Interesting day so far

[Citiref]

It's the beginning of the rec season here, and I had some interesting BU14 games today.

First one was very physical, lots of fouls called on both teams, and it was a close game (2-1). In the dying seconds(actually the very last one), a player tripped over himself - no other players nearby - and possibly either broke his collar bone, or dislocated his shoulder in an awkward fall. The Fire Department and Paramedics were called, and it took them around 30 minutes to check him out and remove him from the field. I had to submit an injury report, and he might be out for the season. That was my first major injury sadly.

Second game was clean, until the 34th minute when the "home" team thought they scored the first goal, it was almost like the Manchester Utd-Tottenham incident, no goal given. Then they started screaming and running towards me(just about the whole team :), and the coaches and parents went ballistic). Then about 20 minutes later they had another goal disallowed due to offside, and that's when things went down hill, and numerous fouls were called, parents got louder, etc. Game finished 3-1 in favor of the home team.

Now I get to go do two more competitive games at 1, then a referee get together at 4, and then AR in an adult game at 6(which is good considering I'm only 15...must be doing something right).

Sorry for my rambling, I thought it was an interesting day. :D

[vabeacher]

Nothing nearly as interesting for me. I don't know how the rest of the east coast made out, but it was an incredibly windy day in Virginia. On the fields where the winds were blowing lengthwise, 90% of the game took place in one half. We could have worked these games with 1 AR, because the 2nd AR didn't have to move from the half-way line too often. It's been a long time since I've seen a goal kick go over the goal line for a corner kick. And that was in a U19 game.

As usual I'm sure Spring will pass Virginia by. We'll go from 50 degree days straight to 80's.

[Footer Phooter]

...and all the 80 degree days will be when I have assignments on FieldTurf, so it'll feel like 90 degrees.

[Statesman]

I am fortunate to interact with this quality group of individuals. I enjoy the stories shared, and I wish I could provide a few of my own. Unfortunately, I have been unable to officiate any matches since around November due to an injury. However, I am pleased to say that my infrequent posts to the board over the past few weeks was the result of a successful operation that alleviated my injury. After a somewhat extended hiatus I will finally be returning to the pitch sometime within the next month. I will be sure to let you all know how it goes :)

Now the only problem is to get back into shape in time for my return. Something about laying around eating Pringles tends to expand one's waistline...

[Chubbywubby]

Been there, done that. The 20 lbs I lost in the last 5 years of reffing were all put back on within 4 months of my knee injury. Thankfully I've been back out on the pitch again the last two weekends, but it will still be a long time before my conditioning is back where I would like it to be.

Middle age sucks.

[mutinywxgirl]

Middle age sucks.

You said it! I was flat on my back for 6 weeks in Nov/Dec last year, and wow did I pay a price for that and the meds I had to take. Now that I've just recently gotten clearance from a doctor to begin working out again, I can't wait to get this weight off and get back to normal.

Oh, and add to those changes what goes on with the eyes......ugh!

[Gary V]

I had an interesting start of the day yesterday, then a let-down finish. It was the start of our season.

I got the weekly reminder e-mail from the assignor Friday, and found my AR position on the U13B competitive game was the only one assigned. So I called her on Saturday morning and asked if anyone had volunteered to fill in - if I'm going to be doing a game by myself, I want to know it when I get to the field, rather than waiting around until gametime to see if anyone shows up. She said she was dragging one of her kids out of bed. So he centered, I lined. At checkin I recognized one of the boys as being one of our newly-minted refs, and asked him if his dad, another ref, was going to be there. He looked around and said he didn't know where he was. So we got a spectator kid to call the ball out of play on the far side of the field. About 5-10 minutes into the game, the V coach berates the center for missing an offside call (at the AR-less end), and a minute later I see the ref-dad coming up with his coffee. So I tell the V coach we have a certified ref who's the dad of one of the players, and the coach says sure, let him fill in. Less than one minute after he gets the flag, he calls one of his own team offside, so that worked out well.

