Poor Preparation of pitch

[Taffy]

I confess that I am a man of habit and therefore I like getting to the ground early on a Saturday, checking the pitch, having a cup of tea, doing my pre match stuff and then relaxing before the kick off with a book for a few minutes! Of course it is never as easy as it sounds, as you come to do the stud check and four of the forwards are en route (this never happens at Twickenham) or the scrum half is late as he has got lost in the town, or some player turns up 5 minutes before kick off. That having been said, I am always flexible, but more happy to get things done in a sequence as far as possible.

Turned up on Wednesday to a University with a lot of sides, good standard and me and one other ref. The director of rugby says he wants to have three games (30 mins a game in 2 x 15 minute halves) and he would like us to be very strict. All fine by me.

There are post protectors out, but no flags, on touch line or in goal. Not a single one. No markers for 25 or half way as normal. Not a thing. I remind the director of rugby this, he says he will sort and the first match (reffed by a colleague) kicks off with nothing in place. Nothing ever transpires. In addition (this wound me a up a bit to be honest) no offer of touch judges, seemed like they didn't really care.

The dilemma is I don't want to be seen as a pain in the a**e, but putting myself in their shoes, it was, I felt the least that could have been done. When I wouldn't start my matches without a touch judge there was general mocking and humphing.I felt that I probably had enough to do without seeing the touch as well.

I am all up for experience and advice. What's the score? Am I being too "fussy" or was my view that it was discourteous and unhelpful one that was right? Thoughts?

 

[Nigib]

Sounds like you were there to help them out with a bit of a training game. Let them know beforehand that if they can't get the furniture out, then they can't blame you if you miss something. Especially if they won't provide TJs. If you really want to, you could have insisted on cone markers. But when this has happened to me, I've just tried to understand what they've asked me there for (to referee), and got on with it. If you think it's discourteous, you have the option not to go there again.

 

[Taff]

I've seen really good Refs do games without TJs but I often wonder whether someone less able could get away with it. Personally, I reckon the better the TJ / AR the easier it is.

The missing lines wouldn't bother me so much. It's the same for both sides. I would just cover it in the PMB - ie I'll do the best I can, but please don't moan if I get it wrong.

The more serious the game, the better I'd expect the lines etc.

 

[OB..]

Of course I wouldn't dream of suggesting you should "accidentally" get a few calls wrong, just to drive home the message that flags and TJs matter.

 

[Browner]

I met begrudging participation when i asked the home side to clear their ( council? ) pitch of all debris prior a recent match. I'd started by helpfully picking up the 1st plastic bottle but very soon decided against joining in the bigger clean up operation.

After some "is he serious" comments being overheard, the home side walked the pitch& must have removed x15 plastic bottles / x5 sticks / x3 sliced coke cans / one broken unbrella and a set of bike brakes!!

The guy who was 'volunteered' to be dog shit collector had about x4 jobbies to remove!

Then we kicked off.

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

I think if you assume the title Director of Rugby then not having the facilities ready makes you look a bigger tool than just being called the manager.:biggrin:

 

[Pegleg]

Of course I wouldn't dream of suggesting you should "accidentally" get a few calls wrong, just to drive home the message that flags and TJs matter.

I should hope not!! :shrug:

 

[crossref]

my first game this season I asked the club president to move a temporary fence that the council had erected about 1m from the touchline.

give him credit : no grumbling at all, and fifteen minutes later he has assembled a work-party of blazers who spent ten minutes disassembling and rebuilding the fence.

 

[matty1194]

At yesterdays game as I was having a wee stretch and walk around the pitch of a club I had never been to before I noticed a car tyre lying on a strange angle. As this was at the end of the roped off sideline I though I best have a look. Turns out the tyre was used to "protect" a circa 2 " diameter solid rebar post about 12 " in height which was about 1m off the sideline! It had previously been 4 foot tall with a pad around it.

Following a brief chat with the groundsman who was going past on his John Deere with his pint and pipe about said trye and post he said oh its been like that for a while but no-one has really minded, I asked if any chance he could get rid of it or protect it better, about 5 minutes laters rope onto the John Deere and said post has now been removed! Top groundsman, never even removed his pipe.

 

[oldman]

Lets be clear, who is the game for?
I referee quite a number of school games, many on soccer pitches.
As long as the surface is safe, Touchline and goal line (Try line) are marked out and post protectors on the football gaoal posts we get on with it. Hopefully the boys have an enjotable game and get something out of it. It's not their fault the school cannot put rugby posts up.

 

[crossref]

At yesterdays game as I was having a wee stretch and walk around the pitch of a club I had never been to before I noticed a car tyre lying on a strange angle. As this was at the end of the roped off sideline I though I best have a look. Turns out the tyre was used to "protect" a circa 2 " diameter solid rebar post about 12 " in height which was about 1m off the sideline! It had previously been 4 foot tall with a pad around it.

Following a brief chat with the groundsman who was going past on his John Deere with his pint and pipe about said trye and post he said oh its been like that for a while but no-one has really minded, I asked if any chance he could get rid of it or protect it better, about 5 minutes laters rope onto the John Deere and said post has now been removed! Top groundsman, never even removed his pipe.

that all worked out well. But would have been interesting if he hadn't been able to get it out of the ground. Once you have mentioned something as dangerous, it's impossible to then ignore it. Would you have called off the game?

 

[matty1194]

that all worked out well. But would have been interesting if he hadn't been able to get it out of the ground. Once you have mentioned something as dangerous, it's impossible to then ignore it. Would you have called off the game?

I would not of ignored it, I would of made the club aware of my concerns for that area of the playing enclosure and give them time to either remove it with more effort or to ensure it was suitably covered over with an immovable object that would not injure any player who came into contact with it.

If that wasnt possible then look at moving pitches.

 

[Bunniksider]

........ Top groundsman, never even removed his pipe.

How did he drink his pint?

 

[RobLev]

How did he drink his pint?

What do you think the pipe was for?

 

[The umpire]

I would not of ignored it .

I would not have ignored it


[grammar rant off] :smile:

 

[Rushforth]

I would not have ignored it

I would not have ended a sentence without a full stop, nor with a space between a word and the following punctuation mark - other than an en dash.

 

[Daftmedic]

Ooowwwww well done rushforth

 

[Rushforth]

Ooowwwww well done rushforth

You just want to come back to NL for another match, Daft! I can arrange one for you. Not travel expenses alas.