Does the refs physicality matter?

[Lohman446]

So, my team somehow managed to ref a field, and as with most things my team does even though I did not take "offical" control I ended up acting as head ref for most of the tournament. This would be my first tournament reffing, though I had filled in here and there for a game or two, or lightly reffed some rec players.

I cheated in setting up the positions, in that I took a tape and the person who took the back is very good. He doesn't mind getting hit, and will go in to check anything. Great ref overall and he made my job a lot easier - and made me look a lot better.

Anyways, theres the forward. I know I have heard / made the comment before that the ref was outweighed by at least a hundred pounds and was a decade younger, frankly the ref was going to see it the players way. I have seen it work first hand where a player just insists he is right and the forcefullness of his personality sways a refs call.

On the other end of the field there was younger guy reffing, and he looks a lot younger than he is. Thin, he does not present authority physically. Now I know there were issues with some of the ways he did things, but it seemed to me players were more than willing to walk over him. Overall the group I reffed was very good and there were very few issues. But it got me to thinking, I have seen refs abused - there authority walked over by dominant personalities. I made calls and penalized a couple players, called a couple false starts, walked into the dead box to have a discussion with one team before a situation got out of hand, etc. All I ever got was a smile and shrug, no arguing, no justifying from the players. One of the teams I penalized came up after the tournament and thanked me for trying to keep a clean tournament. Now personality has a lot to do with it, but what else contributes? Does the physical presence, the age of the ref, do they make a difference? Not should they, but do they?

[punkncat]

Your physical and personal presence affect every aspect of your interaction with others.


I am a pretty large guy. I have a loud voice and lots of presence. I have NEVER had a single person argue with me about a call. I have discussed calls after the game, but never in a confrontational way. Its not that I have ever been threatening to a player, I just feel like how I am percieved by others has made it that way.

I have personally witnessed players try to bow up on some younger or smaller refs and it be solved the moment I became involved.


Have you ever been to a bar and seen a tiny bouncer/security? Its rare as hell, cause only the smart people would know to watch out. Its all about perception.

[stop whining buy a mag]

I've played in a local tournament around here a few times and the head ref is a big guy. I'd say 6 foot, 200 pounds and pretty scary looking. I think his stature plays a role in how arguements go. He's a really funny guy but he's serious when it comes to the calls. He will almost always back his refs up unless it was a huge mix up on the field. After a player hung the flag during one tournament a ref checked him and found a questionable mark on his thigh. The player insisted it was rub from the 50 but there was not much on the 50 at that height and the guy even had shell on his leg. When another ref got into the deal the player started getting much more aggressive. At that point the head ref walked down the field and the matter was settled in a few seconds. He flat out told him he was getting penalized for playing on and his whole team would get booted if he wanted to argue it for another second with him. I think his authority made the player just accept it and move on.

To conclude my long story, yes a players size and authority does make a difference but a ref that has the right attitude and authority can be just as effective until things get physical.

[Temo Vryce]

Your physical presence makes a difference in everything. Bigger people will win more arguements than smaller people, all other factors aside. Self confidence is the biggest factor over all. If the ref is uncomfortable making the hard calls then he/she will get walked all over. If they are confident then they have a good chance of winning.

For me personally, I have always had whatever team I have played on bring any problems directly to the team captian. The captain would then take it to head ref with the player in question and present the issue quietly and calmly. I've even gone with atleast 1 captian to the head ref just help keep the captain cool headed.

In every tournament there will be good calls and bad calls. I want to see the refs do thier best to call a fair game. If they can do that, I can live with a bad call, because the refs are only human.

I've ref'd a few tournaments. I'm 6'4" and 150 - 160lbs I'm not a big guy, unless I'm wearing something that fills out my frame. I've made bad calls. I've had players walk over me. I've hadmore players respect my calls because I was a ref though.

Cash tournaments are a bad place for new refs to learn the ropes. Get them into small trophy (Bragging rights) style tournaments to get thier feet wet. Sure they know how to play the game but that doesn't mean that can handle reffing.

[Toll]

I play speedball once in a blue moon, but I ref at the local feild and sometimes larger tournaments.

Things I've learned :
-If you are short/skinny use your authority more. Keep your head. You won't be intimidating anyone physically, so pull the "argue with me and your team gets the boot. Any questions?"

-If some one is trying to physically intimidate you, boot them. I'm a bigger guy myself (6'2, 230) and I have some of the REALLY big guys pull the typical "Loom" type of stuff... I boot them. The fact that they're even trying to threaten you means they need to be gone.

