Hi! The very first song is by The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony

Being a referee is 50% knowing what you are doing and 50% looking like you know what you are doing.

I've been reffing 10 years. And it took me a while to know every single rule like the back of my hand. but I really only started getting better when I got down the little things: How to blow the whistle like a pro, proper running technique, calm and confident body language, talking to the players, smiling, etc. The next level is know how to become a game manager instead of a law enforcer. Is the ball being thrown in 5 yards away from where the ball went out of play, sure, but does it always matter? It depends. Do you need to give a card every time a player calls you a cunt under his breath?

i was refereeing at a tournament on Saturday but on one of the games i had to be reliefed as i had called for a free kick and the manager said it was a penalty now here's the funny thing there wasn't a penalty box as the fowl was no where near the penalty box and as there was only a white line going across from one side to the other it made it difficult for me to judge and the manager was arguing with me about the white line going across was the penalty box but no body had told me this at the start so what should of i have done as it was my first tournament and the rules wasn't clearly explained to me so was i right or wrong to award a free kick when clearly there wasn't a proper penalty box so i awarded a free kick just out side of the box but i did get alot of verble abuse too

If you are reffing in the states, that white line sounds like the build-out line that they use for the youngers. If that is the case, then you were right, it is not the penalty area. But, as summer season is tournament season, rules sometimes vary from tournament to tournament, so its important to check the tournaments website for special rules. But as a learning experience, that kind of stuff will happen all the time. Not necessarily being unsure about the rules, but even professionals will think to themselves "if only I were 2 more feet to the right and had the perfect angle then I could be 100% sure about this call that I have to make". We are expected to (unfairly) to be 100% sure about every rule, and every decision we make. There will always be cases where an inkling of doubt may creep into the back of your mind: did it hit his arm or his chest? These are the times that it is most important that you show no doubt or hesitation. Remember the 50% of "looking like you know what you are doing". This is what I mean. They will pounce on the smallest inkling of weakness. When the coach confronted you, did you hesitate in your response? Did you look him squarely in the eye? Was your response calm and steady? Were your shoulders relaxed or did you look stiff and tense? When you are asked or challenged with something you are not sure about, the human response is to give a deer in the headlights look. And you'll need practice to fight this urge away. If you are not sure of the answer, you need to act sure, or at least communicate that this game, your call will stand and will be consistent within your game.... you don't care what last week's referee did. All that being said, don't turn into the egotistical asshole ref. There is a big difference between "What I saw was..." and "It's a foul because I called it a foul"

One tip, remember the abuse isn't personal, it's likely at the end of the match it'll be handshakes all round, it's just in the heat of the moment when people say things.

It wears on you especially if you have done it for years on end..

If you are wanting to referee then go for it, I'm a referee myself and I love it. Just go to your county FA website and sign up for a course (when they resume the courses after COVID)

Thank you