Barriers between parents and the field

[Wreave]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1035411/Pushy-parents-held-barriers-junior-football-stop-abusing-referees.html

'Moving the spectators back just a little bit has made a big difference, even when the barrier is just some cones.’

The barriers to be used at next season's games will see a row of wooden stakes in the ground joined together with a ribbon.

More of a psychological barrier than a physical one, but if it helps, I'm all for it.

[intechpc]

Honestly, it doesn't take much. Around here they've started putting a yellow line about 3 yards back from the touch line. This has been very helpful at keeping parents from getting too close to the field and harrassing referees or AR's. I doubt it would stop someone that had come so unhinged as to want to assault the referee, but overall it probably reduces confrontations overall.

[Ref Flunkie]

Honestly, it doesn't take much. Around here they've started putting a yellow line about 3 yards back from the touch line. This has been very helpful at keeping parents from getting too close to the field and harrassing referees or AR's. I doubt it would stop someone that had come so unhinged as to want to assault the referee, but overall it probably reduces confrontations overall.

Agreed, we need it around here. A line would do a world of good IMO.

[Rufusabc]

Not sure if this is strictly a National HS rule or not, but in NJ, the HS's all must have a staked line (or fence) 5 yards from the playing field on the spectators side of the field. Since a lot of the youth clubs use HS fields in my league, we get the benefit of the distance. I happen to like it very much.

[andymoss]

Not sure if this is strictly a National HS rule or not, but in NJ, the HS's all must have a staked line (or fence) 5 yards from the playing field on the spectators side of the field. Since a lot of the youth clubs use HS fields in my league, we get the benefit of the distance. I happen to like it very much.

NFHS Rule 1-6 reads:"Spectators shall be confined to areas at least 10 feet from the touch line, team/official area and the goal line. No one shall be permitted directly behind either goal unless seated in bleachers."Nothing specific about physical markings.Diagram on page 11 has a dotted line showing 10 feet boundary and an explanatory box:Dotted line is minimum boundary for spectators, fencing or any objects.

[Gary V]

Bah - it wouldn't work.

Our rec league paints a line about 2 yards back from the touchline and about 10 yards either side of the center line. It's meant to be a technical area. The parents all think it's where their lawn chairs can go.

If the coach does happen to tell the team to sit behind the line when they're subs, he'll still wander up and down the touchline, and over it sometimes, getting in the AR's way.

[Wreave]

The technical area in your example is like the coach's box in baseball: "An area of the field where the coach must not ever stand."

The coaches are a different issue entirely, but it does make sense to me that a spectator control line would be useful.

[Wahoos1]

Bah - it wouldn't work.

Our rec league paints a line about 2 yards back from the touchline and about 10 yards either side of the center line. It's meant to be a technical area. The parents all think it's where their lawn chairs can go.

If the coach does happen to tell the team to sit behind the line when they're subs, he'll still wander up and down the touchline, and over it sometimes, getting in the AR's way.


Run them down! Add a little spice to your game....

[Gary V]

I know. I have a flag, and I know how to use it.

[constructor]

I think it's a great idea. One of my pet peeves as an AR is not being able to clearly see the touchlines and having obstacles in my way on the touch. That includes, in no particular order, coaches, parents, lawn chairs, coolers. The key to it working is for the field marshals and facility supervisors to strictly enforce it.

I was working a U18 match a few years back where there were lines, but nobody was paying attention to them. I had asked repeatedly (in a nice, but firm tone) for the parents to stay back and leave room. Well... late in the second half of a tie match there's a break away from about midfield. The race was on to goal. I was watching the play over my left shoulder while sprinting along to keep up with second def. Just as I pulled up level with the 18, a parent stepped in front of me to take a picture of his kid on the break. There wasn't any time for any evasive action, rig for collision! I plowed him over, broke his camera, and knocked him back into the crowd and got 5 more from the bowling pin action. Number of broken chairs was undetermined, drinks were definately spilled all over those nearby. The collision changed my direction a bit onto the pitch but momentum and physics were on my side. I'm about 6'2, 190lbs, not a small guy, and was moving down the line with the hammer down, keeping up with the 18yo players and play was moving just shy of warp 3. The guy playing in traffic was about 5'4, maybe 120lbs with bricks in his shoes. My momentum carried me through the collision and I stayed focused on the play, and didn't even drop the flag. Coming back up the line after the collision and the play over with a goal kick restart about to happen, Casper Milquetoast was whining about getting run over, his camera broken and why didn't I warn him or go around. He was making quite a racket, but my CR came over (he knew about the problem with the crowd) and told him if he didn't want a repeat performance to stay back from the touch behind the lines. Casper tried to get some satisfaction from the field marshal who told him the same thing the CR had. Basically, if you play in traffic, sooner or later you're going to get hit.

Upshot, I've often wondered as an AR what could happen with encroachment from the spectators, but that incident was rather amusing. I'm not going to intentionally run somebody over, but when they just step in from my blind spot and I'm focused on play, stuff can happen. And when you get right down to it, it can be a safety issue. While in my incident, Casper wasn't seriously injured and he had a Darwinian black and blue lesson, the potential was very real.

