[Kit] What do you do for pre match preparation

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Paule23


Referees in Scotland
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Current Referee grade:
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Firstly apologies for the kit prefix, I could not figure out where to put this question.

This question is driven by a comment I saw in another thread, where a referee mentioned a delay meaning they only just had time to do all their pre match stuff after arriving I think 70 minutes before kickoff.

This is much earlier than I usually arrive (about 45 minutes, and even that seems too long sometimes) so I am wondering what I am not doing that I should be doing that will take an hour or longer?

My 'routine' if you can call it such is to arrive, get changed, inspect the pitch, quick chat with both coaches, warm up, pre match briefing, bit more of a jog then we start.

I referee at a fairly low level (L8 in Scotland) so there are no ARs to brief, and usually no team sheets either. What am I missing?
 
I try and arrive 50 minutes before ko, or perhaps 55
 
Paule23 said:
so I am wondering what I am not doing that I should be doing that will take an hour or longer?
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Use the lavvy at the club rooms - that way someone else is paying for the paper.

And you call yourself a Scotsman!
 
Horses for courses. Always allow time to handle the unexpected - long walks to and fro the changing rooms.

Beyond that, I do the usual - greetings, briefings etc. I used to be able to rock up and go. Now, with a drive that lasts between one and three and a half hours, I need more time to get ready physically and psychologically. That usually involves walking around with an iPod, watching the teams. The more competitive matches, I really need the time to get my head in gear.
 
I arrive anywhere from 1 hour to 90 minutes before my game. Depends what I need to do for the game before mine, I'll usually try and get down and watch half of that before thinking about my game.

If the clubs are ready for the pre-match really early I am happy to do that ASAP as well. Might chat to people I know there, touch base with my coach/assessor. Slowly get ready and will warm up about 20-25 minutes before my game for 15 minutes. Then back into the changing room for some more stretching and activation exercises. Last 5 minutes is test my comms gear with my team and having a bit of a joke with them and then it's showtime.
 
Comms gear, team - most of us can skip those bits.

Of course one very good reason for planning to arrive early that no one has mentioned yet is the dreaded traffic - a crash on the bridge you have to cross or the moment when you realise that it really meant the dirt track that you had not counted as a turn and now you are stuck in a one way system.
 
I am often on my own, sometimes there are other games and other refs.

arrive, find someone in the home club who will show me the changing room
often will encounter the captains, if so introduce myself
get changed, check kit, get all ready
go out to pitch, if teams are all ready do PMB and studs. If not agree it will be in ten minutes (or whatever), toin coss
warm up, check pitch, and watch the team drills
game on. (I rarely go back inside)


To be honest I don't really need 50/55 minutes for that, but I like to be at my own pace and not feel rushed.
If it's a club/venue where I know there are lots of games and lots of refs, and will be people I know, I'd allow a little more time for general chat.
 
Paule23 a lot depends on the level you are refereeing at.

At the lower levels if you arrive an hour before kick-off you might be the only one there and find the club all locked up.
When I did 2nd and 3rd XVs I would never get changed until both teams were there, as many a game had seen one team not turn up.

Allow yourself plenty of time to get changed, get warmed up and check boots, etc. You may be happy to do that in half an hour which I would say is the absolute minimum time to turn up before kick off.

I arrive an hour before.

15 minutes to look round , introduce myself, meet the Captains and get a cup of tea.
15 minutes to get changed at leisure.
That has me outside half an hour before kickoff to do checks (5-10 mins) and warm up (10-15 mins). Back inside 5 or 10 minutes before kick off to remove tracksuit and bang on the changing room doors to get them out.

What you don't want is to find yourself running late, have to change your routine, and get flustered. You want to be Zen at kick off :wink:
 
When I confirm the match with the referee (usually on the Thursday) I ask what time he will arrive. Usually it is one hour beforehand, sometimes a bit more. I aim to be there slightly later - time to introduce myself but not get in the way of his pre-match routine.
 
I reckon an hour is about right. Any more than that and you're twiddling your thumbs; much less than an hour, and you start feeling pressured. I like to feel reasonably calm before kick off.
 
80-90 mins before KO for me.

arrive coffee, chat with the blazers, put music on (players do it, why shouldn't we!) find capts/coaches agree when they want to do the brief (usually an hour ish before KO), get changed go back to see teams do PMB, watch the routines, then about 30 mins before KO, do my own warm up for about 20 mins, give Capts a 10 min warning as I go back in. Tap the teams at 5 mins then everyone out on 2 mins.
 
I normally aim to get there 75-90 minutes before hand. I mainly do most of my reffing currently on the A3 somewhere, so have to take that into account. There's very few clubs in this area I actually know, so wanna make sure I'm there in plenty of time.

