90min EN

Body cam trial for referees in England

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 05:56:08 GMT

A trial of using referee bodycams across 4 chosen adult grassroots football leagues in England begins this weekend in Middlesbrough prior to progressing to 3 other leagues before completion of the 2022-23 season.

The new bodycam trial, which is the first of its kind worldwide, will take place in England after approval was granted by the International Football Association Board [IFAB], who manage the laws of the video game.

The goal of the trial is to explore whether making use of bodycams enhances individual behaviour and respect towards referees in the grassroots game.

The FA has actually partnered with Reveal Media, who produce the bodycams, to help introduce the innovation for selected grassroots referees in 4 adult grassroots partner leagues throughout Middlesbrough, Liverpool, Worcester and Essex.

Within the very first three months of the trial, we will see around 100 grassroots referees use the devices while officiating adult grassroots football matches.
All referees participating will get the support, education and training needed to utilize the bodycams effectively in approved fixtures. The video can likewise be accepted as proof in a disciplinary hearing if required.

As part of the trial, we'll be tracking and assessing the impact of the bodycams on behaviour across the taking part leagues and, if it succeeds, might aim to roll it out throughout extra adult grassroots football leagues in England during the 2023-24 season.

" Referees are the lifeblood of our game and we thank the IFAB for their assistance in allowing us to undertake this brand-new grassroots bodycam trial, the very first of its nature globally," stated Mark Bullingham, chief executive of the FA.

" We have actually listened to feedback from the referee community, and we hope this trial will have a positive effect on the behaviour towards them-- so that eventually they can take pleasure in officiating in a safe and inclusive environment."

And Daniel Meeson, FA head of refereeing - technical and development, added: "We care passionately about the well-being and assistance for our referees in England, and our national game merely could not operate without them.

Call for more respect in grassroots football

Sat, 12 Mar 2022 13:45:17 GMT

The county’s main football organised leagues have joined together to issue a statement warning against bad behaviour which is a spoiling the game.

The Carlisle Glass Longhorn Youth League , Carlisle City Sunday League, Cumberland County League, Egremont & District Sunday League, Penrith & District Junior Football League, West Cumbria Youth Football League, Workington & District Sunday League and Cumberland FA leagues have put out a joint statement.

They say that as a group they carry the responsibility for ensuring the game is an enjoyable place to play, coach, officiate and watch football within Cumberland.

The reported increase in poor/bad behaviour across the country is a disappointing to all in football.

The local leagues say: “The game should be safe, fun and inclusive for players of all ages , abilities and experiences.

“The good news is that the vast majority of those involved in our game do so in a positive way with Cumberland FA statistics, from this season, suggesting that 99% of the games went without any incident.

“So, there is clearly just a small, but increasing, number of people who appear to have lost sight of the fundamental principles of football and what is and what is not acceptable in terms of behaviour.

“Let us make it clear to those people that your actions determine the enjoyment of the players, spectators, and officials around you.

“Every shout, argument, unpleasant comment, confrontation, threat or violent act, can and will impact the experience of every other individual who loves the game and is therefore unacceptable

“ Football is an emotive and passionate game , but this shouldn’t be and is not an excuse for any such behaviour.

“We know that there will be, on occasions, poor practice from opponents. However, this is not within your control, and is not a reason for mirroring actions, as two wrongs don’t make a right.

“Instead, if you are ever aggrieved then, after the game, you can report your concerns to your club, via your coach or club welfare officer, or to the county FA or your respective league to allow them to investigate and take any necessary action.

“Similarly, there will be times when referees get it wrong, or make a decision that you believe incorrect and goes against you. We can assure you that, whilst you may not always agree with their decisions, match officials, whether qualified or volunteering, are not your opposition.

“They are doing it to because they enjoy it, or if volunteering, to ensure that the game goes ahead and so if they do not have a positive experience they will not continue.

“Likewise, the league and club officials who spend many hours organising your games and the club coaches who arrive before and leave after you are all volunteers, who are not paid for what they do.

