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The video review days have all been mostly the same, but this one had a twist. It would end up with a meeting where we would be assigned to a final game.

The assignments were based on the evaluations thoughout the tournament, but also on which teams played in witch games, because we could still not work a game with our “own” national team.

I helped evaluate the game between Germany and Denmark, because that was the game I had not worked and we were a small group of people who went through the game, primarily using the sideline angle, and when we needed to, we would have a look at the other two angles to make sure our evaluation was as correct as possible.

Once in a while, the evaluators on the other side of the table – working on the game we had officiated – would ask us to clarify something from our game and we’d go back and forth from our one game to the other.

We finished in the early afternoon and while the Supervisor and the two neutral referees had a meeting to decide our final positions, it was time to honour an old Spanish tradition; The Siesta. In other words, it was time for an afternoon nap. That was good!!

Our last review meeting was a 1900 as usual. Supervisor Keith started the meeting announcing the crews for the final games and I was happy to learn that I had been selected to work final game of the tournament between France and Austria.

We then proceeded to look at some plays from the yesterday’s game, focusing on correct mechanics, to put a positive spin on our last meeting together.

After the meeting, we went to a shopping center to get a good steak and a good time was had by all.

Description of a long day.

Each game day, there are two games, one in each group. There is only one bus, going to the stadium, so we all go with the crew, two hours before kickoff. Breakfast at 8 and the bus leaves at 8.30.

We get to the stadium around 9.00 and wait until 11.30 for the kickoff. The first game is over by 13.30 and the bus leaves for the hotel around 14.15 getting us back to the hotel around 14.45.

After a very quick lunch we have pregame at the hotel from 15.00 until the bus leaves at 16.00, getting us once more to the stadium around 16.30.

We get dressed and try to relax as much as possible until the 18.00 kickoff. The game is over by 20.00 and we are back at the hotel around 21.15 and by the time we’ve had dinner it’s 22.30 and before the adrenaline has gone down enough for me to sleep, it’s around midnight.

Like I said, it’s a long day.

September has started off with a lot of rain. The first game of the day was almost washed away, and of course all the electricity disappeared so the first part of the first game was without referee microphone, music, scoreboard or announcements.

They got most of it working eventually, though, so it all worked out. The field took a beating as they are not used to heavy rain in Southern Spain.

I was back judge in the second game and it was still raining. Well, it was raining again, but by now the field was very wet and some places the players were aqua planning rather than running.

It was a very unusual game for me. For all the big things, I was ok and on the money, but for a lot of small details, I was off. For example, I never got to the point where I was comfortable with my clock management and my counting responsibilities. Throughout the game I struggled with both, but I’m not sure anybody noticed.

I had a few personal fouls and my first launch PF of the tournament. It was even on 4^th down on an incomplete pass, but I was very confident that it needed to be called, and I was the only one with the correct angle to see it.

Even more than in the first game, the field took a serious beating. In the 4^th quarter, I was lucky not to back pedal into a hole or a piece of grass, making me go down.

The group stage is now done and there is nothing more we can do to try to get picked for the final. Stay tuned.

Another day spent in a cold, Spanish basement. Stupid air conditioning!!

The format was the same as our first evaluation day. Both games were evaluated by a small group of people and anyone interested, could sit in and see how it was done.

It was a good process but there was still many comments. Both on specific situations that had happened in the games, but also comments about basic mechanics that need to be corrected for us to be successful in the last 5 games of the tournament.

We met again in the evening to look at the results of the evaluations and Keith tried his best to convey what he wanted us to do.

Martin had recorded a game with continuous play and his selected clips illustrated, very well, some situations where the game pace was much too slow. This is certain to be a focus point for the rest of the games.

Tomorrow, the last group games will be played.

Game day, kind of. This was my turn to sit out due to the setup of the tournament.

The tournament consists of six teams divided into 2 groups. Each participating country had supplied 3 officials for a total of 18 officials. 2 referees from nonparticipating countries along with a supervisor makes up the 21 man roster of officials.

Every game day, a game is played in each group and officials are not permitted to work in the group of their country.

Each group is officiated by the officials from the other group + the 2 referees. That means that any given crew can be selected from 9 “country-officials + one referee. This means that 3 officials sit out any given game.

2 of them are alternates, one on each sideline, helping with water – since it is very hot here – and keeping the sidelines clear and the coach informed when he has questions.

