Sometimes
after a bad game you can't help but thinking, "Maybe it's just me. Maybe I
have no control over these games. Every other amateur game in the country went
fine today except mine. I just have a way of winding players up. I really am
getting all the decisions wrong. The players are right - I need new
specs."
 |
| No ball, no whistle, no game |
This is when
sharing experiences with other referees becomes of paramount importance. I
won't lie - in general, refs are a weird bunch. They don't necessarily have a
great sense of humour, they are very rules-oriented (and thus rarely of a radical
bent), and they are not particularly ready to open up or criticise authority.
Which is a shame, because dialogue is essential to help us communicate what's
going on out there, and how we can act to improve the levels of sportsmanship
in the amateur game.
So whenever I
encounter a fellow ref, it's usually me who does the running. "Where are
you from?" and, "How long have you been reffing?" are the two standard
opening questions of any polite conversation between two officials. Then I
follow up with the question that takes us to a higher level of confidence.
"Do you still enjoy it?" I've yet to hear a referee effusively reply,
"Oh, yes! I absolutely love it!" But it's a good trigger for letting all the frustration spill out.
