I also happen to be a State Assessor. The SDA sent out an e-mail to all of the State Assessors, asking who was available on certain dates and times. When checking my calendar, it became apparent that date was probably for my game that day.
I hate that feeling. You'll never convince that guy to stop calling it either. That myth is just too entrenched. IIRC even the last mention made of it in this forum resulted in a few holdouts.
Actually I just might have convinced him. And to forestall starting that whole excruciating discussion again, here are the last two threads on the topic: https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/throwing-in-downward-or-spike.2020073/ https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/yedlins-throw-in-v-newcastle.2030191/ Strictly for reference, mind; further discussion is not encouraged.
But it's more than just a myth -- we had the semi-cryptic language of the ATR about spikes. And I'm not aware of any actual guidance since then.
Yes and especially if said socks are on a foot which plays the ball while the attached player is (gasp!) ON THE GROUND
Showcase games yesterday - kinda. 30 minute halves due to monsoon season descending on us, which the coaches and parents were simply overjoyed about - and they were very clear in expressing their opinion. I became fluent in "you'll have to talk to the showcase organizers about that". Couple of other fun things that happened: 1. "Unintentional handball" - I was AR1 and ball bounds into Penalty Area. Defender takes an odd touch and it hits the defender's outstretched arm. Very clear handling call, and CR blows the whistle. I start heading to the proper "AR, PK spot" when the CR puts her arm up in the air and points to the top of the 6 yard box. I'm looking at her like "wha?!", and at the same time confusion clouds her face. She calls me over and says "an unintentional handball is an IFK, right?" I say "there is no such thing, handling is handling and it's a PK." Clarity comes back, she calls the PK and we go on. We discuss post-match and she had the passback violation in her head, which is a IFK. 2. BE ON TIME, or suffer the consequences - like I said, rain delayed the showcase yesterday, bunched up the games, moved around the start times - in short, a hot mess for assignors and referees, but you deal with it and adapt. The first games of the afternoon started at 3:40 pm. 3:30 arrives and the field I'm on as well as the adjacent field are missing AR's. We've been drilled about starting on time, on time, on time or early if possible so I call the assignors and let 'em know we need an AR for each field, and they're on their way with fill-ins. Meanwhile the AR for my field shows up (literally 20 seconds after my call) so I call the assignor back and say we only need one for the other field. They come over with one for them and everyone is back in business. It's the first match of the day, start that one late and everything backs up. At 3:40 by my watch (Forerunner 25) this referee strolls up to the other field and his game has already started. He was pretty indignant and went "I'm here for my 3:40 game, but it's already started." I said "I have 3:40 now". He says "my watch says 3:39". (...) I just said "so you're only 29 minutes late then" and turned to the AR's and walked onto the field, saying "let's go" with a facial expression that clearly told him "you're an I-D-10-T". Later the AR's told me they could hear him call me a "d%$k", but I didn't hear it and I don't care. I now know his face and heaven help him if we're ever assigned together and he pulls that crap.
Hmm. Maybe it's just what I'm picturing, but how is that a very clear handling call? Sounds a lot like an inadvertent ball finding an arm -- i.e., not deliberate and therefor not an offense at all?
@socal lurker It was YHTBT, but her arms were in the "French salute" position and she used her arm to keep possession after an odd touch put the ball a little airborne. Could've explained better.
Ahh. The odd non-deliberate touch that becomes deliberate with further motion? Makes sense. (But not that your R considered I. Unintentional ....)
it was 86 on Saturday and no games were on my schedule. Yesterday, 58 and a cold breeze off the Ocean. Best news of the day: my 4:45 was cancelled! We had started at 10:40 with two of the best (?) u18 women's teams in the state. I was AR1. First foul of the match was a PK. Coach gave me an earful about "how can the first foul be a penalty." I just shrugged. I reminded him we were both 55 yards away from the call. As it turned out it was a pony tail yank! Hadn't seen one in a couple of years. The match was shirt pulls and hair pulls and yellow cards. The referee called both captains over at the half and said if you want to miss your state cup match (these two play next week in the state cup) then go right ahead and keep playing like this. Nothing else happened. Next was a high level u16 boys match. I was AR 2. Had one of those matches where I didn't move for the first half OR the second half. And it was getting colder! Off to the next Park, and I had the last center for u12 boys. And this qualifies as the Best story. Long shot comes in with a curl away from the 'keeper. I do not detect a touch on the ball so I signal goal kick. The 'keeper says, "Ref, but I touched it!" I say, "That's very nice of you, but I didn't see it that way, so it's still a goal kick."
Yesterday did a couple U12 games with my son, his 3rd and 4th games ever, after 2xU10 few weeks back. First game, visiting D tells me reSPECTfully after a goal: "Ref, what I saw was their forward kicked it out of our keeper's hand." I told him I did not see that, but would be sure to stay alert. To my eye, GK did indeed have it, right until he didn't, which was of his own doing. But hey, nice kid. Shades of @Rufusabc: ball goes out over goal line, I signal CK, my son @AR1 signals GK. I ask him what he saw and he says GK. Same visiting D says "oh no, ref, we touched it." So I thanked him loudly and told my son the deflection was confirmed. To start 2nd half of second game, red puts a new keeper on the field in a white shirt with red numbers, which I was pleased to see contrasted with his teammates. My son asked "Dad, is that shirt okay?" Caught me short, but I realized as I turned to regard the home team about to kickoff that they were in white! So I thanked him and asked away coach for a pinnie. 87 degrees yesterday and I ran out of water at a field where the water fountain is still winterized but was pleased to hear my son speak up and throw a strong flag throughout.
Perhaps I misunderstand the contact but was this referee actually allowing girls to pull each down by the pony tail and not sending them off?
Oh the humanity!!!!! I ref games where the air hurts my face... Why do I live in a place where the air hurts my face???
Two older men's league games on Sunday. First beautiful weather day of the year. As usual for older men's games, things went very smoothly for the first half of each game, with things getting a little less happy in the second half, as guys go tired. Can't believe that some of these guys, whose games I've refereed for a long time, are now O-50 or more. One of the players was 77 years old. No cards in either game, no real injuries, pretty much a stroll in the park. Just keeping good guys on their best behavior. One guy gets barged down and I stop play, deep in his own defensive third. His teammate wants to do a quick restart, more than five yards further up field. I said, "Hold on, we're going to get him back up first." "We don't need him!" Gee, thanks for being a team player.
Please tell me the game was cancelled for some other reason than the weather. I have a game tonight and it's currently 40 degrees and raining with a forecast for more of the same - Yuck.