Just to chime in on the safety first part, I'm no medical professional but several parts of you earlier post caused some alarm. One is that you had a concussion back in November and everything I've read and heard talks about the dangers of subsequent concussions. Also, as you described it initially, you "felt a little bit different" and "had a bit of a headache." If I was a coach and player told me that, the player's day would be over, especially with a prior concussion history. You're probably right that everything is fine, but even running can continue to shake the brain, so please be careful. Being effective as a ref is an additional reason to be cautious, but that shouldn't be the standard. Your own safety is first. If anyone hasn't seen it, here is a link to the CDC concussion training... http://www.cdc.gov/concussion/headsup/online_training.html
That is great. Love the fact that you are looking out for the players and their safety is paramount. by the way, who looked at you??
Did my first college match today (spring scrimmage). After last week's two U-14 matches, this was a bit faster. Its a joy to be part of a match where everyone is 'strong.'
On Saturday, I was alternating solo centers on small sided u11 g's matches at a higher level tourney. Field was too narrow which caused the ball to go out a ton. I spent most of the day pointing in one direction or another. Did 4 solos in great weather, 30 minute halfs for good money! I was really disappointed in the demeanor of the coaches, though. I sat in my lawn chair during my off games for long stretches because the weather was great and to keep an eye on my partner who was struggling a bit. I was between the two benches, and I was astounded that any of the kids would want to play for these guys ( and they were all men). Little encouragement, constant berating, joystick control, and unreal half time talks. These girls were between the ages of 10-12! Skill level was okay, nothing great, but there isn't a chance that any of them will still be playing in 4 years! My partner had a terrible first game. Both coaches were on him constantly, and there was a point in the second half when it was really getting abusive. So, I stood up in my chair and told both of them that was enough. Then, the two coaches started arguing over who was getting the worst of the calls. I stood between them and told them to knock it off. My partner was oblivious to the whole thing. I don't know if he actually heard them, but it was pretty bad. Towards the end of the match, one of the girls on the losing team told the opposing coach to shut up. I calmly walked over to her, and told to please not do that again. Her coach then turned his anger to me and started ranting and raving about my authority to speak to one of his players, and on and on. It was amazing! I offered to walk with him to the referee tent, and talk to the site manager. We could discuss anything he wanted with him, including my ability to be the eyes and ears of my partner while on the sidelines during a match. The referee instructions at this event call for us to be there nearby while off. He didn't take me up on the offer. I was just amazed at the behavior. Crazy. Gorgeous day. Sunny, the full moon had set. Geez.
Just a bit. Most games I do, I close the gap. Here, it just got bigger. Begs a question, do you just accept the fact that you are going to have to chase while holding with the last defender, or do you cheat a little and perhaps get a head start on a through ball?
Aren't you in NJ? Not that it really matters, but I had a U-13 G team from central NJ up here a couple weeks ago. in a high level league competition. Non-stop yelling all game long (even tried bating the other coach, classy move - he received a warning for that). Anyhow, turf field so the ball moves even quicker. 12 yo girls on a full 110 yd field is ALOT of ground to cover. Girls are huffing and puffing up and down. Not playing great, but not badly either. Coach just keeps yelling "you can't do that", "You can't do this" etc. Between that feedback and the near exhaustion from running, I really thought a few of the girls were going to burst into tears.
Three games today. First AR was uneventful except for one coach dissenting which wasn't dealt with by the referee which led to more dissent, as it does. My center was a U18 girls game with eight players on one team and eleven on the other. Shortened halves and a couple of goals for the team with more players. Although they were AWFUL! Every other touch was mishit and the game plodded along. The exciting part of the day was the last game, a U13 girls game which was double booked with a U15 boys game. The boys had priority but the referees weren't at the field on time and their game couldn't start. So my crew took over for the first half and the club president gave us $120 to split between us. The other crew showed up sometime in the first half and took over at halftime. I was in the middle and I had a blast. After the lackadaisacal first two matches. This game had skill and speed, as well as some fight. I thought I handled it quite well with a card, an ass-chewing and good foul recognition. But then the last game I was old man running on the line (running with the entire body trying to will yourself up and down).
