How to file a match report? PART 2

After a match has been worked, each referee may be required to complete a match report. Outstanding match reports are listed at:

• SelfAssign Mandatory Rules - Rule = Reports
• An Alert upon entering the Referee Segment

A Referee can file a Match Report for any Match (must know the Match Number) at Referee:Match Report
Or click on the icon in the Action column at Referee:Inquiry

Completing the Match Report

1. Match Details such as Teams, Date, Time, Gender, Playing League, Club, AgeLevel, Field and Season are pre loaded.
2. Enter the Score and number of Cautions and SendOffs Issued.
3. If anything unusual happened, select the most appropriate Note from the dropdown.
4. Record any comments.
5. Note the Sportsmanship of the participants.
6. Record who actually worked the match.

Important Document

Referees are considered independent contractors and not employees. One of the tests as to whether someone doing a job is an independent contractor revolves around whether the individual is required to complete a report and the quality of that report. Referees should spend the few minutes to adequately document what occurred in their match.

Pay Determination

Some clubs and leagues pay their referees based on the match report. Do not file inadequate, incomplete, or inaccurate match reports. If you file a false match report claiming you worked a match and you did not, you are violating referee ethics and the referee consent agreement.  If you get paid money as a result of a false match report - that is fraud.  

Sportsmanship

Don't just go down the line and click "5" for everyone. That will be rarely the case. The assignors review the match reports. How do you think it looks if one referee marks all "5's" and the other two referees mark the teams with "1's" and "2's".

Don't mark all "5's" and also note that there were multiple Cautions and Send Offs in the match. Your report reflects on your reputation as a conscientious referee.

Referee Crew

Using your mouse, highlight the Ref, AR1 or AR2 box and start typing a unique portion of the referee's name. A list of referees will appear and then click on the appropriate name to load that name into the box.

Typing the entire name and NOT clicking on the suggested name in the pop up display will NOT work.

Filed Report Status

Every match report has a "Status" of either:

• Pending - nothing special about the match and the referee s eligible to be paid
• Review - something needs attention from the assignor, treasurer or paymaster regarding this match/referee assignment
• Approved - the match has been cleared for payment, but may not have yet been processed; this is often used for those clients who use PayPal Payouts or other processes to signal to the Client Treasurer that a payment has been authorized.
• Paid - the match report has been processed

What causes "Review"

Any of the following circumstances will cause a referee's match report to go into Status=Review

1. if the Match Report is turned in more than 15 days late
2. if the Reporting Referee was not originally assigned to the match
3. if the Position was not Status=Accept (i.e. if the referee was "Unconfirmed" or the Position was "Open")
4. if No Match Fee was calculated (Fee=$0.00)
5. if the Referee picks out one of the Notes from the drop down

   Referees should choose a note from the dropdown whenever there is one of the listed conditions - including

   • Match Abandoned
   • Match Cancelled
   • Match Details Differ than the Assignment
   • Injury, Referee was Late
   • Any on the Referee Crew did not Appear
   • Referees worked other than the Assigned Position
   • Referee Abuse
   • Team or Field Scheduling Problem

Final Thought

Match reports are the only reliable means that referees have to influence the behavior of teams and players. Consider that there is a major incident, and the team pleads "the incident was a one-time thing". The assignors and Pensra officials will look at past match reports to see if there is a trend with the team. If there is a history of the team being noted as poorly behaving, it will be much easier for the league to discipline the team.