My life on the line

In the last episode before a Festive Season break, Jack & Ale discuss Mass confrontations and how to manage them. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Jack & Ale talk about how to manage free kicks, from when an offence occurs, to setting up a wall and working with your team. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Jack and Ale talk about how to deal with setbacks and learn from them. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Coaching Corner, Jack and Ale talk about advantage. They look at what advantage is according to Law 5 - The Referee, what are the factors to consider when applying an advantage, and what disciplinary sanctions to apply when we play an advantage. If you want to find out more about advantage, you can read our article on our free members portal at this link https://www.refcoach.org/coaching/advantage-what-is-it-and-when-to-apply-it See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ale and Jack talk about mentors, coaches and assessors (or observers) and what are the differences between these roles, and how we can approach each relationship between them and referees. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's guest is Jon Chapman. Jon has refereed basketball in Australia for over 20 years. He was a referee in Australia's top tier competition, the National Basketball League. He was also an international referee and refereed international matches such as the World Junior Championship Bronze Medal Match and the friendly match between the Australian Boomers and Team USA in 2018. Jon is also the co-founder of Refbook, an online referee management tool, and the founder of Ref Warehouse, Australia's largest referee and umpire kit. Jon has kindly offered a 20% discount on orders over $50 to all the RefCoach listeners! Just visit www.refwarehouse.com.au and use the discount code REFCOACH! The offer is valid until Wednesday, October 26, Midnight AEST. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Jack & Ale talk about dissent. What is dissent according to the Laws Of The Game, what is its perception and how can it impact a football match? We also talk about what are some strategies we can use to deal with dissent, but also how to empathise and manage it before it get out of control. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of My Life On The Line, Jack and Ale talk to George Lakrindis, AR, in the Tokyo Olympics Gold Medal Match between Spain and Brazil. George tells us the amazing unexpected journey to the Olympics and shares with us the day to day life of an Olympic's match official. George shares some great lessons with us, that all referees can learn from: work hard, put yourself in the position of being lucky, and take any chance you have.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Jack and Ale talk about VAR, its origin and its application during a game. How is VAR used during a match and what are its main roles and duties? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

George Lowe from The RA joins Jack & Ale on today's episode of My Life On The Line. George is the Chair of The Referee's Association in England. He tells us all about his role, how The RA is growing to support their thousands of members across the UK, and his vision for the next nine years he will be involved in The RA. To find out more about the benefits and how to join The RA, whether you're a referee in England or another country, visit https://www.the-ra.org. You can also reach out to George directly at chair@the-ra.org. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is a coaching environment? Coaching environments or coaching cultures are supportive environments where working relationships grow and flourish and where all individuals are collectively focused on improving individual and organisational performance. In this episode, Jack and Ale discuss how to create a coaching environment for referees and referee coaches. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My Life On The Line is back! Ale & Jack had a deserved break after the Euro2020 and a big 18 months. In this episode, Ale & Jack are joined by Adriano Del Monte, a sports journalist and broadcaster that has worked for media outlets such as ESPN, beIN Sports, Sky Sport, La Gazzetta Dello Sport, Optus sport, and more. Adriano talks about refereeing at the Euros2020, what is the perception of referee seeing from the outside, and what are the expectations from fans and journalists when watching football matches. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Coaching Corner, Jack and Ale talk about body language in refereeing. We talk about what is positive and negative body language and why it is important to work on it, as it's one of the first points of contact to communicate with players, coaches and spectators. We also talk about techniques to use to work on our body language, including watching a TED Talk by Amy Cuddy on YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Jack & Ale talk about online refereeing resources. We are lucky to have access to so many great online resources, these days. The amount of information and educational material online is fantastic. What are some of the best resources and how can we use them at best?  Here are some of the resources we mention in the podcast: http://law5-theref.blogspot.com/ https://www.dutchreferee.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Jack & Ale discuss how to build relationships with players as assistant referees. This is a very peculiar topic, as there are not many opportunities to do so. But that is why it's so important to take them when they present themselves or create them when we can. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, Jack and Ale talk about how to support your teammates on game day. We discuss a few ideas and techniques on preparing before the game to enable a better performance under pressure, how to approach difficult conversations at the half, if at all, and how to reflect and learn from difficult situations after the game. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Jack & Ale discuss how to mentor new referees. What is the role of a referee mentor? How can we effectively mentor someone who has just started their refereeing journey? And how can we approach parents of younger referees to help the referee in the long run? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Jack and Ale talk about basic referee positioning concepts. They talk about positioning and its key concept: proximity, angle of view and line of vision. They also talk about the diagonal and other factors to consider in positioning, along with anticipation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Ale and Jack talk about how to manage goalkeepers during a match. How to deal with delaying the restart of play, how to manage dissent and how to manage them when they are the captain. