Glasses vs. Contact Lenses

[Tibbs]

Just had a thought about something that was mentioned to me at a society meeting a while ago.

Of those people who wear glasses, how many wear them on the pitch and who prefers to wear contacts or no eye enhancement at all?

I've worn glasses since I was 6, and I'm so used to wearing them that I often forget to put my contact lenses in before a game. I've noticed that the players react differently to me if I'm wearing glasses - often more likely to question my decisions and such.

Is this just my perception, or has anybody else noticed this?

Chris

 

[Simon Thomas]

Referee appearance, and body language, is an important aspect before, during and after the match. If you don't 'look the part' then players' perceptions may be that you aren't right in your decision making.

Unfortunately glasses are an old chestnut for referees - 'speccy four eyes', 'are you blind ?', etc - and I haven't seen many referee wear glasses recently. One excellent high grade London Society referee wears glasses, and has a very assertive strong personality (but not a 'shouter'). But some players may either sub-consciously or directly think your eyesight isn't good - although we all know logically that wearing glasses usually restores sight to 20:20 (or near enough !)

As with all things in life, appearance sets an initial impression, and the right on-going image is crucial to maintaining good 'customer' perception of a service. This applies to both physical appearance and personal behaviour. No doubt there is some academic and lots of commerial (customer service and brand image areas especially) research somewhere that might support some of my comments below taken from personal experience as a player and a referee. These are not direct criticisms of any individuals I know, and should not be taken as such (even in this pc crazy world) - but I have seen them all !

Good image* Poor image
Clean polished boots * Old muddy boots
Clean, smart matching kit * Old ripped shirt, 'washed out shorts', non- matching or even two different colour socks
Society tracksuit * Old sweat trousers and sweater
Well groomed hair and shaved * Wild unkempt hair / unshaven
Contacts * Glasses
Fit, trim body shape * Out of breath, beer gut on show
Whistle on wrist elastic * Old tatty whistle boot-lace lanyard
No 1s - blazer / tie* Jeans and old club shirt
Smart kit bag * Supermarket plastic bag

Any more ?

 

[ex-lucy]

Fit, trim body shape * Out of breath, beer gut on show.
i resemble that remark ... i am an endomorph ... and my beer gut is paid for..

i wear glasses day to day .. short sighted but not too bad ... but dont wear them in the clubhouse or while reffing.

we used to have a ref in Herts who had a pony tail ... nice bloke but recvd lots of guffaws from the sidelines ...
i havnt progressed to blazer and tie as yet. But i have moved on from jeans, i wear khakis and shoes with a polo shirt.

 

[Simon Thomas]

Progress then ex-Lucy - out of the jeans ! Keep up all the hard work - I had a comment about you the other day that you don't resemble the referee you were 12 months ago (even if physically there has been no change) and have made great progress on the pitch. Well done m8 !

Blazer and tie is mandatory for Panel / Group and Fed guys/girls, plus we ask for collar & tie minimum for Hants refs doing any 1st XV League or Cup match.

It works the other way round of course - a IRB Kiwi referee is well known for his love of Armani, Gucci etc and also for some less than satisfactory referee-ing and TJ performances.

 

[madref]

Hi Chris

I have worn glasses since I was four years old and not allowed to wear contact lens due to an operation I had when I was young.

Anyway to cut a long story short I referee without glasses , when I first started I wore glasses all the time.

I make sure to get to a ground and hour or so before and take off glasses right away. I then let my eyes adjust from being blind to partially blind lol.

When I stopped wearing my glasses my refereeing improved no end as did my positioning at rucks, mauls and tackles as I realised I had to get there as I may not be able to see.

All the assesors , players and other referees think I wear contacts, there are only 2 people in society who know I don't.

PS Maybe a few more now lol

David

 

[madref]

Lucy

I have progressed to no 1s for 2nd or 3rd team fixtures. I heard the comment a couple of weeks ago when I was doing a L13 match as I was on standby and this is what I got. At last our first propper referee of the season! Even though they have had society referees before.

