First Assessment this year: short?

[Mike Selig]

Hi all,

Here is the report I've just got:

Name
Mike Selig
Referee’s Level 10

Society
Warwickshire
Date
01/10/11



Home Team
Green
34pts
v
Away Team
Black
23pts



Description of the Match and its challenge for the Referee Game Level__10_____
Green 2nds were without a fixture so a few of them played for the 3rds and Black fielded a strong 2nd team and had 7 rolling replacements. With the skill sets of the players, this was more like a level 9 fixture played on the hottest October day on record. The only thing that separated the scores was the Green kicker. Mikes main challenge was to manage 2 good experienced teams and assert himself on the players and the game.

Please outline up to three areas for improvement (using Key Components) and OFFER SOLUTIONS
1. GAME MANAGEMENT: Mike did not keep to his pre match front row brief. The “engagement” was being determined by the players. Almost every scrum was engaged early and he only penalised this late in the 2nd half. That said, the engagement always looked safe. If Mike free kicked the early engagement from the start and reminded the players what was agreed in the pre match brief, he would assert his authority on the players and this would help build his confidence. Mike appears to have a quiet disposition. Level 9 games and above, require the ref to be assertive, this can be achieved by quieter refs following the most experienced current international referee Jonathan Kaplin’s style (quiet but assertive).
2. POSITION: Mike missed a few off sides in the backs. Mike should stand with his shoulders facing the goal posts rather than the touch line when the ball has been won at scrum, ruck and maul. This will allow him to observe the defending team’s offside line.
3. LINE-OUT: Mike missed several early lifts and not straights. Mike always stood 5 metres in from touch and about 5 metres from the attacking side’s lineout. Mike should vary his position i.e. if he stood closer to the” gap” he would be able to detect more not straight offences. He should penalise the early lift with free kicks.

Please list up to three of the referee’s strengths in this match
1. FITNESS: Mike is fit and kept up with play. This enabled him to detect offences at the breakdown.
2. TACKLE: Mike reffed the tackle very well spotting the first offence most of the time.
3. SECONDARY SIGNALS: Mike knows all the secondary signals; I could tell what the offence was at all times. He can make better use of this knowledge and help himself appear more confident by slowing the signals down and making them more dramatic rather than over repeating them.


Comments from myself:
I am a bit disappointed with the report which I find quite short, and also am not sure it gives the impression that overall I had a good/very good game (not only my view, but both teams also and indeed the Assessor in the post-match discussion). I found the discussion quite useful if somewhat "report driven". Also to list secondary signals as a strength seems somewhat damning by faint praise or am I being overly sensitive?

On the points made:
Fitness: I felt very fit so am glad this was mentioned. This was a very fast game in hot conditions and I was behind at a tackle exactly once (not so coincidently one of two tackles where I penalised an arriving player), every other time I was 3rd there. Also at one point there was a breakaway and kick through from before half-way, I was less than 10 meters away when the winger touched down (but blowing a bit I must admit).

Scrum: I am aware that I struggle with scrums. Whereas I am at last fairly happy that I know how to referee a tackle, ruck, maul, line-out, at scrums I give decisions based on what I see but am unsure if what I see is what matters. Need to reread Brian Moore's article.

Positioning: this is becoming a problem (second report which mentions I am getting too square). Must concentrate over next few weeks (including one woman's match which should be perfect practice) on getting myself in a position to see off-side lines. I don't think I missed much but I think this was down to the teams being well disciplined than any particular competency on my part.

Line-outs: I disagree with the point made. I don't actually think I missed any not straights and I pinged a few. The early lifts was more a management issue rather than positioning (in that I kept saying "get down" and they did, but really I should have just had a word afterwards and then penalised). I feel my "standard" position allows me to see the backs, the thrower, and accross the line offences. The position he would like to see me adopt only allows the latter. He was however the first assessor who agreed with my philosophy that at this level standing at the back of the line-out is a nonsense (nearly all balls are thrown to front, and when thrown to back I am fit enough to catch up quite easily).

Overall I was happy with the match and greatly enjoyed it, I'm not sure the flavour of the report reflects that.

Thoughts? Maybe I'm just full of myself.

 

[Phil E]

Mike

I know your assessor well, as he is also my coach. Any advice from him is well worth taking.

Scrum: I am aware that I struggle with scrums. Whereas I am at last fairly happy that I know how to referee a tackle, ruck, maul, line-out, at scrums I give decisions based on what I see but am unsure if what I see is what matters. Need to reread Brian Moore's article.

The main point for me here, is that you didn't do what you said pre-match. You said you would do one thing, but didn't enforce it. This can lead to credibility issues in other areas. The engagement sequence must be at your pace not theirs. I always say in my brief, dont anticipate the commands, don't try to race me in.....because you won't win. If they go early, whistle, stand them up, start again. After a couple of times they will get fed up, because they know they can't win. Its an easy fix.

Positioning: this is becoming a problem (second report which mentions I am getting too square). Must concentrate over next few weeks (including one woman's match which should be perfect practice) on getting myself in a position to see off-side lines. I don't think I missed much but I think this was down to the teams being well disciplined than any particular competency on my part.

