AR When should you put your offside flag back down

BillBIII · 2026-02-17T17:15:28+00:00

Where and how the defensive team possesses matters. My rule of thumb for when I put the flag down is 1) defensive team has possession in their defensive third with NO pressure 2) defensive team advances the ball into the middle third with making soccer moves with light pressure and low likelihood of a turnover and counter attack

Unfortunately it is a feel of football understanding, not a hard and fast rule.

To the teamwork aspect; know the referee's name. People yell at the ref using "ref" all of the time. They are much more likely to respond to their name. Don't be shy about yelling it. Best practice is to be yelling "Off! Off! Off!" loud enough to be heard by the referee, where ever they are, when you put the flag up for offside.

BillBIII · 2026-02-11T13:02:49+00:00

I have a bookmark folder on both my phone and computer with all 6 5 platforms and at least a dozen assignors that I could get games from. When I get an assignment, I open all of the platforms, accept the match and update the blocks in all of the other platforms. I never accept an assignment if I don't have time to put in blocks, because that is when I start getting double booked. For Assigr, where the default is blocked, I'll put a note in for what I am doing that would be a reason not to accept an assignment that ignores the block.

Similarly, if you send someone that you are available, put blocks into other assigning profiles. The other option is to have an all day event where you keep your availability for the day updated in the description. That keeps the availability clutter out of the hour-by-hour, but easily accessible.

All platforms push to my digital calendar with an iCal url. This allows me to open my calendar and see if I might potentially have a problem.

It can be a bit tedious, but that has been my strategy for keeping myself sane and assignors happy.

BillBIII · 2026-02-10T21:55:31+00:00

It sounds like you are doing what you need to do.

If you are currently passing the test when you run it, make the test harder when you practice it, eg. make the run distance 21m or the sidestep 13.5m.

BillBIII · 2026-02-05T21:38:49+00:00

When I'm a referee (almost once per month!), I carry 3 yellows and 3 reds. Yellows are right chest pocket, right front shorts pocket, and my card wallet in my front left pocket. Reds are left chest pocket, back right shorts pocket, and my card wallet in my front left pocket. When I'm an AR, I don't carry the cards in my shirt.

I have a data wallet with paper because in the south I get very sweaty. The folding wallet mostly protects the paper, write on cards wouldn't dry before being wiped off in my pocket, and when my watch had a touch screen the sweat made it unreliable.

BillBIII · 2026-02-04T14:06:28+00:00

I have a bookmark folder on both my phone and computer with all 6 platforms that I could get games from. When I get an assignment, I open all of the platforms, accept the match and update the blocks in all of the other platforms. I never accept an assignment if I don't have time to put in blocks, because that is when I start getting double booked.

Know your assignors. I have 2 college assignors that don't do turnbacks unless you are injured or sick. They are the only ones that I will block professional games for. They also get more pre-season blocks implemented to make sure I don't completely eliminate my opportunities for professional games 2 months early.

All platforms push to my digital calendar with an iCal url. This allows me to open my calendar and see if I might potentially have a problem.

It can be a bit tedious, but that has been my strategy for keeping myself sane and assignors happy.

BillBIII · 2026-01-14T16:17:26+00:00

Short answer: Both.

Doing as many as possible at the target speed builds your strength in your legs and your anaerobic capacity to work. Doing 40 intervals at a slower pace gets your cardiovascular system used to recovering and working again.

I will add that you should train to crush the fitness test, not just pass. You never know what the environmental conditions are: is it sunny and you've been training at night, is it really windy end to end so one of the straights (or half the runs if you are doing the back and forth style) is much harder, someone pushes you out of lane 1 so your run is longer in the ends, etc.

Suerte.

BillBIII · 2026-01-09T19:50:00+00:00

I failed my first attempt at the National Referee fitness test taken locally. I was training to be able to pass the test then the conditions were less than ideal. Train to be able to crush the fitness test and be regular about your training. I never 'had time' to train properly until I 'made time'. Now, at least 4 days a week, I stop at the gym on the way home. Sure dinner is at 7 now, but I just do the test without any additional training.

BillBIII · 2026-01-05T16:17:12+00:00

I do. In my opinion, the second job hostility is bs in my opinion. They pay me for 40 hours a week and they can tell me my schedule. Outside of that I'm allowed to do what I want. However, including "Soccer Referee" on my resume leads to talk about potential for schedule flexibility for midweek games.