Second game, I was the center for a U14G rec game. Only one of the AR's showed up. That game didn't go as well as it should have; part of it was my lack of a complete pre-game. The AR's positioning was way off - seldom even with the 2LD. He'd never worked a game where there was only 1 AR before, so he didn't know how much he was supposed to assist me, especially with transitions that moved the game suddenly from my end to his. I think the game went pretty well for me, but I had to cover much more than should have been necessary.

That was supposed to be the end of my day, but because the AWOL AR was also supposed to have the third game, I called home to see if I could stay for the third one. I shouldn't have bothered. Another U14G rec game, but at a far lower level of play. One team could hardly get the ball out of it's own end, and had two defenders stationed at the goal area at all times. The other team took a lot of shots, but most of them went high or wide, it turned out to be only 3-0. The only points of interest in that game were when I was able to interact with some of the parents on the sidelines. One of the few attacks the team managed to put together, I made the only offside call of the game.

[pasoccerdave]

Nothing nearly as interesting for me. I don't know how the rest of the east coast made out, but it was an incredibly windy day in Virginia. On the fields where the winds were blowing lengthwise, 90% of the game took place in one half. We could have worked these games with 1 AR, because the 2nd AR didn't have to move from the half-way line too often. It's been a long time since I've seen a goal kick go over the goal line for a corner kick. And that was in a U19 game.

As usual I'm sure Spring will pass Virginia by. We'll go from 50 degree days straight to 80's.

Go back and review the commentary about the MetroStars - Real Salt Lake game from April 2. The weather even affects the pros when the conditions become extreme.

But you're right - I've never heard of a GK ending up as a CK. Tres bizarre!

[IASocFan]

Had my first club games of the year (had four high school games with nothing out of the ordinary). I was doing a U11 select game, and I didn't initially notice that the goals had a diagonal bar from the base on the ground about 2 feet into the goal up to about 4 feet on the goal post. Anyway about 10 minutes into the game the home team kicks one from the edge of the penalty area, which hits the cross bar, the ground, and the diagonal bar and then bounces out of the goal. I reasoned that the balled hadn't legally crossed th goal line it would have only because of the diagonal bar. I whistled and pointed to the center circle. I inaccurately explained that the ball had hit the post and had bounced out. The home team coach called me over and asked if I was going to count all shots that hit the goal posts. I better explained that the ball had hit the diagonal bar, and thankfully the visiting coaching agreed that his team had legally given up a goal.

[HoldenMan]

I had an U/18 game fri night.

Gave out 5 cautions and 2 reds to the same team.

Funny thing is, it was a nice calm game. No spite, very little dissent - not even a physical match. Wasn't one of those games where I felt like I was constantly giving out cards either.

[NHRef]

I had my first outdoor game saturday as well, also my first U18 game, usually do U13/14 and below. Went very well, turns out I was "secretly" assessed by the AR as well. Said I did very well, good consistent, tight foul calling, allowed right things to go as fair challenges, two comments he made were to get wider faster as I cross mid-field, and stop saying "play on" when I mean there's no foul, play on really meant "foul, but keep playing", I should add "nothing there, play on".

Had a couple of interesting events:

- keeper made a GREAT save out near the edge of the 18, with a diving stop, then her (U18G) and the attacker both dove for the now free ball. Keeper controlled the ball but with the strikers foot wrapped up in the mess. As the they were trying to untangle the striker hooked the ball with her foot and forced it out of the keepers grasp, right to a teammate, who slammed it home into the net. I called back the goal and talked with the striker about leaving the ball alone when the keeper has it. Did not caution her, didn't feel it was needed for game control and they started in a pile.

- Had a defender for one team get flat out beat by a great move, she whipped around and grabbed the shirt of the attacker, not 10 feet from me. Attacker broke free, but I called it back, she was heading to the corner, not the net and I felt the foul needed attention more than any potential advantage I was removing. Had it been closer to the net I would have let it go. Another talking to, border line caution, but again I felt it would have added nothing to my game control at that point.

