Last month in our training corner we were looking at corner kicks and the positioning for the kicks, this month we are taking a little more of a 'stand -back' view and considering a different aspect of refereeing.

I was recently at a game where the referee had attended a referees training course, during the course potential trainers are asked to produce presentations, one of which during this course was a discussion on how time management can help the referee.

This lead to a discussion on an aspect of refereeing which I had not previously though of. I'm no expert on this subject, and this article will not be a definitive," this is how you manage time during a game". The aim of this article is to make you consider the timing of your actions during a game and when to jump in and when to stand back.

To define time management, from an assistant refereeing, point of view, when we all first started on the line we were a little quick with the flag. Experience teaches us to weigh up an offside or infringement carefully before raising a flag. For any one who has recently started on the line the best advice, I received was after you have identified a player is offside or an offense has been committed, look where the ball has gone before signaling.

On a number of occasions we see assistants flagging for offside when the ball has been played through to the keeper and there is no benefit in giving the offside. By using the time available to you can wait see where the ball has gone then consider if there is any benefit in giving the offside or flag for the infringement.

The same occurs in refereeing by using the time available.

I have watched a few matches recently and noted how two different referees dealt with similar incidents relating to dissent.

In both cases players were dissenting decisions, in one case the referee used the time available, called the player over spoke to him face to face in a firm manner. For the remainder of the game he received very little dissent, as he had made his intentions know to all the players. In another incident the referee tried to admonish the player as the match was continuing he was unsuccessful and players then appeared to believe they could try to dissent decisions to the referee as play was continuing.

Just as there is a time to slow matters down to take the necessary there is also a time to take swift action. A recent example I saw was at a Football League game. There was a particularly bad tackle just outside the dugout all the players rushed in as usual to join in. The referee walked into the melee of players with his arm raised brandishing the yellow card, no player spoke to him to ask him what action he was to take as it was obvious to all that he was cautioning the player, and the situation was calmed down immediately. At our level we are required to take the players' name before showing the card, although I think we can all take something from this example and act swiftly at the first sign of trouble.

Following an incident and action being taken the next point to consider is the re-start. When the referee has taken action players usually appear satisfied and are willing to get on with the game. In many cases we see 50/50 challenges and one player becoming injured, all his teammates are looking for you to take action, although you do not consider it appropriate. To calm the situation down it may be worth stopping the game and speaking to the player just to tell him to take care to ensure he doesn't go over the top in future challenges. The time used and pause in play may make the "red mist" disappear from one or two players.

There are many other forms of time management in a game, I was a reserve official at a game and the referee was giving his instructions to the St Johns ambulance people. His instructions were if you come on the field walk, don't run, I need a breather. Now we don't have St John's ambulance men on our games, although the principal is the same at a break in play when a player is being treated, use the time, either to get a breather or speak to a player.

To conclude when you are out on the field, use time, if there is a serious incident take prompt action, otherwise, do not feel rushed into decisions, if a situation occurs stop the game and deal with each one in turn, the most serious first.

In the recent training event we showed an incident of a referee trying to deal with an injured player, a player who was to going to be cautioned for an offense and an irate team mate. Think about how you would deal with each person in turn.