trouble with foul recognition

[sluggo271]

I am in my second season of recreational soccer. I have been doing U14 centers(my 3rd last night). I can handle U10 and U12 with no problems at all as the game is still slower. However, at the U14 level the game is so fast.

I am having difficulty with foul recognition at this speed. Mostly trips, shoves, and careless challenges.

Other than doing more games, which I am trying. Is there a source of training? I know ussoccer.com has great video clips but they rarely cover clipping, trips, shoves, etc.

Are there referee camps you can attend? I went to a referee academy but it didn't cover anything like that.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

[NHRef]

I'd suggest some sort of mentor or even a D&G assessment.

It comes with practice, but if you don't have someone point out what you are not seeing, it comes with long practice and suffering through missing it.

It's hard to know when to watch elbows, feet, hands, hips. Positioning has a TON to do with it, which again goes back to a mentor or assessor can greatly help shorten the learning curve.

[IASocFan]

Positioning is key to foul recognition. You want to be 10-20 yards from play with the idea of looking between the players to see who makes contact, and where and how contact occurs. This is the ideal. However, players and the ball move, so you have to adjust based on what you think may happen.

Once you make a call, blow the whistle move to the spot and sell the call.

[refontherun]

I am in my second season of recreational soccer. I have been doing U14 centers(my 3rd last night). I can handle U10 and U12 with no problems at all as the game is still slower. However, at the U14 level the game is so fast.

I am having difficulty with foul recognition at this speed. Mostly trips, shoves, and careless challenges.

Other than doing more games, which I am trying. Is there a source of training? I know ussoccer.com has great video clips but they rarely cover clipping, trips, shoves, etc.

Are there referee camps you can attend? I went to a referee academy but it didn't cover anything like that.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Here we have what is called an Academy program for U10, 11, and 12s. It is still small sided teams (8v8 for U12) but the standard of play is much better. Quicker play with more controlled passing and actual tactics as opposed to U14 Rec where it is very unpredictable and pretty much kick and run.

If you have a program similar to that where you ref, I might recommend you speak with your assignor about trying to do some of those. I think you will find that it will help you with the speed of play vs foul recognition/positioning issues you are talking about without having to deal with a larger field and more players at the same time.

[Spaceball]

I am in my second season of recreational soccer. I have been doing U14 centers(my 3rd last night). I can handle U10 and U12 with no problems at all as the game is still slower. However, at the U14 level the game is so fast.

I am having difficulty with foul recognition at this speed. Mostly trips, shoves, and careless challenges.

Other than doing more games, which I am trying. Is there a source of training? I know ussoccer.com has great video clips but they rarely cover clipping, trips, shoves, etc.

Are there referee camps you can attend? I went to a referee academy but it didn't cover anything like that.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Are you an Iowa or Nebraska referee? I know people in Council Bluffs can be in either association.

[sluggo271]

council bluffs

[intechpc]

Well as you already said, much of your foul recognition skills just come from experience, there is no substitute for that. Sooner or later the game will slow down for you. It happens in stages and many times it will feel almost like someone flipped a switch and the game got slower.

To help you get to those stages faster I'd recommend a couple things. Watch as much soccer as you can. Whether it's on TV, on the web, at the local park or whatever. Try to watch the highest levels you can both for the speed of the game and hopefully the skill level of the referee and players. This is a great no pressure situation where you'll be surprised how easy it becomes to see some of the fouls. You'll start to see what fouls look like and what things are trifling. It will start to become obvious to you.

If possible, talk to your state's SDA and see if there's an assessor who'd be willing to let you sit with him while he assesses a match (maybe at state cup or something). This is a great way to learn from others' mistakes with immediate feedback and guidance from the assessor.

Last, if you don't play (especially if you've never played) get out and play. Join a rec league or something. Understanding the game from the player's perspective can be of huge benefit when it comes to foul recognition. You'll have a better appreciation for what you as a player would and would not want called.