Last incident I felt a bit guilty on, til I noticed something with the players.

Attacker broke through the defensive line with a great through ball, AR called it all onside and she was breaking parallel to the 18 with a team mate making a parallel run right on the net. She was outside the PA and had a 2 step lead on the defender, then suddenly took a nice running trip to the ground. To me it looked like a dive, I yelled out "nothing there play on", ball proceeded to roll over the end line for a GK. Parents went nuts, I was starting to second guess what I saw, why would she dive there? Made no sense. As I was backpeddling to mid-field for the GK, I saw the two attackers give a small smile and say something to each other. I believe they were saying "nice dive, but it didn't work" she showed no signs of feeling like she got fouled. I think I saw it right.

Was a fun day and a good game that ended 4-2.

[Alberto]

Sunday afternoon, GSSL in New Jersey Mens B division match. 7 minutes into play, a defender pulls on shirt of a forward for the visiting team in the penalty area. Penalty kick converted 1-0 visitors. 15 minutes into the match the goalkeeper for the home team comes outside the penalty area to make a play on a long high ball, but misjudges the ball and handles it to prevent a possible goal. He is sent off for DOGSO, restart DFK, no goal results.

Second half, the visiting team is called for offside, the home team is ready to restart play, but the team coach or manager for the visiting team now leading 5-1, calls for a substitution, but I wave it off. I hear your an A-hole. I call over to the technical area "who said that?" The coach states "I did" I show him the red card and order him him off the field of play. He asks "why didn't you give me my substitution?" I tell him it's my discretion to allow the substitution, particularly when doing so would delay the restart of play. I order him to leave the field of play. He asks where am I going to go, I tell him to the locker room or the parking lot, he cannot be in the vicinity of the field. I am met with more calls of my being an A-hole. I catch him later behind the goal after the restart of play and tell him if he does not leave his team will forfeit the match.

Also several players both teams were trash talking following the dismissal of the coach and the captains were told if they wanted to fight the match would be abandoned.

Tally for the day, two send offs, and four yellow cards.

My bride went with me to the game and said she was ready to call 911. The sister in law of the coach who was ordered from the field told the coaches daughter to tell daddy he was in time out. :D

[ref47]

alberto - you cannot deny a sub request when a legitimate opportunity is present. if the league allows subs on fks, and if the sub was ready when the ball went out of play, let them sub. you would have saved yourself a ton of grief in that match.

nhref - a professional foul to brak up attacking play normally deserves a yc. i can see you felt a rc for ogso was not required, but a yc probably was. you have told the players it is ok to grab a jersey when they get beat and not chance a yc.

gary v - when you do not have a neutral ref as ar you should only let them call ball into touch and no direction. no offside, no fouls, etc. i have heard that ussf will probably publish that guidance in the future.

it was a handling of passbacks kind of day. both my senior amateur men's games had one. one on a throwin to the keeper and one on a kick back to the keeper. also had one in the u9 game a worked later in the day (kick). and, unfortunately, in the u9 i could not convince one player he needed to be less aggressive and stop the late hits. 2ycs and a red put him out to think it over. i really felt badly having to do that.

[Alberto]

alberto - you cannot deny a sub request when a legitimate opportunity is present. if the league allows subs on fks, and if the sub was ready when the ball went out of play, let them sub. you would have saved yourself a ton of grief in that match.

nhref - a professional foul to brak up attacking play normally deserves a yc. i can see you felt a rc for ogso was not required, but a yc probably was. you have told the players it is ok to grab a jersey when they get beat and not chance a yc.

gary v - when you do not have a neutral ref as ar you should only let them call ball into touch and no direction. no offside, no fouls, etc. i have heard that ussf will probably publish that guidance in the future.

it was a handling of passbacks kind of day. both my senior amateur men's games had one. one on a throwin to the keeper and one on a kick back to the keeper. also had one in the u9 game a worked later in the day (kick). and, unfortunately, in the u9 i could not convince one player he needed to be less aggressive and stop the late hits. 2ycs and a red put him out to think it over. i really felt badly having to do that.


