E-License coaches and above are told to check the field and taught how to check the goals. Of course, most "coaches" do not attend such classes and, if they do, the curriculum below D is not that standard.
I finally found where they hid the referee forum after the latest redesign. Sadly, this topic reoccurs every couple years. I won't try to find the last iteration, but it is a carbon-copy of this one. I feel sorry for the child's family and all those involved at the local soccer club. As referees we have to learn to say "NO" to playing games with improper or dangerous equipment. Referee assignors and administrators must preach this gospel at every opportunity. I have seen nets blow over, even at a USWNT practice. (What would US Soccer have done if Briana Scurry got clobbered in Worcester back in '96?). I saw a net get picked up by the wind like a sail when my son was in goal. I have forced coaches to improvise to provide counterweights for goals - spare tires, heavy wooden trash receptacles, ... However, I don't think I would agree to having parents stand on the goals.
Last fall I did a tournament in Texas at the new Frisco complex for FC Dallas. They have this horrid turf field where, in the corners, the flags are weighted down by 25lbs free weights to keep the corner flags in place. Yes, you read that correctly, free weights. My crew (2 7s and myself) arrived at the field to relieve the crew just finishing (2 5s and a 7). I did pregame and a field inspection with the crew. We all noticed the free weights, how dangerous they were and brought it to the attention of the tournament director. He said, "well, the field was good enough for the previous crew." I asked him (nicely) to remove the free weights, find another solution or I would not start the match. He had me replaced. Fine by me. I sat and watched the match and, wait for it, someone injured themselves against the free weights. There was a HUGE incident with the coach wondering why the game was being played with this stuff on the field and asking why the CR let the game go on if he knew it was there. Luckily the person was not injured severely, the weights were removed and they simply drilled the holes in the turf further to put in break away flags. Gee, why hadn't they done that earlier. BTW, I have been invited back repeatedly by the assignor and association. Unfortunately, I think politics and money get in the way FAR too often above safety. As a coach I always do a field inspection before my team takes the field. Must be the referee in me. I keep trash bags and gloves in my coaching kit and have me and the parents "police" the field in a line...both halves!
Soccer goals and safety I ran across this story while reading one of my usual news sites. This is something that ALL referees should already be intimately familiar with but others (coaches, players, spectators, parents and other random bystanders) apparently still need more education. I have to admit I was more than a bit stunned to see that reporter tip the goal (by herself I believe) and then SHOCKED to hear and even feel the impact of the crossbar on the ground (had my speakers turned up listening to some music). SAFE, fair, fun...
Re: Soccer goals and safety OK so my shot at posting the link didn't work out like I thought it would. Here's the complete link: http://www.myfoxboston.com/myfox/pa...n=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1
Re: Soccer goals and safety DCV state ref site: HOME | SITE MAP | CALENDAR Unsecured Goal Causes Fatal Accident ________________________________________ By now most of you have read or seen the news about the tragic death of a 10 year old soccer player who was killed when a goal fell on him during a scrimmage earlier this week. Our thoughts, prayers, and condolences go out to his family, to his teammates, and to the coaches and administrators of his team. All of us must use this tragic event as a reminder that the safety of the players is our number one responsibility on the field. This includes ensuring that the field of play is safe. Law 1, "Field of Play," requires that goals be securely anchored to the ground. Law 5, "Referee," requires that referees inspect the field and ensure that it is safe. This includes ensuring that the goals are securely anchored. As this tragic incident shows, goals can tip over and players can be injured and players can be killed. It is everyone’s responsibility to see that this never happens again in any soccer match played in Metro DC and Virginia. Referees, you must inspect the goals before every match to ensure they are securely anchored. Do not let a game be played if they are not anchored. Don’t let players hang on the crossbar. Instructors, no matter how many times you think you have said it, say it again, "Referees must ensure that the goals are anchored." We need to reinforce the tragic lessons learned from this event. Assessors, if you ever witness a game where the goals are not anchored, do two things: get the match stopped until the goals are anchored and then fail the referee. Assignors, please communicate with all your referees. Remind them that they must inspect the goals and ensure they are securely anchored. This is a zero tolerance area. We need to work as one