Pre-match 'talk'

[SimonSmith]

Oh, and I brief the captains at the toss:

We're a team today so please work with me. Remember your are responsible for your teams.

I agree with Bryan.
We aren't a team, and I don't even approach that concept.
I set out boundaries and agreements within which we'll operate.
They aren't on my team - they're on theirs, and they'll be testing me as much as they can.

[Dixie]

standard practice at L5 and L6 to ask when and where for boots & FR / 9 / 10 brief, who's got match cards etc.

And also much lower down. I suspect it's normally the case at L.8, and (with the exception of the match cards) at L.9 too.

Some mention doing the talks & checks about half an hour before. After that, quite often, the teams retire back to the changing rooms. At this point, they could change kit or damage studs/boots on the concrete...

Trust me - at the level you'll be reffing, once they've got out on the pitch, anyone who suggests going back to the changing room will be hanged, drawn and quartered - unless they've forgotten to bring out the half-time beer, in which case a the only team member under 50 will be despatched to go fetch.

[TheBFG]

Paperwork side, I have no clue on what to expect yet. Hopefully someone at the society will give me pointers on Thursday. I do remember having to fill out, in triplicate, every yellow and red card given for the FA though. Is it similar here?

I'm presuming that I'm going to be given either a non-league game, or some unimportant third team somewhere to cut my teeth on. Not sure if I'll get team sheets. Hell, I'll probably be lucky if entire teams are wearing matching shirts

I have a thunderer from ELRA training, but wasn't keen on its size, so I'll continue with my smaller ones. They are a pea ones though.

If you get a game this weekend it will be a league game of some sort, there are very few friendlies anymore.

The card you'll get to sign and confirm the score will probably not have any names on, they don't have to name a team at L10 and below.

re paperwork for cards (nothing for YC, unless of course there's 2 for the same person) IF you have to give a red, jot as much info as you can at the time and worry about the report later, give the Discipline guy from the Society a call he'll talk you through it.

Re the briefing take which ever bits from above that work for you, but keep it short, players hate it when a ref harps on for ages, get the messages across and leave um alone!

Oh and the whistle you were given on you ELRA....... use it, turn up with a wendyball whistle and the palyers will spot you as a newbie from a mile away

good luck let us know how it goes, trust me, we've all been there, it'll be fine!

[Mike Selig]

First of all, good luck!

Given you're a football ref (and apologies in advance to DaveT for going off course) there are a few differences which are important:
1) No dissent. Don't put up with it, warn, then penalise, then card if need be.
2) you're expected to go into the bar after the game, be offered beer (never ever pay for your own beer unless you have more than 3 when it can be viewed as polite)/soft drink, and chat to the players. Do approach players afterwards and talk about the game, the game on TV or anything else. You'll enjoy the experience much the better for it.

Re: the brief.

Semantics or otherwise, the two things you must do to cover yourself is check boots and brief FRs.

My modus operandi is to set out times beforehand (this is good practice, but is usually infeasible at levels 12 or below when the players emerge from the changing rooms at most 15 minutes before kick-off.
wander over to team 1, do studs, brief 9, 10, FRs. Take captain with me and chat to him whilst wandering over to team 2. Call team 2 captain over and toss. Talk to team 2 captain then wander over and do studs and briefing.

What I cover in the briefing: eerily similar to Dixie's, except I start with 9. I remind him that at scrums he should wait for square and stationary before putting the ball in, quick taps, digging for ball from ruck. Then 10: pretty much word for word as Dixie (the message is "off-side lines for the backs are your responsibility). Then FRs: give them the engagement cadence "if you behave I'll have in constant, if you start messing you'll find I've got a few tricks I can use as well", remind them to bind long and high. I usually ask for front man at line-out, although I mark the middle of the line-out.

With the captain I say something along the lines of "I'll talk a fair bit today, please make sure your players act on my advice immediately. Discipline's your responsibility, if you can't keep it I'll have to but you won't like my methods. Comments and questions through you, I don't need 30 people telling me how to referee, I'll probably do a fine job on my own (said with a smile). Any questions?"

When I started I only briefed FRs and captains. I've grown into my current brief by talking to other refs, listening to other refs and stealing the bits I like. Feel free to do likewise.

Above all, enjoy it, don't worry when you get things wrong, be as confident as you can.

Best of luck!