1: do you find the sideline abuse is worth that physical and mental challenge?
My first official role was AR for 3rd Grade at a Prem club. 2nd game I called a opposition player for stepping out as he was going over the line. My first introduction to crowd abuse, it was not nice, they were calling me an f'n cheat and trying to take my photo to put on facebook (I have been in sales for 20+yrs so adversity I am used to). To make it worse I moments later put my flag up as another opposition player caught the ball over the line though inches from the ground. In his disgust he through the ball in for which a home team caught and thought he was running down to score. To make it worse I tried to explain my reasoning with an explanation that was simply wrong. Both teams were mad at me, and it carried on after the match and for the rest of the day. I had ruined the game in their eyes. I had no idea they took the game so seriously, I had only done an online course. I was ready to quit.
Obviously I did not. Point is, abuse to the AR is harder to handle as you don't hear much when you are in the middle. No excuse for the times when refs have been attacked obviously, though that is thankfully the exception in Rugby.
Hate to say it, but juniors is the worst and it is foremost the parents. Whilst they don't call out, they are often sure to say something within earshot after the game. Some coaches can't help themselves as well and feel like they can question calls from the sideline at will. Even when the ref is fairly young. On that coaches calling out and questioning calls is often detrimental to their side as the players pick up on it, start going at the ref to and get distracted from playing thinking they are being disadvantaged and all is hopeless.
2: I've always wanted to know, do you find yourself sub-consciously wanting to reward the team that isn't chirping back at decisions? I guess the actual question is do you subscribe to 'keeping the ref on your side'?
First of all refereeing is too quick to be able to cheat. Once you have some experience you are typically reacting to pictures you recognise and then processing the law afterwards. Taking revenge may come in the 50/50 calls such as penalty or play on, though these days we are often coached and will be punished for doing this.
We have tools to manage chirping and are expected to use them. These days I seem to manage it quite okay.
When I did not have the tools (its a knowledge thing) the big issue was I was looking at everything the players were calling and missed a major issue because I was distracted. I awarded the penalty to the offending team. It was a dumb call and there was outrage however I was distracted by the other team 'chirping'.
Bringing this back to a subbies topic in the subbies forum, Subbies has done a great job in recent years supporting referees and lifting the required standard for ARs which is a big help to some of the lower graded referees particularly.
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