After 3 years of refereeing my lads mini rugby team and at festivals, I’ve finally taken the plunge and joined the referees society. Our club has a policy of not having coaches/ referees etc of the team doing the officiating once the lads at playing junior rugby, so to carry on I need to be gaining more experience then perhaps doing other teams within the club and of course others across the societies patch. Any pieces of sage advice you other referees can offer?

Im level 2 ref. ATM I just ref age grade rugby, but coincidentally was chatting to a friend at another club last night after a kids floodlit match and he recently joined the local ref association (North Mids). He enjoys the support he gets from the assoc and they have lots of “easy” games for him to get his teeth into like schools/college matches (esp on a Wednesday for example) , vets, 3rd XV etc where its fun and no one is taking things to seriously while he gets his experience up.

Im planning on doing similar probably next year or the year after.

My tips are nothing remarkable. Clear hand signals, communicate clearly especially when you’re playing advantage and when it’s over. and remember the immortal phrase “I’m afraid I didn’t see that, so we’ll play on”

Your local refs society will bite your hand off. All of the above and don’t debate your decisions with players, just make them. You will get things wrong, but getting them wrong for both teams is a leveller.

As a parent of an U14s player I would say that clear communication is key. On the “don’t debate” point, I couldn’t agree more however communicating your decision makes a big difference. It’s amazing how many refs blow the whistle, award the penalty but don’t explain what the infringement was.

Yep, level 2, only do the age grade stuff and annual 7s tournament to dip a toe in the adult game.

Communication, definitely, learn the hand signals – saves parents & coaches questioning your decisions – and do em big n bold.

Main thing is experience, do as many games as you can fit in, cos it’s the only way you learn. And ask for feedback from the coaches (and if there’s a qualified ref watching (there always seems to be), them too).

It’s a blimmin great way to spend a few hours on a Sunday morning.

I do for festivals, yet to do any qualifications though.

My advice is act confident, even when you are not. On more than one occasion I have stopped a game and asked the gobby coach or parent on the sideline if they’d like a go while I stand and have a warm coffee. Normally restores order quite quickly 🙂

Oh, watch this too – https://youtu.be/GTaMYh1czgM

All great advice and good to hear there’s so many likeminded folk out there too. I’ve done levels 1 and 2 and found the courses really good, seems such a missed opportunity not to carry on with it. I do coach to a degree too so helping the lads out with how they will be reffed etc helps too. Totally agree with all the decision making and signalling, so many times I’ve not had a clue what a decision was for from the touch line. Thankfully I’ve not had too many shouty parents etc on the touchnline (yet) and I’ll defintley take the approach of here you go, or go get yourself a coffee.

Personally, I completely ignore any sideline commentary. Most of the time, can’t hear it anyway. Main thing is that the lads are enjoying their game. I always go in with that attitude – this is about them enjoying their chosen sport on a weekend.

Funny one a couple of weeks ago – I stopped play for a high tackle (really short kid, arm slipped up from a really tall kid) nothing really nasty, but the short kid’s team were taking a bit of a beating and (apparently) there was a few off the ball incidents that I didn’t see ( you can’t see everything when there’s one of you!)… anyway, short kid’s dad comes up and says to his lad “I’m taking you off! This is a disgrace!!” it was right on the side line so I hear and shrug at the dad. Kid pushes his dad away, grabs the ball, takes the pen and gets back on with the game! Loved it. And laughed.

slight hijack

is there any guidance for the level of ref for level of players? Middle daughter plays  at high level  yet even now we sometimes get ‘someones dad ‘reffing. I know its something I couldnt do and am supportive of the decisions made generally  but some of it is a bit strange. It sounds like the mens game is more closely regulated in that way.

don’t know about rugby, but if it’s anything like football which i used to ref, there are far more games than people to officiate at them, hence the ‘lower’ standard games could go weeks without a qualified official

(and then when one turns up they spend all game moaning at them anyway…..)

I think it depends on several things; what the club’s policy is on refereeing – ours has a few refs, that also happen to be dads at the club but in the main they are now dads of senior players and want to keep their hand in. But I think best practice is to have an ‘independent’ ref. I’m not familiar yet with what the levels of refereeing are in societies beyond starts at 15, goes up to 1 for those doing Premiership etc then it goes on above that too. As one of the chaps said about about societies snapping arms off, the game is in dire need of referees so I guess if its a choice between a game and no game then someone who can ref will.

When I used to ref, started of level 15 which covered 2nd/3rd teams of a counties lowest divisions (This was in Kent).  Between levels 15-11, did similar levels.   The more games you do, the faster you rise.   It was only when I got to level 10, standard of games went up -first team league games for lower divisions and also 3rd/4th team games for lower league national sides. (Blackheath/Maidstone etc)  As you then get to a higher level, standard of games get higher.  Eventually ended up as a level 8 after 3 seasons .  Basically 1st team games for higher county divisons and 2nd teams for lower league national sides.   But, at the higher level be prepared for more hassle from players, coaches and spectators.  It gets a lot more serious.

I got regular assessments from the refs society.  Signals were not expected to be spot on to start of with.  Its something that you have to learn to do and there’s a lot of them to learn.  . Also got coaching couple of times a season.   And just talk to the players all through the game and explain your decisions,  They’re the ones to keep happy.

hassle from players, coaches and spectators.

