For Beginners, Practice Should Precede 'Refing.'
WELCOME, and please accept my salute to you and to all who have been involved in setting up Mentor programs, where a Mentor can jump into action at the fields. Setting up a program is a BIG challenge, but not as tough as recruit, train and maintain process for new ones. Our salute goes to those who are doing that well because a Mentor is truly a brilliant contribution to the training CHALLENGE, how to bring new Refs into acceptable 'job ready' status......
IN FACT, WE HONOR THOSE SOCCER LEAGUES THAT HAVE DESIGNED MENTORS TO BE PART OF THEIR ONGOING SOCCER OFFICIAL TRAINING THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE YEAR. DURING THE NEW REFEREE TRAINING CLASS, STUDENTS ARE GIVEN A SHORT VISIT BY A MENTOR REP. WHO EXPLAINS WHAT THEY DO & HOW THEY DO IT. THEIR GOAL IS TO SHOW HOW THEY PASS ON THE 'Art of Refing'AS PART OF MANAGING REFEREE PERFORMANCE AND GROWTH as REFS, AS THE MENTOR WILL SHARE HIS/HER OBSERVATIONS DIRECTLY WITH MENTEES plus WITH THE ASSIGNOR AND REFEREE COORDINATOR.
What this relatively brief EXPERIENCE WITH MENTORS has shown us is that optimal new Referee training reaches its apex IN THE GAME ITSELF, in at least two scrimmages that occur before the Season begins...and other scrimmages that become available after that. It is in these games, that Mentors get to impart the Art of Refing by coaching,supporting,re-directing our new Refs.
Many now see the best way to finish the training at the field lies in AT LEAST 2 mentored scrimmage games before the season begins. Typically, these games often occur on a single weekend prior to the season's first scheduled games. This is a most opportunistic time for player training too-Coaches scramble to get scrimmage games before the season begins...A SALUTE goes to Coaches because they do this all the time...Taking the initiative to include/officiate in at least two(2)Mentor-supervised scrimmage games falls clearly onto the Referee Coordinator ....prior to the soon-to-be licensed Referees receiving their badges.
This Snapshot Summary of today's New Ref training is beginning to look 'old school' in that 'c' is becoming more integrated into Local League Training Plans:
a) An Instructor imparts knowledge of the Laws of the Game, certifies this achievement, issues the badge
b) Conduct a Field Session with emphasis on Location on Field,Movement,Proper Signals...
c) PLAN for a 2-Game(per new official) Mentor-supervised PRE-SEASON PRACTICE at Refing
d) Mentors are typically deployed to observe from the touchline & teach at ½ time & end of the game - more on other popular Mentor formats= reviewed in Chapter 3: 101, 102, 103-aka 'Ninja' or 'Unbridled Mentoring'), 104 Jamboree Style
It's hard to 'sell the call' when you don't know what you are doing; hard to manage the game for players' safety and to fairly apply the LOTG if you don't know how to do what you'll soon be doing.This is precisely where at least 2 mentor-supervised games can deliver that training!
In many cases, mentors are like the urgent field technicians deployed to arrive on the scene of an 'accident.' 
The 'accident' being less than optimal Refing due to the absence of PRACTICE. New referees have a right to count on those in charge of training to deliver relevant hands-on training prior to 'real deal' Refing.
We've all seen the utter dismay of coaches when players with the potential to score 'don't finish.' Well, here we could be doing the same thing with new Referees & their parents...but 'don't finish' the training prior to the start of Refing. We cut training short and start chasing our new Refs with Mentors- in games that have a lot of meaning to players, parents and coaches -AND- it seems that we are putting the safety of players at risk every time new referees are placed into games without having first practiced the skills to be used.
The game itself brings pressure for better New Ref training
There is a noticeable trend even with 'entry level' teams which deepens our need for action: players are coming into the sport at stronger skill levels and with a greater sense of how the game is played than ever before. Today's new players need & deserve better trained new referees.
We have the Good Example of Coaches To Follow
We should follow a formula that works so well for coaches:
Practice Precedes Playing...you don't practice, you won't be in the game.....
Coaches provide the consistency and predictability of training that is so necessary for any new player.
On the other hand, Referees are given a 'get out of jail' card to skip practice. Why do we do this? Our formula ought to be similar to that of the Coaches:
Practice Precedes Refing.
We begin Locally, it takes the full support and cooperation of five(5) key 'players' to achieve optimal relevant training: Assignor, Referee Coordinator, Coaching Coordinator, Mentor Coordinator, the League President.
By skipping Step "c", we are 'kicking the can down the road' and new refs are in that can. Most of us know that for many years, we've advised new referees, ' ...to get better as a referee, get games, lots of games...' If we had been heeding our own advice -as we now know how to do- 'chasing the problem' would not be the serious issue that it is today. Luckily, forward movement can now be seen with the new emphasis in adding A FIELD SESSION to New Ref training, where various Refing skills can be shown BUT solid progress will be the most noticeable when New Refs are Mentored in Pre-Season Games which then becomes the norm. Lastly, it ought to go without saying, but for those who might think otherwise, we are not genetically engineered to bi-pass or not need practice.
