RateTheRef

Quote from: El Referee on Thu 22 Jan 2026 18:12

Quote from: Ref Watcher on Thu 22 Jan 2026 15:48

Quote from: El Referee on Thu 22 Jan 2026 14:09

I'd really like them to go further in trialing stopping the clock each time the ball goes out of play. Maybe they'd need to shorten the length of the match, but would in theory help stop this time wasting.

In principle, I support the idea of stopping the clock whenever the ball is dead and playing a fixed amount of time.  In practice, however, I have two significant concerns.  First, how would this be implemented at levels below the professional game? It would require dedicated timekeepers, which is simply not affordable, and so would almost certainly lead to different Laws being applied at different levels of the sport, an outcome I find highly undesirable.  Second, once the clock is routinely stopped, broadcasters would inevitably push to extend these pauses to accommodate advertising with the result that matches would last even longer.

You just stop your watch. Isn’t particularly difficult. Might end up hurting your finger in the end, but you’ll just have to hope they can keep the ball in play!

With the advertisements; that’s realistically going to happen anyway. I’m surprised they haven’t printed sponsorships in the centre circle yet……

They'd forget though, or more likely forget to restart it.  Even when I was relatively experienced i often forget to restart the watch, to the extent that I gave up stopping it unless there was obviously going to be a very lengthy stoppage.

And to underline how easy it is to forget: despite having been reading and writing about the challenges of remembering to start and stop watches, I  forgot to start my watches at the beginning of the second half while acting as Senior Assistant on Saturday.  I later contrived a brief conversation with the referee to establish how long we had been playing before anyone asked me how long was left.   

As Norwich don't win many games 5-0, and I had an hour to spare I thought I would re watch the 2nd half and make a note of all the time lost in the half.
 
The 2nd half lasted 49.05 ( 4 minutes added time signalled )

There were 4 goals and the time between the goal being scored and the restart were
1 min 10 secs
1 min 20 secs  ( this included a substitution )
1 min
1 min 7 secs

There were 3 other substitution periods
36 secs
20 secs
45 secs  ( 2 subs )

There were 6 Norwich goal kicks
Whilst 1-0   19 secs
Whilst 2-0   15 secs & 21 secs
Whilst 4-0   18 secs, 9 secs & 35 secs ( keeper cautioned )

and there was also 30 seconds wasted when there were 2 balls on the pitch.

So, a brief analysis of these incidents that together total 8:45:

Goals: I don’t agree with adding the entire period between a goal being scored and the restart.  The time taken for players to regroup is a natural part of the game and will always account for at least 30 seconds.  I would therefore deduct that from each goal stoppage.  On that basis, the allowance becomes 4:37 minus 2:00, leaving 2:37.

Substitutions: The full time taken should be added on, which comes to 1:41.

Goal kicks: I would only add time where there is clear action taken to delay the restart; otherwise, it is simply part of normal play.  This occurred once, so 0:35 should be added.

Two balls on the pitch: This is an unfortunate side effect of the multi-ball system, which generally saves time overall; swings and roundabouts.  Unless the second ball is introduced deliberately to waste time, I wouldn’t add anything for this.

That gives a total of 2:37 + 1:41 + 0:35 = 4:53. Given the scoreline, signalling four minutes of added time and not extending it much beyond that seems entirely reasonable.

I don’t see the benefit of a countdown for goal kicks/throw ins. The six second rule was never enforced so by bringing it in for goalkeepers holding the ball it has improved that massively. Referees already caution if they feel there is excessive delaying the restart for throws/goal kicks without too much disagreement, so I can’t see how it solves anything.

I disagree.  In my view, the eight-second countdown has been a clear success in speeding up the game.  I see no reason why a similar approach should not be applied to ball-out-of-play restarts.  The proposed sanction (awarding possession to the opposition) would be straightforward and proportionate. Some consideration would be needed regarding when the countdown begins but apart from that I see no significant issues.

Wonder if they sit there when the emails arrive in their inboxes & think oh not that rubbish/whiney/boring/whiney/entitled/whiney team and their whiney/entitled/whiney fans this week again. I'm better than that team/I deserved a big six game (that's Fulham, Palace, Brighton, Forest, Brentford & AFCB btw)/not impressed with that appointment/oh no the Ethiad, not Dean Court, that sucks... I seriously doubt it, I'm pretty sure they smile, start doing their pre-match prep, which includes the begging please don't put me in that colour emails, and look forward to a new chance at being the best they can be!

I think you are wrong.  I imagine they do most of that.  I do.  Not that it ever stops us doing our best every week.   

I am a bit confused by this.  Did the fourth official not ask for the player’s name and check his shirt number against his list before allowing him onto the pitch?  Surely that’s standard procedure; I do it every time.

I have only once encountered a situation where an unlisted player attempted to come on, and he wasn’t allowed to. It turned out to be an administrative error by the manager, who had only entered four of his five substitutes’ names on the team sheet.  Since then I always clarify the number of substitutes at the team sheet exchange whenever not all slots are completed.

Santos has clearly brought something from Forest - the disrespect of officials and blaming them.  West Ham are where they are for a reason, different referees each game but one common denominator.
Harrington was OK and I think criticism of him applies to every referee in the Premiership. In their desire to allow a more physical game, some challenges which I would think a foul, they play on. Oliver, excellent as he is, is prone to this criticism.
Agree about the penalty, keepers need to understand as Rob Green explained on Sky, if you come off your line you cannot expect to be treated any differently from any other player. On you goal line, that is the goalkeeper's territory and more leeway should be given.

So a goalkeeper whacking an opponent around the head is be OK as long as they have at least one foot on the goal line?  Noted.

Could/should have been a red for sfp by taking out a player in mid air. It’s happening too often and is very dangerous.

I agree with Ancientref.  This type of challenge is not permitted in either code of rugby.  It is extremely dangerous and, if it is not eliminated from the game, it is only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured.  Referees should be advised that this should automatically be considered SFP.

Looks a poor offside decision to disallow a BC goal. Think AR lost track of when the ball had been played

How does that end up with the benches and most of the players squaring up to each other?  It’s shockingly undisciplined for a group of supposed professionals.  Maybe the league will really crack down this time and slap them with a whopping 15p fine.