Excitement. Expectation. Pressure. Opportunity. It’s the beginning of a new season. Back to football again, in the role of a match official.

In this, my first blog for REFSIX, I’ll explore what refereeing and the start of a new season means to me. I’ll also talk about the preparation and how the time building up to your first competitive fixture of a new season, can be used to take the pressure off, helping you get ready for the resumption of football. As we count down to kick off, take some time to reflect on your own thoughts and feelings about what the start of this new season means to you.

We all know that kick off is the “start” of that first game, but we have to go back many, many steps – at least from my perspective – and consider the start of our preparations to get a new chapter underway. In my opinion, the moment we instigate preparing, is the true beginning of the new season for us as referees. It could be when you start putting together a training or diet plan, that first pre-season workout or run, or it could even be that first full rest day after the conclusion of the previous season. For me, it’s all about a starting point, determining in your mind when one season ends and a new one begins. Defining this point means you can flip a mental switch and be ready. Leave last season in the past and focus on the future. Focus on your goals for the season and visualise success.

I’ve been refereeing for 15 years, and this summer, going into my 16th season, I’d love to say I’ve perfected preparation, but if I said that, I’d be lying to you. It’s important to remember there’s so much out of your control that can influence your preparation and also when you go out to referee a game of football - we only have to look at the past 18 months to show us that. COVID-19 interrupted almost every aspect of almost everyone’s lives; football - at every level - has been no exception to the effects of the pandemic.

With this in mind, coupled with the importance I place on preparation, I try to apply two main principles in my role as a match official; “fail to prepare, prepare to fail” and “control the controllable”. The first of these means I’ll look to put everything possible in place to prepare for the upcoming season and each game. As I mentioned earlier, this includes a training and diet plan, organising pre-season workouts and fixtures as well as visualising how that first competitive match will go and what a successful 90+ minutes means to me. This also means having my matchday routine planned out, but this is where balancing of the two principles comes in. There are so many things out of our control on a matchday, both on and off the Field of Play; from the type of game that unfolds in front of you and determines how you’ll need to officiate, to thinking to yourself, are my assistants going to arrive on time? I go back to my point behind this, control what you can control and make sure you have plans in place to deal with the unexpected. Make sure you’re comfortable with those plans and be ready for something or someone to rock the boat.

Do that and the pressure is off - you’ll be prepared to go out there and perform at your best, Plan A through to Z. By preparing, you’ve got the plans in place to succeed, not failing to prepare and setting yourself up for failure. And by accepting there are things out of your control, allow yourself to be flexible, relax and you’ll excel.

The start of your new season isn’t that first kick off; it’s when you start your preparation and flip that switch from 2020/21 to 2021/22. But remember, preparation and controlling what you can control aren’t everything you need to succeed. You still need to deliver a performance. The hard work is done in the prep so be in the moment, be confident knowing you’ll exceed expectations of yourself and those around you and you will do just that.

Lastly, and most importantly, enjoy it! I’m not breaking news here and it’s something you’ll have heard countless times, but those of us who enjoy refereeing will ultimately perform better. Enjoy and embrace it; the training, the nutrition, the rest and recovery, the preparation. Do that and everything else will take care of itself. Good luck for your first competitive game back, all the best for the 2021/22 season and beyond!

Guest blog by Dan D’Urso, Level 4 Referee, Sussex, England

Would you like to blog for REFSIX? If so, get in touch: jon@refsix.com