Yes. But these coaches were from Virginia and New York. It is borderline abusive and I cannot imagine playing for these types at that age. Every play wasn't good enough. A GK got replaced after mis-playing one shot!
You took a game for one half and then another crew did the second half? Am I reading that correctly? And this was a sanctioned game? And you handed out a yellow card? And that was left for the other crew to report? Why did anyone think this was a good idea? The coaches, the league, you, the other five refs?
I was AR1 for a National Academy League game today: U17 Boys. Beautiful 75 degree weather and no wind. Great competitive game, almost no fouls, and a 2-2 result. Oh yes, the coaches said almost nothing the entire game. What a contrast with U10 Rec coaches. One coach made me laugh though. He subbed a player out shortly after a yellow card, then told his player "I have never seen any good coming from a player arguing with the referee."
Must be a disciple of Brian Clough then. He forbid his players from arguing with the referees because "I have never seen one change a call because a player argued."
We thought it was a good idea because we wanted both games to go ahead. It wasn't the players' fault that the field was double booked. Many compromises had to be made in an unfortunate situation in order for the games to go ahead before sunset. We were doing the best we could in the situation with the goal of having both games played. If you can tell me another solution that would have been tenable and would have accomplished that goal I would love to hear it.
I don't know what you mean by "real soccer," there were two teams, a ball and lines and everything. Unless you mean that by switching crews we inverted the time-space continuum creating an imaginary or "unreal" bubble within which the game was played. Like I said above, this seemed like the best solution at the time. The other crew was not yet arrived and we needed the game to begin. The other crew did show up and were assigned to that game. I was not going to get into a tiff about whose game it is and who is getting the money and we drove two hours and you were late so tough. That kind of back and forth would benefit nobody. In a perfect world I agree it is to be avoided. In the real world that you and I live in, shit happens and you must adapt.
U-18 boys, State Cup, 73 degrees and not a cloud in the sky, no cards, not a word of dissent. One player gets hit in the butt by the ball. He instantly bent his knees enough that the ball, effectively, was sitting on the ground right behind him. He immediately turned 180 degrees and played the ball to a teammate. That was impressive.
Different sport, I know but as the saying goes "it's a beautiful day for a ball game, let's play two!". Great weather in the DC area merits 2 stories: 1. Saturday: Was an AR on an early round U12 boys (8 v. 8) state cup match. Nothing exciting except that I'm told this was the first ever youth state cup match played inside the District of Columbia proper. DC teams play in the VA state cup and, given the poor state of fields in the city until just recently, I could see how this might actually be true, with DC teams hosting home games elsewhere. If it is true, then as a DC native and current resident, I'm honored to have been a part of history. 2. Sunday: Wasn't going to ref at all because of conflicts, but late Saturday assignor for my usual men's league sent up a distress signal. there was one game that fit my schedule, a 2nd division AR. Was really glad I took it. Center is a guy I know well and enjoy reffing with. He brought his 7 year old son which I wasn't sure about but the kid did a great job helping us check the teams in, honing his future skills by writing jersey numbers on the roster. But the fun begain in the 2nd half when he grabbed some extra flags from his dad's bad and, with a little friend he found started shadowing AR1 (me) up and down the sideline for about 5 minutes. 2 yards behind me, every where I went, they went, everything I flagged, they flagged. It was like that video of the lower division game from Europe a year or two back where the entire section of fans follows the AR. At one point, though, the center's son says to the other kid: "I don't think we should be doing this. I think it's against 'Soccer Law'". The other kid: "Soccer Law? i don't want to get in trouble. I like soccer. Mr Ref, is this against soccer law". Me: "hmmmmm. Wait, I think law 20 might have something to say about this. But I dont' think you'll be banned from the game. I think Law 20 says the penalty is that you don't get snacks after the game..." It wasn't my intention but they stopped...
