Sunglasses?

[TigerCraig]

Personally I don't, but I'll wear a cap when running touch. I don't like sunglasses as I feel I lose depth perception - maybe an effect of my contacts.

[Robert Burns]

Sunglasses no, for the reason 4EyesBetter gives that you cannot make eye contact.

I have seen plenty of referees wear normal glasses on the game, in fact one was the top referee in Newcastle (NSW) for the last 15 years and during his time has refereed 11 out of the last 15 Premier Grade Grand Finals.

So it's hardly a disadvantage in some places.

[menace]

Are there any rules/advice to referees on the wearing of sunglasses during a match?

Thanks

Don't

Unless you look cool!

Double don't!

But if you look really really cool then the rugby chicks will dig you and there will be a comb in the pocket where your cards are supposed to be....if not then you better have tough skin to cop the jibes!

[KieranW]

Let's hope Bono doesn't turn to refereeing!

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

Only a few can carry off the hat/sunglasses combo.

This TO3 from Texas manage it well.

PS Make sure the sunglasses are cheap!!!

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[Simon Thomas]

Thanks - that is good advice - and one that I would advise a referee (I'm not one) but are there actually any regulations or formal advice to this effect (stubborn person syndrome....)

Thanks

Gonker - I know a lot of your London management very well (Nick, Tim, Clive, Bob, etc) and am confident they would agree with my pov, but I cannot speak on their behalf of course.

No sunglasses or peaked baseball caps as referee (safety and credibility issues, so adjust your positioning accordingly to not be facing the sun.

For ARs (who cannot avoid facing a low sun) no problem with peaked cap but not sunglasses - I have seen Panel ARs do just that.
ARs should wear peaked cap (as I have seen Panel ARs.

I am my Society Assessors and Grading Chairman and a Group Assessor, and Phil is an RFU ELRA Trainer, so we are giving you formal advice. However raise it with your London Society regional manager to overcome the stubborn person syndrome.

[Dixie]

I don't think there are formal regulations, but anyone wanting to hold the respect of 30 intelligent people (it's a thinking man's game) starts with a perception problem - just who do you think you are to be telling me about ....? To overcome this, we adopt all sorts of small but significant techniques - appearance when arriving at the club and taking the field; uniform; tone of voice, tone of whistle, body language. If you've ever heard taunts that the ref needs glasses ... you'll see that someone taking to the field wearing such devices risks undoing all the good work: Great - we've got a blind ref today! Some (such as Robbie's Newcastle colleague) are good enough to get away with this; the rest of us just have no real need to risk it.

[Gonker44]

Certainly very unusual. Not entirely unheard of, though. Would like to know why you're asking.

(The major disadvantage of sunglasses is you can't make eye contact with anyone; there are some sports that allow them for practical reasons, but they all advise that if you want to have a conversation with a player, you take them off or move them down your nose so you can have that direct eye contact.)

Thanks - yes a situation where a referee was wearing - did not a) look good and indeed b) did not take them off to communicate! "Words of advice" re the wearing of them would be better if there was something in writing somewhere to that effect, rather than anecdotal.

[Phil E]

"Words of advice" re the wearing of them would be better if there was something in writing somewhere to that effect, rather than anecdotal.

At all new referee training I talk about credibility and first impressions.
One of the points is to dress like the players (with the exception of your watch and whistle), no tracksuit bottoms, no jackets, no hats or sunglasses.
So it is covered in the ELRA trainers notes.

[4eyesbetter]

Other people advising against sunglasses: this is an AYSO (American kiddie soccer, the rough equivalent of what Crossref does) referee FAQ: http://www.ayso.org/coaches_referees...ee_faq.aspx#18

Sunglasses are acceptable in baseball and softball, and here's an NCAA mechanics manual (slightly old, but it's the best I can do you at the moment) that advises umpires to take the sunglasses off when necessary (it's in the section where it tells umpires how to deal with those ritualistic arguments that they like so much): http://www.scua-inc.com/2005_softball_umpire_manual.pdf

Militant attitudes against hats do irritate me. The thing is, if everyone started wearing a baseball cap when there was a low sun around, then very soon it would just become accepted as something referees do when there's a nasty sun out. Why the insistence on potentially compromising your position to see misconduct just because that's what we've always done?