What all new refs should know

[ProfZodiac]

Do you just not call offside or are you required to keep up with that too? I can see it if they simply don't call offside.
U-12 is where offside starts here. And usually, it's all or nothing. They either don't know the rule or they do.

[Ref Flunkie]

Wow I'm surprised there is that much difference between states. Like I said we do offside at U-9

[HeadHunter]

On the contrary, never be afraid to say 'no'. The assignor that doesn't recognize you have other commitments in your life is the assignor that won't be in his position for too long, or is assigning in a league that you don't want to be working in.




As someone who refs and assigns (locally because no one else`wants the job) I agree completely with the above. However, I would like to make a few addendums to the above.

1) Don't call up the night before a game and say you can't do a game that you already accepted. If you must do this please try and have found a possible sub on your own.

2) If I call and beg for you to do a game, I will remember fondly a favourable response the next time I am assigning games.

3) Not that I expect anyone reading this to do this, but its a funny story anyway- Never let your assignor hear you telling your friend during halftime of a game your working that you are "so high" and expect to ever get a game again.

[HeadHunter]

In case you couldn't tell the vast majority of the refs I assign are ages 14-18

[bungadiri]

3) Not that I expect anyone reading this to do this, but its a funny story anyway- Never let your assignor hear you telling your friend during halftime of a game your working that you are "so high" and expect to ever get a game again.
A few years ago I coached a house league game with a late-teen-aged CR who showed up reeking of pot and covered in Chips Ahoy crumbs. He barely even moved from the center circle and at one point was staring off into the middle distance at God knows what while a goal was scored. Fortunately it was a really lopsided match and his "calls" didn't really matter.

[soccertim]

U-12 is where offside starts here. And usually, it's all or nothing. They either don't know the rule or they do.

I coach my son's team (U12 BAYS) so we just started offside this year. I heard the ref last week instructing the players before a recent game. He told them that he was going to give the benefit of the doubt to the defense, because you should earn goals, not steal them. With no ARs, though, it's a crapshoot anyways. I usually remind my forwards to stay onside, but many of the coaches that I go against tell their defenders to push up, and put my players offside. The only problem is, when they say it, the ball's in my end, and the ref invariably has his back to those defenders. If the ball gets booted upfield, the other coach has to hope that the ref will make an offside call that he didn't see.

[Crowdie]

I coach my son's team (U12 BAYS) so we just started offside this year. I heard the ref last week instructing the players before a recent game. He told them that he was going to give the benefit of the doubt to the defense, because you should earn goals, not steal them. With no ARs, though, it's a crapshoot anyways. I usually remind my forwards to stay onside, but many of the coaches that I go against tell their defenders to push up, and put my players offside. The only problem is, when they say it, the ball's in my end, and the ref invariably has his back to those defenders. If the ball gets booted upfield, the other coach has to hope that the ref will make an offside call that he didn't see.

Current FIFA policy is that benefit of the doubt always goes to the attacking team. This means that if an AR, or CR in your case, does not see the offside then it should not be called. As a CR you should NEVER call an offense when you didn't see it.

Crowdie

[NHRef]

soccertim, pulling the defenders up is the right move when the ball is in your end. It does two things: it gets them over mid-field where they can help keep the ball in there, and it DOES force your strikers to come up field with them or the WILL be offside.

I coach a U-12 team and we have had to deal with offside as soon as we went to an 8v8 format, I think around U10/11.

When I ref a 8v8 game I ask the kids if they all understand offside and then explain it. I have also had to explain it to parents at half-time because from the comments I overheard as the AR, they were not sure what we were calling.

[stillgreyhound]

Wow I'm surprised there is that much difference between states. Like I said we do offside at U-9
I think it might be more accurrate to say that U9 is where we ATTEMPT to call offside....Since MSYSA went to short sided games below U12 we dont have enought reffs to put one on the field let alone three.

[Ref Flunkie]

I guess we just have more refs than we know what to do with around here :).

[nsa]

I wear a hat to every game. ... If I don't wear a hat, I will end up with glaucoma.Cataracts are a possibility from excessive exposure to sunlight, not glaucoma.

Rather than a hat or cap, better protection would be some appropriate sunglasses.

[ProfZodiac]

Cataracts are a possibility from excessive exposure to sunlight, not glaucoma.

Rather than a hat or cap, better protection would be some appropriate sunglasses.
I think glasses would make me look blind. If anything, that would be worse than a hat.

[david58]

I think you can find clear eyeglasses that afford UV protection. That may be preferable (possibly more professional in appearance) than wearing a cap, at least for USSF matches. Hats are not a problem in high school soccer, since NFHS describes hats as part of the uniform. As you indicated earlier, you are doing mostly rec matches - as you progress to more competitive matches, you will need to try and find an alternative to the hat, I think. At least the folks doing the assigning and assessing around here would be unenthused about the cap.

And you're correct to be reluctant about the sunglasses - that's really a no-no to wear them as center.

[ProfZodiac]

I own a pair of Transitions lenses, but they don't tint nearly as much as you would think. I'm willing to concede that part of the reason I don't switch to glasses is out of sheer stubbornness. I'm not willing to admit yet that my vision has gotten to the point that I can't be a fair and accurate judge without artificial assistance. I can read numbers from the length of the field, I can determine close out-of-bounds calls, I can still do everything I need to, or at least that's what I think. I may, when I move to Boston in the fall, begin to wear glasses in one league. Given my location (Huntington Ave.), I can get to a whole bunch of fields on the T. I won't know anybody there. I can wear glasses and they'd never know I didn't in the past. But here in Framingham, and to an extent in Southboro, I know people. They've watched me ref for 7 years now, never once wearing glasses of any sort. If I wear glasses and end up refereeing the game of a coach I know, or, God forbid, a compatriot referee who also coaches, I'm worried about the appearance of wearing glasses. I'm worried about their thoughts, "He needs glasses. How long has he been refereeing my games while needing glasses." That, and I really, really don't want to personify the 'blind referee' stereotype.

New entry to the list: Expect abuse. Be ready. Have a plan of action for coaches/parents/players who don't understand what you have to do.

[love to play]

Have you given any thoughts to contacts? I wore glasses for a few years and have recently gotten contact lenses. Best thing I ever did.

[IASocFan]

Have you given any thoughts to contacts? I wore glasses for a few years and have recently gotten contact lenses. Best thing I ever did.

I wore contacts for several years. After I started wearing bifocals, the contacts didn't work for many anymore. I now wear glasses except for sleeping and showers. On real sunny days, I'll wear perscription sun-glasses (unless I forget them).

[Footer Phooter]

I've got a suggestion to add, "Stay well hydrated so you don't end up throwing up during your one of games."

[Ref Flunkie]

I've got a suggestion to add, "Stay well hydrated so you don't end up throwing up during your one of games."

Personal experience? :)

[Footer Phooter]

Personal experience? :)

Possibly :) It may have involved me getting dehydrated, then drinking too much water and throwing up.

[addickfan]

I've got a suggestion to add, "Stay well hydrated so you don't end up throwing up during your one of games."

Reminds me of a Sunday morning game that I played in once where one of the players had obviously had a bit too much to drink the night before and threw up in the middle of the penalty area. The rest of the players refused to go anywhere near the disgusting pool and the match was abandoned.

Those were the days.