ASK THE REF. # 3, 2014.
Dear parents, carers, coaches, players and officials,
Welcome to the third instalment of Ask the Ref. for 2014. This is a re-issue and update of the
regular bulletins issued by the Adelaide Hills Referee Branch covering and discussing a
particular local arrangement, rule or law of the game.
The Ask the Ref bulletins, while designed for newcomers to the game, should be informative to anyone who is involved in
the competition, and we, the referees, encourage you to take a few minutes to read the bulletin whether you have been
around the game for ages or are just starting out.
Our second bulletin looks at the role of the team manager from the point of view of the referee.
It is very helpful for the referee if you have the
following available at least 15 minutes before the
match:
 Your half of the referee fee
 A match sheet with AT LEAST the
information shown to the right
 A club assistant to run a line (your defence)
and a team steward (in a yellow bib)
Make sure you include all players who might play on
the sheet (up to a maximum of 16) as you cannot
add players once the match is underway.
The referee is obligated to check that:
 The goals are safely fixed in place with
adequate nets
 Corner flags are in position
 The pitch is in a safe condition for play
 Lines are clearly and correctly marked
 Players have the correct uniform including
shin pads and that they are not wearing
anything that could endanger the safety of
other players (N.B. no jewellery)
 Any spectacles are either purpose made
sports models or are verified for safe
sporting use by a letter from an
optometrist (must be sighted by the ref.)
 The ball is of the correct size and is
correctly inflated
 Any other matters that he or she considers
will affect the game
He or she will give some brief instructions to the
club assistant (who is generally asked to run their
team’s defence) and the steward.
Basic Match Information (refer to AHJSA website – no rule changes from 2012)
Age group
U8,9,10,10&12G
U12 mixed
Time
Ball size
2 x 30 minutes
4
U14 mixed
U14 G
U16 mixed
U17 G
2 x 35 minutes
2 x 35 minutes
2 x 40 minutes
2 x 40 minutes
5
5
5
5
Match fees 2014
Nil
$45
$50
$50
$60
$60
Notes
Non competitive – modified rules
Corners taken from half way between
corner flag and penalty area
Of course you should include the registration numbers once you have
them. The absence of these numbers would not stop the ref from playing
the game but you will find that you end up in strife with the AHJSA
eventually with possible ramifications for your team.
[By the way, we MAY be going to electronic team sheets later this year.]
At the end of the game, the referee will complete the sheet as shown
below and get some signatures to make sure that we all agree it is an
accurate record of the match. The home club ends up with two pink copies
(one for each team) and the away team has the two blue copies.
The referee will keep the yellow copy and send the white original in to the
AHJSA (Rob Kilpatrick is the Registrar again). The home team manager
needs to get together with the visiting manager and organise best players
and other information for the Courier as per AHJSA guidelines.
You will NOT see the very final white sheet (see below) that the ref
sends in to the AHJSA because the referee’s selections for best and
fairest awards are secret. (There are no best players in cup games.)
Your volunteer work is very much appreciated by the referees
and greatly assists both the conduct of the game and the
eventual maintenance of accurate game data for league tables.
By the way, please make sure that you use a ball point pen (not
felt tip) and press hard on the team sheets to make sure that
the bottom copies are legible.
Finally:
Within reason, we are very interested in your feedback on the
Ask the Referee bulletins. If you have any questions on any
general aspect of the laws of the game, FIFA rulings or particular local junior guidelines please get in touch with me and
we will do our best to supply an answer. Of course, specific incidents are dealt with through the AHJSA.
Peter van der Zwaag, AHRB.
P.S. The AHRB is happy to run free workshops for Line Assistants for clubs at mutually
agreeable times as well as on other matters associated with refereeing and match day
management issues.
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