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Jack and Ale discuss the role of team captains and how referees can leverage them during a match to enhance match control. Do captains have special privileges? And what are some ways to manage them and their teammates effectively? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ale and Jack talk about gear and technology available to referees in this episode, their benefits, and how to approach using new gadgets or tools you have never used before. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Ale & Jack welcome Hassan from REFSIX and Daniele from Referee Abroad, their co-hosts of 'The Referee Show', a show to review all the refereeing action at the #EURO2020. The team talks about how the Euros have gone so far, the refereeing standouts and what they think the appointments will look like for the finals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Ale & Jack welcome Hassan from REFSIX and Daniele from Referee Abroad, their co-hosts of 'The Referee Show', a show to review all the refereeing action at the #EURO2020. The team talks about how the Euros have gone so far, the refereeing standouts and what they think the appointments will look like for the finals. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Coaching Corner, Ale and Jack discuss managing technical areas and each official's role in doing so. The experience with technical areas varies a lot from grassroots to elite level football. Referees face many different challenges, such as dealing with team officials on their own or coordinating with their team the best course of action. They also talked about what is the role of the fourth official and how they can assist at best the refereeing team when dealing with technical areas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Coaching Corner, Ale and Jack discuss managing technical areas and each official's role in doing so. The experience with technical areas varies a lot from grassroots to elite level football. Referees face many different challenges, such as dealing with team officials on their own or coordinating with their team the best course of action. They also talked about what is the role of the fourth official and how they can assist at best the refereeing team when dealing with technical areas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of My Life On The Line, Jack & Ale talk to a podcast regular, John Westbrooks. He tells us about the last MLS season and how it transitioned from a COVID bubble to a semi-normal training routine. They then discuss training programs and regimes and the importance of having a structure when training to improve. You can view and purchase the training programs John created exclusively for RefCoach on the RefCoach shop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of My Life On The Line, Jack & Ale talk to a podcast regular, John Westbrooks. He tells us about the last MLS season and how it transitioned from a COVID bubble to a semi-normal training routine. They then discuss training programs and regimes and the importance of having a structure when training to improve. You can view and purchase the training programs John created exclusively for RefCoach on the RefCoach shop. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Coaching Corner, Jack & Ale talk about when to give yellow and red cards. Managing disciplinary sanction can be a great tool in a referee's performance. It's important to know that some sanctions, like SPA and DOGSO are not manageable, while other types of offences can be managed. However, each game is different and a different approach may be required. So when can we manage disciplinary sanction? And how can we make sure we simply don't avoid giving cards, but we manage players to our advantage to enhance our match control? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Coaching Corner, Jack & Ale talk about when to give yellow and red cards. Managing disciplinary sanction can be a great tool in a referee's performance. It's important to know that some sanctions, like SPA and DOGSO are not manageable, while other types of offences can be managed. However, each game is different and a different approach may be required. So when can we manage disciplinary sanction? And how can we make sure we simply don't avoid giving cards, but we manage players to our advantage to enhance our match control? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ale and Jack welcome back Benji for a special episode of My Life On The Line, to celebrate the anniversary of the podcast. Together, they discuss the journey of creating My Life On The Line and all the things they learned from their guests. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ale and Jack welcome back Benji for a special episode of My Life On The Line, to celebrate the anniversary of the podcast. Together, they discuss the journey of creating My Life On The Line and all the things they learned from their guests. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Coaching Corner, Jack & Ale talk about game tempo & game temperature. First, they talk about what these two key elements of football are. Then, they talk about how to identify and how to manage game temperature and dictate tempo, and when these tactics are required during a football match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Coaching Corner, Jack & Ale talk about game tempo & game temperature. First, they talk about what these two key elements of football are. Then, they talk about how to identify and how to manage game temperature and dictate tempo, and when these tactics are required during a football match. