My most embarassing moment as a Referee

Well, time to start a new war-story thread. Title should make it obvious. Here is my contribution:

This occurred when I was about 3 years in the ranks and quite satisfied with myself. It was a boys rec match, IIRC it was ~U13 or so. Had the pre-game with my ARs, walked the field. Got the rosters from the coaches, intro'ed myself to them, discussed a local rule or two. Conducted the coin-toss, last minute instructions for the ARs and sent them to the nets.

Called the teams out on the field - counted the players, checked with my ARs. Watch is ready, okay - let's go. Blow the whistle and signal to start the match.

Players in the center circle look at me dumbly and one asks ever so politely "Don't we need the ball?"

Last weekend - Boys U9 league cup elimination game. Only 2 referees assigned so I have the 12-year-old work as AR and I cover offside on my end. Play comes down to my side. I see a player in what I believe is an offside position come back up the field to get the ball. I whistle for offside and the coaches start yelling. I explained that he came back upfield thinking maybe they didn't see that but it turns out they're pointing at another defender who, for no logical reason, was standing by himself in the corner behind me, out of my view.. Fortunately they accepted my apology and we continued with the game. They were up 2-0 already with just 2 or 3 minutes left to play.

This is why we have 2 AR's..

Similar thing happened to me. I had two young (HS-age) AR's, one of whom was reffing one of her first (if not her first game) and another who was more experienced but, from prior experience, really really struggled with offsides (ironically, he's not a half-bad center). So I prepared myself to call offsides, and on one play in the first half, I'm in a good position, just outside the top corner of the penalty area, facing the goal area, with the play clearly in front of me, I see player in offsides position, ball is played to him by a teammate, no flag by the male AR, and I blow the whistle. One of the attacking players turns to me, and without any hesitation, says "What about him," pointing to the corner flag area to the left and mostly behind me. I turn around about 120 degrees, and there's the other team's "stocky" right back, almost on the goal line and not far from the corner flag, taking a siesta. I turned back to the player, gave him a wink, said, "I missed that one, and I think he did too," and told him, "You should get certified to ref." He smiled. The worst part was at half when I had to explain to the AR why I called the offsides when he didn't flag for it.

But even more embarassing was the time I got hit with the ball five times in a lower-level U10B game. Those games can be tough to ref sometimes--a small field and the kids don't play or kick the ball in any predictable manner.

This is easy, happened just 2 weeks ago at the Senior Boys GIT in Memphis.

White heading towards goal, fouled by black. A considerable number of defenders and attackers in the PA so no DOGSO but clearly tactical. Blew my whistle, started looking for #'s. #18, gets up and starts running away, seemingly like he was hiding behind teammates. So, I call out for #18 to come back. He starts walking toward me and then I show the yellow card. The look on his face instantly made me realize that I was carding the player that was fouled, white #18.

I put my arm around him, put the card back in my pocket and said, "you have just witnessed the biggest brain fart in the history of the GIT". I ask him if he knew what black # fouled him, he said "no, but it's cool". I set the wall, white took DFK and match resumed without further brain farts.

We all had a good laugh

Fall 2009 season, high school match: Didn't bring cleats with me, and field was a little wet and smooth. Turfs weren't working great for me, I was slipping and sliding as CR for the JV match. Middle of the first half, play transitioned quickly and I slipped, legs flew in the air, landed on my a$$ to the cheers of the student section. Then, I got hit by the ball while on the ground. Ball ricocheted to the defense who (knowing the skill level it wasn't intentional) shanked the ball and hit me again as I was trying to get back on my feet.

One of the coaches? Daughter of one of the main assignors in the city. I hear a little ribbing about it at every tournament I work.

Easily the worst match I've ever had, I always remember it when I start puffing my chest out a little.

It happens more than you think. A few weeks ago, in our O-30 finals, we had the same issue with everyone ready to go and no ball to use.

BTW, I think this is a great idea for a thread and I hope you don't mind when I 'borrow' that idea for the coaches thread.

