Top Phrases I Heard At A Tournament this Weekend

[rcleopard]

Okay. I've had a few this week that were just so out there.

1. Coach, after I suggested a trip to the CR: "Oh, come on, he got all ball!"
Me: "Coach, after he got the ball he flicked his foot up and tripped the attacker."
Coach: "That's bullcrap"
Me: "It's in the rules, Coach. Getting the ball first does not mean a foul was not committed."
Coach: "Show me"
Me: "It's in the ATR. I've had enough"
Coach: "Look, I just asked a simple question, if you can't show me.."
Me: "Coach, you got a simple answer, the discussion is over, if you wish to continue it you are gone."

He remained silent for pretty much the rest of the game.

2. After two players go flying after the ball, into each other, no foul called because we didn't know who to call it on.

"Ref, I thought soccer was a non contact sport!"

3. After a player screams at missing a shot just barely over the upper right 90.

"Shh*&*"

On seeing me looking at him: "Or.. as pronounced in modern times.. darn."

4. A foul occurs just outside the box. As the ref calls it, I'm yelling "Outside, outside, outside." The attacking players are appealing for a PK, and look at me. "Side, it was in, right?"

"Outside"

5. Clear handball in the box. Center points to the spot. Game's already very heated. We've had 7 yellows up to this point. Ten minutes later we ended up losing the captain to the defending team with a nice string of profanities. Attacker lines up for the PK, he's already missed one. Defending team starts taunting. Attacker slots it.

From behind me, I hear "That's eight yellow cards you guys missed for taunting. You guys are pathetic."

Five minutes later I eject the parent for something else he says.

6. "Jarrod, I've replaced your U11B game with a U17B game with playoff implications."

7. After little junior has hacked down about 7 players, getting two fouls.. and he trips trying to push someone else off the ball, the other player's elbow ends up meeting his face. (It was not an elbowing or striking, junior fell into it.)

"God, ref, you're pathetic.. call it both ways!"

8. After a PK a coach goes ballstic right behind me.. and then starts laughing because he got me to jump.

"Sorry ref.. I'll make certain my unexpected outbursts of anger aren't directly behind you next time I don't see one coming."



---

I love tournaments ;)

Jarrod

[Ref Flunkie]

"Ref, I thought soccer was a non contact sport!"

"Jarrod, I've replaced your U11B game with a U17B game with playoff implications."



Definitely 2 of my favorites.

[BentwoodBlue]

Some I heard this weekend....
Obnoxious_Coach_01 "Don't worry {player} this match its 12 versus 11."

Same coach to my AR that is 15. "Just because you are'nt smart enough to count the players subbing doesnt mean we have to have them wait on the side."
I am sure after this the coach got some lovely parting gifts.

Parent "When did this turn into sissy soccer?"

My favourite.

Player_01 "What do you mean red card? I elbowed her in the face while going for the ball. It was incedental." She hit the keeper while the keeper was bouncing it. Baffling....

[rcleopard]

My favourite.

Player_01 "What do you mean red card? I elbowed her in the face while going for the ball. It was incedental." She hit the keeper while the keeper was bouncing it. Baffling....

Stunning.. :)

I had in one of my games, the keeper dives for the ball along the edge of the box. The player gets to it a second before the keeper does, and toe pokes it. It bounces off the keeper into the air. Then two bounces later it manages to creep over the goal line.

Of course..

"REFS, you've gotta protect the keeper, he had possession, that's no goal!"

*sighs* Maybe in rec we'd blow the whistle or give the keeper a bit more protection. Not in tournament, though. These kids know how to play.

Jarrod

[Claymore]

"Call it both ways" is always my favorite. I've actually had parents count the number of fouls called on each team and try and tell me afterwards that it was my responsibilty to make sure the fouls were called evenly. Of course, this always comes from the team that is doing the majority of the fouling.

[rcleopard]

"Call it both ways" is always my favorite. I've actually had parents count the number of fouls called on each team and try and tell me afterwards that it was my responsibilty to make sure the fouls were called evenly. Of course, this always comes from the team that is doing the majority of the fouling.

That's like the parent I ejected.

