Ref Base – Mentor Evaluations

At half time, we discussed finding an angle where he can see the space between two players to determine what contact is being made. Throughout the match, he watched play in a position where opposing players were stacked, making the contact between them more difficult to see. During the second half, I could see his head moving to find those angles. He said he was more conscious of his positioning.

We also discussed having wide vision. Michael was locked in on what was occurring with the ball. I told him the best way to practice is to wait for a player to be alone and without pressure then look around to see where the other players are. He had better scanning in these moments during the second half.

Post match, we discussed his field position. He remained in the center circle almost the entire match. I advised that he can sell his decisions on the field if he is closer to play, especially in/around the penalty areas. I let him know he can focus on angle first if he cannot reach play quickly.

Michael was consistent in his calls and was able to explain why he made decisions. He was sure about what he did and did not see on the field and went with his gut.

He interacted very well with his ARs. He approached AR2 about a possible offside and AR1 about a possible penalty kick. They had their brief discussion and made a decision together.

Michael interacted very well with the teams and coaches. When he heard chirping from a coach, he would calmly respond with his decision and move on. He had a cool, even tone that worked well with these teams. He talked to the players on the field, too.

Signals following the whistle were often slow, but Michael has good mechanics overall.

We discussed his use of the whistle. The whistle was very soft. The first foul of the game, players continued to play because they did not hear the whistle. One good, loud whistle for a foul -- if players continue playing, use two shorter tweets to get their attention.

We discussed the signals for a ceremonial restart. Get the ball set; hold the whistle above the head and point to it while saying, "On my whistle;" walk the wall out; let the keeper set the wall and move into position; blow the whistle to play.

Michael looked professional.

Michael,

I think you did very well for your first U11B game. The teams were quick and skilled, but you handled the match with the appropriate attitude. I know you said you started getting nervous as the game got more intense, but I could not see that from the sideline. Remember to breathe!

For your next game:
1. Have a louder whistle.
2. Find the same between players.
3. Make progress toward play near the goals.

Great job interacting with the coaches and players during the game. You handled complaints without getting flustered.

I think Michael is okay to center the younger games on his own. He expressed worry about the intensity and skill of this match, but I think he did a good job overall. He may want another mentor game soon to assess his progress in positioning/movement.