Augie’s pre-game
Three things today, please. Concentrate and focus on our positioning and game responsibilities, get involved and lots of eye contact.
· Offside is always yours, including set pieces around the 18 where I’ll be the goal judge (yes, this means you must run!). Make sure the player is actively involved. Be slow and right, rather than fast and wrong. I may allow balls retrieved by the keeper to be played out by him. Hold your flag until I acknowledge it, or it doesn’t matter any more as it’s been cleared by the defense.
· Talk to the players. Communicate what they’re doing wrong, as well as acknowledge what they are doing well to keep their behavior within the limits of rules. Tell them to let go of shirts, to keep hands off, to take it easy in the corners, and that they did a good job avoiding the keeper, etc.
· Follow the ball all the way to the goal line. Always be in a position to make, or sell, the call.
· Directional signals:
o Make them for your goal line and your touch line only. Look at me, signal and I will mirror. (Don’t be mad at an occasional over rule for something you didn’t see because you were positioning yourself for offside).
o Don’t signal on my side unless the ball goes out, and then back in, in which case, put the flag straight up and I’ll give the direction. If I look back at you, it means I don’t know which direction. So, give me a direction and I’ll mirror you. If you don’t give me a direction, I’ll guess.
o If at any time you don’t know a direction in your area, you can signal that you don’t know and I’ll give the direction and you mirror.
o If at any time we put up opposite signals, quickly come down and go with me, unless you’re 120% sure you’re right! Then, slight wave, back in your direction, and I’ll mirror you.
· I expect you to get involved with making foul calls in your quadrant. Calls you make signaled by a wave and a direction will be mirrored by me. Similarly, calls I make near you should be supported with a flag wave, eye contact and the same direction as me.
· Prior to making ANY call in your area, make sure I have not seen it or have not acknowledged the foul with a “play on” or “go on, continue, no foul” or the like. If you are 120% certain I haven’t seen it or acknowledged it, make the call. Again, give it about 2 seconds to make sure. Don’t “throw me under the bus” by signaling for a foul at the same time I’m yelling “play on.”
· Calls in the penalty box are the same way. If you are absolutely sure I didn’t see it, wave your flag, wait for the whistle and move to your position. Again, if you’re not 120% sure, let it go.
· PK’s- Come in between the 6 and 18 and be the ball and keeper judge. I will also be a keeper judge and will watch for encroachment. If a goal is scored and you don’t like what you’ve seen, step off the field. I will join you to make sure we saw the same thing and we will retake the kick, if necessary.
· Substitutions come all the way off the field and at the center line. We’ll deal with excessive subs or time wasting by adding time or sending players off at another point of the field and restarting more quickly, if necessary. If the AR is nearer to the substituting bench, go ahead and handle the sub. I will hold play until the substitution is complete and you are back in position. If I am nearer, I’ll signal to you that I have it. You can put your flag down once I’ve acknowledged the sub.
· If we have a fight, far side AR controls the bench to make sure no else enters the field. Near side AR helps the center referee by either taking all the numbers he can and/or helping to keep the participants to a minimum. Write down everything you see, not just one team’s numbers.
· Ball in and out of goal mechanics. At the goal line, the AR stands with his flag raised. Once the center blows his whistle, the AR jogs up the line to indicate that a goal has been scored.
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Whenever writing, remember TLC,
that is,
· Near side AR should mirror the far side AR when the center is unable to see his signal and needs to get his attention
· Watch for fouls behind my back. Try not to watch the game, but instead focus on our own areas so we don’t miss anything. Hold your flag for situations which require me to stop play. A hand on your patch means I’m coming over to get the number of a player who’s getting cautioned. A hand on your back pocket means you have a red card offence. Otherwise, flag at the next stoppage if it can wait till then.
· Review security issues.
· Review substitution rules as dictated by the competition, i.e. unlimited, 3 only, 5 only, etc.
· Review overtime procedures, if applicable.
Begin, continue with or finish your other pre-game responsibilities including player check in, field inspection, coin toss, ball inspection and any other responsibility as dictated by your association (USSF, FHSAA, NISOA, etc.)