He was so harrassing, and after I turned and said, and I quote. "If your harrasment is going to continue, you can leave now." He just got up and left. I got a round of applause. *chuckles* It more or less was interesting tho, because you could tell he's been through this before. Just like parents counting fouls. You know they're only doing it because they've felt like they need to do it before.

[IASocFan]

After calling a couple of pushing fouls, one of the players whacks his opponent in the shins. I blow the whistle, and he immediately says, "they're pushing, too!"

[(TxT)]

My dad told me a story in which he was the center ref. The AR through a coach out for being a complete moron (complaining, taunting...). At the end of the game all of the parents from that coaches team and the coach himself start yellig at my dad about how a "linesman" can't throw people out of the game. My dad said "They aren't linesman, they are assistant referees. Therefore they can throw people out of games" Then one lady came up to him and said that she has been a ref for 15 years and knows for a fact that isn't a rule, she then says that AR's are only there to say which team gets a throw in. My dad takes out is rule book and shows them that AR's can throw people out of games. The lady, coach, and parents all call bullsh!t and say that my dad's rule book doesn't mean anything and he should use common sense next time he reffed. My dad just told them to file a complaint and he walked away, the complaint was never filed.

[rcleopard]

After calling a couple of pushing fouls, one of the players whacks his opponent in the shins. I blow the whistle, and he immediately says, "they're pushing, too!"

I also got a lot of defenders throwing their hands up and appealing for offsides when it's not.. and I mean not even close. Apparently that's worked in the past for them.

[JohnR]

"Ref, this isn't rec league, it's premiere soccer!" - After a player is whistled for leaping into the air, landing on the back of an opponent who has just played the ball, and sending said opponent face first into the turf.

[ButlerBob]

Since your a current ref, maybe you can explain this call to me. I coach a boys U12 team. Earlier this summer we're playing in a tournament. It's our 3rd game of the day. We're winning about 3 - 1, the play is near the opposing teams box, the ref is just on the other side of mid field. My goal keeper and right back are squatting down (not sitting on the ground), the opposing teams striker is tying his boot. The ref blows his whistle and I'm trying to figure out where the foul is. He turns around and walks to my defender gives him a yellow card and then also one to the defender. The en turns toward the bench and says that they are receiving yellow cards for taunting, by showing disrepect by sitting down. I ask him why he didn't them or myself to stop doing it. His reply was that the caution was the warning. I just stood there with my mouth open and didn't say anything. I did file suggestion with the organizers to provide hats for their refs, because I thought they were suffering from heat stroke. ;)

I used to ref, but have given it up becuase of the things you've put up with. Keep up the good fight.

[refmike]

A few years ago, as I signed in for a tournament, I was told of a new rule that if necessary we refs could disqualify an entire team from the tournament.
In my second game of the day, a U12 blue player attempted to kick a waist high ball away from a green opponent and got him in the hip instead. I gave him a caution while the coach was tending to the green player. A moment later, another green player struck the blue player so I showed him a red card. Next thing I knew the green coach was in my face with a long string of profanities. I showed him a red card (allowed in tournaments in my area) and the assistant coach then came over and continued to scream at me with foul language. I showed him a red card and then one of the parents did the same thing. As I was sending her off the field, I saw half the parents lined up to yell at me. No choice but to disqualify the team. Both for thier actions and because all registered coaches had been dismissed.

Never heard of that rule again but I really needed it that day.

[Ref Flunkie]

A few years ago, as I signed in for a tournament, I was told of a new rule that if necessary we refs could disqualify an entire team from the tournament.
In my second game of the day, a U12 blue player attempted to kick a waist high ball away from a green opponent and got him in the hip instead. I gave him a caution while the coach was tending to the green player. A moment later, another green player struck the blue player so I showed him a red card. Next thing I knew the green coach was in my face with a long string of profanities. I showed him a red card (allowed in tournaments in my area) and the assistant coach then came over and continued to scream at me with foul language. I showed him a red card and then one of the parents did the same thing. As I was sending her off the field, I saw half the parents lined up to yell at me. No choice but to disqualify the team. Both for thier actions and because all registered coaches had been dismissed.