[NHRef]

I've "bumped" a few coaches, but only after a warning or two, never out right flattened one, but I've wanted to a time or two :rolleyes:

Only full on collision: with a 4 year old! Was a mens league game, running AR1 on the team side. Coaches little son was there and he did a good job keeping the tike away from the sideline. Mid second half, turned to sprint with play, just enough distance to get a full head of steam, and suddenly found myself on the ground! Never saw the tike, but he took me out dead center in both thighs (to short to get the "good stuff").

After the game coach apologized, i talked to the little guy who was happy with his popsicle, which he offered to share.

[Tarheel Ref]

I've had the same thing happen a number of times and it definitely helps to have size on your side. I'm about 6'1 225 lbs and played a little (very little) Div. I college football so contact is nothing new to me. I definitely don't want to hurt anybody and am always seriously concerned about running over a small kid that I can't see BUT there are a few times where I've seen, at the last second, contact coming with someone (always adult male) I've repeatedly asked to step back. I have to admit that on more than one occasion I did less than I could have to avoid the contact in order to make my point stick.

Every time, that's the last time anybody (for that match anyway) encroaches into the area I need to use as AR.

However, those photographers with the huge telephoto lenses really do scare me...I haven't caught one of those lenses in the head YET but I "see" that coming sometime in the future.

[GOOOOAL!!]

One of the cynical ways to deal with it is to "screw up" an OS call against his team when the coach/fan is getting in the way after several warnings. You get the "Hey AR, what was that, he was way off-side!" from the coach, which I promptly reply with "Well I would probably have had a better view if I wasn't constantly having to deal with you being in my way."

One of two things happens. The coach/fan goes back into his area, shuts up and the game goes nicely from there.
The second is the coach/fan goes nuts and starts really being a problem. You then get rid of them, and the games goes nicely.

Pick the right time, place and situation and it works well.

[Tarheel Ref]

One of the cynical ways to deal with it is to "screw up" an OS call against his team when the coach/fan is getting in the way after several warnings.

I tell players and coaches who keep moving into my field of view of the touchline that if I can't see what's happening because they are AGAIN blocking my view, that they definitely won't get whatever call I'm about to make. That sometimes works....

[JeffG]

I tell players and coaches who keep moving into my field of view of the touchline that if I can't see what's happening because they are AGAIN blocking my view, that they definitely won't get whatever call I'm about to make. That sometimes works....
I do that, too. They almost always smile at my "joke", but often you can see them thinking, "would he really do that?" (no), and that makes me smile more (inside, of course:D)

[refontherun]

However, those photographers with the huge telephoto lenses really do scare me...I haven't caught one of those lenses in the head YET but I "see" that coming sometime in the future.

I did have that happen to me a couple of seasons ago. It was a fairly competetive U13 or 14 game, and there was alot of action right in front of me. The ball went toward the center line, and the defense pushed up quickly leaving two or three attackers in an offside position.

Just before that, a photographer with a lens about 18 inches long stepped up close to the touch line without me noticing. When I sprang toward mid-field to cover the 2LD in case the ball came back quickly, BAM!!!! in the side of my head. No blood from me, but the camera was still on the unipod and the lens was on the ground. The center almost stopped the game. I guess the echo from my head made quite a racket:rolleyes:

[ref2coach]

I have also enjoyed from time to time "contacting" someone in the way of my run. 6'2", 215, so far I have "won" each of those situations. However a friend of mine was not so lucky. He was working as my AR1, he turned to run with a "through" ball, and ran over the coach, both went down, he injured his shoulder. He missed 5 or 6 days of work and his "day job" supervisor let him know if his non job related activities again caused him to miss work that it would jeopardize his job. Soccer lost 1 more good referee.

[andymoss]

I tell players and coaches who keep moving into my field of view of the touchline that if I can't see what's happening because they are AGAIN blocking my view, that they definitely won't get whatever call I'm about to make. That sometimes works....


I'm ashamed and quite proud to admit that I have done this as AR1. D2 type game with new-ish and thus quite excited coaches, neither of whom would stay away from touchline.

Should've tossed assistant, but nevertheless, a couple of warnings when ball was close to line went unheeded, so next time, ball was clearly out, against their team when they were right on line. They look back at me for my flag. Nothing. Politely advise that I couldn't see through them as I previously advised more than once.

They sat down.

I have also enjoyed from time to time "contacting" someone in the way of my run. 6'2", 215, so far I have "won" each of those situations. However a friend of mine was not so lucky. He was working as my AR1, he turned to run with a "through" ball, and ran over the coach, both went down, he injured his shoulder. He missed 5 or 6 days of work and his "day job" supervisor let him know if his non job related activities again caused him to miss work that it would jeopardize his job. Soccer lost 1 more good referee.


Now come on mate! Run? Now there's a S.A. type tale if every I heard one.....

[ref2coach]

Now come on mate! Run? Now there's a S.A. type tale if every I heard one.....

Dag Nabit, I am supposed to be able to be anonymous on here, then you show up alluding to the truth. :eek: Review the State Cup picture and contemplate what would happen if I fell over on you. :p

[andymoss]

Dag Nabit, I am supposed to be able to be anonymous on here, then you show up alluding to the truth. :eek: Review the State Cup picture and contemplate what would happen if I fell over on you. :p

True, true - With all your bionic body parts you'd absolutely crush me.

Shoulder next? So you stop confusing your centre when signaling for an attacking throw-in?!

To say nothing of your PK/substitution signal.......