That reminded me of a couple of similar if not as impressive events. I was AR for one game when an attacker tries to block a clearance with an outstretched leg and gets hit in the groin. He shouts "Oww, my nuts!" and collapses to the ground. His team gains possession and continues attacking while a defender on his team screams "kick it out, it's his nuts!" He got up after a short while but it was a funny exchange. On my Sunday U-13 girls game a ball into the box hits a girl on the butt. It was easily avoidable and was emblematic of the game. Also, I was dead tired by this point and found it quite funny so I snort/chuckled in front of her coach. The coach gave me look so I made sure to turn it into a cough.
From a straight-out referee standpoint what you did was wrong. By 'real soccer' you have stepped in the middle of likely two separate league schedules (though clearly one league trumped the other) which I assume are USSF-sanctioned leagues and have rules. In addition, you interfered with referee assignors scheduling (and don't think those other refs won't complain to their assignors about possibly losing out on a fee and/or that another crew grabbed their job, they will). Also, coaches can complain that they played without the proper ref crew as a form of protest (usually the losing team). You take off your patch and referee an unsanctioned league, even then they probably have some protocol, but they don't report to anyone. From a 'had to be there' standpoint, I understand what you did, but understand what you did was wrong. Your best solution is to have the phone numbers for league commissioners and ref assignors handy, they at least can give you instruction to go ahead and do it or don't do it so it is at least on record. You shouldn't be the one to solve administrative issues ( or drive injured players to the hospital - just kidding, need to read earlier in the thread to get).
The referee assignor for my game is on vacation and was unreachable. He did not provide a substitute contact and I did not think of getting one beforehand. To clarify, I was not the one solving administrative issues. We were coordinating with the president of the home club who was organizing everything. He called their assignor who stated the other crew was on their way, albeit late. No idea about the league commissioner for the boys game. My crew was in the bleachers about to watch the boys game when the home club president asked us to help since the referees were not there. We could have stuck to the technically correct decision and be part of the problem. Or we could be technically incorrect and be part of the solution. In addition, the assigned referees won't complain since they were late (game started at 4:30, they did not arrive until well after the game started at 4:20), and got their entire fee. Also, the coaches all agreed to go ahead as stated. I think we took as many precautions as we possibly could but at the end of the day. This is still a bunch of kids who came to play soccer and we are there to oblige them. Hell, my crew could have legitimately left the field since the game wasn't taking place at the assigned time and we could have had plans after that game. We stayed an extra two hours or so for the benefit of the players. I am proud of my decision and the decisions of all involved during that shitshow.
Had my first U16 boys center yesterday. This was after two AR's (170 min total). About 25 minutes in had a striker and defender (also a captain) collide while challenging for the ball. The ball squirted away and then they started bitch-slapping each other. There were arms flailing everywhere. I was about 10 yards away when they started. They shoved each other away and the captain started yelling at me how the striker punched him. I didn't see one, yellow for both. I came off the field at halftime (0-0 tie) thinking I had done a shit job. Two more yellows in the 2nd half -- one to a white jersey midfielder who was close to getting booked for dissent when he kicked the ball away after I called a foul on him. After two or three calls in a row against white (and now being down 1-0), they were starting to get a little frustrated. White had an attack developing near the bench when a blue player fouled to break it up. The white coach started yelling, but I already had my card out. Tactical yellow. Had a couple fouls throughout the game where each player said "but I got the ball!!". Thankfully I was able to match up one of those calls that gave blue a good free kick from the left side of the area with a similar foul giving white a free kick from 25 yards. The blue defender started to complain, but I was already yelling "SAME CALL!" and pointing to the other end of the field. White took it quickly, but nothing came of it. Game finished with a true soccer score: 1-0. Still a lot to work on though, especially knowing how to answer the tough questions that players ask.