Most of my games are 2/3/4 XV matches, so they'll turn up in dribs and drabs pretty much until 20 minutes before kick-off. Like to get out onto the pitch an hour before and warm up (still working my way back to fitness, and my age I need allllll the time I can get). Generally, it gives me plenty of time to walk the pitch as well. During the course of this, eventually the teams will amble out, and I'll catch them early on in their warm up for the PMB (generally whilst they're all stretching or whatever they do). Then I can do a last few stretches and watch both teams practise line-outs, set moves etc - I'd like to say this is so I can get a feel for how they'll play, but generally once the game starts, anything they've done in the warm-up (and I've prepared myself for) goes right out the window.
 
I try to arrive about an hour before kick off, but feel pretty comfortable with being able to do everything I need to do in 30 minutes if traffic (or some other unexpected incident) means I'm a bit later than planned. I try not to be too prescriptive in the order I do things and due to the level I ref at I tend to do pre-match brief and boots pretty much immediately before kick off (and even then you sometimes get a few that have not yet arrived!). I guess you do whatever makes you feel comfortable and relaxed bearing in mind the level that you are reffing at.
 
I ask the home captain to phone me once both the teams have turned up, then I'll try to get out of bed, giving the PMB over the phone I can't be arsed to go through the rigmarole twice so I give the PMB to the home team and tell them to pass it on to the opposition. I'll kick the missus out and get her to make me a cup of tea while I go to the bathroom then I try to find the cleanest set of kit I can . If the game is Level 8 I'll shove the shorts in the Corby and maybe shave in the car on the way. About 5 minutes from the ground I'll get the captains to do the toss on the speakerphone. Driving in my boots saves valuable minutes, so I simply get out of the car, tuck my shirt in if there's an assessor, have a final drag on the cigarette, then slope over to the half way line and blow the whistle.
 
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The general consensus seems to be about an hour, with more time being required the higher up the levels you go.

I'm still fairly new, junior and reffing at a low level, so my usual 45 minutes is plenty at the moment. It helps I dont usually have to travel too far so don't need to worry about delays em route.
 
As others have said the key point here is "It depends" upon the level of the match.

If you are doing L8 and below it is very likely that if you appear more than 60-minutes before kick-off it is likely you will be first to arrive.

On a personal level (bearing in mind most of my games are L6/5) I will arrive up to 2-hours before (normally 90-minutes) the match kick-off. I will put my kit in the referee room and then go and find the 'suits' and introduce myself to them and get a tea. If I have been to the club before it is a chance to renew acquaintances. Speak to both coaches to enquire when they want PMB and where this is to take place, this conversation may well also ask about recent form and their take on the results as well as the previous meeting between the 2 Clubs.

Get iPod plugged in and jog the pitch and visualise the areas of the match that will be of likely action, make sure of the reference points for 22m, 10m lines as well as the extent of the in-goal area.

When the teams are warming up I will watch their patterns and see what line-out drills the forwards are enacting.

10 minutes prior to kick-off it is my time back in the changing room to get into match kit and get my game head into gear, calming any pre-match nerves :biggrin:

Either way, whatever works for you.

Enjoy your learning and be adaptable. If you are delayed by traffic don't be flustered just roll with it.
 
Blackberry said:
I ask the home captain to phone me once both the teams have turned up, then I'll try to get out of bed, giving the PMB over the phone I can't be arsed to go through the rigmarole twice so I give the PMB to the home team and tell them to pass it on to the opposition. I'll kick the missus out and get her to make me a cup of tea while I go to the bathroom then I try to find the cleanest set of kit I can . If the game is Level 8 I'll shove the shorts in the Corby and maybe shave in the car on the way. About 5 minutes from the ground I'll get the captains to do the toss on the speakerphone. Driving in my boots saves valuable minutes, so I simply get out of the car, tuck my shirt in if there's an assessor, have a final drag on the cigarette, then slope over to the half way line and blow the whistle.
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:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

A couple of years ago I had a referee turn up 15 minutes before kick-off, already changed, and asking to borrow a whistle as he had left his behind midweek. (No, it wasn't you.)
 
I have once asked a player to put out his cigarette on the pitch -but never a ref. :wtf:
 
I tend to get there an hour before hand to allow time for warm up as I'm suffering with plantar faciitis at the moment. So plenty of stretching for my calves and legs. If there's a club physio I may ask for a bit of help. I get into all my gear apart from shirt and boots and check with the home side for PMB and introduce myself to their captain.

Then to the opposition with the same thing.

Then I'll get a cup of tea or coffee and possibly something isotonic from the bar.

Any anti-inflammatories and pain killers 15 mins before kickoff, shirt and boots on,bang the doors at 5 minutes and then at 2 minutes to get everyone out then I'm out onto the pitch ready to go.
 
I seem to be pretty similar to others on here. Usually about 60 minutes before, maybe more if there's a worthwhile game on before mine. Once I arrive I try to find the coaches and see when they want the PMB to happen. If I can get it out of the way early on or even right away, I do that. Often times I'll grab the captains if they're around at the same time and deal with the toss and have a chat with them at that time as well. As long as I'm done all of that 15 minutes before KO I'm happy. 10 minute warmup then last 5 minutes to get teams on the field, make sure match ball is good and get watches set properly.
 
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