Terrible refereeing & terrible coaching
Another weekend and another Judo event, this time refereeing at the Goole Christmas championships.
This was one of those events where all sorts was going on, from spectators collapsing, to players punching each other.
I am aware this post may turn a bit ranty at times, but bear with me! If you don't know the Goole comp, it is a 2 star junior event (up to 17 years). It isn't a ranking event, no national medals are at stake. Yet so many players and coaches seem to think so. In the (unofficial) BJA Facebook group recently there has been a lot of discussion about the quality of refereeing in Britain, largely it seems from coaches who think the ref is wrong.
In fact it is just a differing of opinion, but that doesn't stop some people being adamant British refereeing is poor. So following on from those comments and some things I saw from coaches at the weekend I thought I'd comment. To put this into context, I'm a fairly junior ref (C looking to B soon hopefully - 3-4 years regular reffing) and coach (L2/lead university for circa 15 years).
Someone isn't up to date on the new rules
This is a comment I heard from a person who was sat next to the 2 judges at the side of the mat, throughout each match where one of their players was on, they would insist on providing a running commentary of what they felt the ref should be doing. Let's look at the comment first of all, the refs are applying rules as they understand them at the time.
In this particular instance (coach felt their player was thrown for yuko not waza-ari that was given) the coach wouldn't have had a very good angle from which to see the landing. I agreed with centre ref that it was waza-ari, in fact the coach saying it was only a yuko leads to believe that was probably the correct score! Either way - IF one decision was not correct, that doesn't warrant an attack on that refs knowledge.
In fact the comment can be returned to the coach, I was at an event (low level again, 2 or 3) as a coach where the new (at the time) leg grab = hansoku rule was being enforced. As it happens that was the time the IJF were trialling the rule and the BJA had not yet implemented it at the lower levels, indeed a memo had been published explicitly saying so. As I questioned (in conversation to a co-coach) a decision about a leg grab being penalised some bright spark pipes up "it's the new rules".
Yes, it's the new rules, but only at international events... any guesses who that was that wasn't up to date on current rules? Yep.
Just to let you know - your running commentary is detrimental to your player as that penalty I was about to give is harder now to give now that you've been calling for it. If I give it now the other coach will assume it's been given because you're shouting, therefore harder to give it.
Stick to coaching the player, not the refs. That's the RIC's/senior refs job.
Most referees can't tie their belt
This was a comment that came from one of the senior (non reffing) officials at the event. Someone that I know is very experienced in the Judo world. However that doesn't give them the right to comment like that - it's no wonder a lot of people don't try / stick at reffing when they have that much 'support' from senior members of the BJA.
Refs should be teaching players
This was from a coach who was unhappy his player wasn't being told exactly what a penalty was for. He is correct, the player should be told and in some cases (particularly at a L2 event) that may mean some explaining.
When I later saw (graded) players from his club having their belts tied by the coach I could easily have thought the same. Shouldn't that be something that graded players at 10 or 12 years old should be able to do himself? Isn't it part of the grading now?!
Terrible refereeing
Finally, this was the comment that inspired me to write this post (that seems to be getting rather long - apologies!).
It was my turn to have a break from the middle of the mat, as I negotiated the crowd behind the tables heading for a cuppa I stop to let a chap come through the other way. Normally I'd have received a smile or a "thankyou", not this time. This time all I got was "terrible reffing".
I have a couple of issues with this - when I'm on the mat, I kind of expect a bit of.... heckling from the side of the mat. This one caught me off guard as it hit me when I wasn't expecting it. Instead of a friendly acknowledgement of letting the guy through I just got criticism. That's plain rude.
I'd also suggest that I appreciate some coaches will know the game better than I do, I don't claim to be an oracle on rules on their interpretation, but I do put the effort in to study them. I'm open to discussing why decisions were made and why a coach feels I may have got it wrong, it helps with my appreciation of the game.
I won't always agree, that doesn't mean you are wrong, equally it doesn't mean I am wrong just that we have differing opinions. Perhaps down to the angle we saw the action from. Either way, just telling me my reffereeing is terrible is not helpful, if you want me to improve, how about suggesting how I should?
Was it 1 particular decision you are referring to? Is my scoring too generous/tight? Am I too fast/slow with penalties? Did I miss a score? Miss a penalty? Am I not moving in the correct way? Are my signals unclear? etc etc
If you disagree with a decision I'm usually open to discuss (though not change) it so we can understand one anothers thinking. Maybe your understanding of refereeing will change, maybe my knowledge will increase. One of us would get some benefit from the exchange, rather than both feeling hacked off at "terrible reffing".
Conclusion
If we all work together we can improve the relationships between everyone who is enjoy the sport of Judo, for the most part voluntarily as a hobby.
How about it? Can we all agree to try and help each other rather than bitching and back biting so we can all finish the day feeling like we've enjoyed our day? It is our hobby (for most of us, particularly at these lower levels) after all. It's supposed to be enjoyable.