The 3^rd official runs the game clock, since the local organizers have not been able to find anyone capable of handling that.

In the first game of the day, I was supposed to work the 25 second clock, but for some reason, one of the clocks didn’t work, so I was out of a job. I then assisted the game clock operator instead.

In the second game, I was the alternate on the French sideline. I spent most of my time keeping the coaches behind the coaching line because there was no players’ box, so all the players were in the coaching box. Hopefully, the organizers will have that fixed before the next games at that stadium. After all, it is just one line in the grass they need to paint. The other issue with the field markings might be a bit more difficult to fix.

Imagine standing on the 50 yardline in the middle of the field. You look to one sideline and realize that there are only 4 yards between the 45 yardline and the 50 yardline, making it the 49 yardline. You then turn 180 degrees and look at the other sideline, where you see the standard 5 yards between the 45 and the 50. While you are trying to work out how that is possible, you look at the hash marks in the middle of the field and realize that there are 4½ yards between the 45 and the 50 in there. How would you like to enforce a penalty on a field like that?

Anyway, the games went ok. In general, there were improvements from the first game, but still plenty of room for doing things better.

After we got back to the hotel most of the officials went to a local tapas bar/restaurant which our local go-to-guy Paco had found for us. We had a lot of laughs and a lot of fun.

Tomorrow is another video day.

The first video review meeting started at 9AM. We didn’t finish until 4.30 because so many of the officials were interested in the process that evaluating the video turned up a lot of discussion and a lot of learning for some of the newer guys.

It was a good process and I can safely say that both games were thoroughly dissected. After we finished Mats and Martin put together a number of clips for the 7PM meeting where Supervisor Keith went through the plays and explained what was good and what needed improvement. It was a good and productive session that, hopefully, will improve our performance for the coming games.

We then watched a video from the Ohio Valley Conference on catch / no-catch and catch-fumble to illustrate that the receive has to hold on to the ball when coming to the ground and when-in-doubt it is an incomplete pass.

At the end of the meeting, we got our evaluations and it turned out that we had been very good at counting the – at times – confused Spanish defense. Well, except for once, where they got away with 12 players without us calling it. We got them on the next play, but by then, of course, it was too late.

I like this grading system, because the grade seldomly lies. You cannot get by on reputation or hot air. If you screw up on the field, most likely, it will be on the tape. If you want the final, you have to perform. Bring it on!!

After the meeting, the Danish officials went into the Seville to eat dinner. We found a good restaurant and tasted the local cuisine. We outside, around 11PM in 25 degrees. Very nice!!

Travel days are much alike. The good ones you don’t have to get up too early and nothing extraordinary happens.

I did have to get up at 5 AM (on a Saturday morning…. I know) but luckily, nothing extraordinary happened getting to Seville.

No luggage got lost and no one missed any flights. Well, one of the Swedish officials is still waiting for one of his suitcases, but that is why we always pack our officiating gear in our carry-on luggage, right?

We flew into Malaga and drove from there to Seville. By “we” I mean the other two Danish officials, Martin and Frank Sr and the physiotherapist of the Danish team, who is also Martin’s girlfriend.

We got to the hotel around 4 in the afternoon and we were quickly told we had to go to Madrid for the 7 PM meeting. Luckily, Madrid was just the name of our conference room.

Our supervisor, Keith Wicham, welcomed everyone and shared all the practical information he had received already. Unfortunately, with many of our questions he had to say he would try to find out at the technical meeting which was scheduled after our meeting.

What he could tell us was a lot about the time table, the dress code and the fact that we had to keep in mind that we were staying in a hotel with 3 of the teams, meaning he would expect us to behave professionally at all times and always assume that somebody from a team was watching.

In fact, he had already received one complaint that a coach had seen an official walking through the lobby with a lot of beers.

After all the practical information from Keith and our local go-to guy, Paco, we watched some video, primarily from the Danish league to spark some discussion on mechanics and rules. It worked very well, because Martin had done a great job putting the plays together.

At the end of the meeting we were asked if we would be interested in going to a soccer match in the best Spanish League, La Liga. Initially, a lot of us were interested to go, but once we found out that the price for a ticket was 60 EUR and not 16 EUR we backed back out again.

After the meeting, we did a little bit of shopping and then had dinner at 9.30.