The ref season almost done and now we wait – Rodric Leerling

Waiting for the final assessment report this week. The one which will determine my stay or leaving the current (small) referee league. Either way, it’s out of my hands now.

Aiming for another re-start- Rodric Leerling

I had the unfortunate experience with Murphy’s Law on grass this year. After a full year of knee injury and only four games into the new season, it was game-over again in October. This time my left calf muscle gave in.

Boring new referees – Rodric Leerling

I’m reading more and more unfortunate reports of molested refs these days. Being hit by players or spectators who didn’t agree with their ruling. But behold, a new generation of refs is about to step in…. and has done so during the last couple of years.

Getting dressed for the game – Rodric Leerling

The rookie ref I  was to mentor last weekend showed up in full gear, shoes in his hand. I was startled.

Meeting Murphy and his law on grass – Rodric Leerling

Last Saturday looked like a perfect day for a good match of football. It turned out to be totally otherwise. Everything that could go wrong, also went wrong.

The ref promo/relegation results are in. How about next season ref?

Yesterday, all Dutch football referees received the long expected promotion/relegation update. Simply stated, the ‘greens’ are up and the ‘reds’ are down a division.

Did he really show a red card? Rodric Leerling

Another rookie ref close to receiving his Dutch FA ref badge and the green light to ref games on his own. We bumped into each other at the sports complex – two guys who typically didn’t belong to either the club nor a team preparing to play.

Mentoring a rookie ref again after a year – Rodric Leerling

To my surprise I was assigned to a rookie referee I accompanied at one of her first matches for the Dutch FA, late 2016. She proved to have made big progress.

A first: being harassed as ref mentor – Rodric Leerling

Assigned as his mentor,  I looked over the ref’s shoulder while performing the player pass check. I might have made a comment on a missing picture, but nothing really negative. 

Roller coasting from high to low ref ambition – Rodric Leerling

Two totally different games with ref mentor duties. It started with a young, highly ambitious young lad and ended with a jumbled, uncertain old guy.
I could help both with a sound advice. The first to keep going but not to be over-doing it. The latter to step it up or quit in order not to get in big trouble in the near future.