HS game on a sunny Fall day, I am AR. At half time we head to the locker room, and I have one thought on my mind: Get my hat, if I have to look into the sun for the next 40 minutes, it is going to drive me crazy, if not drive me blind. So I fish it out of my bag and fold it just so, and stick it into my pocket. I like to wear it as little as possible since I know some people frown on refs in hats.

As we are heading out to the field, the CR looks at me and says: "You got everything you need?" "Yep, its i my pocket." He says: "I didn't know they fold up so small." Well, we walk all the way out to the center circle, I pop the hat on, and we shake hands, "Good luck, 40 minutes." Then it dawns on me, I am not carrying the flag! Its in the locker room. The center knew it and he didn't say anything-- actually he did, but I didn't notice. I owe him one for that. (The only kinda good part is that the other AR had the key, so at least I didn't have to track down the field administrator.)

I don't know which one of these is stupider:

-did a half with my fly down.
-twice in the same game blew for the ball out over the line when it had crossed the 18. (In my defense it was a narrow field!!!!)(that's a horrible excuse by the way)

Didn't happen to me, but it happened to a ref I was at a game with:

He rides his bike to matches all the time. His game shoes fell out of his pack at some point on the ride, and did the game in his BIKE shoes!!!!

a better question for me would be "how far has the flag flown out of your hand when making a signal?"

answer: about 15 feet. not kidding. i was moving fast down the field, squared up to indicate offside, and threw the flag about 5 paces into the field.

U14 lower level girls game in hot weather. I use a finger-whistle, and had just glued a new whistle on this particular holder the past week. After about 25 minutes or so, I spotted a foul, brought my hand up to my mouth as always and blew - pfpfpfpfpfpfpfpfpfpfpfpf - no whistle! But I blew anyway! Realized what happened and had to yell, Stop, Stop, with all the players looking at me like I'm from Mars. But some parents saw it and were laughing out loud. had to explain to the ladies that I had lost my whistle and had to go to my bag for another.

And I had a U9 girls game where I called offside just over the midline, only to discover that one defender was all the way back in the goal area chatting with the keeper.

I'm guessing you now keep a spare in your pocket . . .

I'm refereeing a U 16 girls game, standing about 10 yards outside the penalty area, defender clears the ball, hits me and deflects off me to an attacker who scores. The defender has a few choice words for me. (yellow card)

Years ago, I'm JAR. I'm wearing cleats with laces of a decent length. I turn to run toward goal only to find myself on the ground. Guess whose laces got caught on a cleat... The parents gave it a 9.5

I was an AR for a U-14 game or something like that. Girl takes a shot from pretty close to the goal, goes off the keeper and (what looks to me) into the goal, so I start sprinting up the sideline. Only problem was, it went into the outside of the side netting and I have no idea why I thought it went in. Got a real weird look from the CR. I guess that's what can happen in the last game of the day.

Last week I was doing a U-16B game. This teams were really fast. As the attacking team sprints towards the goal, and I run to follow them, my flag slips out of my hands.

Hopefully nobody noticed because I knew most of the players from one of the teams. lol

University match near the end of the season with the Home team on the edge of making the playoffs, needing to win. (The won the playoffs and made Nationals in the end). Two weeks previous, I broke my finger while playing, so I'm not really gripping the flag properly in my left hand. I have to sprint down the line, stop, start, and then stop and flag for an offside. Problem is that when quickly switching between my two hands, well, with one less finger holding on, the flag went flying up to head level, almost hitting the corner flag.

It was dramatic enough that the CR still caught it as an offside flag I got a good cheer/laugh from the spectators (I was on their side). Of course, next week, I'm doing that team at home again, with the same CR, so the entire game I'm thinking *don't drop the flasg*

Two quick stories...

AR for U15B match, I come to attention and pop my flag for oddside to see the the flag fly off the end of the pole and on to the pitch. Didn't have time to fix until half but had to use just the flag part for 15 mins...