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our guest today is Eric Dobrzanski. Eric is the former u20 women’s national team coach for the Cayman Islands and the women’s head coach at Johnson and Wales University in the United States. Eric is also a broadcast analyst for Vista World Link and hosts the football podcast Ball Side Goal Side. We talked with Eric about his experience as a coach, his perspective on relationships with referees and the impact this has on games, and he shares several anecdotes around this. We also chat about situations where Eric has reflected on how the attitude towards referees has changed over the years and how it impacts his coaching style. Eric’s enthusiasm for football or soccer is infectious. It was great to get an opinion on refereeing from someone with a very different perspective, but we were surprised by the similarities between coaching and refereeing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our guest today is Eric Dobrzanski. Eric is the former u20 women's national team coach for the Cayman Islands and the women's head coach at Johnson and Wales University in the United States. Eric is also a broadcast analyst for Vista World Link and hosts the football podcast Ball Side Goal Side. We talked with Eric about his experience as a coach, his perspective on relationships with referees and the impact this has on games, and he shares several anecdotes around this. We also chat about situations where Eric has reflected on how the attitude towards referees has changed over the years and how it impacts his coaching style. Eric's enthusiasm for football or soccer is infectious. It was great to get an opinion on refereeing from someone with a very different perspective, but we were surprised by the similarities between coaching and refereeing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Coaching Corner, Jack & Ale discuss how to approach matches with qualified assistant referees and, potentially, a fourth official. They talked about the key pillars for prematch instructions: communication, fouls and penalties, mass confrontations and offsides and how to cover them in prematch instructions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Coaching Corner, Jack & Ale discuss how to approach matches with qualified assistant referees and, potentially, a fourth official. They talked about the key pillars for prematch instructions: communication, fouls and penalties, mass confrontations and offsides and how to cover them in prematch instructions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of My Life On The Line, Ale & Jack are joined by Lee Waters, a performance psychologist and lecturer famous for his research and studies about vision and eyesight, a field that doesn't get the attention and recognition it deserves. Lee shares with us how vision and eyesight training can impact an athlete's performance, from NFL players to match officials. Eyesight and vision training and research have come a long way and have been around for a long time. Today's devices and software allow researchers to see where officials and athletes look at all times, and the findings are amazing. Hopefully, in the future, there will be more attention to this side of athletes' performances. Lee also shared some easy exercises we can all practice at home to improve our eyesight and vision. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of My Life On The Line, Ale & Jack are joined by Lee Waters, a performance psychologist and lecturer famous for his research and studies about vision and eyesight, a field that doesn't get the attention and recognition it deserves. Lee shares with us how vision and eyesight training can impact an athlete's performance, from NFL players to match officials. Eyesight and vision training and research have come a long way and have been around for a long time. Today's devices and software allow researchers to see where officials and athletes look at all times, and the findings are amazing. Hopefully, in the future, there will be more attention to this side of athletes' performances. Lee also shared some easy exercises we can all practice at home to improve our eyesight and vision. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Jack & Ale talk about approaching being assessed, observed, mentored or coached as a referee. As observers are a fundamental part of a referee's development, the most important thing is keeping an open mind about the feedback that is given on match day and in the report. Not all the solutions you may be given may work for you, but it is important to be opened to experimenting and taking in the feedback from an impartial and outside person. We also talk about how important it is to make the observers feel included and part of the team, so that everyone is comfortable and able to give and receive feedback in an honest and constructive manner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Jack & Ale talk about approaching being assessed, observed, mentored or coached as a referee. As observers are a fundamental part of a referee's development, the most important thing is keeping an open mind about the feedback that is given on match day and in the report. Not all the solutions you may be given may work for you, but it is important to be opened to experimenting and taking in the feedback from an impartial and outside person. We also talk about how important it is to make the observers feel included and part of the team, so that everyone is comfortable and able to give and receive feedback in an honest and constructive manner. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's episode features a very special guest: Howard Webb. For most football fans, Howard needs no introduction. He refereed in the English Premier League for 11 years, he referee the 2010 Champions League Final between Inter and Bayern Munich (Ale was extremely happy of talking about it in this episode), and the 2010 World Cup Final between Spain and Netherlands. He retired in 2014, after the Brazil World Cup, and moved on to roles at the PGMOL, before making a move to the MLS where he now manages the referees. In this episode, Jack & Ale talk to Howard about his experience delving into the human side of it. Howard talks about his relationship on and off the field with his historical assistants, Mike Mullarkey and Darren Cann, but also about the amazing support they all received from their families and friends. We also talked about Howards introduction to refereeing, which he took on from his father who was already involved in football refereeing. Howard talks about the emotions of refereeing the two biggest games in the world, but also what refereeing means to him and and how grateful he is for being able to live such an amazing journey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode features a very special guest: Howard Webb. For most football fans, Howard needs no introduction. He refereed in the English Premier League for 11 years, he referee the 2010 Champions League Final between Inter and Bayern Munich (Ale was extremely happy of talking about it in this episode), and the 2010 World Cup Final between Spain and Netherlands. He retired in 2014, after the Brazil World Cup, and moved on to roles at the PGMOL, before making a move to the MLS where he now manages the referees. In this episode, Jack & Ale talk to Howard about his experience delving into the human side of it. Howard talks about his relationship on and off the field with his historical assistants, Mike Mullarkey and Darren Cann, but also about the amazing support they all received from their families and friends. We also talked about Howards introduction to refereeing, which he took on from his father who was already involved in football refereeing. Howard talks about the emotions of refereeing the two biggest games in the world, but also what refereeing means to him and and how grateful he is for being able to live such an amazing journey. