michael dunkley, England

what is your opinion on giving cautions and dismissals at the age of u11 to u14 football

My opinion is learning early a foul which would be sanctioned with a red or yellow card should be the same through out football. I watch a lot of U11s football because my lad plays regularly and I have heard shouts from spectators to ‘pull him down’. What sort of image does that portray? Well, if you do the crime you can expect the punishment.

Connor Mayes, England

Hi Phil. Do you watch your game after you have refereed, to see what you have done well in and what needs to be improved. Im also wondering if you know your appointments a week or months in advance.

Appointments come by email on a Monday prior to Saturday’s fixtures. I do watch my games after and pick out two good and two bad to work on next time I referee, even if I think I have had a super game I pick out points which I can improve on.

mark hughes, England

From an injury and the player leaves the field of play,from where do you deliver the drop ball from ?? where the incident occured or where you stopped play and where the ball was when you blew the whistle.??

Where the ball was when you stopped play.

David Lumb, England

I heard a report on the radio this weekend that contained the following: The referee had given a goal and the teams were lining up to kick off when his attention was drawn to the linesman who was flagging for an offence. The referee consulted his linesman and decided that the goal should stand. As the teams were lining up again to kick off the 4th official intervened and had a conversation with the referee. The referee then changed his decision and disallowed the goal awarding a free kick to the defending side. I was under the impression, confirmed by reading the duties of the 4th official on this site, that this type of intervention is outside the remit of the 4th official. I can not recall which game was being reported on as I was driving and it was the apparent discrepency that caught my attention. Please comment.

The game was an FA cup and I have spoken to the Referee. The goal was disallowed by the referee, on the information of the assistant referee the ball entered the goal direct from a throw-in which is not allowed. The referee approached the 4th official to advise him he was disallowing the goal and to let the managers know to prevent any problems with the technical areas.