Originally Posted by
Bremsstrahlung
Ever reffed bulldog?
By that, I mean participated in a official referees coaching course where you actually have to know the laws of the game and put them into practice?
Do you go to work and get called a f-ing joke? A f-ing c-***? Do you complain at a restaurant when they get your order wrong and call them those words?
What makes it acceptable on a patch of grass?
If you don't want a ref, ask not to have one, I'm sure there's a heap of team that would kill for a ref on a weekend.
These blokes and girls, give up their time to give something back and enable others to play the game?
I concede, referees can make some horrible decisions. You see it in every code. Every game. What's one big reason that causes the problem? Lack of referees. If you get 100 players trial for your team, chances are your gonna end up with a better team than if 11 blokes rocked up. Why don't we have enough? A lot join at 14-16 and start reffing 6s or now 12s or something and the abuse they get at this level is appalling. I reffed a 12G grade game and my linesmen got abused for pretty much entire second half and after the game because the spectators didn't know the offside rule. I agree that not always is swearing a send off. Common sense is needed sometimes. If I was sworn at I would move away and ask him to come and talk. This gives the offender 10-20 metres to choose the outcome. If he walks over in a civil way and would like an explanation I'm more than happy to give my interpretation of what happened the way I saw it. I can understand passion and frustration, but if I were to be abused after this I would caution for dissent. However every referee has a different approach just like every player is different. Referees don't abuse players for missing shots or giving away a pass.
As a player, I asked for consistency within the game. Referees do have room for improvement it must be said. The standard has dropped over the last 5 years, in my opinion.