unit to make sure we do what is right. The safety of the players is paramount. All of us must do our part to ensure that such a tragic incident never happens again. Please keep in your prayers the family of the young boy who was tragically killed. Scott K. Meyer State Referee Administrator May 2007 From Virginia Youth Soccer site: Make Goal Safety a Top Priority All Clubs and Leagues, Coaches and Referees, and Parents and Players are asked to pay close attention to the safety of the goals on the fields you are using. Just this past Spring, a young player was killed by a goal that fell on him. This past week another player was injured by a goal falling, only this one had a better ending. His mother asked VYSA to place greater emphasis on Goal Safety. This a reminder to all soccer officials, spectators, and players to make sure the goals they are using are secure from falling. Don’t let another tragedy occur. Make sure our players are safe! Arlington VA club site: Soccer Goal Safety A gust of wind…a young player…an uneven playing field. In their current design, only 22 pounds of force can bring a 400-pound goal crashing down. Area youths killed by goals: - 5/7/07 NBC4.com story - 9/30/02 Wash Post story Anchored for Safety Safety Alert message Soccer goal safety from CPSC
Re: Soccer goals and safety To put a little perspective on this, I believe none of the injurys in recent years from unstable soccer goals occured during games overseen by licensed referees. Several were at scrimmages or practices set up between coaches and at least one was on a school playground during recess. All referees are trained to check for goal stability and I, personally, have insisted on at least two occasions in the last few years that there would be no game unless the goals were anchored.
Re: Soccer goals and safety It pays to keeps some of these articles with you when out at the fields. I recently was part of a refereeing crew, where we started a game about 30 minutes late, until some park personnel were able to find some anchors and a sledgehammer. It was a very windy afternoon and one of the goals was on a slight slope, sloping down toward the field. It did not take much effort to tip the goal forward. Even with all the stories in thenews, there were still some irate parents who wanted us to start the game. They were going to have their kids play without referees if we had abandoned the match. I would have loved to have some copies of these articles with me to hand out, ask the parents to read and come back if they still have a problem.
Re: Soccer goals and safety Well, then we are simply lucky. I see plenty of games done by certified refs that have unanchored goals. Sometimes it is the game right before mine, and then everyone gripes when I insist on finding some anchoring. And twice in the last few years a goal has tipped over during a match I was officiating! The first was outdoors, I was an assistant and didn't want to start, but the center said not to worry... it was windy of course, down it came, fortunately missing the goalkeeper. The second was at an indoor facility where they forgot to put the sandbags on the movable goals. Normally I check, but they're usually pretty good and I just overlooked it in getting the match started. A big guy put his hand on the post during a corner and without even realizing it started the goal on its way down. The keeper actually ended up inside the net. Again, in both cases, it was dumb luck that nobody was seriously injured.
Re: Soccer goals and safety I was at a tournament recently. Showed up for match on Sunday morning at a remote location that I was not at on Saturday. None of the 4 fields had anchored goals. This location had no sandbags like at the other complexes so I went to the utility shack and secured 4 bags of manure and had them put on the backs of the goals. Anything will do in a pinch. Good thing that it was a very cool, sunny day.
Re: Soccer goals and safety I've seen goals tip over myself. Luckily it was on an empty field next to one I was working. The match field had properly anchored goals. Until you see it, it's hard to believe that it can actually happen that easily and quickly. Like most people, I always thought how wind resistance can a 4 inch pipe and a net have; it's not like there is a sail attached.
Re: Soccer goals and safety I have seen goals blown over. Despite all the sand bags we kept at our fields, a coach moved a net to midfield for a short-field scrimmage. He didn't bring the sand bags. The result was an 11-year old girl with a broken leg (and a family who never paid a cent to play soccer in town again). I have seen goals lifted up and blown away from the field like a giant sail! When the USWNT played in Worcester ('97 ?) they practiced on a windy, rainy day and a goal came over while the 'keepers were playing goalie war (might have saved us from this year's controversy ). An AD adamantly stated that he had never seen a goal blow over. "Thank you, sir. You won't see one blown over today, either, because this match will not begin until the goals are securely anchored." * In the interest of full disclosure, the Framingham coach in the video and I took the NSCAA National Diploma coach license at the same time, many moons ago.
