Great Article from @dutchreferee

See the whole article, "7 tips to stay focused for 90 minutes" here, at Dutch Referee Blog.

I'll add a #8 alongside the very worthy (7) points he makes.

#8 - Visualize.

In preparation for a match visualize the match and decisions you may have to make. Picture entering the field. Air is warm, sun is out, and you can smell the fresh cut grass. Visualize inspecting the teams before the match and having a nice pre-match conversation with a coach or player. Feel the thrill of that first whistle to start the match. Imagine that hand ball that a player tries to get away with on your blind side. Picture in your mind that goal by the #10 and before pointing upfield, looking to your assistant to verify it was a good goal. Go through cautioning a player for that hard challenge that has no place on this day. Finish by visualizing the final whistles and shaking hands with your teammates ... all of them ... players and referees alike who worked for 90 minutes together for a good match.

Imagine the good and the bad and how you are going to deal with it that day. Play it in your head before you walk into the field. If you find yourself waining during a match, replay that part to bolster your focus and confidence.

Then do it. 

Angel on (The Rays') Shoulder

There are relatively few opportunities for real trickery outside of feigning fouls in soccer.

One could certainly be penalties, or kicks from the mark. Another may be pass back to the goal keeper. There may be some opportunities during some set plays too, particularly corner kicks where I have seen some trick set plays used, at times with some success.

In all cases however, a referee has to be ready for it, and know what the appropriate result needs to be, without regard to what everyone else thinks.

Take a look at the clip below from the Rays v. LA the other day, and how nearly everyone in the park, media included, got it wrong, and it took super, duper, extra slo mo several times for folks to figure it out. Some I'm sure still don't get it.

The Rays of course, pulled it off to perfection, and Angel Hernandez had it the whole way, finally to the credit of the media, even without instant replay or some elaborate sensing device to tell us where the ball was.

Hat tip to Angel Hernandez for an outstanding call.