Center for U12G rec match. As play is coming back into the attacking half, I'm jogging even with play. I glance over my shoulder to see if anything was happening across the field. The striker took that moment to slice the ball right into my groin. Total accident, but the girl was embarrassed and I'm hobbling in pain as the players continued to play the ball that was deflected off. It took what seemed like an eternity for the ball to go out into touch. I held up the throwing to take a few deep breaths. Parents were laughing and the coaches had that sheepish grin asking if I needed a time out.

I was so happy when the game was over to leave.

Mine was a college game using the flags of the CR who had owned them for many years. Running down JAR TL stop pop the flag for OS, cushion grip stays in my hand, flag and staff go straight up about 15 feet. I look up, catch the flag on the way down. Laughter first then applause from the student section.

Dallas Cup a few years ago, U15 or maybe 16 boys, CR being assessed. Ball out for a corner, attacking player grabs the ball and runs to the corner with it, sets it and walks away (or so I thought). Another attacker runs to the corner and begins to play the ball, takes off with it to goal. I hit the whistle, easy, coming out. The player just throws his arms up and leaves the ball, "we should have told him before the game" grumbles from the players. Yeah as I turned to look at goal, the first player who set the ball, rolled it forward with his foot. Assessor was sitting at that end of the field and let me know about it after the match. He was very cool, funny now, not so funny at the time.

Phoenix Development Showcase 2010, CR, had two nationals as my AR's, both very cool guys. Had AR1 on a full sprint to goal pull out a superman, throwing the flag as he tripped over a backpack someone placed on the sideline that he didn't notice. When I looked over he was parallel to the ground, it was perfect.

As a couple of others said above, would have to be calling offside without seeing a defender out of the corner of my eye. Fortunately I'm a good sport about this stuff, as spectators were getting a big kick out of yelling, "Watch the offsides!" at me in subsequent offensive attacks.

U-12 or U-14 girls, don't remember which. We'd had some rain the previous week and there were mud holes in each PA. Had a PK. Picked up the ball, got the players outside the area, and walked toward the keeper to make sure she understood to stay on the line until ball kicked. Feet slipped out from under me, down I go on my you-know-what, ball bouncing away. I keep my whistle on a wrist lanyard in my right hand, and generally hold onto the whistle. It went straight into the mud.

Fortunately, from Day 1 I've always carried a second whistle, per my original instructor. (See related thread from a few months ago.) Dirty whistle in one pocket, clean whistle out of the other, and the PK proceeds. Of course, there were a number of laughs from the touchline.

Setting up for a CK in a mens game. Held up the kick to go chew out two players for being pushig, even ended it with "I'm watching please don't do anything dumb". Start backpeddling out of there, catch my heel on something (grass gnome?) and down I go. Got laughs, one of the two "don't be dumb" guys comes over, helps me up and says quietly and with a smile "now who's looking dumb" I laughed and started to move off, he says "you might need this" and pick up my red card and hands it to me.

an "almost embarrassing" moment.

running AR1 for one of our young up and comings at our fall tournament, my first game since getting my grade 6. Young lady player clears the ball out HARD, yup, just below waist height and I can't get out of the way and take it square in the groin. Took my breath away to put it mildly. 2 minutes later ball goes out for a CK, one of those you need to chase down to get to the flag for the signal, even though no players are there. Just couldn't do it, hurt to run still, not 100% of breath back, so I pull up short and signal, knowing its wrong. Hear a comment from one of my mentors "you call yourself a state ref". I turn around ready to say "I call myself a ref who just got hit in the nuts and can't breath", BUT, he's sitting with the bulk of our youth ref development group, including 4 very nice young teen ladies. I bit my tongue and smirked instead. Explained after and his remark "you should have said it, would have loved to see how long they bust on you for that"

I missed that one as a CR in a tournament semi-final game. I had checked for any pushing, etc in the middle and when I turned back to face the corner, the one attacker was walking the ball almost to the PA line, without anyone noticing. I immediately whistled and informed her to go back and take the corner - my AR signaled me over and explained what happened. He had tried to signal me but I didn't see him.

I apologized to the coach afterwards - his team lost 2-1. If I find myself with inexperienced AR's now, I always mention that play to them so we don't miss it.