Re: Soccer goals and safety One aspect of goalpost safety that tends to get overlooked is the integrity of the structure itself, especially the means by which the crossbar is attached to the uprights. I have seen a number of goalposts where improper repairs had been carried out to deal with broken welds, failed rivets and so on, or where bolts were missing or loose. Sideways impact on the post could cause the joint to fail, resulting in the crossbar collapsing. Admittedly this is probably not as likely an event as an unsecured goal tipping over, but it is still worth checking.
Re: Soccer goals and safety GK Benji As part of the referee crew you are equally responsible to see that the goals are anchored. What if the goal toppled over and killed the young player? Would you have felt absolved of any guilt because it was the referee who decided to play?? No way should you have proceeded with that match. The potential for tragedy in your circumstance is truely chilling.
Re: Soccer goals and safety Tarheel, Thanks so much for posting this link. I will be forwarding it to some Ref Admin and assignors as soon as I am done with this post. For those refs that are reading this that have a penchant to ignore the law of anchoring goals (you know who you are), I hope the news clip will make you think twice. I have abandoned one match for goals that were not anchored with literally parents and coaches yelling in my face that I was a "power tripping 'a!* hole'" I take a firm line b/c I have a scar in my right arm from my youth goalkeeping days from an eye-hole going straight through my forearm. The eye-holes to secure the nets were placed on this goal on the interior of the support bars There is a reason why law 1 - goal safety- is the first law. It is the first thing we should check when we get to the field.
Re: Soccer goals and safety One game I coached, had a net blow over, the 3 man USSF crew (all grade 8's), either didn't inspect or did and didn't care (I know inspect when I coach as well). Net blew over and missed the keeper by about 2 feet. If he had been standing 2 feet closer to the net it would have hit him in the head.
Re: Soccer goals and safety Coaches/hometeam responsibility: to actually anchor the goals Referee Responsibility: to ensure the goals are in fact anchored Very very simple stuff...boggles the mind as to why people ignore it!
Re: Soccer goals and safety Just last night - St. Louis. 19 year old killed now, he was doing chin-ups on it, but kids will be kids. The adults need to make certain these things are safe. http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/ne...66A89BA499E65BFD8625739900467169?OpenDocument
Re: Soccer goals and safety A 19-year-old IS an adult. And notice that they were playing with unsecured portable goals that they supplied.
Re: Soccer goals and safety MODS Can you unsticky the "how to become a ref" thread and sticky this thread instead?
Re: Soccer goals and safety Follow up story: http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/ne...7F975C4FCB5909F18625739A00233D71?OpenDocument Looks like the City is trying to cover up. How could these guys get portable goals heavy enough to kill someone to this field? In their trunk? If you've driven by this park anytime in the last two years you've seen these guys out playing. Here is a site on how to properly secure goals: http://www.anchoredforsafety.org/coaches_clubs_safe_goal_handling.html And here is the report from Consumer Product Safety Commission http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/soccer.pdf Eerily, the CPSC article gives some case examples including: "In another case, a 20-year-old male died from a massive head trauma when he pulled a goal down on himself while attempting to do chin-ups."
I'm Hayden's Mom ( the 10 year old struck and killed by a soccer goal). You should know, this was not a "real" scrimmage, it was just a game set up by the two coaches. It's irrelevent though, I can't begin to tell you how many "real" games I have been to where the goals aren't staked and the refs don't want to stop a game or hold up a game for proper staking. My older son's team has been bringing 8 40-50 lb sandbags with us for just such an occassion. We had parent's volunteer to take a couple of bags in each of their cars. Anyway, I thank those of you that are taking notice and doing something about it. You are the last line of defense against goals tipping over at any given game. So thank you for doing your part!
From Fifa LOTG - Law 1 "The Field of Play" under goal safety. "Goals must be securely anchored." Next time a coach gives a ref grief - which has happened to me many-a-times - I think I will tell him that we won't have to have the goals securely anchored, & I think I am going to allow handling and there will no longer be offside. When the coach looks at me strangely...I will say "What part of law 1 do you not F*ing understand" OK probably won't be quite so crude, but I think you all get the picture.