When assessing and coaching elite referees, the Referee Coach is focused on a different range of issues than would
be the case for junior referees (levels one to three). The elite referee assessments brush over some of the more
basic and remedial skills and criteria, as they would be expected. The Referee Coach is looking for the 'big ticket'
items, the something that sets the elite referees apart.
Elite referees enhance the performance of both teams rather than just thinking they are doing a great job controlling
the defensive line. Therefore, in addition to the assessment criteria detailed on the various Referee Badge Level
Assessment Sheets, the Referee Coach will be considering the following points:
- Are the referee's nominations early enough to allow response time for both the attack and defence?
- In advantage play, does the referee get the best from this early enough to have the attacking players accelerating
and if the advantage breaks down, is the appropriate action taken (penalty etc) and is the penalty the best or only option?
- Does the referee read players as well as play?
- Is the referee able to sum up a quick move or change of direction (switch of play etc) even if this is based on a
call from a player?
- Does the referee allow for, and read the speed and direction of the game on entry?
- Does the referee have a straight line or angle chase to set up for five metre control when the ball goes wide?
- Does the referee look to enhance the performance of his/her buddy referees?
- On line is the referee able to react to the compact defence and read the move of the attack?
- When the game is played at speed up the centre of the field, does the referee get squeezed or does the referee
react to improve his / her position?
- Does the referee constantly look further into the game to read play to get ahead of it or is he/she happy to accept
what is given?
- When tight calls are made, how does the referee handle `difficult players' and what is their response to the referee?
- Does the referee look for and get full advantage on line, or break down with a penalty?
- Is the referee balanced and ready to come off either foot as the game dictates, especially on line?
- Does the referee look to move players off the line early with subliminal messages?
- Is the referee aware of players that may make a quick dive under the defensive players and does the referee
position him/herself accordingly with full view?
- Does the referee have the courage to make the tough decisions?
- Does the referee support his/her buddies when they make a call that he/she disagree with or does the referee
leave them unsupported?
- Does the referee always control offside players on both sides of him/her so that the attack has the full field
width to use?
- Is the referee on top of basic player moves, shutdown, splits, swipe etc?
- As a buddy referee does the referee position him/herself to give the most assistance to the on field referee,
especially when a touchdown is immanent?
- Is the referee in a position to see the hands of the player so that he/she can have credible input for a forward
pass etc?
- Does the referee attitude appear to be correct for the game and game standard?
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