Back ten.

Better to give/reverse a penalty and then start giving them 10.  Offending player is soon told to shut up by his own players.

is there any guidance for the level of ref for level of players?

There are tons of regulations –

https://www.englandrugby.com/governance/regulations/

Ladies regs, if different, must be in there somewhere.

I seem to remember that each team is graded but not sure who did it and how its done..  So, a level 6 team would get a level 6/7 ref.   You wouldn’t put a level 10 ref on this.     Ladies rugby is graded lower but not 100% sure how that worked

I blame Thatcher, though Dennis in this case, who was a first class referee.

Good for you and good luck.

If things get get too heated and players look like they’re about to lose theirs heads completely, slow things down.

Learn to fake authority.

Learn the laws. Learn to quote them if possible.

If things get get too heated and players look like they’re about to lose theirs heads completely, slow things down.

From football experience, when things kicked off in a feisty game one time a player came up to me and asked why I wasn’t going in to separate them!! Advice there is stand back and let their teammates sort them out, make a note of the troublemakers and then deal with them* once the melee has calmed down.

* in rugby terms, that will mean a stern look and a reminder to keep their defence up and employ the jab next time.Unless someone has actually lost teeth in which case a free kick may be considered as punishment.

Explain how you intend to referee then game before the match starts. Remember different age groups have different laws so be clear.

I have some limited experience, as a school teacher. I found it very difficult but it did get easier. The better the players understand the game, the easier. Stick to your guns.

I have seen some ridiculously biased refereeing in order to even up matches. Once it’s obvious which team is going to win, there’s no point in them completely walloping the other team – it’s of no benefit to anyone and if the difference in the scores reaches 50, the match ends (I believe).

Oh, and, as with coaching be extremely careful if you ever touch a child. And make sure that in the case of serious injury, you cannot be accused of allowing it to happen. Hope this doesn’t put you off.

Well, my first appointment is through, a couple of week’s time, IV team v II team, rather apprehensive to be honest but have to start somewhere. I’ll report back once I’ve been in and (hopefully) survived the lions’ den…

Excellent Spud! Straight in with the adult game eh? Good luck and remember, you’re the boss!

superb, good luck.

Cheers chaps!  I’m a little surprised, was expecting (hoping) for a junior game first off, but in for a penny.

For the level you are doing, a bit of coaching from you might be welcome. Just stuff like “now a ruck, no hands gents.” “That’s good…blue team: offside line on your no 6.”  At the level you are starting with, a player understanding of the rules isn’t always a given. AND REMEMBER TO START YOUR WATCH AGAIN!

REMEMBER TO START YOUR WATCH AGAIN!

Is there a cheap one you can get that beeps when you hit stop?? Always forgetting to restart mine!

( I mean beeps continuously when stopwatch paused!)

there’s not a ref alive that hasn’t done that.

Its why I always try and start a half on the hour or half hour so that if I have bolloxed up my watch I can wing it by the clock on the clubhouse 😉

I wore two watches and am ashamed to say I have still  called half time during a Scottish prem 2 game based on the fact that it was 43 mins past 3 and we hadn’t had any long injury breaks. 😳😳😳

That’s great advice Duckman, I’ve been thinking about how to ref the game and I think I’ll do just that, approach it how I would juniors, lots of guiding chat. Hopefully let them play. Nothing worse for anyone than hearing the whistle all the time. I’ve found myself a great referee watch app for the Garmin watch, up and down counting, vibrate and beep when time stopped until you start it again.

Indeed, you only have to listen to the Prem refs to see how players react to a bit of coachly advice… then when you blow against them, you can just say you told them and they don’t even have to ask 🙂

Garmin watch app.. thats clever that.

So my baptism has been brought forward to this weekend, with an U16 game, and another two games in early Jan, adults and U15s. Can you wear out a whistle pea?!

Good luck, U16s can get quite spicy… 😀

No rugby experience here, but echo that for football. Plus the parents factor. I think I’d rather have had the adult game 😉

I assume they don’t know what experience / inexperience you have so don’t let on. You don’t want to be the ‘supply teacher’. Exude confidence even if you haven’t a scooby. Be firm and clear in your decisions, even (especially!) the wrong ones. Start as you mean to go on, if you let it go too far it’s hard to get back. Blow the whistle hard, when you need to, it does make people stop. Stick your tongue over the hole, build up a back pressure and then let rip…… no weedy start or end to the blast.

And enjoy it…. you’re doing it for your fun as well.

Funnily enough one the other club members said the same about juniors v adults! 😃

I can recall the first time I reffed a U16s and there was some trouble on the pitch (and in the ‘shake hands’ tunnel after the match!) and I think I contributed to it slightly… I was called over unexpectedly when their ref didn’t turn up, so just wasn’t in the right mindset – I was a bit whistle happy, penalising throw ins when they were caught by the wind, stuff like that, didn’t exude confidence… Learnt from it though and never had trouble in a single game since. Dunno if that helps, but it’s always a learning process, every game.

Whatever you do, don’t go full Steve Walsh!

From a playing side, I can only echo the points already made about communication. Good luck and enjoy!

How’d it go, Spud?