It can be painful, but there are benefits of watching yourself refereeing on DVD.
Once the vanity has been washed aside, and yes - my backside still looks big on the telly, you find yourself bemoaning the apparent ability the television has to make you look a lot slower than you actually are.
One of the benefits of refereeing a National League Three match (number three in my career) is the DVD, and a good quality one at that. And if any aspiring referees out there get the chance to get a game videoed - do it.
The voiceover enlightens you to the amount of waffle that one gabbles (me - waffle?), and you soon begin to realise that much of what you say is not for the benefit of the players, but you - the referee.
The art of communication and reducing "white noise" is an ongoing one for me, as is the progress of my pace and acceleration. And the DVD means there's no hiding place!
But, in my defence your honour, a quicker game requires smarter running lines and better game anticipation - and so it is here I will be focusing my thoughts ahead of my game on Sunday.
As for the 7-a-side game - my trip to the Rugby World Cup 7s in Dubai is less than two weeks away, and so there really is no excuse to miss sprint training.... oh what joy.
Dubai corner: Two weeks
Weight loss: Overall 4lbs - not quite the dizzy heights I was aiming for.
Alcohol intake: Three bottles of lager and three glasses of wine - not good after a two-week abstention.
Exercise: One game, two gym - not bad, but...
Wednesday 18 February 2009
Monday 9 February 2009
Oops I did it again...
New Zealand referee Steve "look at me" Walsh has, allegedly, been ruled out of the first round of the Super 14 as punishment for turning up drunk at a SANZAR conference last year.
And the good news is that English referee Wayne Barnes, who seemed to have fallen out with the iRB, has been promoted from his number one assistant refereeing duties to referee.
The Kiwi bad boy of officiating just can't seem to keep out of trouble and, if reports are true that he does have a drink problem, I hope Walsh gets himself sorted out. There's no doubt that he is a good referee, but he hits the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
Here's hoping he learns a lesson.
Dubai corner (three weeks)
Weight loss: Overall, 4lb - the right direction but not enough
Alcohol intake: NONE, ZIP, ZLICH - not a drop has passed my lips for 10 days!
Exercise: Two gym, one jog and no games whatsoever. Grrrreat...
And the good news is that English referee Wayne Barnes, who seemed to have fallen out with the iRB, has been promoted from his number one assistant refereeing duties to referee.
The Kiwi bad boy of officiating just can't seem to keep out of trouble and, if reports are true that he does have a drink problem, I hope Walsh gets himself sorted out. There's no doubt that he is a good referee, but he hits the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
Here's hoping he learns a lesson.
Dubai corner (three weeks)
Weight loss: Overall, 4lb - the right direction but not enough
Alcohol intake: NONE, ZIP, ZLICH - not a drop has passed my lips for 10 days!
Exercise: Two gym, one jog and no games whatsoever. Grrrreat...
Monday 2 February 2009
Can I offer some advice...
Not that it happens often after a match, and it hasn't for a while, but it's amazing how many "ex-referees" there are willing to impart some pearl of wisdom in the bar following a match.
Before and during the game there are hoards of people only too willing to offer me plenty of advice on the refereeing front, from the man who confirms the fixture midweek, the bloke on the gate at the hosts club and, of course, the odd spectator or two - it's all part of the game and for the most part it's fine and taken in good humour.
And then there's the ex-referees. A bit like ex-smokers, they always seem to offer the "best advice".
A few weeks ago a rather portly gentlemen from the host club decided that, after the game and while I was waiting for a drink, he'd point out the error of my ways and give me a few tips to improve my refereeing.
Suspicions are always aroused when someone in a club blazer introduces themselves as an ex-referee and a member of Such-and-such Referees Society (rather than from the host club), and all this following a pre-match meal where you just know that much wine and ale has been sunk.
"You know what my love, and I know you won't mind me telling you, but you need eyes in the back of your head.." (as if a referee didn't know that already)... said Mr Ex-Referee. "You need to move around a bit more - you need to catch the cheatin' blighters.."
... and so continued a rather one-way conversation about what I missed and the fact I needed to "move a bit more".
He was right - I do need eyes in the back of my head (they've been on my wish list for years) and I probably do need to move a bit more, but being belched this advice through beer-tinged breath after a game is something I could have done without.
That's what assessors are for!
Dubai countdown: (four weeks)
Weight loss: Not good (up 1lb)
Alcohol: Not great either... (let's move on)
Exercise: Two gym, one refereeing appointment and a schools' 7s tournament
Before and during the game there are hoards of people only too willing to offer me plenty of advice on the refereeing front, from the man who confirms the fixture midweek, the bloke on the gate at the hosts club and, of course, the odd spectator or two - it's all part of the game and for the most part it's fine and taken in good humour.
And then there's the ex-referees. A bit like ex-smokers, they always seem to offer the "best advice".
A few weeks ago a rather portly gentlemen from the host club decided that, after the game and while I was waiting for a drink, he'd point out the error of my ways and give me a few tips to improve my refereeing.
Suspicions are always aroused when someone in a club blazer introduces themselves as an ex-referee and a member of Such-and-such Referees Society (rather than from the host club), and all this following a pre-match meal where you just know that much wine and ale has been sunk.
"You know what my love, and I know you won't mind me telling you, but you need eyes in the back of your head.." (as if a referee didn't know that already)... said Mr Ex-Referee. "You need to move around a bit more - you need to catch the cheatin' blighters.."
... and so continued a rather one-way conversation about what I missed and the fact I needed to "move a bit more".
He was right - I do need eyes in the back of my head (they've been on my wish list for years) and I probably do need to move a bit more, but being belched this advice through beer-tinged breath after a game is something I could have done without.
That's what assessors are for!
Dubai countdown: (four weeks)
Weight loss: Not good (up 1lb)
Alcohol: Not great either... (let's move on)
Exercise: Two gym, one refereeing appointment and a schools' 7s tournament
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