If it's been mentioned twice, then you know (as you said) that it needs addressing. You have picked this up yourself and produced an action plan to work on it. Well done.

Line-outs: I disagree with the point made. I don't actually think I missed any not straights and I pinged a few. The early lifts was more a management issue rather than positioning (in that I kept saying "get down" and they did, but really I should have just had a word afterwards and then penalised). I feel my "standard" position allows me to see the backs, the thrower, and accross the line offences. The position he would like to see me adopt only allows the latter. He was however the first assessor who agreed with my philosophy that at this level standing at the back of the line-out is a nonsense (nearly all balls are thrown to front, and when thrown to back I am fit enough to catch up quite easily).

Damned by your own words here I am afraid. "I kept saying "get down" and they did"........but they kept doing it. Manage the first one or two times, then start Free Kicking them. That will stop it completely.

I think the main point about position at the lineout, is don't be predictable. Move about a bit. If you stay in the same place every time, the players will soon know that they can get up to things in any blind spots. Especially these two teams, who will know every trick in the book!


You have got one or two very useful pieces of advice in that report, that are very easy to work on.

If you feel the report is lacking anything, ring him up and have a chat about it. I know he will be responsive if you are constructive about it. Just do it before Ireland beat Wales next wekend!!!!!

 

[OB..]

1. GAME MANAGEMENT: Mike did not keep to his pre match front row brief. The “engagement” was being determined by the players. Almost every scrum was engaged early and he only penalised this late in the 2nd half. That said, the engagement always looked safe. If Mike free kicked the early engagement from the start and reminded the players what was agreed in the pre match brief, he would assert his authority on the players and this would help build his confidence.

Agree

2. POSITION: Mike missed a few off sides in the backs. Mike should stand with his shoulders facing the goal posts rather than the touch line when the ball has been won at scrum, ruck and maul. This will allow him to observe the defending team’s offside line.

You agree as well. One tip from an experienced ref was to throw out an arm towards the backs. That tends to make you look (and turn) as well as warning them to stay onside. Worth trying?

3. LINE-OUT: Mike missed several early lifts and not straights. Mike always stood 5 metres in from touch and about 5 metres from the attacking side’s lineout. Mike should vary his position i.e. if he stood closer to the” gap” he would be able to detect more not straight offences. He should penalise the early lift with free kicks.

Did you manage the early lifts? Was the thrower dummying? Did it continue after you had tried management?
I am happy with your starting position. You can judge not straight by the way the players jump, and you can use the Venetian blind effect to see through the lines at least to start with. If you start too close to the LoT it is harder to keep an eye on the thrower as well as the lineout players.
There is a case for occasionally taking a position at the back, again at an angle, NOT on the LoT. You might see something different, but no big deal.
I would be more interested in the way you moved as play developed.

1. FITNESS: Mike is fit and kept up with play. This enabled him to detect offences at the breakdown.
2. TACKLE: Mike reffed the tackle very well spotting the first offence most of the time.

Excellent. Two important aspects.

3. SECONDARY SIGNALS: Mike knows all the secondary signals; I could tell what the offence was at all times. He can make better use of this knowledge and help himself appear more confident by slowing the signals down and making them more dramatic rather than over repeating them.

I wouldn't list signals here, but I did suggest to a referee recently that he needed to be more dramatic with his signals - a metaphorical shout, not a whisper.

 

[Mike Selig]

Maybe I just need to HTFU?

My point about the line-out was IMO it wasn't a positional problem but a management one. Basically, I should have stopped saying "get down" and just pinged em (after a quiet word after the first time I had to say "get down"). I don't think this was anything to do with positioning though (I know said assessor disagreed as he said he felt the forwards were trying to get away with stuff based on where I was placed, and pre-lifting was one of them).

Anyway, the report is good in that it is helpful and gives me explicit things to work on. I'm just not sure it reflects the conversation (which was quite lengthy) we had.

 

[Bungle]

First couple of lineouts I always stand so I can see the thrower in the corner of one eye and a good view of the opposition jumpers without having to move my head. That way you can see if there is any imbalance in timing. About 33% of the time there is so I just blow "blue avoid the early lift; green, get it in without delay". I find that usually nips it in the bud. You can usually also check any pre-binding from the venetian blind effect which is a common cause of early jumping imho.

After that, positioning will depend on what is happening, variation etc but the above is probably my default position.

 

[Dixie]

I find that usually nips it in the bud. You can usually also check any pre-binding from the venetian blind effect which is a common cause of early jumping imho.

Utterly confused. What's a Venetian Blind got to do with a rugby lineout? You pull it and it gets stuck until you give it another jerk? You always find dust between the slats? Work it too hard and the whole thing comes clattering down?

I thought pre-binding was completely legit these days. Help please!

 

[Adam]

Utterly confused. What's a Venetian Blind got to do with a rugby lineout? You pull it and it gets stuck until you give it another jerk? You always find dust between the slats? Work it too hard and the whole thing comes clattering down?

I thought pre-binding was completely legit these days. Help please!

I'm sure you know what he means. The lineout is considered to be like a Venetian blind in the sense that you can only see through it at certain angles. If you look exactly down the middle you can only see the two front men and the jumpers. Look through the side then you can see most (if not always all) of the players.