USYSA Nationals

[JohnR]

Was at USYSA National Youth tournament in Dallas this week.

Saw 5 full matches, 4 with fabulous CR, one with an OK CR. Very good ratio. Somebody does a very nice job vetting refs for this tournament.

Question - Was it just this tournament, or do girls' teams have nightmare parents? Every boys match was fairly subdued, very little catcalling from the sidelines, a knowledgeable and cool approach from the parents. The girls, OMG. Shrieking and screaming and ranting, those parents are soooo into it, and they don't seem to know much about soccer, either. Ball driven hard from 5 yards into an arm that is draped across the defender's body, "HAND BALL! Ref, are you blind?" Clean tackle, girls falls down, histrionics. Jeez almighty, I don't know how anybody can put up with that. Is that how girls matches always are?

[Tarheel Ref]

Was at USYSA National Youth tournament in Dallas this week.

Saw 5 full matches, 4 with fabulous CR, one with an OK CR. Very good ratio. Somebody does a very nice job vetting refs for this tournament.

Question - Was it just this tournament, or do girls' teams have nightmare parents? Every boys match was fairly subdued, very little catcalling from the sidelines, a knowledgeable and cool approach from the parents. The girls, OMG. Shrieking and screaming and ranting, those parents are soooo into it, and they don't seem to know much about soccer, either. Ball driven hard from 5 yards into an arm that is draped across the defender's body, "HAND BALL! Ref, are you blind?" Clean tackle, girls falls down, histrionics. Jeez almighty, I don't know how anybody can put up with that. Is that how girls matches always are?

FABULOUS...they must have really been good!

Sometimes yes girls are a bit more demonstrative than boys...and the girls, no matter what level, but less and less so as they get older, also wear their hearts on their sleeves as opposed to hiding their emotions like tough guys. Sometimes the emotional outbursts are justifiable but other times they are not. I'm sure there's some sort of socio-economic/cultural/IQ/social skills test that some psychologist could spend millions on over many many years, but what I find is that it happens sometimes and must be handled on a case by case basis.

Also...in deference to ref2coach...I'd be sure to caution for the simulation!!! After being sure that it was, of course...

Well I was going to add one of those little smiley-faces to be sure everyone knew I'm laughing and joking there but...

[JohnR]

FABULOUS...they must have really been good!

Yes, they were. As somebody told me one match at halftime, "You don't even notice the referee is there. When you don't notice the referee, you know he's doing a great job."

[Trevallion]

It's a very high honor to be a referee at the National Tournament. Only the best refs from the four different regions get invited. Usually, the work their butt off for many years for this accomplishment.

I know several of the refs from Region II who were selected this year, and they are all top notch referees!

Oh, and about the parents of the girls being completly nuts....I think that's pretty typical. At least that has also been my experience. :)

[Chiller15J]

I know several of the refs from Region II who were selected this year, and they are all top notch referees!

Do you know any from IL that went?

[LoewenBoy]

Was at USYSA National Youth tournament in Dallas this week.
Should have said so earlier...would have bought you a beer. Had 3 games at the tourney.

As for girls teams and their nightmare parents, not so sure it is a girls v. boys thing. Many parents are out of control. They know very little (surprisingly) about the Laws. Some teams have managers that do a good job of keeping thier parents under control (Texans, Solar, some others). Some are just simply abysmal.:o

[gildarkevin]

It's a very high honor to be a referee at the National Tournament. Only the best refs from the four different regions get invited. Usually, the work their butt off for many years for this accomplishment.

I know several of the refs from Region II who were selected this year, and they are all top notch referees!

Oh, and about the parents of the girls being completly nuts....I think that's pretty typical. At least that has also been my experience. :)

The high standard of referees at nationals makes this all the more surprising (from this weekend's Washington Post):

The PWSI Cardinals will play the Carmel (Indiana) Cyclones today in the under-19 girls' national championship. It will be their third match in as many days because Carmel's protest of PWSI's 5-4 victory in Friday's group stage match was upheld.

Carmel protested the result because referees incorrectly awarded PWSI an indirect free kick after a Cyclones' penalty kick during which a Cyclones player entered the 18-yard box too early.

Carmel's protest was upheld, and the group stage match against PWSI was replayed yesterday from the 42nd minute. It resulted in a 3-3 tie, earning Carmel a spot in the final over the Spartans Elite (North Carolina).

____

Seems like a pretty basic mistake for a referee at nationals, even if it is one of those situations which seems to make everyone stop and think at one point or another.

[Spaceball]

Should have said so earlier...would have bought you a beer. Had 3 games at the tourney.

How did you do three games at Nationals? From my experience and from what I know has happened the years I was not there, every referee works 2 games per day in the group play (the AR's each work 2 AR's and the referees spend 2 days as R/4th and one day with 2 AR's). Everyone gets a final assignment...there are 48 referees there with 96 slots each pool play day and 48 on finals day. It works out really well so every referee/AR gets exactly 7 assignments over the 5 days.

