This four-week plan was designed to get us back into shape for the season after Xmas and to help break in some new refs. Planned for 3 sessions a week with one of them being scrimmage.
Weekly Overview
Before week one it, read/reread chapters 2 & 3 in the rules.
Week 1: The basics – handsignals, positioning, skating skills and scrimmage
Reading: WFTDA Rules 2 & 3
1.1 Intro: Ref training: Rules discussion (handsignals), penalty calling circuit, skating patterns, skating skills
1.2 Endurance, basics: Skater watching, skating skills and skating patterns, Ref discussion: safety and the basics of running a scrimmage, all refs
1.3 Mock Scrimmage: Shadow/NSO/Ref
Week 2: The intermediate – enforcing penalties, 10/20 feet and pack reffing
Reading: WFTDA Rules 4 & 7
2.1 Ref training: Rules discussion (penalty enforcement), penalty calling circuit, 10/20 foot drills
2.2 Endurance, basics: Skater watching, skating skills and ref patterns, Ref discussion: pack reffing, all refs
2.3Bout Condition scrimmage: Shadow/NSO/Ref
Week 3: Getting specific – bout roles, special jobs
Reading: WFTDA Rules 9, Ref Role Descriptions WFTDA Ref Manual
3.1Ref training: Rules discussion (judging impact), penalty calling circuit, 10/20 foot drills, ref patterns
3.2 Endurance, basics: Endurance, basics: Skater watching, skating skills and ref patterns, Ref discussion: specialty roles, JR and HR, all refs
3.3 Mock scrimmage: Shadow/NSO/Ref
Week 4: Are we as good as we think we are? TESTING WEEK!
Reading: WFTDA Rules 6 x 1 000 000
4.1 Ref skating skills assessment: All star levels, get skaters to test
4.2 Ref handsignals/whistles/rules test then determining of stars and free skate
4.3 Bout Condition scrimmage: Shadow/NSO/Ref
Week 1: The basics – handsignals, positioning, skating skills and scrimmage
Reading: WFTDA Rules 2 & 3
1.1: Trainer needs – interval timer, penalty app, tape, whistle
• Intro: Why refresh? Bout date, Bout date, etc. Get used to repetition.
• 10 mins: OFF SKATES: Run through four-week outline and talk about skill/rules testing at end.
• 15 mins: OFF/ON SKATES: Warm up and rules discussion on handsignals – get a volunteer to run through all of the handsignals and then everyone test each other during warm up.
• 8-12 mins: ON SKATES: Penalty calling circuit:
1. Circuit lasts for 60 secs with a 15 second break between – we are aiming for 2-3 full rotations.
2. Four spots are marked exactly ten feet apart – these are the corners. Two spots are marked at the apex of a triangle on opposite sides of the box – these are the points. On the corners of the square participants should be positioned with centre of hips over spot on floor. At the points participants can choose spot.
3. Each corner is a different on-skates activity. 1. On the spot running/walking on toe stops. 2. Sit ups/push ups. 3. Isometric squats. 4. Planks.
4. Point 1 has call app set up on a chair – ref does penalty calls with whistle and signal and point 2 mirrors signals and calls from opposite ref.
• 20 mins: ON SKATES: Skating skills we will be being tested on.
1. Skating style: skating through cones 6ft, sticky skating, crossovers (Bronze)
2. Skating speed/endurance: Five minutes skating (Silver = 25/5min: Gold = 10/90sec: Platinum 20/2.5min)
3. Stops: T-stop (both feet), plough (Bronze)
4. Falls: Single, double, four knee (Bronze), 180 degree knee (Silver), 2 second recovery (Silver)
5. *Only if confident*Jumps: Jump while skating, hop from one foot to other (Bronze), jump a 6 inch object (Gold)
6. *Only if confident* Skating in a pack with unexpected obstacles (Silver)
7. Backwards skating (Gold)
• 20 mins: ON SKATES: Ref skating patterns. Running mock jams and rotating through all ref patterns. Get all refs giving other refs feedback about where they are/what they can hear.
