I realize that I more than likely have a very ignorant view in this regard. Around here, we don't have solo games for 99% of games. I have never had to deal with a men's match full of guys who just wanna be dumb. I've only dealt with that at the youth level. But in youth games where temperature has risen to the boiling point, that's when I find myself doing my best work.
I'm intrigued -- are they actually hard games, or are the kids really well behaved so they don't lsoe the privilege? (My dad told me stories of playing baseball against prison teams (on prison grounds) that felt a bit odd at the start but there were no problems at all . . . something about those armed gaurds.)
They are nicer than pretty much any high school team (especially christian school) I have done. Mostly they are really happy to have a referee there who's professional, makes them feel like they're in a real league. There are dangers of course, sometimes you have to run from a brawl while vans storm in with guards. And you dodge the bean bags from shotguns and hope the wind doesn't carry over the pepper spray. You should see the pepper spray canisters too, they're like a liter and spray like a super soaker. Sometimes I want to tell people that their 12 year old is a lot meaner and less cooperative than the prisoners I reffed a week before.
I played club soccer and high school soccer back in the 70's when soccer was an oddity sport in the US. After a 20 some year layoff from the game I started coaching my daughter's team and wound up coaching girls soccer for 15 years, even after my daughter had moved on to other teams. I started playing again and realized how much I sucked when playing against guys who have been playing all of their lives. I tore my achillies and haven't been back to playing since. Toward the end of my coaching career I became a grade 8 referee. I mostly referee U8-U12 boys and girls games as a center and will center girls soccer up to about U16. After coaching and watching girls soccer for so many years I find full sided boys games to be over my head. I pride myself in my knowledge of the laws but I've learned my limits as far as being able to judge and keep up with the game. If I do a boys full sided game it is usually as an AR. My few forays into CRing a full sided boys game did not go well so I no longer take those assignments. That game simply moves too fast for me to do the job I expect from myself. Though while ARing the full side boys games I've encountered many CRs where I believed I could have done a better job, I know I'm just not good at it. They don't need another crappy referee out there. So I stick with what I think I do well. Even though I grade out very well at the end of each season (we are rated by coaches after every game) and my assignors have encouraged me to move up, I'm happy where I am. I think the kids deserve decent referees and I like to think I fill that need.
Oh, those matches can be a blast.. and when I am an AR on one of those, that is the highlight of my weekend as I am guaranteed some great soccer and an even better game to referee. However, those are the games that a high flying 19 year old 5 won't have the same success of managing in a safe, productive, card-minimal manner than someone who has a bit more gravitas.
42 year old currently in my 27th year currently Grade 15 was a National years ago, and was on track to be a FIFA, until I had a falling out with the USSF Also a USSF assessor (retired) NHFHS for 20 years NISOA for 15 years I still referee the way the game was supposed to be...when the law book was only 15 pages long (if that)we talked to the player first before we booked them for ungentlemanly conduct instead of unsporting behavior, and we were not micromanaged by USSF. Back then we didn't need to have common sense explained to us through 100 new directives each year, we either understood it or we didn't last very long.
I'm Jay from Salt Lake City, Utah. I'll be 20 in May. I'm a second-year student at the University of Utah majoring in Mathematics Teaching. I upgraded to 7 last June. I've been to Regionals twice along with several out-of-state events. I've refereed soccer in six states. In the winter I move from the field to the gym as a high school basketball official, where (I believe) I'm the youngest official in the state with a junior varsity rating. I love the challenge of officiating sports and there's no other job I'd rather have. It fits in perfectly with my lifestyle. It'd be cool if I could go somewhere with this in either sport, but I'm realistic enough to know that it's not especially likely. In any case, refereeing has made me dozens of friends across several states and given me lots of opportunity to travel and enjoy places I wouldn't otherwise have had the opportunity to see.
I'm a 38 y/o grade 8 living in south suburban Chicago. I have 10 years of experience reffing youth matches. This past fall I've been able to referee three amateur woman's matches. I warmed the bench in high school. When I moved to burbs I tried to find a club or team to play with to keep fit, when I called around no one could help but said they needed refs. I started in fits, I'd ref for a year or two before I had enough of the bullshit from the parents and coaches. Then after a season off I'd realize that I missed it. I've had a goal making 6 for a long time now and this past year I've made positive strides to accomplish this. I only do a one or two games a week so making the 100 games was difficult to get to. I'm now also reaching out to the assignors of the amateur leagues to get more games from them. I also want to start mentoring young referees to give the skills and confidence to make it through that first few matches.