WombleRef
Referees in England
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2013
- Messages
- 364
- Post Likes
- 33
- Current Referee grade:
- Level 9
Well, I've just got back from a Western Area Suffolk Schools competition - these teams go through to the county final. Interesting stuff. From the offset - the standard was very low - I ended up not worrying too much about expecting super amazing play and ended up coaching sides through the game while refereeing. Games were flowing despite the competition rules trying their best to prevent it (why kick off with a scrum??), everyone enjoyed it and good fun was had... until the last game.
The tournament started at 12:30pm, and this was the very last game at about 4:30pm. I was knackered and so was everyone else. It was 1st (yellow) v Last (blue). Yellow had a number of the nearest Level 5 side's 'A' team players whereas the last placed team had a set of inexperienced players who hadn't played together before.
Tried to keep the game flowing although it didn't help that in the 1st minute - 1 player got a whack to the head (very much not deliberate), and collapsed in a heap on the ground. Did a basic concussion test and told the teacher I wanted him off. She seemed grumpy at this but did what I asked. Then we go to a scrum where the forwards forget to come over, but from this Blue win possession, and nearly score but the player keeps running and ends up 'scoring' under the posts of the pitch opposite. Obviously I didn't allow it, but said well played and joked about him running off to Ipswich.
Then things turned nasty. Blue's 9 moans about being punched at a scrum and was crying.. said if I saw anything that I would have to act on it. Then when a blue player is on the ground injured, a yellow player comes over and swears obscenities in his ear which blue player. (Although perhaps I shouldn't - I said to both captains that I don't want to hear any swearing at all - especially not to injured players on the ground - go and talk to the players... which they did).
At half time I went over to both sides and emphasised it again in front of their teachers.
Second Half to Kick off we have to have a scrum - and I hear a blue player shout 'C***' at the top of his voice in the scrum. So I ping him. Then I catch the Yellow 9 going for a little afters with Blue 9 after a tackle and pinged him with a penalty. More swearing follows and they get subbed. 1 minute and a half to go - Yellow hooker takes the mickey over what I say about swearing at a scrum - he gets 'subbed' and both sides told in no uncertain terms that if this continued I would have to escalate... luckily it stops but...
I don't understand how a game at U14 development level can end up like that. I tried my best to manage a situation no one was expecting and the Head Coach of the U16s was watching and said I didn't do anything wrong. But I was getting pissed off (to the point of taking a second to myself and calming down) with both sides and had to try and manage them using more 'adult' management.
Is there anything you see I could have done differently?
The tournament started at 12:30pm, and this was the very last game at about 4:30pm. I was knackered and so was everyone else. It was 1st (yellow) v Last (blue). Yellow had a number of the nearest Level 5 side's 'A' team players whereas the last placed team had a set of inexperienced players who hadn't played together before.
Tried to keep the game flowing although it didn't help that in the 1st minute - 1 player got a whack to the head (very much not deliberate), and collapsed in a heap on the ground. Did a basic concussion test and told the teacher I wanted him off. She seemed grumpy at this but did what I asked. Then we go to a scrum where the forwards forget to come over, but from this Blue win possession, and nearly score but the player keeps running and ends up 'scoring' under the posts of the pitch opposite. Obviously I didn't allow it, but said well played and joked about him running off to Ipswich.
Then things turned nasty. Blue's 9 moans about being punched at a scrum and was crying.. said if I saw anything that I would have to act on it. Then when a blue player is on the ground injured, a yellow player comes over and swears obscenities in his ear which blue player. (Although perhaps I shouldn't - I said to both captains that I don't want to hear any swearing at all - especially not to injured players on the ground - go and talk to the players... which they did).
At half time I went over to both sides and emphasised it again in front of their teachers.
Second Half to Kick off we have to have a scrum - and I hear a blue player shout 'C***' at the top of his voice in the scrum. So I ping him. Then I catch the Yellow 9 going for a little afters with Blue 9 after a tackle and pinged him with a penalty. More swearing follows and they get subbed. 1 minute and a half to go - Yellow hooker takes the mickey over what I say about swearing at a scrum - he gets 'subbed' and both sides told in no uncertain terms that if this continued I would have to escalate... luckily it stops but...
I don't understand how a game at U14 development level can end up like that. I tried my best to manage a situation no one was expecting and the Head Coach of the U16s was watching and said I didn't do anything wrong. But I was getting pissed off (to the point of taking a second to myself and calming down) with both sides and had to try and manage them using more 'adult' management.
Is there anything you see I could have done differently?