-Even if you aren't, act like you're 10 feet tall. Persona wins arguements.

- You are infact in control. Always keep that in mind.


Personal annecdote :

Typical day at the feild, bunch of rec guys, 3 speedball guys waiting for the rest to show up. One particular AGG kiddy managed to come play in the bush...He proceeds to get one to the mask, wipes, and argues with me when I tell him to sit and keep sitting, as he's not getting back onto the rec feild. Wiping is one thing. Wiping when I can see you doing it on your damn mask is another.... Proceeds to throw his gun and start getting loud at me. As this is the only job I currently hold, I liked not being fired for beating a customer to death with a co2 tank.

I'm far bigger. He stands maybe 5'8 and 150 pounds. Beating him was certainly an option when he starts making gestures. I tell him I don't want to deal with him and he should pack, as he's not going to be playing anything at all today....He goes up to protest this with the bossman up front. I get a call to head up, tell the boss what all went on...The agg kiddie is now on a 1 year ban from the feild.

Beating the kid would have cost me a job as well as an assault charge (I would assume)
Simply saying "I am a ref. Do as I say" doesnt cut it : Go get a teacher...I mean feild owner ^^. You get to look good and you keep your job

[Recon by Fire]

The only thing I need a reff for is to check me for a hit if I cannot easily see where I was struck (assuming there is no other player adjacent to me that can could also look).

But I have seen many a younger, timid reff get walked over by people on the field Intimidating a reff is just as bad as the reffs who favor their buddies.

[behemoth]

Sometimes i take charge of things with the local reffs.

Like, when i payed admission, and we're sitting around and the refs are saying "so, uhh, do you guys wanna do this? or, how bout this? this maybe? what about that?"

I ususally go "Alright, lets pick teams...."

They usually go with it too

I've never argued a call, but i have defended a ref when a player was getting snippy.

[Despot]

theres a little speedball place at the edge of the woods i play at and one day i ref for some speed players... the game was quick and i didnt have to do much but at one point a player takes up the left side and bunkers two guys.. As he passes the second dude he takes off his mask.. he didnt know there was a third guy laying down behind the snake so i call the match for safety.. the other team got upset with me and wanted to argue... i stuck with my call that it was gameover the moment he took off his mask. im sure that was the best thing

[nippinout]

When I reffed, I weighed maybe 115lbs.

That didn't stop me from booting idiots from the field.

Refs can pull armbands no matter their size or level of fitness.

[Temo Vryce]

SO I guess the final answer is that yes Age and Physical stature can play a role but the biggest deciding factor is self confidence. If you can't stand up to people without backing down then you really shouldn't be reffing something other than your average Rec game.

[sbpyro]

All the fields I play at the there is no winning an argument with the refs.
If you have a problem with a ref you talk to the head ref.
But if a ref says you are out you are out end of discussion.
Now I have seen players try to intimidate refs and the fields don't put up with it.
So size does not matter if the fields provide the full support to the refs.

[robnix]

SO I guess the final answer is that yes Age and Physical stature can play a role but the biggest deciding factor is self confidence. If you can't stand up to people without backing down then you really shouldn't be reffing something other than your average Rec game.

Yes, I saw this a few weeks ago with a ref that was on the field for the first time. Nice guy, but looked a bit lost at times. It was easy for people to get away with s***.

[Surestick]

Never reffed but been in similar situations.
On thing that helps a lot in standing up to bigger people/stronger personalities is knowing that those above you will back up your calls without question.
Nothing is going to undermine your authority more than if your boss reverses your call and nothing is going to cement it more than if your boss doesn't hesitate to back you up.

[SummaryJudgement]

YES!

I have seen some of the worst reffing due to some lard-*** SITTING during a game. He would drag a folding chair from spot to spot and sit and watch. Oh, this was a well known "Pro" player, who was sponsoring the team we were playing against. The sponsor of the team we were playing against was our *&%$! ref?!

Oh, and this was a World Cup game

[dave p]

physical intimidation plays a necessary role in some management applications, and can be an effective tool. when i was an arborist/foreman on tree climbing crews, sometimes it was the only way to take care of business. tree climbers are a tough crowd. but... physical size is not necessarily the key. its more about confidence and attitude. i am only 5'4" and @ 145 lbs but i managed to run my crews with an iron fist while maintaining the respect of my men. (although i have heard the phrase 'napoleon complex' muttered under many breaths)