Cold Weather Refereeing
This past Saturday, November 30th, marked the end of the outdoor season for the Referee Program, as well as two special achievements for some of our Club Referees…
The early morning weather at Downsview was quite temperate for the players, supporters, coaches, and referees, with clear skies, a bright sunrise, and little to no wind.
NT’s 2010 OPDL boys team faced off against Oakville at 8am. Club Head Referee Ben took up the middle referee position for this match, with Senior Club Referee Eva and Club Referee Mentor Adrian on the touchlines as assistant referees.
The match was a great exhibition for both sides, and perfectly showcased each teams’ character. A pair of second half cautions emphasized their sporting competitiveness, but both sets of players also shared a few good spirited laughs on the field as the match grew.
Having taken charge of a very vocal 2012 OPDL boys friendly match between NT and Toronto High Park FC on Friday night, requiring strong communication with the players, Ben appreciated the good weather and positive sporting spirit brought to the match.
The hard-to-predict and variety of scenarios often presented to officials across matches is a unique dynamic to their role. This reason alone demonstrates why referee development is done with the presence of Senior Club Officials and Referee Mentors. However, these unique experiences are also what allow match officials to grow, learning by observing the multitude of techniques used by more experienced referees in these situations.
Ending with a 2-0 win for Oakville, the officiating team couldn’t have started the day much better.
Unfortunately, the weather turned for the worse after the 8am kickoff concluded just before 10am, with cloudy skies and chilling winds persisting for the following two matches.
Riley, Eva, and Ben
10am’s game between NT and Cherry Beach’s newly minted 2012 OPDL girls teams saw Eva take up the middle referee position at the OPDL level for the first time! The match was also Club Referee Riley’s first as an assistant referee, and first at the OPDL level too!
Being a largely calm affair throughout, the weather no doubt impacted players’ performances, but allowed them to come away with some excellent experience after braving the poor weather conditions. This will no doubt be of benefit to them ahead of their inaugural OPDL season in the new year. However, the five goals scored in the match kept both groups of players driven to see out the match with a win, but ultimately the scoreline ended 3-2 in NT’s favour.
Eva enjoyed the experience, despite being pretty cold, and saw out the match with ease, demonstrating her officiating capabilities. Additionally, the four, 20 minute quarters format, played by OPDL teams at the U13 level, provided three break periods where Adrian and Ben provided positive feedback on her performance.
Riley felt that she grew into the game as an official, which is expected when one is an assistant referee for the first time. By the final quarter of the match she had refined her positioning and signaling techniques well. Whilst a challenging experience to start, Riley enjoyed the new experience, and noted that watching a couple of her referee colleagues in action outside of a recreational and supervisory setting was a nice change of pace!
Ben, Adrian, and Eva
NT’s 2009 OPDL Boys who kicked off in a closely contested and frigid match with high winds against Oakville at 12pm.
The home team took an early lead by chipping Oakville’s keeper, with the gusting winds helping the ball under the crossbar, but were pegged back to 1-1 soon after. Oakville had the best chance of the first half to get ahead and take the lead with a penalty kick, but the ball ended up crashing off the upper right section of the crossbar.
Adrian was well rested ahead of this match after observing the previous match in his mentorship role, and put on show his excellent movement and decision making abilities. With Eva and Ben on the touchlines as assistant referees, they definitely felt the cold temperature, but the pace of the game ensured the two were still on their toes and moving to keep somewhat warm.
With a number of opportunities to take a strong lead, Oakville would rue putting so many of their chances high over the opposition’s net (and the back fence of the field), as NT would end up winning the match by a score of 3-2.
The Referee Program will be looking to add enthusiastic and personable individuals that are, or will be, certified match officials to the Club Referee Program in the new year. If you, or anyone you know might be interested, please keep an eye on our Employment Opportunities page in February of the new year!
