And you were smart enough to just say silent about how many referee related shirts you really have, I hope!
On the weather front, after my rare rain experience last week, I was wondering about ideal rain apparel. It seems to me the ideal for referees (and players for that matter) would be a long sleeved water proof undershirt that still breathes to go directly under the ref jersey. Do such things exist? (We don’t know these things in Southern California...) Does anyone do this or something similar?
I use a compact and lightweight breathable rain shell with a concealable hood for that very purpose. Also for when it's really cold and windy, even if not raining. It also serves as my to-and-from-the-field jacket, as well as just being a nice lightweight all-around piece of gear.
I got asked that question when I came home from futsal last night with two new ones... short sleeves, need to get the yellow and blue versions of those... plus some LS versions... #IDoNotHaveAProblem
Best story of my week... recent clinic today and along with Steve Olson (former FIFA AR) instructing was none other than Rick Eddy. Really interesting discussions about a lot of the FIFA Futuro clips and some local game video as well. And then after that, an ODP scrimmage with very advanced and focused mentoring, along with my first time using headsets. All around a great day, learned a lot to be applied in the future!
No apology necessary. I took it good-naturedly. Is that a word? So I had five layers on this morning in Mayretta. It didn't warm up much. I finished the day in three layers. I wound up working with three new centers. All three made the typical minor mistakes. One each made a mistake worth noting. I am NOT taking shots at them. I only post these to help any others reading this. There will be no names to protect the innocent...er...minorly guilty. The first tried to only allow subs by the team taking a goal kick. The coach said, politely, that both teams can sub on a goal kick. The CR looked at me and I said "He's right. Both teams can sub on a goal kick. In fact, in U9 and U10 in this tournament, both teams can sub at any stoppage with the permission of the referee." The second, his foul recognition was struggling, just like all ours were our first time. But in this case a card was needed. U10G, high level play. Best two teams I saw all day. High bouncing ball and with no heading, high kicks abounded. This time, though, a player kicked high, studs showing, and brought her foot down, studs on her opponent's lower thigh/upper knee. The victim went down and the perp brought the ball up the sideline toward me, AR1. I looked at the CR, he didn't motion anything, so I waved the flag. He blew the whistle and I tapped my badge. He brought out the yellow card and showed it to the perp. He then came to me and asked "Why am I showing her the card?" I explained it verbally there, then visually after the game. The third one was the worst. U9 very low level. 4-3 with less than three minutes left in the game, trailing team's tallest girl throws the ball in over the heads of opponents to a teammate in an offside position. Teammate gathers the ball in and is now on a one on one with the keeper. My flag stays down for obvious reasons. As the teammate enters the PA, CR blows his whistle. I'm praying there is a reason other than offside for him to blow that whistle. I'm not so lucky. Coach yells, not so politely, "There is no offside on a throw in!" I said "Hold on, let's see what's going on." I walked up to CR and asked quietly "What's the call?" He said "Offside." Crap. I said "Yeah, there is no offside on a throw in." He apologized and gave a re-throw in. Final score remained 4-3. I don't suppose you can give the CR a red card for DOGSO, can you?
I had a similar situation years ago as the CR for an adult men's rec league game. There was a throw in near the benches with an offensive player behind the last defensive players. As soon as the throw in is taken, I see my AR who is near the spectators raise his flag. As a reaction without thinking, I blow my whistle. Then I realize that he was probably signaling for offside, but I figure that maybe he saw a foul that I didn't see. I go over and ask him. He says he raised his flag for offside. I told him that there was a throw in. He says, "Oh." The only thing that I could do was restart with a drop ball for an unusual stoppage, but I took the blame saying I shouldn't have blown the whistle.
I had a brain freeze. My first thought was dropped ball, but as I was mulling it over the aggrieved coach no sad” let’s just do the four win over.“ so I was good with that.
Yeah, and if you and @socal lurker have exchanged any private messages, I bet they're a who it hoot. Probably sounds a lot like a conversation between me and my wife, neither of us hearing so good ... Which reminds me, some kid Friday night was trying to tell me something and I couldn't understand what it was to save my life. I finally decided he was taking exception to my vocal praise of the terrific goal-scoring shot his opponent had just struck, and I replied with something like, "Sorry, I just like it when somebody does something great." Then I took pains to find him later in the game and rave about the wonderful cross he'd struck to set up a PK. "Thanks ref." At least I could understand that.
Reffed in a a couple of downpours today. I went out initially with a clear "rain cover" poncho thing with a hood. It just was awful. Didn't feel natural. Took it off and got soaked along with all the boys. Felt normal and like I was very involved.
Another"weird" thing today...in the unusual heavy rain, on real grass (turned mud) fields. We ran a reverse diagonal because the ARs literally had trouble keeping their footing. Let me tell you, after many years of doing something one way, it becomes reflex. Simple things like throwing out the left arm, standing open shoulders toward the AR for a goal kick....except the AR is not there...then feeling like a goose as you look over your shoulder to look for him on the other touchline. And likewise for every other "reflex" move.. Looking for you AR on a break away for offside etc. Felt like a newbie.
We ran reverse routes last week while doing full field adults indoors. It was a.good exercise for all of us, including the players - they would always look to the wrong side for the futile offside appeal....
I remember the very first time I tried talk-to-text. I was on call and had to stop on the way home to fix a customer's issue. So I texted my wife telling her I would be eating supper at Louie's, a chicken place nearby. Except it texted "Louise's." My wife asked "Who is Louise, and should I call the lawyer?" Then I found out she and her mom texted often and had similar verbal to textual mishaps.
I was not as well prepared. I had left my heaviest under layer and leggings at home. Also it was small school and one of the schools was new (freshmen/sophomores only) so bad soccer. The BV game that was my center ended 9-0. The losing team got just enough attacks to let me run to stay warm. The GV game, which was second, I wore my 'Denver outdoor construction hat' in safety green/black. a number of years ago my assignor was rolling with laughter when I was an AR on a reverse and I signaled GK with the flag in my right hand 4 times in quick succession on a U12 rec game. My favorite is to set up for a free kick and realize you're standing 5 yards from the AR. "One of us is in the wrong place."
I have one field that begs for a reverse diagonal on early games in spring--the low sun is in exactly the wrong place for a standard diagonal, and flipping it improves things dramatically. As an AR I've suggested it and some of my compatriots cannot fathom the possibility of doing things the other way.
I used to do at least one reverse a season, just to keep my hand in and to teach the ARs that there is such a thing. I got over that.
Back in January, our HS group covered a multi-field HS tournament. My field was a grass auxiliary field generally referred to as the "cow pasture". It had been raining like crazy for several days prior to the tourney and the field was a mud pit. There were large areas of standing water that turned into large areas of mud, and it was played on for 6 games a day, 3 straight days. You can use your imagination. I had discovered that there were spots mostly water and mud free and endeavored to stand there. My dual partner wasn't so lucky, so late in the day we tried a reverse dual. It lasted one half. Neither of us could figure out which way throws went, we were pointing fouls wrong and couldn't seem to get out of the way of the ball. In general it was a hot mess. I went back to standing in my dry spot and she went back to standing in mud.
I endevor to choose my availability very carefully. Outside of State Cup, President's Cup, and something in South Texas called Director's Cup; I average 2 tournaments every 3 years. One of my friends renewed my commitment to not do tournaments last week when he gave out 2 RC for VC-Fighting in a U13 game...