An A-Z for Rugby Referees 

(with acknowledgements to the London Society of Rugby Union Referees)

A is for Advantage. One of the shortest laws but one of the most influential when applied wisely. Ask yourself, "what would the non-offending
captain most like now" as you signal advantage.

B is for Beer. You learn most about the game over a beer talking to the players and coaches after the match.

C is for Castlecroft. Home of the RFU's Referee Centre of Excellence, Wolverhampton. A good place to start for information about all aspects
of refereeing. You can also contact Andy Melrose the South West's Referee 

D is for Diet. A low fat, high carbohydrate diet provides you with the stores of energy to stay up with play for 80 minutes.

E is for Exchange. Travelling out of Hampshire, to sample the game somewhere else. Rugby has a different flavour where ever you go and
you'll learn something new about the game and your refereeing, if you are offered the chance to travel. Get good enough and
you could experience rugby in another country.

F is for Fun. Ed Morrison told us at the pre-season conference that if you don't enjoy refereeing, it's time to do something else. 

G is for Getting fitter. Increased levels of training and fitness at the top of the game are cascading down. You will need to spend
more time on fitness work. The RFU and Hampshire now demand high levels of fitnessfor aspiring B grade referees. Why not find a
colleague to work with. Motivate each other.

H is for Hitler. Better to blend into the background and become the 31st player than dominate proceedings with the whistle.

I is for Insurance. You've got millions of pounds worth of insurance behind you when you take control of a game to which you
have been appointed by London. Help a mate out by taking a "friendly" without clearing it with the Appointments Team and you
are on your own. Uninsured and liable.

J is for Justice. Law 6 A (3) "The referee......must in every match apply fairly the Laws of the Game without any variation or
omission." It's a tough job and you have volunteered for it. 

K is for Killing the Ball. The man you most want to penalise is that man who denies free and fair access to the ball. To quote the
sergeant from 'Hill Street Blues' "do it to them, before they to it to you". 

L is for latitude. Referee games sympathetically, reflecting the aspirations and skills of the players.

M is for Mentor. Someone you can talk to about the highs and lows of your game. Hampshire Society should be able to find you
one, but that doesn't stop you finding your own.

N is for Natty. Look the part on the park. First impressions are important. Clean boots, ironed shirt and a whistle with life in it.

O is for Offence. There are offences for which offenders should receive an automatic red card. Stamping on the head, the punch
from behind, the king hit, the toe kick and running a distance to get involved in foul play.

P is for Playing Area. The pitch, not exceeding 144 metres in length and no wider than 70 metres, where we ply our trade. Also
known as "the Park" and by some of our colonial cousins as "the Paddock".

Q is for "think Quick, blow slow". The golden rule for ref'ing sevens.

R is for Reports. It's great when an Advisor turns up to watch us. But think about what you can do to give yourself useful
feedback. Keep a diary, set goals, mentally review your game and assess your performance in key areas.

S is for Self-Talk. "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so", so said Shakespeare. We all talk to ourselves
during a game. Turn the negative thoughts into positives. "What a terrible decision" must become "No-one's perfect", "the
captain thinks I'm a prat" becomes "he wouldn't have a game without me" and "why didn't I blow that" grows into "just relax
and do your job". 

T is for Team of Three. Something we should all be a member of as often as possible. You learn a lot watching another person
practise the art. It also gives you the chance to be involved with the game at a higher level; for those who want to progress,
running touch is a skill you will need to refine. How long will it be before all international matches have a team of five - one in
the stands watching the TV action replays? 

U is for Unhurt. The safety of all the players under your control should be your paramount concern.

V is for Visioning. When preparing for a game, see yourself in your "mind's eye" refereeing the perfect game. Re-run incidents
from last week's match. See again what went well and solve the problems that you didn't conquer.

W is for Warm-Down. As important as a warm-up, stretch off after the game. This helps disperse the lactic acid build up in
muscles and will save you waking up on Sunday morning with stiff legs.

X is for X-rated videos. Persuade a friend to come and video your game. Get them to concentrate on you, your positioning on
the field and lines of running. There's nothing more sobering than seeing yourself referee.

Y is for Your Partner. She or he might not share your passion for Rugby. Agree/negotiate time for refereeing and time for them
and the family.

Z is for Zeal. All good referees have an eagerness and enthusiasm for our game. Next Saturday, I will be better.