1.2: Endurance, basics
• Skater watching, skating skills (see above list) and ref patterns
• Ref discussion: safety and the basics of running a scrimmage, all refs
1.3: Mock Scrimmage: Shadow/NSO/Ref
Week 2: The intermediate – penalties, 10/20 feet and pack reffing
Reading: WFTDA Rules 4 & 7
2.1: Trainer needs – interval timer, penalty app, tape, whistle
• Rules Discussion: OFF SKATES: Penalty enforcement
• 8-12 mins: ON SKATES: Penalty calling circuit:
1. Circuit lasts for 60 secs with a 15 second break between – we are aiming for 2-3 full rotations.
2. Four spots are marked exactly ten feet apart – these are the corners. Two spots are marked at the apex of a triangle on opposite sides of the box – these are the points. On the corners of the square participants should be positioned with centre of hips over spot on floor. At the points participants can choose spot.
3. Each corner is a different on-skates activity. 1. On the spot running/walking on toe stops. 2. Sit ups/push ups. 3. Isometric squats. 4. Planks.
4. Point 1 has call app set up on a chair – ref does penalty calls with whistle and signal and point 2 mirrors signals and calls from opposite ref.
• 20 mins: ON SKATES: Ref skating patterns. Running mock jams and rotating through all ref patterns. Get all refs giving other refs feedback about where they are/what they can hear.
• 10 Mins: ON SKATES: 10/20 feet. The person running the drill stands in the middle and everyone else skates around the track. At the whistle those skating need to stop in a line with either 10 or 20 (determined by person running drill) gaps between them. Check gaps with 10/20 foot rope.
• 10 Mins: ON SKATES: Defining the pack and ‘out of play’. Using extra Referees (or skaters if available) get a pack to skate around the track holding plastic cones. When the whistle blows all skaters drop their cones, move off the track, and Referees attempt to define pack. Check measurements with 10/20 foot rope.
2.2: Endurance, basics
• Skater watching, skating skills and ref patterns
• 20 mins: ON SKATES: Skating skills we will be being tested on
o Skating style: skating through cones 6ft, sticky skating, crossovers (Bronze)
o Skating speed/endurance: Five minutes skating (Silver = 25/5min: Gold = 10/90sec: Platinum 20/2.5min)
o Stops: T-stop (both feet) plough (Bronze)
o Falls: Single, double, four knee (Bronze), 180 degree knee (Silver), 2 second recovery (Silver)
o *Only if confident* Jumps: Jump while skating, hop from one foot to other (Bronze), jump a 6 inch object (Gold)
o *Only if confident* Skating in a pack with unexpected obstacles (Silver)
o Backwards skating (Gold)
• Ref discussion: pack reffing (Ben), all refs
2.3: Bout condition scrimmage: Shadow/NSO/Ref
Week 3: Getting specific – bout roles, special jobs
Reading: WFTDA Rules 9, Ref Role Descriptions WFTDA Ref Manua
3.1: Trainer needs – interval timer, penalty app, tape, whistle
• 10 mins: WARM UP
• 20 mins: ON SKATES: Penalty calling circuit.
• 10 mins: ON SKATES: OPR Pattern Practice. Split referees into two equal-ish groups with each group standing at a pick-up point (corners 2/4). Volunteer gets on track as ‘bunny’ and as they pass each corner they pick up/drop off the following OPR. The OPR should try to skate alongside the bunny and should be able to trace an imaginary line between their own skates and the bunny’s. The bunny sets the difficulty level of this drill by speeding up, slowing down, stopping or skating backwards. Rotate bunnies.