“This means that if they feel that their efforts are not appreciated, or they have a bad experience that they are also likely to walk away from the league, club, or the game all together.

“ Referees and volunteers are the foundation of the grassroots game, so it should go without saying that any loss of a volunteer will have a direct consequence on your ability to be involved in a match, as without them the game simply does not exist.

“So, we urge everyone to reflect upon and manage their own behaviour to be more considerate, more responsible, and more respectful to everyone.

“In doing so you will play your part in protecting the game we all love.”

Reece James' grassroots story

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 05:56:08 GMT

"My first memories of football are playing in the park with my brother Josh, sister Lauren and my dad. There was a park behind our house in Mortlake and every day when we would get home from school we would go out and play football.

All three of us grew up wanting to be professional footballers so we would be out there trying to get better, improve and get to the top.

When we were growing up, there would be loads of kids in the area and we would have one big match. I had a team but I would still find the time to play as much as I could.

My dad helped our football development massively. When you are so young, you don’t always understand what you are doing and it was just a case of doing what he says. But looking back, he has helped massively throughout our careers and even now he still helps us every day.

He never managed one of my teams but he had his own team that I would play for sometimes in the summer tournaments and stuff like that, but not a league team."

"My first grassroots team was Kew Park Rangers and I was there from around the age of five or six. I was playing one or two years up and then I signed for Chelsea from there. I played for Epsom Eagles as well. I can’t remember how old I was but I was there for a season or two at a similar time to Kew Park Rangers.

Conor Gallagher and Alfie Doughty were among the players who were at Epsom Eagles as well. So was Ben Dempsey, who was at Charlton. It was a very good team and we basically won everything.

I signed for Chelsea around the age of eight or nine. In my age group coming through we had Dujon Sterling, Martell Taylor-Crossdale, Rhian Brewster, Jamie Cumming, Marc Guéhi and Conor Gallagher, so there are a few of us who have gone on and done well.

It was all of our dreams to play for Chelsea but at the time we were coming through, it was known that it was hard to break through to the first team because not many had done it in recent times – you had Nathaniel Chalobah and Josh McEachran and a few others but not many broken in."

"We knew what we wanted to do but it was deemed hard at the time. But when Frank Lampard got the head coach’s job , it definitely helped bring the academy and first team together. Even now he has gone, it is still where he has left it and you can see that with a few of the young lads breaking into the team last season. They have had their chance and been able to make their debuts and that is a credit to the players and the staff there as well.

When I was in school, I didn’t really understand the importance of things like diet. When I was with my friends, I would eat whatever they were eating and not take notice of what I am doing. I would just want to be one of them and not really take notice of what I want to achieve and where I wanted to go. Then one day it caught up with me and I was in a situation where I wasn’t fit enough to get around the pitch and couldn’t really move how I wanted to and it became evident that it had put me behind."

*My dad would try to put me in the right direction with things like that but I had joined secondary school and you are becoming more independent at that age and you just eat when you are hungry. It caught up with me.

When I look at my development, alongside my dad, there were other coaches who helped me. There was one in particular in the Chelsea academy called Frank O’Brien, who I worked with between the ages of around 14 to 16. He was someone who made me do extras and would be at me every day about how I needed to work harder. Jody Morris and Joe Edwards then took over where he left me and definitely helped me get to where I am today.

In terms of school football, I only played in one or two school matches because they generally seemed to fall on my training days for Chelsea so I wasn’t able to commit to it. I left my first secondary school in year nine and then I moved to Glyn School in Epsom, which had a link-up with Chelsea where the teachers then came out to us at Chelsea.

When I think of my overriding memories of grassroots football , in those early days when you are so young, it is just about having fun, enjoying yourself and not thinking too much. I think a lot of youngsters now can overthink everything and try to think too far ahead. When you are in that moment, you need to just enjoy it, have fun and play every game like it is your last."