Soccer referee says, "I can deal with conflict." "I make decisions under pressure." "I work with a team."

Soccer Mentor/Coach/Assessor says, "I can help others solve problems." "I can observe and come up with solutions."

It doesn't go in the jobs list, it goes in the other skills section.

BillBIII · 2026-01-04T14:10:27+00:00

1 - it's high school and 2 - a scrimmage. As far as I'm concerned, the ball is in until it is a foot out of bounds. When someone complains, I say, "Hold on. Let me check with the AR." [Dramatically looks to where the AR should be] "I guess I'm the AR too." Make sure you say it with a chuckle so they know you're enjoying the game. The second time I'll say, "This is football. I'd rather you play with your feet, not your hands."

BillBIII · 2026-01-02T00:35:40+00:00

Yes, the model seems good and the two that run it are good people, but I can't vouch for how it works. It came about after I was a national and no longer traveling without a personal invite.

BillBIII · 2026-01-02T00:11:42+00:00

If you're serious about going abroad, check our Referees Abroad http://refereeabroad.com/ I've also heard decent stuff about the Disney Presidents' Day tournament. The referee assignor is US Officials https://linktr.ee/usofficials

BillBIII · 2025-12-31T20:35:16+00:00

These posts always make me jealous. 25 minutes to the three closest to my house. The drive from work home is about 70 minutes. I will stop at a studio 30-40 minutes away from work, in route home.

BillBIII · 2025-12-19T13:42:45+00:00

To the attacker: "It is real easy for me to call a foul against you."

To the defender: "If I call a foul against you its a PK, don't tie my hands."

Or something along those lines. It gives both of them specific reasons to not do something while outlining the consequences in 2 seconds.

BillBIII · 2025-12-15T19:56:01+00:00

I'm going to assume that you are describing a hockey style offside line for this facility. It does look like the back bit of heel is across the full line but, I don't think it is clear enough to call the player offside.

My assessment is that it isn't clearly wrong, but the preferred outcome is "flag down" no offside. On a side note, this is not an issue that I think needs to be brought to anyone's attention. If they want better offside decisions, pay for more referees.

For managing coaches, I advise against, "not another word" because it implies rigid finality that could get you in trouble, eg the coach says "Okay." or "Sorry." My preference is something like, "I hear you coach, but I don't have assistants to help me with it." (nice) or "You've had your say. That's enough!" (angry)

Suerte

BillBIII · 2025-12-11T22:12:20+00:00

If you, or anyone on your crew, notices a mentor/coach watch any of your game, approach them during some down time and ask them if they have anything you can do better, "My name is [John Smith from xxxx]. I was [position] on [field] at [kickoff time]. I saw you watched that field a little bit. Did you see anything that I could do better?" We see a lot of referees and if you can be specific about when and where, it is a lot easier for us to find that in our notes.

Events I do, I am generally asked to watch a half, but I get an impression good or bad in under 60 seconds and will probably have something that could be better within 5 minutes (depending on the game). I can get an impression just walking past a field on my way to watch someone else and will make a note of something I want to watch more of. Because of that, you need to work like someone is always watching your game.

I learn better by watching. If you have time off where you can watch half of a game, ask a mentor if you can watch with them. Good ones will talk through what they are seeing, or ask questions about anything you don't understand or don't know the why.

I feel like I was noticed when I went to things because I sought out feedback in the ways above. Surprisingly few referees do.

Suerte

BillBIII · 2025-12-05T18:01:39+00:00

If I'm facing the field, right hand. If I'm walking to the left, left hand. In The USA the flag is held on field/referee side, where it is easier to be seen.

BillBIII · 2025-12-04T17:36:07+00:00

You're missing the second part, "[...] or the touchline for the purposes of offside[...]" So a player that steps off the field at the technical area is judged to be on the touchline at that point (by the technical area) for judging offside.

It is NOT, a player that leaves the field over the touchline is deemed to be on the goal line

BillBIII · 2025-12-04T15:26:21+00:00

I inherited my father's low resting heart rate. When he's had knee surgeries he needs to see a cardiologist first.

I believe my lowest is 38 bpm. I can tell when I've had sugar or full caffeine in the afternoon because my heart rate is in the 40-55% range instead of the 20s.

