Dear QRRA Members,
Please see the below guidelines from the QRRA President
1) Guidelines for QRRA Referees who want to run touch:
– Unless appointed by QRRA, members who are qualified as ARs are NOT to act as such in other games, unless specifically requested by the appointed referee.
– Members who volunteer to run touch for their club or related school are to act as a Touch Judge only, not as an AR. This is to ensure fairness of treatment to all clubs and schools, and to ensure the PERCEPTION of fair treatment.
– Any request to act as an AR would normally only occur where BOTH TJs are qualified and, in the view of the appointed referee, there is a strong reason for appointing BOTH as ARs (rather than as TJs). It is not normally acceptable for only one to be appointed as an AR.
– In such situations, when acting as an AR, either appointed by QRRA or on the specific request of the appointed referee, members MUST be wearing their full QRRA kit, to facilitate clarity of understanding among participants.
2) Complaints handling process:
QRRA appointed referees who wish to lodge a complaint against or about a club or school, or an official of that club or school, MUST do so through the proper channels. The complaint must be lodged to the QRRA only, who will review it for accuracy and completeness. Members must NOT approach schools or clubs directly.
This requirement is in place for two key reasons:
(1) To allow the QRRA to monitor trends and standards across the competitions and clubs/schools; and
(2) To ensure fair treatment is provided to the affected clubs/schools, so they know the complaint comes from an accredited source.
QRRA appointed officials must NOT lodge complaints directly with schools.
If a member wishes to lodge a private complaint (eg: if acting in a private capacity or as an official/supporter from a club or school), then they must not present themselves as being a QRRA representative in any way. QRRA would prefer that such complaints are lodged with QRRA, but we respect the fact that we cannot require this. If a member lodged a complaint with schools or clubs, please remember that you may bring the QRRA into disrepute if you do not act appropriately.
3) Blue Card use:
There have been an increasing number of referees using Blue Cards incorrectly of late. A reminder of the guidelines:
BLUE CARDS ARE ONLY FOR FIXTURES U13 AND ABOVE. Always consult with the medical attendant on duty first. If referee has witnessed CLEAR SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS, then they MUST report these to the medical attendant or team coach before a decision is made to show the card. The referee does not need to sign any documentation, BUT they MUST inform the team manager of the SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS if witnessed by them on field so that these can be ticked on the relative form.
Kind Regards,
QRRA President