked off late because I didn't have a home teamsheet. Once things were sorted, we got underway and I had controversy almost immediately. The away team launched a counter attack through the heavy mud on the field and on beating the goal keeper, their centre forward continued running on towards goal and passed to a team mate who was in an offside position. I blew the whistle and awarded the free kick for the offence to the home side. Meanwhile I heard a long stream of comments coming from one person on the touchline.
As I made my way across he began to apologise for his comments, it was too late however. He was identified as a named substitute and became the first player I have ever cautioned, who wasn't on the field of play. The home team scored a nicely worked goal and the protests of one away player saw him cautioned. A reckless challenge a few minutes later saw his team receive the game's third caution. Another few minutes and another caution for a needless trip. Two goals in a minute for the home team looked to have finished this game as a contest. Even an away goal with 10 minutes left in the first half provided little comfort and a fourth goal on the stroke of half time for the home team made it look all so easy.
As the second half started, so did the fun and games. I saw a player on his knees in the home team's penalty area and when he stood up, he was holding his hand as if in pain. He seemed to be moving about ok and play switched to the other end of the field so I went with it. I then saw him asking to come back on and realised that he'd wandered off, so I had to caution him. Another case of dissent shortly afterwards saw another player receive a second caution but he was very annoyed and it took some work to calm things down and get the game back on.
That, after 50 minutes, was just about it. Neither team could move the ball around in the mud and more than once I was reminded of the old footage of football being played at the Baseball Ground (Derby County's home before Pride Park) when Brian Clough, their manager, used to order the heavy watering of the field before every game. Many descended into mudbaths and challenges were occasionally bone shattering in their ferocity!
Back to today though and with both sides tiring, the away team added a second goal to take the score to 4-2. They also changed their goalkeeper, allowing him time to play in an outfield position. Not an entirely wise choice as he collected his side's 5th caution (not including the double which led to the dismissal). The home team picked one up as well for delaying a restart. So I finished up with 6 cautions and a dismissal from a mudbath. Calories a paltry 1144, max hr 86%, average 67% - I moved as slowly as the ball in those muddy conditions!
Today's game was also a switch. I was supposed to be looking after a Sunday League quarter final between two First Division sides but was moved to another game as the new home team had some discipline issues. As things turned out the only people who gave me trouble were the away team.
The game kicked off late because I didn't have a home teamsheet. Once things were sorted, we got underway and I had controversy almost immediately. The away team launched a counter attack through the heavy mud on the field and on beating the goal keeper, their centre forward continued running on towards goal and passed to a team mate who was in an offside position. I blew the whistle and awarded the free kick for the offence to the home side. Meanwhile I heard a long stream of comments coming from one person on the touchline.
As I made my way across he began to apologise for his comments, it was too late however. He was identified as a named substitute and became the first player I have ever cautioned, who wasn't on the field of play. The home team scored a nicely worked goal and the protests of one away player saw him cautioned. A reckless challenge a few minutes later saw his team receive the game's third caution. Another few minutes and another caution for a needless trip. Two goals in a minute for the home team looked to have finished this game as a contest. Even an away goal with 10 minutes left in the first half provided little comfort and a fourth goal on the stroke of half time for the home team made it look all so easy.
As the second half started, so did the fun and games. I saw a player on his knees in the home team's penalty area and when he stood up, he was holding his hand as if in pain. He seemed to be moving about ok and play switched to the other end of the field so I went with it. I then saw him asking to come back on and realised that he'd wandered off, so I had to caution him. Another case of dissent shortly afterwards saw another player receive a second caution but he was very annoyed and it took some work to calm things down and get the game back on.
That, after 50 minutes, was just about it. Neither team could move the ball around in the mud and more than once I was reminded of the old footage of football being played at the Baseball Ground (Derby County's home before Pride Park) when Brian Clough, their manager, used to order the heavy watering of the field before every game. Many descended into mudbaths and challenges were occasionally bone shattering in their ferocity!
Back to today though and with both sides tiring, the away team added a second goal to take the score to 4-2. They also changed their goalkeeper, allowing him time to play in an outfield position. Not an entirely wise choice as he collected his side's 5th caution (not including the double which led to the dismissal). The home team picked one up as well for delaying a restart. So I finished up with 6 cautions and a dismissal from a mudbath. Calories a paltry 1144, max hr 86%, average 67% - I moved as slowly as the ball in those muddy conditions!
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