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New Refs: Recommended Gear
[box]DISCLOSURE: Referee Resources LLC, the owner of In The Opinion Of The Referee, receives a advertising fee from Amazon.com for products sold through our links. Trust us, it isn’t enough to say something is good if it isn’t. We do not receive referral fees from any other supplier mentioned in this article[/box] Package Deals Many […]
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New Refs: Getting Assigned To Matches
Assignments generally work one of two ways: each club uses the service of an individual assignor, typically as an independent contractor (rather than as a club employee), or there is a Referee Association responsible for assigning referees to matches across all (or most) clubs in a given area. There is no formula to determine which […]
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New Refs: Preparing For Your First Match
Now that you have your badge, your gear, and your first assignment, you’re ready to start preparing for your first match. Beyond the obvious recommendations of reviewing the Laws of the Game and the Guide to Procedures, we can offer some practical advice about what to expect and how to be prepared. Our friends at […]
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New Refs: Referees Are Athletes
Referees are athletes. This statement may seem counterintuitive at first, but consider this: in higher level games, referees will run as much as a midfielder does. I keep a pedometer in my pocket when I referee and in a 90 minute match I will run anywhere from 3 to 6 miles depending on the game […]
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Case Study: DOGSO or No?
Manchester United defender Chris Smalling can consider himself a lucky boy for not being sent off by Andre Marriner for denying a goal scoring opportunity.
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Gear Review: A Good Eraser for Write On Cards
The Staedtler-Mars plastic eraser is reviewed and found to be ideal for cleaning write on cards in preparation for the next match.
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Gear Review: OSI Elastic Wristband Lanyard
The elastic wristband lanyard from Official Sports International is reviewed and found to be quite useful, except for referees with very small wrists.
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Case Study: What's Wrong With This Picture, Vol. 4
A better title for this edition might be “How Many Things Are Wrong With This Picture?”
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Case Study: Advantage in the Penalty Area
Advantage inside the penalty area is a very rare occurrence, as we are taught to only let play continue only when there is a very high likelihood the attacking team will score. As penalty kicks are converted at an 92% rate at the highest levels, referees should be at least that sure that an advantage […]
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Gear Review: Leather "Fair Play" Referee Wallet
Courtesy of the referees who operate Soccer Superstore USA, we have the Leather “Fair Play” Referee Wallet for review. The FIFA Referee Wallet consists of three parts: a yellow card, red card, and the wallet itself. It retails for $10.95.
In The Opinion Of The Referee 