On Sunday a selection of young Football South Coast referees attended a junior referee education session with current A-League match official Lachlan Keevers who began refereeing with Albion Park Junior Soccer Club.
After a quick introduction, the referees got straight into action starting off with some assistant referee flag drills. This exercise was aimed at improving the speed of decisions even when under pressure.
Lachlan then taught the referees about the importance of taking up a good position. Often a referee’s viewing angle can be obstructed by players which could mean that the referee is unable to see a potential foul.
The referees then worked on their application of the offside rule. Lachlan took them through a variety of scenarios which required concentration and timing. The offside rule is one of the hardest things for a referee to get right especially with the margins being so small.
Something which is difficult for all referees to deal with especially juniors is when a coach takes exception to a decision they have made and voices their opinion in an inappropriate manner. Lachlan talked about how he deals with these situations at the top level and how juniors can apply this to their games.
The final drill was a game where every couple of minutes a new referee took the field and had to deal with players who refused to abide by the laws of the game. The referee had to use their voice and cards to control the game.
This was a great day for all involved and will help to improve the referees of tomorrow’s game. A special thanks to Lachlan for giving his time on the day.
Story by Timothy Gibson, on Twitter @Timg123_