David

PS I am loosing my beer gut.
PPS Think I will get an whistle strap, I do use a new black boot lace!

 

[ExHookah]

Got a side effect of something I wore last weekend. I was being evaluated, so I wore a radio for my evaluator to listen in. Some of the players noticed the mic on the lapel, and I heard the following exchange:

"He's wearing a microphone, did you see that?"
"Well we must be moving up in the world if they are sending this guy to do our games"

After the game another player approached me and asked where the TV camera had been, because he saw the mic.

As with many things, it created an impression without me intending it to do so. I have to assume that if you wore it deliberately to create an impression it would likely backfire and players would think you were showing off etc.

I wear contacts for all my games. Only wore glasses once, for a school match when I forgot my lenses. Most of the players knew me anyway so it didn't make a difference either way.

 

[PaulDG]

Blazer and tie is mandatory for Panel / Group and Fed guys/girls, plus we ask for collar & tie minimum for Hants refs doing any 1st XV League or Cup match.

We've been told that the Blazer is on the way out as even Rugby has to move a little way with the times. But polo shirt (ideally a society one) and proper trousers (not jeans) is the minimum with society shirt and tie for 1sts and up.

On the glasses point, I wear glasses most of the time but use contacts for refereeing. Partly that's the image thing and partly it's the practical issue that contact lenses don't have problems in rain and snow.

 

[Simon Griffiths]

Welcome to RRF Paul!

I had some good advice given to me early on by one of our RFU guys - always wear at least a shirt and tie to your first match at a club (be it 1stXV cup game or U14 friendly). Then continue wearing it for a few visits, then you can 'relax' a little (only into chinos and polos though) as the club get to know you and respect you.

So, I have gone along with that advice really. There are a number of clubs that I've refereed regularly on Sunday mornings that I'll role up in a polo to referee, but my Saturday matches are all shirt and tie at the moment. (Oh, and always get dressed up for finals!).

 

[Robert Burns]

We don't have society shirts, but I'll almost always wear shirt and society tie, the only time I won't is when I am working early in the morning, but I'll tell the appointments that I am working but if you really need someone i'll do it. So when that happens I turn up in polo shirt and jeans, I don't really get a choice and if the players want a ref, they have to make do in the situation. On the flip side those games will always be 4/5th team games, as you would expect.

 

[Jacko]

Tibbs - I don't think the problem was the fact that you were wearing glasses. Perhaps more to do with the fact that you walked into the post as you made your way onto the pitch and then preceded to give your front row briefing to a nearby bush.

 

[SimonSmith]

I always arrive in wearing contact lenses, and don't generally change into glasses unless I'm having a bad day with the lenses.

It just opens up too many chances for the comments!

 

[ex-lucy]

"then preceded to give your front row briefing to a nearby bush."

Bill? AB prop? what was he doing there?

 

[Simon Thomas]

I can still remember the pre-tournament parade at Hong Kong Sevens a few years ago when the tourney referees all came out to walk around the track with sunglasses, white stick and dog on a lead - wonderful.

I don't suppose anyone has a video of it - a natural for YouTube.

 

[SimonSmith]

That was exactly the costume that one of our referees wore to the tournament party here some years back, only no dog.

Long white stick,, black glasses, tap-tap-tapping wherever he went.

Then he got back to the hotel, and got out of the car. Heads for the door, tap-tap-tapping all the way. Only to have a very aged and infirm couple stop everything that they were doing to open every door for him on the way to his room - which was some way away....

 

[Davet]

I wear glasses everyday, work, home, social etc, but contact lenses for sport - either training with the club, or refereeing. Daily disposables work fine - and I keep a few pairs in my referees box (old plastic cracker box with snap on lid where I keep by refs bits - whistle, pencils, 2p coins etc.)

I always wear a shirt and society tie - makes life simple, when I turn up they know who I am, and in the bar the staff realise I am the ref and make with the free beer. It may have an effect on the players as well but that's just a side benefit.