How did you go and work 3? Just curious...or did you mean you just watched 3matches?

[LoewenBoy]

How did you go and work 3? Just curious...or did you mean you just watched 3matches?
My mistake...should have clearer in my post. CR for 1, AR for 1, 4th for 1.:D Was only supposed to do 1 match and 4th for another but an AR dropped out due to injury and I happened to be standing there.:D I was a last minute fill in for some of the open slots that came up.

[MassachusettsRef]

My mistake...should have clearer in my post. CR for 1, AR for 1, 4th for 1.:D Was only supposed to do 1 match and 4th for another but an AR dropped out due to injury and I happened to be standing there.:D I was a last minute fill in for some of the open slots that came up.Open spots came up at Nationals?!?!

[Trevallion]

Do you know any from IL that went?


I don't think that I personally know any of the IL referees this year, but I would recognize them. Do you know any of them?

[Chiller15J]

I don't think that I personally know any of the IL referees this year, but I would recognize them. Do you know any of them?

I would like to, lol. I was just hoping I might see a familiar name.

[LoewenBoy]

Open spots came up at Nationals?!?!
2 minor injuries. The fields at PHP in Frisco are very nice but there are a few spots where, if you don't know the fields, you can twist your ankle....especially running lines... not much room for movement. Fields are used very, very frequently. No matter if a left or right, ARs will find ruts there. The Bermuda has grown into some of the ruts causing blind drops and other ankle-twisting hazards. There was also one of the artificial turf fields in use (insert heavy gag)....one of those long-blade, synthetic fields.

[bluedevils]

It's too bad the names of the referees are not made available. It would be nice to see more published regarding who is involved with some of these tournaments, academies, etc.

[LoewenBoy]

It's too bad the names of the referees are not made available. It would be nice to see more published regarding who is involved with some of these tournaments, academies, etc.
Might be able to get my hands on that but would only sent via PM and not post. If there are extra "goodies" that did not get picked up I can see if they exist too.:D

[peanutgallery83]

Chiller15J and bluedevils - check your private messages.

[MassachusettsRef]

Not for anything, but the names of who went to Nationals isn't and really shouldn't be kept secret. It's published in the tournament program--with photographs and each delegation is made public somehow by the four regions (and I'm sure most home states also publicize a selection). Region I tracks their referees here, but hasn't updated for 2007: http://www.region1.com/Referees/NationalRef.htm

Short of outing someone who posts here who doesn't want to be outed ("Bigsoccer poster XXXXX went and he was poor on game #Y" would be very bad) I think it's more than fair and a good thing to throw the names out there, so there's no need for secretiveness if people do have a copy of the list.

[bluedevils]

MassRef,

I agree the names should NOT be considered a secret, but the fact is that many refs are not comfortable providing information that is not readily provided by the authorities who SHOULD be providing it. I can understand this concern. It shouldn't be that way, but it is.

You may be right that the names can be found 'here and there' but it can be very difficult to piece it all together. Some regions and states do a better job than others of communicating which of their referees are involved in certain tournaments and activities.

[Gary V]

The high standard of referees at nationals makes this all the more surprising (from this weekend's Washington Post): The Post covers soccer? Wow for them!

The PWSI Cardinals will play the Carmel (Indiana) Cyclones today in the under-19 girls' national championship. It will be their third match in as many days because Carmel's protest of PWSI's 5-4 victory in Friday's group stage match was upheld.

Carmel protested the result because referees incorrectly awarded PWSI an indirect free kick after a Cyclones' penalty kick during which a Cyclones player entered the 18-yard box too early.
Not enough information given here. Did the kick go in the goal or not? Only when that is known do we know if the ref made a mistake.

Carmel's protest was upheld, and the group stage match against PWSI was replayed yesterday from the 42nd minute.Oh this is just so wrong! If the protest was upheld, shouldn't the game be replayed?

It resulted in a 3-3 tie, earning Carmel a spot in the final over the Spartans Elite (North Carolina).

____

Seems like a pretty basic mistake for a referee at nationals, even if it is one of those situations which seems to make everyone stop and think at one point or another.
Seems like there was a referee in Asian WC qualifying who made the same mistake. Does that excuse the ref at nationals? Or should the ref have learned from his Asian colleague?

[JohnR]

The goal was made. The offensive team infringed. The CR correctly signalled for a retake. He was talked out of this decision by the ARs and 4th official, who swore to him that the rules had changed and it should be an indirect FK. (I don't even know which team was awarded the free kick, not that it really matters.)

Quite shocking. Elementary stuff, you make the guy shoot the free throw again if somebody from his team enters the lane early, make them take the PK again if somebody from this team jumps into the box/circle.