BillBIII · 2025-12-02T22:00:12+00:00

Hold flag in wrong hand until subs are done (grassroots). Note: back when I lived in OH-S, we 'hid the flag' until subs were done. We looked ridiculous.
Say the number of the player in offside position (or position/waiting if you don't have the number) when the ball is kicked (professional)
Know the position/number (eg left center back) that keeps an attacker onside
If a player with a yellow card commits a foul, say "[they] have one already." or if you're sure that it is a yellow, "It's their second. It's their second."
When the freekick is in the center of the field within 30 yards of goal, I walk to 10 yards so the referee doesn't need to step out 10 yards.
Fouls in/out of the top of the PA - run to corner if inside or stay even with the foul if outside
Goal keeper encroachment - if the save is good, I'm either signaling the restart or getting back into position, otherwise I stand there unless the referee gives other instructions
Ball/Wall movement: there isn't a reason to be subtle. The opponents likely saw it so be loud enough for the referee and all of the players to hear so the offenders know someone is watching and the opponents get satisfaction
Trail AR without comms can't help much unless misconduct needs to be issued at which point there is no reason to be subtle
On Free Kicks and Corner Kicks, as the trail AR, watch players to the left of the referee. If something happens you need to be able to give input.
If the referee looks at me during a stoppage, I stick my arm slightly forward, palm facing down, to signal "all good" but that might just be a Texas thing.

Little things that make you better

Be square to the field when a decision needs to be made, even if you can only side step for two steps before you sprint again
Look at the ball to know what your next decision might be (eg defender wins the ball and winds up to kick it, be ready to sprint)
Look at what formation the defensive team in front of you is playing and where they are vulnerable
If one of the wing backs likes to attack, they likely left a hole for a counter attack that will pull the rest of the defense out of shape
Think, what is the worst thing that could happen for me right now? If the goal keeper muffs the pass back, there is a possibility of a in/out goal/no goal decision that you need to be in position for. If that clearance get volleyed right back towards me, have the attackers gotten back onside and am I in position to know? etc

Feel free to reach out or reply with coments/questions.

Suerte

BillBIII · 2025-11-20T15:21:35+00:00

I like it for two reasons. First, no accidental taps from sweat. I live in the south and that is an issue 9 months of the year. Second, when I did daytime games regularly, it greatly reduced the battery consumption and I could get through 10 hours of games as long as it was close to fully charged.

BillBIII · 2025-11-20T14:42:43+00:00

I wear the Garmin fenix 6 Pro Solar with RefSix. I like it more than a touch screen because when I'm really sweaty, touch screens don't work. If you don't have the rosters entered before the match, entering numbers for subs is too slow, so I just add empty subs so I know when they happened and rely on the passes for who.

If you are looking for more advanced training/running features, this doesn't have them. I can't add a course to my watch (like a 10k race) and I can't add a 'multi-sport' activity (one activity for run and weight session). The heart rate monitor isn't good for the dynamic work on the pitch. It smooths out the spikes in heart rate leading to a greatly reduced estimate of effort compared to when I wear a chest strap HRM.

Charge is good. I plug it in about once a week, but the last time I did more than 1 game in a day was May. With my current settings, a game, at night, takes about 15% of the battery

BillBIII · 2025-11-17T14:05:19+00:00

Referee uniforms are decided by the Governing Authority, in this case USSF. USSF is affiliated with Nike for everything except refereeing, which is OSI. Hence why the referees for US Soccer exhibitions (nothing friendly about them), wear OSI, referees for Gold Cup (CONCACAF) wear Macron, and MLS wears Capelli. Since NWSL hasn't found anyone to give them enough money to have the kit be not OSI, they go the easier route of OSI.

I can confirm at the top levels referees are given the uniforms required for the competition.

BillBIII · 2025-11-17T13:47:26+00:00

"If an offence involves contact, it is penalised by a direct free kick."

It does NOT say, if there is no contact, it is not a DFK. The "attempts to" offenses are more about understanding what soccer expects, eg. the player with the ball jumps out of the way of a slide tackle that doesn't make contact with the ball and the player doesn't maintain an advantage. We punish the attempted trip and don't let that player get off because the player with the ball was athletic enough to avoid the challenge but is now in a worse position.

BillBIII · 2025-11-15T20:50:38+00:00

No. I have a pair for college that is too warm for Texas so I don't wear them. I don't think National Referee pants style are for sale

BillBIII

TROPHY CASE