I am aware this post may turn a bit ranty at times, but bear with me! If you don't know the Goole comp, it is a 2 star junior event (up to 17 years). It isn't a ranking event, no national medals are at stake. Yet so many players and coaches seem to think so. In the (unofficial) BJA Facebook group recently there has been a lot of discussion about the quality of refereeing in Britain, largely it seems from coaches who think the ref is wrong.
In fact it is just a differing of opinion, but that doesn't stop some people being adamant British refereeing is poor. So following on from those comments and some things I saw from coaches at the weekend I thought I'd comment. To put this into context, I'm a fairly junior ref (C looking to B soon hopefully - 3-4 years regular reffing) and coach (L2/lead university for circa 15 years).
Someone isn't up to date on the new rules
This is a comment I heard from a person who was sat next to the 2 judges at the side of the mat, throughout each match where one of their players was on, they would insist on providing a running commentary of what they felt the ref should be doing. Let's look at the comment first of all, the refs are applying rules as they understand them at the time.
In this particular instance (coach felt their player was thrown for yuko not waza-ari that was given) the coach wouldn't have had a very good angle from which to see the landing. I agreed with centre ref that it was waza-ari, in fact the coach saying it was only a yuko leads to believe that was probably the correct score! Either way - IF one decision was not correct, that doesn't warrant an attack on that refs knowledge.
In fact the comment can be returned to the coach, I was at an event (low level again, 2 or 3) as a coach where the new (at the time) leg grab = hansoku rule was being enforced. As it happens that was the time the IJF were trialling the rule and the BJA had not yet implemented it at the lower levels, indeed a memo had been published explicitly saying so. As I questioned (in conversation to a co-coach) a decision about a leg grab being penalised some bright spark pipes up "it's the new rules".
Yes, it's the new rules, but only at international events... any guesses who that was that wasn't up to date on current rules? Yep.
Just to let you know - your running commentary is detrimental to your player as that penalty I was about to give is harder now to give now that you've been calling for it. If I give it now the other coach will assume it's been given because you're shouting, therefore harder to give it.
Stick to coaching the player, not the refs. That's the RIC's/senior refs job.
Most referees can't tie their belt
This was a comment that came from one of the senior (non reffing) officials at the event. Someone that I know is very experienced in the Judo world. However that doesn't give them the right to comment like that - it's no wonder a lot of people don't try / stick at reffing when they have that much 'support' from senior members of the BJA.
Refs should be teaching players
This was from a coach who was unhappy his player wasn't being told exactly what a penalty was for. He is correct, the player should be told and in some cases (particularly at a L2 event) that may mean some explaining.
When I later saw (graded) players from his club having their belts tied by the coach I could easily have thought the same. Shouldn't that be something that graded players at 10 or 12 years old should be able to do himself? Isn't it part of the grading now?!
Terrible refereeing
Finally, this was the comment that inspired me to write this post (that seems to be getting rather long - apologies!).
It was my turn to have a break from the middle of the mat, as I negotiated the crowd behind the tables heading for a cuppa I stop to let a chap come through the other way. Normally I'd have received a smile or a "thankyou", not this time. This time all I got was "terrible reffing".
I have a couple of issues with this - when I'm on the mat, I kind of expect a bit of.... heckling from the side of the mat. This one caught me off guard as it hit me when I wasn't expecting it. Instead of a friendly acknowledgement of letting the guy through I just got criticism. That's plain rude.
I'd also suggest that I appreciate some coaches will know the game better than I do, I don't claim to be an oracle on rules on their interpretation, but I do put the effort in to study them. I'm open to discussing why decisions were made and why a coach feels I may have got it wrong, it helps with my appreciation of the game.
I won't always agree, that doesn't mean you are wrong, equally it doesn't mean I am wrong just that we have differing opinions. Perhaps down to the angle we saw the action from. Either way, just telling me my reffereeing is terrible is not helpful, if you want me to improve, how about suggesting how I should?
Was it 1 particular decision you are referring to? Is my scoring too generous/tight? Am I too fast/slow with penalties? Did I miss a score? Miss a penalty? Am I not moving in the correct way? Are my signals unclear? etc etc
If you disagree with a decision I'm usually open to discuss (though not change) it so we can understand one anothers thinking. Maybe your understanding of refereeing will change, maybe my knowledge will increase. One of us would get some benefit from the exchange, rather than both feeling hacked off at "terrible reffing".
Conclusion
If we all work together we can improve the relationships between everyone who is enjoy the sport of Judo, for the most part voluntarily as a hobby.
How about it? Can we all agree to try and help each other rather than bitching and back biting so we can all finish the day feeling like we've enjoyed our day? It is our hobby (for most of us, particularly at these lower levels) after all. It's supposed to be enjoyable.
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