Refereeing your training
How to use a referee at your next training session and why
At training, we may often find ourselves refereeing a session rather than coaching it. This means keeping track of the score or generally acting as a referee.
However, by doing this, we might miss out on coaching moments. These could be chances to give a player a challenge, speak to someone 1-on-1, freeze a game to show players something or observe something to refer to later.
Avoid this trap, by inviting a referee to your next training session. This doesn’t have to be a weekly event, but could be a regular addition to your programme.
The referee could be someone qualified from your club or someone else you know who’s regulary refereeing.
As well as enabling you to coach, having a referee will benefit your players as well.
How to run a session with a referee
When planning a session that will feature a referee, consider what level your players are at. Just like any other session, think about how to appropriately stretch and challenge players without pushing them too far out of their comfort zone.
If you’re adding a referee into training for the first time, run a simple game that your players know. The addition of the referee at the session will add another level of complexity onto the activity.
One of the first posts on this site was about a training session where I deliberately fulfilled the role of the referee and set tasks to challenge players. Check out the link below for some ideas if your team need some higher level stretches.
You can ask the referee to put players under pressure by stopping and starting the game frequently, which might mimic the rhythm of a fixture they play.
The referee can also create mental pressure by allowing or stopping narrow calls by one of the teams. As I mentioned in the previous article, this can help players react to what they’re encountering, which is great preparation for a match.
For players new to rugby, having a referee at training means they get to practice speaking to a referee. Teams I’ve coached in the past have had players who have never seen a game of rugby before.
It’s important for them to practice and understand the role of referees. Having a referee at training enables them to build up confidence and feel comfortable with a matchday.
As well have inviting a referee down to a normal session and have them in the middle of your usual activities, you can also create a special training event that helps players (and the referee) practice their matchday skills.
Run your training session like a matchday. Go through your team’s matchday routines, including warm ups and team talks. Instead of a traditional opposition, split the group into two teams who will play each other.
They don’t have to play full 15 a side contact. Pick some rules that suit the level of contact loading the players want and need for that session.
The session will flow like a matchday, giving players, the referee and coaches a chance to practice their skills. These include speaking to the referee, reacting to the game and halftime talks.
Practicing the skills we use on matchday in training (just like standard rugby skills such as kicking) can help boost everyone’s confidence for a fixture.
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