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Jack & Ale discuss approaching a match with Official Assistant Referees. As much as it can be an exciting milestone in your career, it can also be daunting if you are not used to leading a team. We talk about how to approach the match, the lead to it building a team culture from the moment you receive an appointment, to how to create a safe and team environment on game day. Your pre-match instructions will change as well, as you are not addressing club officials anymore, but fully qualified referees. An important aspect of the game is also being able to draw from more experienced assistants and using their knowledge to your team's advantage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Jack & Ale discuss approaching a match with Official Assistant Referees. As much as it can be an exciting milestone in your career, it can also be daunting if you are not used to leading a team. We talk about how to approach the match, the lead to it building a team culture from the moment you receive an appointment, to how to create a safe and team environment on game day. Your pre-match instructions will change as well, as you are not addressing club officials anymore, but fully qualified referees. An important aspect of the game is also being able to draw from more experienced assistants and using their knowledge to your team's advantage. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jack & Ale welcome Vikki Allan. Vikki is a Scottish FIFA assistant referee. She has officiated in the UEFA women’s champions league and the Scottish women's premier division. As well as this, Vikki is a Scottish refereeing youth ambassador and a supporter of Equal Playing Field, an organization that challenge gender inequality in sport. You may recognise Vikki’s last name; she is Crawford Allan's daughter, who was a guest on My life on the line a few episodes ago. We chat with Vikki about her experience with Equal Playing Field. Her first experience with them was refereeing a match up Mount Kilimanjaro, which has the world record for the highest altitude match ever. She also officiated on the match played at the lowest altitude ever, at the Dead Sea in Jordan. We chat with Vikki about lots of other topics around refereeing in Scotland. What stood out to us about Vikki was her passion and excitement for refereeing. She is an incredible role model for referees across the world.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jack & Ale welcome Vikki Allan. Vikki is a Scottish FIFA assistant referee. She has officiated in the UEFA women's champions league and the Scottish women's premier division. As well as this, Vikki is a Scottish refereeing youth ambassador and a supporter of Equal Playing Field, an organization that challenge gender inequality in sport. You may recognise Vikki's last name; she is Crawford Allan's daughter, who was a guest on My life on the line a few episodes ago. We chat with Vikki about her experience with Equal Playing Field. Her first experience with them was refereeing a match up Mount Kilimanjaro, which has the world record for the highest altitude match ever. She also officiated on the match played at the lowest altitude ever, at the Dead Sea in Jordan. We chat with Vikki about lots of other topics around refereeing in Scotland. What stood out to us about Vikki was her passion and excitement for refereeing. She is an incredible role model for referees across the world.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Coaching Corner, Jack & Ale discuss how to approach a match as a referee with club assistants. What are the important things to keep in mind? First of all, be a good human! Build a relationship with them, introduce yourself, ask them about themselves, their names their experience. What should you instruct them? The key points you need to cover and setting the right expectations. And finally, how to deal with club assistants that are interfering with your performance or unexpected situations, such as substitute players running the line. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Coaching Corner, Jack & Ale discuss how to approach a match as a referee with club assistants. What are the important things to keep in mind? First of all, be a good human! Build a relationship with them, introduce yourself, ask them about themselves, their names their experience. What should you instruct them? The key points you need to cover and setting the right expectations. And finally, how to deal with club assistants that are interfering with your performance or unexpected situations, such as substitute players running the line. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our guest today is Greg Barkey. Greg was a FIFA listed AR from 1995-2008 and officiated over 300 Major League Soccer matches, including 4 MLS Cup finals. Since retiring, Greg was an AR coach for PRO and is now the PRO Manager for VAR. It’s been an exciting time for VAR in the MLS since its introduction many years ago.  We spend this podcast talking to Greg about how VAR developed in the MLS and the journey it has gone on, the challenges of implementing VAR, the impact it has had on their referees with some fascinating anecdotes and where he sees VAR heading in the future. Greg talked openly and candidly about all of this and was a pleasure to chat to. We hope that our listeners can learn more about VAR during this podcast and that Greg’s behind the scenes experience adds a new angle to people's understanding.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our guest today is Greg Barkey. Greg was a FIFA listed AR from 1995-2008 and officiated over 300 Major League Soccer matches, including 4 MLS Cup finals. Since retiring, Greg was an AR coach for PRO and is now the PRO Manager for VAR. It's been an exciting time for VAR in the MLS since its introduction many years ago.  We spend this podcast talking to Greg about how VAR developed in the MLS and the journey it has gone on, the challenges of implementing VAR, the impact it has had on their referees with some fascinating anecdotes and where he sees VAR heading in the future. Greg talked openly and candidly about all of this and was a pleasure to chat to. We hope that our listeners can learn more about VAR during this podcast and that Greg's behind the scenes experience adds a new angle to people's understanding.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.