Best Story of the week - 2014

This is probably more relevant:
W21.02XA - Struck by soccer ball, initial encounter

 

I've made the most horrible mistake of my career.

I was refereeing a U-15 game and the away team only came and played with 8 players (7 + goalkeeper). One of the players got a massive injury (dislocated hip) and I ended the game. Before the game several figures from the home club were telling me, that if they got one sent off, that I would have to end the game. And I knew it wasn't the case. But I guess in shock, it got to my head... The thing is that neither of the coaches had any argument against it (I guess they didn't know the rule). When I finished the report and already sent it, did I come up with the idea, that I was wrong. By then half of the home team went home and the away team were still tending the injured player.

I'm in for a massive suspension and will probably have to pay the traveling expenses of the away team, seeing that the game will probably be replayed.

 

Not exactly a 'best story of the week.'

You could have ended the match on the premise of serious injury (if in fact, as you say, the players were tending to their teammate). Sometimes there are more important things than the outcome of the match. Think of the abandonment of the Bolton/Tottenham watch a few seasons ago when Fabrice Muambra had a heart attack.

 

Having a bad injury in your game really does mess with your head. It's like being in a wreck.

This too will pass. Go in peace.

 

I've been lucky enough never to have to show red that young; there have been rare occasions where I've shown yellow and got the same response, and boy does that make you feel terrible. On the other hand, our instruction has always been to apply the Law even in these cases (my league's ROC doesn't have any such exemptions) and I'd like to think if and when it comes I'll have the courage of my conviction (so to speak) even if it makes me fairly unpopular.

I think I speak for most of us here when I say that I'm way past my initial encounter in this category

 

No kidding. What's the code for "Struck by soccer ball, repetitive stress injury?"

 

Put me on the side of 'you did the right thing', even if it the reason's behind it weren't perfect.

In a youth match where there is a significant injury, I believe the player should not be moved (unless necessary to tend to the emergency) and the proper authorities called. Let them arrive at the field and deal with the injury - in your case, it wasn't life threatening, so leaving him would be appropriate. Terminate the match at that point. As
cleansheetbsc mentioned, there are more important things in youth soccer that having to finish a match. Also,if you did wait for the medics to show up, assess and treat the kid, and then leave, you would most likely have run out of your allotted time for the match.

 

The thing was the coach straight away called the ambulance, but when they arrived they didn't do anything. In the end I was the one left driving him to the emergency station, with the consent of his parents of course. I should mention there were no physios present (at this stage they are mandatory in my country).

Anyways when I got home I wrote the report, explaining what I dod wrong and why I did it.

That's the second major injury I've dealt with in the last week. On Sunday a 14 year old sprained his knee.

 

Best story of my week is I am doing no soccer this week so I can be the best man in my brother's wedding in Atlanta. Family before soccer or say bye bye to both.

 

I know... But the away team arrived with a bus and the hospital is on my way home.

I still have 4 games this weekend. The discpilinary hearing is on Tuesday, I'll make sure to report on what happens.

 

You did nothing wrong. I have no idea how you ended up driving the kid to the hospital, but the game can't very well continue without you. Safety is the most important thing for any sports official to worry about -- you have set a great example for others to follow.

 

I know, but I actually ended the game, because I though the away team didn't have enough players. But like I said in my report, I thought that the injured player required the attention and I was in a bit of shock. Anyways, I guess I should have allowed the game to go on and then handled the thing with the player. Thank you guys, for the support, we'll see how it goes.

 

Yeah, while you are finishing the game this kid is sitting patiently with a dislocated hip. Stop second guessing yourself. No matter what the committee does you did the right thing. If I were the parent you would be either getting free beer for life (or free yoo-hoos depending on how old you were)

 

Assuming this is all taking place in Slovenia, the drinking age and the driving age (to the hospital or otherwise) are both 18 (a situation I wouldn't mind seeing in the USA!), so beer is in the clear.

 

U15G regional league. I am AR2. A blue defender gets knocked down in her own penalty area at the other end of the pitch, and lying on her side clears the ball.

40-something male fan of the white team, as I walk by, and somewhat loudly: "She can't kick it when she's on the ground..."

And as I turn an look at him: "...can she?"

Me: "Most of the time they can."

Me, 10 seconds or so later as I walk back by him: "If a player disadvantages another player by preventing them from playing the ball out of fear for injuring herself or the other player then you would blow the whistle for playing in a dangerous manner."

Other White male parent to me by way of chiding parent 1: "You can't teach him anything; he doesn't know any of the rules. You'll just confuse him."

Me running away to keep up with the next-to-last defender tracking back: "That's the idea!"

Crowd chuckles.

 

I had a pretty good man management situation. U-16 boys rec green is playing down a man and by the end of the first half, is winning 4-1. In the second half, about 2 minutes in the player I had cautioned on green in the first half moves a ball as blue is reaching down to set it up for a free kick. I told him to leave it. The captain next to me told him to stop (in Spanish). I looked at the captain and said, "He got a yellow card in the first half. Someone should tell him not to do anything stupid that might get him sent off." At the next dead ball I saw that captain talking privately to the player on the yellow. Wouldn't you know it he didn't touch a ball that wasn't his the rest of the half.

 

Today marks five months since I fell off a cliff. Celebrated with five games. In the fourth of five, a U16G middle, I got hit in the face with a ball at high speed when a defender tried to clear the ball from ten feet in front of me. They told me I was concussed in my accident in November. That was the only time I've ever sustained a concussion until now. I felt a little bit different after getting hit with the ball today. I was able to finish the rest of the game and then run line on my fifth game of the day, but I definitely had a bit of a headache the whole time.

 

Glad you are back but ugh! Recover quickly...again.

 

Don't finish if you have a concussion! You risk further damage - and the concussion may affect your judgment. As referees, I think we have an obligation to our fellow refs to not let them continue if they show signs of concussion. Soccer is important, but our brains and those of our fellow refs are more important.

 

Trust me, I was immediately asking myself if I was able to continue effectively. But I didn't even stop play when I got hit! If I had been dazed to the point where I was confused, it wouldn't have been fair to the teams to continue with me as referee. I definitely felt some very mild concussion symptoms (after the pain of getting smacked in the face with a ball wore off) but I was able to finish the game effectively. I feel fine today, so I'm confident the decision to continue didn't hurt my health.

Let me note, though, that if a player had taken a ball to the face like that one, I'd be making sure her coach got a chance to look at her before she continued. That's a matter of player safety and liability. If I were a player, I would've wanted a brief break, although that would've been more for the facial pain than anything.

 

La Rikardo - here is the problem - unless you are a medical professional, using an objective, proven test to determine the level of your concussion, you are probably not in a position to accurately assess your mental status. Please take any "I can handle it" bravado out of the decision - you may be hurt worse than you are capable of realizing after a hit of this nature.

This is somewhat akin to judging your ability to drive after a few drinks - you can say, "I'm fine" - but you are most likely NOT fine.

You're a big boy - you get to make choices for yourself on this - at the same time, you need to make informed choices.