Never heard of that rule again but I really needed it that day.


Good for you. As soon as I saw the 2nd coach coming up to complain I would have stopped the game and suggested disqualification.

[fiddlestick]

I also got a lot of defenders throwing their hands up and appealing for offsides when it's not.. and I mean not even close. Apparently that's worked in the past for them.
TV is the worst thing that could have ever happened to youth soccer in this country.

[blech]

Good for you. As soon as I saw the 2nd coach coming up to complain I would have stopped the game and suggested disqualification.

you never know - it might stop if they know you're serious

many years ago i had a similar situation. the rules allowed cards to be given to the head coach only. the assistant coach was a former professional player and i guess he thought he could intimidate me. after a yellow card to his son for kicking the ball into the stands after a foul to prevent a quick restart (after being warned already), the assistant coach went off. i went to the head coach and told him he had seconds to get his assistant under control as he was responsible for everyone's conduct. he did nothing and the assistant continued yelling. i gave the head coach a red card, and then looked at the assistant and said, "i take it your now in charge." and then showed him a red card too. they had another assistant who took over, and the game proceeded quietly without further incident.

returning to the initial theme of this thread, in this weekend's game, the visiting team was down 5-1 with 10 minutes to play. after their forward lost the ball, he turned and ran after the defender, leveling him with a shoulder/elbow to the chest just as he cleared the ball upfield. whistle and foul (and verbal warning). from the sidelines: "c'mon ref. we're down by four goals!!!"

oh, i forgot. if you're losing by multiple goals, you can commit any fouls you want....

[HoldenMan]

I love it when you get comments after the match like 'ref, there's were 27 fouls against us and only 6 against them, now what does that say to you?'
I ignore it....but every time i'd love to say something along the lines of:
'It says to me that your team should stop being thugs and start playing soccer, and learn to play by the laws!'
Although none of this beats a tournament I was at earlier this year........

I'll post some of those comments later, gotta go to uni now

[tmaker]

GU16 select: Player B charges Player A smack in the spinal area, sending Player A to the turf for a face plant. Whistle blows long and loudly. "C'mon, ref, what happened to letting the girls play?"

Orange v Blue, GU12 rec, Orange leading 5-1. Last two minutes of the game. Blue Player 8 stops an Orange player's shot on goal by tackling her sloppily from behind, just near the penalty mark. Whistle blows long and loudly and I point to the spot, where Orange player converts penalty into goal #6. After the game, coach corners ref and says, "Why did you call that penalty with two minutes left? The girls were already losing, and you just demoralized them. That was unnecessary."

*sigh*

I have notebooks of days like these. I should anthologize them all, with others'.

[HoldenMan]

Anyways, at the aforementioned tournament:

A colleague of mine was refereeing an U/17 boys game, I think it was.

Anyway, there was a blatant foul, in the box. Blows the whistle, points to the spot. Coach is going nuts from the sideline. The coach actually runs on the field to say to the referee (heavy greek accent): "Look into this boy's eyes, you think he commit foul?"

"YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

(for what it's worth after the match this coach also threw a water bottle at the referee! Now banned for life, so I hear).

There were numerous other interesting (and worrying!) incidents at that tournament, but that was one of the few amusing comments I can remember...

[Gary V]

Some recent head-scratchers, all U12's I think:

After a defender cleanly strips the ball away from the attacker: "Ref, she was already in the box!" Huh?

When a keeper dives on the ball: "Ref, she took it right off her foot!" Oh, sorry, I didn't know that if you were kicking the ball you had exclusive rights to it.

When a player slides in front of the attacker, and the ball stops when it hits his legs: "Ref, can he do that?" Uhh, yeah, that's his job!

And the classic, when a player is a good 10-15 yards inside his own half, but clearly 3 or 4 steps ahead of his opponent: "Offside, ref, how can you miss that?" (This was from a coach/trainer, probably paid, of a select team. I understand that the parents corrected him on the concept.)

[Ref Flunkie]

What is this with all the U-12 crap!?! Is this the age of "can't find good coaches, and the parents they find are morons"? I honstly have the most problems at this age as well.