As I stated in my post the call to sub was late. The team was ready to restart play. The ball never even left the field of play. Not that it matters. Teams have a right to substitute as allowed by the league, the referee has the discretion to permit the substitution to occur. I don't understand this line of thinking. We are talking about an unlimited substitution mens league. The team in question had already tried to make substitutions to disrupt the restart of play on the other teams corner kicks. They were trying the same thing with the indirect freekick.

[vabeacher]

also had one in the u9 game a worked later in the day (kick). and, unfortunately, in the u9 i could not convince one player he needed to be less aggressive and stop the late hits. 2ycs and a red put him out to think it over. i really felt badly having to do that.

Man, you red-carded a 9-year old. I'm glad I'm not playing on your field. Wouldn't a talk with his coach have sufficient. Ask the coach to take him out for a while.

We don't have any local leagues that use certified refs for U9 (U10 is the first year), much less hand out cards at that age group.

[NHRef]

nhref - a professional foul to brak up attacking play normally deserves a yc. i can see you felt a rc for ogso was not required, but a yc probably was. you have told the players it is ok to grab a jersey when they get beat and not chance a yc.



It was so far from OGSO that it wasn't a consideration, the play was not moving towards the net, but along the sideline, and there were other players between the ball and net. I decided no on the YC mostly due to the temperment of the game to that point, including this defender and due to the fact that the grab did not stop an impending scoring chance, not from where they were on the field. had it been closer to the net and even the center of the field, or no other defenders back or been a contentious game to that point, then things might have been different. YC should be used for a reason on fouls like this, there really wasn't an advantage to be had by pulling the card. I do understand what you are saying and it would have been a valid point to give the YC, I just didn't see the benefit in it at the time.

[ref47]

vabeacher - it was a travel league match. they are assigned a 1-man, if other games are filled. i was filling a time gap between my morning senior amateur men's matches and the afternoon youth travel games (u15). i normally don't work games below u15. you're right. a talk with the coach and pulling him might have worked better. i had numerous talks with the player during the match. after his 4th foul he earned the first yc. the second yc foul was just too bad to let him continue. obviously, the coach could have cooled him off at anytime without my suggestion. thanks for the suggestion.

[ref47]

nhref - 7+7, 2005, 1.c. i understand your judgement on this. i was suggesting that we should lean in the direction of the card in this type situation. ultimately, you had to have been there.

[Gary V]

gary v - when you do not have a neutral ref as ar you should only let them call ball into touch and no direction. no offside, no fouls, etc. i have heard that ussf will probably publish that guidance in the future.
I know what you should do, but I also know that all games should have a full crew assigned. If no ref whatsoever shows up for a game, the two teams have to decide on a person agreeable to both to serve as the referee. So why wouldn't this apply to an AR position?

And USSF needn't publish guidance on it, as it's pretty well documented already as to what club lines are, and what their responsibilities can be. Any publication would only be to further emphasize the issue - most likely to say that only neutral assistants can be used as AR's, period, no questions asked, end of sentence. At which point all the local leagues would have to decide whether or not to follow this additional directive. And if they do ignore it, refs would have to decide whether to accept games in such leagues or not.

All in all, the less USSF can gum up local youth league games, the better off we are. Local policy is that if teams can agree on substitutes, they can be used. (Which is why I told the V coach about the ref-dad.) You'd never see it happen in MLS or WCQ, probably not even State Cup - but you also wouldn't see a host of other things that happen at the local level all across the country.

[Footer Phooter]

it was a handling of passbacks kind of day. both my senior amateur men's games had one. one on a throwin to the keeper and one on a kick back to the keeper.

I had two in the same game, about 5 minutes apart. Well, I should say two "passback situations". One I called, the other I didn't. Of course, players, spectators, and coaches made their opinions known on both plays.