• 20 mins: ON SKATES: Ref skating patterns.
o ONE MINUTE JAMS. Refs only – no bunny. Refs all select a position to start in. Encourage them to start in a position that they do not usually/often skate in. On the start whistle all refs skate as if there is a pack and jammers on the track. A single ref is asked to both set the pace of the ‘pack’ and to initiate penalty calls (which are mirrored back by all refs on the track)/rules discussion with all other refs on the track. Encourage refs to make eye contact when they are speaking and to provide feedback to other refs about what they can hear, what they can see, if they are getting enough eye contact. Rotate refs through all roles and make sure everyone has a go at setting the pace/initiating the rules discussion.
o ONE MINUTE JAMS. Refs with bunny. Refs all select a position to start in. Encourage them to start in a position that they do not usually/often skate in. On the start whistle all refs skate as if there is a pack and jammers on the track. A single ref acts as the ‘bunny’ or ‘pack’ and another ref is asked to initiate penalty calls/rules discussion with all other refs on the track. Ditto.
• 30 Mins: ON SKATES: 10/20 Feet:
o One or more refs are elected to run each round of this drill. They skate/stand as IPR/s. Eight refs/skaters skate on track as blockers. Free skate until the whistle then everyone stops as close to where they are as possible. IPR/s define pack, EZ and any OOP. Blockers on track are encouraged to challenge IPR’s definitions. Check all challenged calls with 10/20 foot rope. Blockers should be encouraged to spread out on track and make this drill as hard as possible. Rotate all refs through IPR.
o One or more refs are elected to run each round of this drill. They skate/stand as IPR/s. Eight refs/skaters skate on track as blockers. Encourage the blockers to work together (even though they are on ‘opposing’ teams), ask them to bridge, split the pack, go OOP both front and back. Mock jams are run (with or without jammers) where the IPRs are asked to define pack, call OOP – remind them that everyone on the track needs to hear the pack definition calls very clearly. At end of each mock jam IPR/s get feedback from blockers about what they could hear, how clear/fast the definition was.
• 30 Mins: OFF SKATES: Stretching and Rules Discussion: Judging impact: Heath
3.2: Endurance, basics
• Skater watching, skating skills and ref patterns
• 20 mins: ON SKATES: Skating skills we will be being tested on.
o Skating style: skating through cones 6ft, sticky skating, crossovers (Bronze)
o Skating speed/endurance: Five minutes skating (Silver = 25/5min: Gold = 10/90sec: Platinum 20/2.5min)
o Stops: T-stop (both feet) plough (Bronze)
o Falls: Single, double, four knee (Bronze), 180 degree knee (Silver), 2 second recovery (Silver)
o *Only if confident* Jumps: Jump while skating, hop from one foot to other (Bronze), jump a 6 inch object (Gold)
o *Only if confident* Skating in a pack with unexpected obstacles (Silver)
o Backwards skating (Gold)
• Ref discussion: specialty roles, JR (Crystal) and HR Me and Ben), all refs
3.3: Mock scrimmage: Shadow/NSO/Ref
Week 4: Are we as good as we think we are? TESTING WEEK!
Reading: WFTDA Rules 6 x 1 000 000, browse ‘You make the call’ section of ZH
4.1: Ref skating skills assessment: All star levels
• Skates on and warm up
• Skills to be tested:
o BRONZE
o T-stop and plough stop
o Single/double knee falls
o Four point fall
o Jump while skating, hop from one foot to other
o Weave through cones six feet apart
o 5 mins continuous skating
o Crossovers
o Sticky skating
o SILVER
o 25 laps in 5 minutes
o 2 second recovery time from fall
o 180 knee fall, controlled and safe
o Skating in a pack, unexpected obstacles
o GOLD
o 10 laps in 90 seconds
o Skate backwards
o Jump six inch high object
4.2: Other ref skills assessment, written testing: All star levels
• Off skates
• Rules testing:
o Red Star Test
o Amber Star Test
o Ref Specific Test
• Skills to be tested:
o BRONZE
o Correctly name hand signals when demonstrated
o Blow clear whistles, know when to use which whistle
4.3: Mock scrimmage: Shadow/NSO/Ref
Angela J Williams 