1st Match as a Ref ..

[RUGBYBOOT]

Gents, I have finally made the plunge to take charge of a match this saturday down at my club,where I have played since 1993, to be honest I would rather it was somewhere else where I am not known.

Any advice for your 1st game would be very much appreciated

 

[OB..]

Welcome to the Forum.

You might like to browse this thread

What level match?
What refereeing background/training do you have (if any)?

 

[Dixie]

Welcome, Rugbyboot. We'd normally say don't tell 'em it's your first game - but as you may be well known at the club, that may be pointless! (though if you've got a junior game, it's quite likely but a bit deflating that none of the parents or kids will have a clue who you are).

The main point is to recognise at the outset that you'll make plenty of mistakes - and not to be phased by them. The need to react immediately to everything that's going on (and not just the one item at a time you spotted and drew to the ref's attention when you were playing) may put you into awareness overload - meaning you actually react to relatively little of what you see. If you play these things over and over in your mind as the game progresses, you'll: a) miss lots of other stuff; b) become depressed about your capability; and c) withdraw from the commanding role you need to exercise over the game. The trick is to move on from any error without much more than a backward glance at it in the rear-view mirror, and stay confident about the 70% chance you have of spotting the next offence.

Good luck - let us know how it goes.

 

[Simon Thomas]

Welcome RugbyBoot and good luck.

We all started like you, will have made the same mistakes, will have missed the same things, will have got in the wrong position, etc.

But on balance you will do a far better job then most of the players could.

Be positive, confident and keep smiling.

It gets easier and easier the more matches you do.

 

[Rambles]

I remember my first game from a few years ago.
I was assessed ! (Now that is what you call cruel.......)

After the end of the game, the players said "interesting". You see, I had tried to let play flow by not blowing the whistle very much.
The assessor had counted the penalties - as they always will.

I had given only 2.

So either it was an exceptional game, and had been exceptionally well managed (I'll let you guess on that one), or I had a few things to learn.

Assessor gave me this bit of advice..."you have to start thinking like a referee and you are there to manage the game, and you have to stop thinking as a player...."
It was good advice.

 

[Enrique]

Welcome, Rugbyboot.

As my learned colleagues here said, you will do some mistakes. Take any mistake you make as an opportunity to improve. If you can, have a more experienced ref around, someone you trust and able to give you some feedback after the game. That "extra help" (not for making the calls, that are yours, all yours and only yours) was unvaluable for me: I had a friend, who is also among the "top 20" refs in the union, running as TJ. After the game, around a couple of beers or three, he gave me lots of useful advice and positive criticism.

If the game is recorded (even by any player's parent), try to get a copy of the tape, which is quite easy in these "digital times". Then, back at home, calmly watch the tape, go back and forth around critical moves, and analyze your performance.

Enter the field with the same spirit of joy you had as a player, and repeat for yourself as a mantra "safety first, safety first". Above all, enjoy the game (you've got the best seat available!).

And let us know how it goes!

 

[RUGBYBOOT]

Many thanks to you all for all your words of advice - I am very grateful. In response to a question, I have played mainly 1st team at Gravesend for many years before injury meant I moved away from such competitive rugby on a saturday to captain and play for 2's / 3's etc. I am a confident character but cannot reacll being more nervous about anything over recent years ! Thanks again for your comments and the warm welcome to the forum I have received. Gary

 

[Phil E]

I am a confident character but cannot reacll being more nervous about anything over recent years !

.......and it's that buzz that makes us keep doing it.

If it was easy it would be boring.

 

[Simon Thomas]

Hey Phil - you might have said University of Warwick is in Coventry !

Just wasted half an hour trying to find it on a map of Warwick - silly me.

Car will be on remote control on Sunday as it just past Pony Club HQ at Stoneleigh :biggrin:

 

[Dixie]

And what is the level of the game, Rugbyboot? U.13B or Gravesend 2's?

 

[crossref]

And what is the level of the game, Rugbyboot? U.13B or Gravesend 2's?

which is harder do you reckon?

 

[Dixie]

which is harder do you reckon?

Well, the U.13's will frequently confound your expectations of what will happen next, putting you out of position and perhaps also in the way; but they will also present fewer management challenges. Both will run you around a bit. personally, I'd be happy to do either if the alternative was tidying the garage.

 

[Tryer]

I did my first senior game last weekend...... I enjoyed it, the winning team enjoyed it but the loosing one didn't...... I'm not sure which decade's rules they were playing too and I'm still trying to figure out what happened....

Not as quick as the junior games I've reffed but there were a lot more questions from the players......

Looking forward to the next time where I can make sense of it all.....

 

[RUGBYBOOT]

Hi - Gravesend 5th versus Vigo 3rds - it's a friendly game.... i hope !!

 

[Phil E]

it's a friendly game

No such thing. Treat it like a league match.

 

[JonnoNeath]

No such thing. Treat it like a league match.

I learnt that rather quickly last week :yc: