Ref Base – Mentor Evaluations

Max has gotten a lot of feedback on his positioning from many different referees. In my opinion, he is often too far away from the play, especially at the end of the day when he is tired! Max and I discussed "high pressure"/"low pressure" positioning. For example, in cases of high pressure like a break away, 1v1, potential foul, keeper-striker collision, bouncing ball etc. we need to be CLOSE to the play in order to see through the chaos. In cases of low pressure, like a kick off, or goal kick, when teams are spread out and calm, it is more important to anticipate where the ball might go so we are ready for the next high pressure situation. In situations where there is plenty of space and time (low pressure), it is alright for the referee to position themselves farther away from the play. This way, we can "pick and choose" our moments!

Throughout the game, I saw Max improve on his eye contact with his ARs. He made an effort to work as a team by looking at his ARs before a signal and going up at the same time. I still think there is some work to do with his eye contact, however, it did improve.

Max's foul recognition is pretty good, the game I watched stayed under control and fair. However, there were moments he made mistakes like brining his AR onto the field to discuss a handball offense, or accidentally blowing his whistle, that can very easily create distrust between Max and the players/coaches.

Max's interaction with the players was good! He communicated what his expectations were at the coin toss, and he was able to clearly express his needs from the players during the game.

However, Max's communication with the coaches needs improvement. It is very important to start off by clearly setting expectations with the coaches in order to avoid problems later in the game (I did not see him do this). There were moments I saw in a different game where coaches became frustrated, and instead of addressing the situation Max disregarded the coaches comments (hoping they would be quiet eventually) leading to their frustration actually increasing and the game moving out of control. Next time, Max should pause the game, briefly address the coach with a warning, and if the behavior continues offer them the appropriate card.

Max's signals are correct, confident and clear!

Don't forget to pull up your socks!

Also please remember if the players cannot wear accessories on the field neither can you!

Thank you for reffing in DCSL Max! We really appreciate you!!
- Your signals and mechanics are good!
- Your pregame with the players is good!
- Your eye contact with the ARs has improved!
Here is what you can work on:
- Communicate your expectations with coaches before the game starts
- Ask yourself, " is a high pressure/low pressure situation about to occur?" if so, then get to where you need to be so you have the best possible angle = increase pressure means increase proximity
- Do your best to avoid small mistakes like inconsistent whistles, socks below the knees, pointing opposite directions as your AR, and especially bringing your AR onto the field. (always go to them and get away from player ears)

I think Max needs more mentor games! The problem is that I can't tell if he values improving his game. He comes off as very not coachable like he might consider making improvements if he feels like it.