Aylesbury Vale Volleyball Club
Refereeing Course Debate - Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?, or, paraphrasing Juvenal, who shall referee the refereeing courses? Referees Nigel and Steve debate the question.
Nigel> I encourage volleyballers to attend EVA refereeing courses as a Good Thing but with the feeling that they are like lentil soup - worthy but ultimately unsatisfying and lacking meat.
Steve> Well, I attended a course recently run by Stewart Dunne and I thought it was superb.
Nigel> But 2 days of rules minutiae - a bit much even for a pedant like me, although it means I can outref everyone in the pub after matches.
Steve> Actually, my course took place over one day, although this is a bit unusual. In our course, we did get ample chance to blow up common faults and during the playing part of the session, we all took it in turns to ref.
Nigel> And the trivia? Minimum lighting levels and weight of ball? I've never succeeded in getting a sports hall to turn up the dimmer switch.
Steve> I agree that some of the facts you are supposed to know are pretty irrelevant for club play, but there were not many, and it was indicated which ones to remember.
Nigel> But the art of refereeing is to keep the ball flying and encourage the spectacular.
Steve> It certainly is! The teaching emphasis was on consistency and assertiveness, and how to do the common things well. I have found that the most important thing is to make confident, assertive decisions and stick with them (unless you are so obviously wrong). In my experience this seems to maintain player confidence (which is a vital aspect of reffing).
Nigel> I agree there - the ref should be assertive and consistent. Short of getting carded, as a diligent captain, I'll question any unconfident decision against me, especially if the signal wasn't clear. But refs can only blow what they or their officials see and indicate, so if the ref re-iterates his position, I'll get on with the game. It's easy for players to get an incorrect impression of what's happened, after all they're concentrating on playing, whilst the ref is concentrating on reffing.
Steve> I am the same with unconfident or inconsistent refs. By learning the rules properly during the course, I felt it gave me a better understanding of the game, and I would encourage anyone to take part in a course to get their reffing qualification.
Nigel> OK, things have clearly changed since I qualified - so I'll second that. See the Vale Diary Dates for upcoming courses or check the EVA Volleyball Search Function. The club and Bucks VA will help with course fees. For those who can't afford the time commitment there are always unofficial local introductory reffing courses such as the recent Vale one given by Glynn Archibald and organised by Rebecca. Or go and watch an expert referee in action at a local National League match (both Danes and Herts Nomads play in Watford although Milton Keynes are unfortunately in Northampton for 2006/7).
