First caution!

After spending a couple of weekends away and with the youth league not starting until the following week, my first official game as a fully qualified referee came again for Headstocks against a team both they and I knew from having played them a few times in recent years, Optima.

I had been told to expect a very close game as both sides saw themselves as prospective league winners but with Headstocks being a newly formed team made up of plenty of players with experience of playing at a much better standard, they were soon in control of the game. In fact, they opened the scoring with less than 30 seconds on the clock with probably the best goal I'm likely to see all season. An Optima goalkick made it to the half way line but an Headstocks striker thought nothing to lashing it back on the volley and it flew past the keeper who had no chance.

Personally I felt I had a decent game with nothing much to write home about (though I always manage to write plenty as you'll soon see!) but there was a big talking point near the end of the first half. Headstocks were 3-0 up and were taking a throw in near the half way line on the far side. One of the Optima players was frustrated at how the game was turning out and began to complain at every decision that went against them. The throw in was taken and the Optima player called for a foul throw. I signalled to play on and waved away his protest to be met with a shout of "F*** Off then!". To me, this was a red card offence which we learnt to always deal with straight away irrespective of where the play was, so I blew to bring the game back, to the disappointment of the Headstock lads who had just made a break down the wing and were outnumbering their opposition in the box.

I called the player in question to one side and his captain came with him to plead his case, saying he was aiming his frustration at the captain and not at me, to which I didn't believe. A couple of Headstocks lads came too to protest against the call to bring the game back when they were on the attack and I told their skipper I was doing it as I was to send the player off but due to the nature of the game, I had reduced it to a caution at the request of his captain and so apologised to the home side for breaking down their attack. I told the player who I was to caution that I was of no doubt that he was aiming his words at me and needed to quash his frustrations otherwise he would be on the pitch for not much longer. I showed him the yellow card and said I'd give him the benefit and the game got back underway. I felt I could've handled this better, by letting the play continue before bringing it back but I was afraid I would not know who I was going back to speak to wanted to do it there and then, and was slightly disappointed to have reduced it to a yellow card when it was a certain red but my soft side came through as his side were ggetting nothing from the game. I would've also felt bad for Headstock if they hadn't been a few goals up and running away with the game.