To deal with this, we should not play the‘blame game’
I must plead guilty to having done this in the past as I used to think that " those at the top" were solely responsible for creating pre-season in-the-game training... hence, I've recently come to realize that 'those at the top' have actually done exactly what we asked them to do, artfully teach the Laws of the Game. But, we can urge them to have Soccer Leagues set up pre-season in-the-game training.
However, it seems that TRAINING PLANs(those without pre-season training in games) don't go away quickly...we suspect that advancement forward across the nation will hasten when 'those at the top' also speak up about the need for PRE-SEASON PRACTICE. Referees tend to be 'obedient' by nature...we tend to follow those in authority above us...so we really do need 'those at the top' to get on board to redefine New Referee training, to move it beyond the theoretical approach ( take the Class,pass the EXAM,to be considered 'good to go'). If 'those at the top' actively guide/direct us to stop accepting partial training as the norm, we'll see very desireable improvement in New Ref performances & referee longevity.
---------------------- We have to stop treating ourselves this way ----------------------
Any resemblance of Pogo's shirt to a Referee's Shirt is
strictly coincidental, and now that you noticed,
the important part of the graphic is what he has to say.
Translation: We created the training problem and WE
Must Solve it. Until we do, we are standing in our own way.
The solution is Board Mandated, Required minimum of at least 2 Pre-Season games of Entry Level Officiating AND, it seems feasible & very inviting to have our Entry Level Licensing Class participants Officiate in at least two(2)scrimmage games as part of requirements to receive their Badge.
2. Law 18. Boards of Directors have two(2) training constituencies: players and new referees. Pre-season scrimmage game training benefits both.
3. Law 18 Again. It’s the professional & right thing to do.
4. History has shown us that when training is OPTIONAL, attendance is low. Inconsistent Referee training will yield inconsistent officiating. It gets worse, those who do not attend still get as many games as they want.
5. If the LOTG Licensing Classes are the ‘Yin’ then Pre-Season Mentor-Supervised Scrimmage games are the ‘Yang’
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Cohesive Training Plan in Balance |
coordinator and assignor, I was finally able to fill the slots for the games for our league. But the quality wasn't there. Most slots at the lower level games were being filled by referees right out of the licensing class. Something was missing. After many discussions, we came up with the Mentoring program idea--not a new idea, but new in the world of the beginner referee. While there were doubters, and several iterations that didn't work as well, we now have a program that has buy-in from the league's Board of Directors, coaches, parents, and most importantly, the referees themselves. And many of these referees express relief and thanks for having to go through a program like this, so that they feel more at ease and competent at their first "real" game."
http:// forrtheintegrityofsoccer.clogs.com/artandscienceof refereeing/ 2008/04/ solutions-par-1.html
for they discovered something fundamental that applies to any educational system: You can't build a pyramid from the top down. Let me explain... A frequent complaint among referee administrators across the country is that a great deal of attention and money is devoted to training at the higher levels at the expense of training among the rank and file in youth and amateur soccer. I don't have any numbers, but I do hear the complaints. Hence my praise of the Egyptians; they didn't try to build the massive structures from the top down...So what would I do? I would redesign the training of referees from the ground up."
A/R Mentors shadow 2-3 new A/R's; we have even had 4 teams, 1 on each quadrant with their Mentor. We encourage 4 training games; if they meet the requirement, JUSA may supplement fees for Grade 8 Clinic. We have used 2 modes for Center training; shadowing on the field works well for the new center in order to develop confidence. 2 way radio communication with the mentor off field is used for advising the center's positioning during the game; this works best after the center has done a few games.
Great work with the website. Will continue to enjoy and learn. "
Steps 1-2-3: a Cohesive Training Plan:
What we need and are looking for: a well defined Entry Level Referee Training Program with the following minimum elements:
Step 1: Successful completion of the LOTG Licensing Class Education & Testing
Step 2: Pre-Season Requirement that New Referees Officiate in minimum of 2 Mentor-Supervised Scrimmage Games
Step 3: Mentors continuing to teach ‘in’ & ‘at’ Regular Season games **(see Chapter 3, Mentoring 101, 102, 103 )
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| AR Mentors( AR M )usually move up/down touchline with AR's 1,2,3 early in the game...
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2017 & 2018 inaugural years for soccer leagues to require new referees to officiate in a minimum of 2 PRE-SEASON mentor-supervised scrimmage games. Leagues that are still forming Mentoring Programs may co-sponsor a Training Jamboree with neighboring League(s) that have active Mentoring Program Training capabilities.
"Together, Let's Get Things Done"
* initiate discussion and draft a complete training proposal for Board approval which would include the dual use of Scrimmage Games for Player and Referee Training.
* Launch your Mentoring Program & prepare Mentors for upcoming Pre-Season Jamboree of games; encourage neighboring leagues to follow suit
*Notify all incoming LOTG licensing class registrants of your complete training program requirements
Got more info to share? Send to: Tommy@SoccerRefereeMentors.com