Boxing Day Match (Fun)

Taffy


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I would be grateful for any advice.

I was offered a boxing day fixture last year at my home club and was about to accept when one of the refs in my society told me how great it was reffing on Boxing Day:

"Oh it's brilliant" he said."I have three cards, one yellow, one red and one for a pint of beer". I gave the beer one twice last year. The lad I gave it to had to get me a pint before he was allowed back on the field...Hmmmmm. He went on "Oh last year I took a conversion kick".

I didn't pursue the fixture. I felt that I had a pattern (boring I know) to my game set up and that this felt like a whole new ball game. I like to think I am flexible, but the thought of ending up as the party pooper put me off.

I have been persuaded by a dear reffing friend to ref one this coming Boxing Day.

Part of me is looking forward to it and the other part of me is thinking "What are they going to expect?"

Does anyone have any advice or comments that will help?

:wales:
 

Dickie E


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I'd really want to know the ground rules before participating in this merry jape.
 

leaguerefaus


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I'd really want to know the ground rules before participating in this merry jape.
It's one of those ones that I'd really want to see in action one year before doing the next.
 

FlipFlop


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No such thing as a friendly. And these things can get out of hand. BUT...

It can be good fun. I would suggest going in with a view to ref as normal, and if the teams are entering the spirit, you will join them. But if they don't, you will ref as normal.

If you have got to the stage where both teams are in the spirit, and so are you, and then they start doing stuff "not in the spirit" then you have to pull it back in (or get the captains to get their players back on side) which is harder than it sounds.
 

SimonSmith


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What FF says.

walking a tightrope
 

Simon Thomas


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I have played in and reffed both serious and 'light-hearted' Boxing Day / New Years Day matches. If it is a serious match and usual protocols apply fantastic, if lighthearted, with "fun" penalties, and especially any alcohol involved,avoid them like the plague.
 

talbazar


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I've got no problem ref'ing this kind of games.
I've done some very similar stuff on some 10-a-side vets tourneys.

BUT

Iwouldnot get into the game myself:
- I'm not handing beer cards
- I'm not taking conversion kick
- I'm not taking restart (it was asked to me once: "Sir, mind taking this one for me?I'm tired of FK" :pepper:)

My goal as a ref is always the same:ensure that the two teams have their best afternoon possible. If it means a boat race in the middle instead of a game, I'll wishtle the start of it :biggrin:

To be clear: keep the game under control. If the teams behave, then it's all good fun. As any other saturday...
 

crossref


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Personally, I know I wouldn't do a game like that described in the OP...
 

Dickie E


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I reffed at a golden oldies tournament in Sydney a few years ago - this is the one where purple shorts mean you can't be tackled, etc.

One team had a teammate who was in a wheelchair. It was arranged that he would receive the kickoff, get pushed towards the opponents' goal line (with defender's pretending to tackle on the way) to score a try.

But all pre-arranged with everyone (including me) knowing what was going on.
 

winchesterref


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I have done a couple of Boxing Day games now. Very clear from the outset that if we want it to be played in good spirits then we all enter into it. One year I sent someone off and nobody had any complaints.

Set ground rules and stick to them.
 

Womble

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Wow, you guys are taking this far too seriously! Taffy, get out there and have some festive fun, you will not regret it xx
 

Dickie E


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Wow, you guys are taking this far too seriously!

A bit like train surfing - all good fun until something goes wrong

you will not regret it

Unless someone takes a shine to your house because someone gets seriously injured in a collapsed scrum because the ref was horsing around.

Look, life is all about risk assessment - some of us are more risk averse than others. Make your own assessment and run your race accordingly. Tell us on Sunday how it all pans out.
 

Lee Lifeson-Peart


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One team had a teammate who was in a wheelchair. It was arranged that he would receive the kickoff, get pushed towards the opponents' goal line (with defender's pretending to tackle on the way) to score a try.

Did you mange to get inside the 22 before he scored?
 

leaguerefaus


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Lucky it wasn't an electric wheelchair, Dickie. I almost get cleaned up in the shopping centre by the electric wheelchairs / scooters.
 

Taffy


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Just to give an update following on from all the helpful advice. My match has been pulled, but I have been given a local Devon derby instead on Boxing Day. I rang the referee's liason officer and gently enquired about the tone of the game and whether any "shenanigans" were expected. He said not. A competitive game he reckoned and no, he wasn't expecting anything like that and didn't think anyone else would be either!

Now, looking forward to the game.
 

BigClothesSir

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Done my home club's Boxing Day fixture several times.

Over 30s v Under 30s. Ripe for a bit of friction as the old warhorses and young bucks try to score points off each other.

Games still need to be safety managed (of course) but generally they go off fine. This year's was particularly fun with a 50 year old (in the first couple of minutes) giving a 20 year-old such a hand-off that he fell backwards into a particularly wet bit of ground causing a tidal wave and much hilarity from players and spectators alike.
 

FatherFlipper


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I was at my (or more specifically my wife's) club Captains v Presidents game on Boxing Day. Shenanigans, there were a plenty.

first time in the club history, some of the ladies team were involved (my wife being one of the trailblazers). One of the old fellas (wearing the clubs original kit from the late middle ages sometime) came along to throw in his customary line-out, then sat back down again; and, somewhat unsurprisingly, it was a draw. Again. Who'd have thought it?

I got out of reffing any of it, as they actual club CRC wasn't aware I was there, and he'd wanted to play! From a reffing point of view, he was reffing it normally, with a little bit of leeway (the fact that the game ended 23 a side; the amount of people playing in santa hats, etc etc etc).

Was fun to watch, wife said it was fun to play in, and the club was the busiest it's ever been at full time - may volunteer my services next year :)
 
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