This might be more of a US thing where fans and coaches didn't grow up with the the game, but I thought this would be a good place to laugh about clueless comments we hear from spectators and coaches anywhere. Today I had a few, which incited this thread. U9 girls game. Attacker is dribbling the ball and a defender is on her like glue. The attacker extends her arm and literally pushes the defender out of the way. I call a foul on the attacker. I hear one vocal parent say "she was defending her space, that is legal" Then there is a through ball. The center back slides to the ground to stop the ball and whilst on the ground, gains control of it and passes it to another back. The nearest attacker was 15 yards away. Suddenly I get a cacophony from the coaches and parents screaming "She can't play the ball while on the ground!" I've yet to find that rule anywhere, but it seems that every coach and youth soccer spectator around here knows it as fact. Any other stories?
I hear a lot that once I signal for advantage I cannot then bring the ball back to the spot of the foul. This isn't for shots on goal either it's just for regular play.
When I started refereeing here my American colleagues told me that nobody in the US understands offside. In my experience most parents and coaches don't understand handball. Every time the ball touches a player's arm or hand there are screams of "Handball, Ref!"
May have already shared this in the best stories thread, but in a U13 girls center I had a few weeks ago I called a foul after one girl beat an opponent to the ball and then proceeded to pull down that opponent. She wasn't happy about the call. "I got the ball, ref!" "Yeah, you were playing the ball with your feet, but you pulled down your opponent with your arms." "That doesn't matter because I got the ball!" "So if you're challenging for the ball and tap the ball away, you can then punch your opponent in the face?" "Sure, why not?" !
Yeah this is actually the one I get more than anything, it's just annoying especially from older players.
Two good ones in separate games today: 1) Coach comes to me at full-time questioning a free-kick I gave late in the game that led the other team to equalize. Coach: *rant* Me: "I didn't hear any of your players complaining about the decision. Coach: "I teach them not to complain, I tell them I will do the complaining. Me: "Then why did I give your #6 a yellow card for dissent earlier in the game?" 2) Free-kick for a player knocking over a defender shielding the ball Player: "But he was shielding me! Me: "He is allowed to. Player: "So I'm just supposed to stand there and not do anything? Me: "You could always go around him?"
U12 girls game today. I'm AR1. Coach tells girl to throw in the ball to her own keeper to pick it up. I told her she can't do that. She asked when did they change that rule and was I serious. Yes, I was serious.
I love this thread. I know I've posted this before, but... U13B rec tournament game. Late in the first half red puts a ball into the area, where it hits a blue player in the stomach and falls to the ground, and another blue player clears it. Lots of shouts for "hand ball!", and much grumbling from red for the rest of the half. As time is about to expire red lines up to take a corner kick, and I whistle for full time (yes, I do that). Red coach walks onto field and says that he needs an explanation because he has "7 players who think that was a handball" (I guess he subtracted his keeper and fullbacks.) My response was "tell them that there were 11 players on the other team who thought it wasn't, so they were outnumbered." To this day, when I run into that coach we exchange pleasantries.
Another one that I recall from today. U9 game again. Attacker was on a potential breakaway just past midfield and the following defender tripped the attacker in an attempt to get the ball. The attacker went down hard. At an older age I might have given a yellow, but at U Little I'll take the kid aside and give him a stern "You'd better be more careful because next time you do something like that you are getting a yellow" (see my thread here about carding U Littles for my reasoning). At the half the coach of the defender approached me and said "I can't believe you called that foul, and you really upset my player by saying you would give him a yellow next time. It was not intentional." I had to explain to him that fouls don't necessarily require intent.
One I just remembered from the other day at a U13 game: Me: *blows for half-time as an attacker makes a break-away toward goal* Team mate: "You can't do that! Me: "Do what? Team mate: "Blow it when he's going to the goal. Me: "I can do whatever I want" *facepalms kid*
Wow, stupid on multiple levels. I guess you're OK so long as he doesn't start talking about "2nd amendment remedies."
Although it might take him a little time to form a well-regulated militia—time best employed heading for your car...
On a positive note, yesterday during my SC final game - admittedly it was U11 so smaller field - I was deep in the corner and wouldn't you know it, defender unloads a huge outlet pass. I start chugging to the other corner just so the forward can juggle the ball out of bounds. Out of the parent's section I heard, "way to get down there, ref!"
I know time is up when time is up, but do you think calling for time when there is a breakaway is really what needed to be done?
Hell, everywhere in the world, when the ball touches a player's hand/arm the other ALL of the other team's players, coaches, parents, fans, etc. (from the lowest U-6 game to the Champions League) scream handball. Not just an American thing.
In FL, we start SC at u13. What are your rules? Just curious, cuz I thought it was part of a national tournament.
In Cal-South, State Cup competitions start at U9 - same age where competitive/club teams begin. However, only U13-U17 winners move on to USYS President's Cup Regionals/Nationals.
Rules differ from the top to bottom. Only U14-U19 go to Nationals, yet I believe all four Regions (and I'd guess the majority of states) do U13. Most Regions had U12s until several years ago, too--not sure what the status is now. Nationals was only U16-U19 until about 2002 or 2003, yet the Regions had U12-U15 for quite some time before that. So these things shift. I hadn't heard of State Cups below U11, though, until RichM's post above.
Sorry, I misspoke. Yesterday's U11 game was a President's Cup match - the games I had Sat were State Cup, which around here start at U13 as well, I believe.
That is a funny one. Just tell him that he can exercise his 1st Amendment right in the parking lot. I have admonished parents on the sidelines. The worst is when a player continues with possession. I let the players know during pre-game that I have a slow whistle and will allow them to play. They understand that and this is U9 to U12. My problem is when the parents whining starts to affect play. So there have been times when I have told parents I do not want to hear it anymore and to allow the kids to play. Usually works.
Presidents Cup plays from U9 through U17 here, but only U13+ move on to Presidents Cup Regionals. State Cup plays from U11 through U19, but only U12+ move on to Far West Regionals. FWR does play U12s.