Please remember that keeping the game safe for the players is the most important job you have - everything else is just a game. A few decisive calls or verbal instructions at the beginning of the game can help you keep the elbows and aggressive play under control. Giving loud, direct, complete verbal instructions will encourage the players to follow that advice and modify any aggressive behavior before it reaches a point where you have to throw them off the field. CC coaches like lots of information from the referee - so don't just gesture - explain your calls in a loud clear voice, even when you are not sure of them.
Here is some additional advice from the Bedford referee assignor:
- Make sure you blow your whistle hard for fouls and point in the direction of the restart.
- Be within 15-20 yards of the ball so you get a good view of the play. Remember, as referees (and humans) we will never get every call correct. Our job is to "sell" the call to the players, coaches and spectators and to do that we need to be close enough to the play and make the right call most of the time.
- On balls that are just over the touch line, blow the whistle and point in the direction of the throw-in.
- Proper throw-ins require both feet to remain on the ground and the ball to be behind the head and thrown straight over the head. Violations give the ball to the other team with the exception of U9 in the fall where they get a second chance.
- Know what "advantage" is. If you see a foul that is in the attacking side of the field, wait a second or two to see how the play develops. If the attacker that is fouled maintains possession of the ball, or a teammate has the ball and is moving toward the goal, or if the ball has a chance of going in the net, call out "advantage" or "play-on" (and wave both hands forward) to indicate play to continue. If the attacker is fouled and clearly loses control of the ball to the defending team, or falls to the ground and loses possession, blow the whistle and call the foul and direction of restart.
- Referees should have their shirts tucked-in and look professional.
- Arrive to your game in plenty of time to be able to inspect the field, make sure the goals are anchored securely and to check-in players before kickoff time. You should be at the field at least 15 minutes before scheduled kickoff. Arriving at kickoff time, or 5 minutes before, is not acceptable.
- Remember to call punts and goal kicks that go over half line in the air in 7v7 games. The restart is an indirect kick in the other direction on the half line where the ball crossed.
Slide tackles: Slide tackles are not technically against the rules, but they are difficult to perform without fouling or causing injury. Many BAYS clubs have been enforcing bans on slide tackles for grade 6 and younger. Our senior referees agree that in the interest of safety, no slide tackles for grade 6 & younger is going to be the policy for CCYS as well. Center referees should be mentioning this at the beginning of your game. This is part of a concerted effort to maintain better control of our games, so please also be vigilant about elbows and dangerous play.
For grade 5, 6, & 8 center referees, please remember that you are in charge of your referee team. Center referees are expected to have flags and to loan them to assistant referees during their games. Please meet with your team before the game and review the procedures for assistant referees. Have your assistant referees help with roster checks and player inspections. If you have not worked with an AR before, please review the job and flag positions and encourage them to use decisive guestures. Please remember to pay attention to your assistant referees during the game, and to give them some feedback on their performance after the game.
Please report the in-town game score directly to the referee coordinator via email; for BAYS games, please fill out on-line game reports for travel games. If you switch games with another referee inadvertently or are part of a team that has changed games because of a last minute reschedule, do not fill out a game report until the BAYS assignment corrected. You must accept a game before you can score it on BAYS.