[campbed]

Another thought is to request more U14+ AR assignments. You can watch and learn a great deal from other CR's if you have that in mind. This will help with pace/speed, player management, and foul recognition.

As play unfolds, make the call/non-call your self and see if you are in sync with the CR.

The school of hard knocks of getting out there and learning/growing is how we all got to where we are.

Stick with it. If we can do it....;)

[jayhonk]

My opinions follow, some might disagree with parts:

First, U14 rec is the worst place to learn foul recognition. As refontherun mentioned, learning to ref is much, much easier in a skilled U12 game. In U-14 rec, the players don't know when they foul, and they don't know when they have been fouled, and don't know how to play under control--so they are always about to foul. For you, that means you don't get to judge by guilty demeanors when a player has committed a foul; and you dont get a useful "hey ref, what about that" look (or voice) when a player has been unfairly clipped.

Tips:
1) to judge whether a trip, bump, or clip is a foul, ask yourself, "Is it unfair?" Some accidents you let go if they don't affect play, but if the bump results in an advantage for the bumper, call it.

2) Don't think about advantage in rec soccer. If there is a late hit, call it, even if the ball comes back 25 yards. Settle the game down. If you do let the play go, you should either tell the bumber to whatch the late hits, and/or tell the bumpee that you are letting play go, but will watch out for the next one.

3) Don't take this out of context, but after reffing for about a year at the levels you are talking about, I adopted as a guide: "If it looks like a foul, it is a foul." What I mean is that if two kids run into each other, and one falls down. Blow the whistle, it is a foul. Even if, in an perfectly omniscient view, the players were actually meeting in a balanced 50/50 shoulder charge, everyone, yes everyone, will be happier if you call that a foul. Accidental trips, bumps while two kids head the ball, a sliding tackle that takes out a player, a foot that hits a shinguard and makes a loud noise... blow the whistle. (Do not apply this at older and more skilled levels. This suggestion is kind of a crutch, and the need to use it will go away. But I still have to use it when I do rec games, or U10 or U11 games.)

4) If I feel I am missing fouls just because they play continues quickly past the moment, then I will try a trick that other might not like: Whenever two players are about to collide, I say to myself, "Foul." This helps me trip the trigger, in fast moving situations. So the result as a player is dribbling through the defense is: "Foul." "no." "Foul." "no." "Foul." "Yes." Whistle. When players are hitting each other late, I will use a version specific to that type of foul: "Late. "No." Late" "No." "Late" "Yes." Whistle!

5) What to watch to see fouls happen? If the ball is contested, I watch near the feet and ball. That way I can see a trip--if the arms get extended, that will be obvious. But, if the bodies are bumping, while the ball is in one player's possession, then you should raise your eyes, and try to get to a position where you can see between the players. That way, when the players come together, you can see who and how the contact is made. Some refs say watch the defender, so try watching specific things, don't just watch the game, like a fan.

6) Generally, if the players (not coaches or fans) are mad at you, call more fouls; if not then you are OK. Unfortunately, the only real way to get foul recognition down is to do more games. In the meantime, watch more experienced refs do similar games. And ask them to watch your games.

Good luck. I predict you will do OK, since you obviously care about what you are doing.

[falcon.7]

1) to judge whether a trip, bump, or clip is a foul, ask yourself, "Is it unfair?" Some accidents you let go if they don't affect play, but if the bump results in an advantage for the bumper, call it.

Alternately, "is it unsafe"? If something happens and your gut goes "oooh :(", then it's probably a foul.

[scref]

All good advice thus far. I will just add my $.02


Are you watching the ball or the players?

Are you able to keep up with play and be the magical 15 yards away from play at all times?

Corner kicks, goal kicks, and free kicks are you watching the all or watching the player where the ball is going to land?


Once I corrected the above areas myself it helped me get a wider view of the field and a better perspective on challenges.