I see a lot of games involving 12-15 year olds. Often, there is a lot each game that goes unpunished. I'd like so thoughts as to why. I understand that you are going to have a lot of stuff not called at these ages as the refs are still learning. Foul recognition skills are still developing. I'm more wondering about the lack of cards. This past weekend, there was a clear DOGSO, trailing defender wipes out attacker as they enter PA - PK called, not carded. There was also a studs-up challenge that received no card. (Player already on a yellow for shoving match with same opponent) I see similar situations go uncarded week-in week-out. So what are your thoughts? Are cards, especially 2CT and Reds, not being given because of: Inexperience? Fear? (crowds, coaches, yelling) Laziness? (simply not wanting to have to verbalize it in a report) Benefit of the doubt to players? Something altogether different? Thanks.
And I've seen a lot of 12-15 year old games where there were cards when they were needed. It's hard to speculate too much on purely anecdotal topics, but I'd say everything that you mentioned probably comes into play.
I'll try this as a ref and former U-12 coach. Usually, the atmosphere of the match doesn't call for it. An experienced ref can man manage their way around it. So reasons not to automatically reach for a yellow / red card. I say this contingent on players being receptive to this style (and it usually works). I'd also add, level of play also matters (say low level U-13 vs. upper level U-15) 1. I'll start with the weakest argument first. Pay-for-play. Soccer cost money to play (in some cases, it cost a lot). To red card a player quickly is a big loss on a family investment. 2. Sort of in line with #1 above, youth seasons are really short. 6 - 10 games depending on a league. For a player to be forced to miss 20-30% of a season because they, say reflectively hold up a hand on a shot is harsh. 3. Take a 9v9 U-12 match, to take a player off the field can send a match to a complete lopsided match. This doesn't serve the players any positive way. Now, I'm assuming here that its about training and developing soccer players and not glory hunting for trophies. 4. Finally, I don't want to be a coach on the field, but in some cases, their coach may not be good at teaching young players the rules. If I see something that 'could' be a yellow, I would hit the whistle hard, firmly call the player over and have that conversation that what they did was yellow worthy, explain to them why it was worthy and make sure they understand. Its usually an accidental event. That would be on a case-by-case basis. Now, sometimes you have no choice, but sometimes it can go a long way trying to teach them. Usually coaches are even thankful for it. Not all coaches are assholes who just want to yell at the players and the refs.
I agree with many of the comments above. I'd also say there is a big difference between 12 and 15 in terms of the extent to which cards are an important tool--and level of play matters a lot, too. And in the younger ages, especially in "quiet" games, cards just aren't in the front of mind the same way they are in an older more physical game. (Indeed,with the slower players the risk is also less as the challenges are often at relatively low speeds and involve significantly less mass.) I'd also expect the low end of the age range to have less experienced referees. Referees take time to get comfortable recognizing and issuing cards--especially when most of the games they do don't need cards to control the game (even if there are some events that could be carded). (I would not, however, say that I've ever been influenced by 9 v 9 or mommy and daddy's investment. But I've never needed to toss a kid below 16U. And while I have cautions I would have given on post game reflection as well as parents and coaches I would have tossed, I don't think I've ever looked back on one of those games and thought I failed by not tossing a kid at those levels. Perhaps some of that is controlling a game early, but certainly also much is dumb luck. And I probably just cursed myself for my next 12U game.)
Like others have said, I think it is a combination of all of those things...Primarily the hesitation of the (mostly) young referees assigned to these games, and the fact that a card really isn't "needed" for control in most of these games. Remember, that just because a card can be given for a certain infraction, doesn't always mean that it has to be given. Cards are just one tool that the ref has at their disposal. Just this past weekend, I did two U-10 games for my assignor...we were swamped because of recent rain outs. Anyway, after a kid scored he went off right beside the goal (not too close to the GK or any opponent) and started flossing (dancing). I probably could have given him a yellow. But instead I quickly ran over and explained in no uncertain terms that we were not doing that and how it was very unsportsmanlike and that he wouldn't like it if the other team did that when they scored. The same kid got two more goals and after those he quickly ran back to midfield, no problems. Another time a kid comes in and takes out an opponent from behind. I lay on the whistle hard, and pull him aside and tell him he can't do that and that he has to be more careful so that he doesn't hurt anybody. But, I don't see that a card is warranted for the first offense when he is clearly just clumsily falling into the back of the opponent.
All great points, especially clean's. I'm just starting to become concerned because I am noticing that the 14-15 year old games immediately amp up when an "obvious" card is not given. By this age, most players understand that the coach can't help them. The only one that can insure their safety is the official. If the official isn't going to do it, then they have to protect themselves. This leads to escalating fouls. Many inexperienced refs can not handle a escalating fouls. Many either clam up and the game gets out of hand or they do the opposite and start handing cards out like Oprah. Neither are good for the game or the development of the players. Thanks.
Concur on this...fouls that aren't called can sometimes lead to more escalating fouls. I think that there is a huge difference between a U-13 rec game and a competitive U-15 travel game. Hopefully the referee has the experience to approach those two different games differently and deal with similar behavior differently in those two games. However, we all know that that often isn't the case with the referee shortages that we have in many areas of the country...Young referees are often thrown to the wolves and don't have the experience or the gumption to hand out a card to a player that is maybe only a year or two younger than them, even when it is needed to control a match. That leads me to a question that I have been wanting to ask for a few weeks, but I think I will start a new thread since it is only tangentially related to this topic...
This is sooo difficult. The other day I saw a young ref with two far older refs. The two older refs had flags in hand and all three were in center circle. I thought, "Awesome, the two older guys are going let the kid center." Then one of them handed the kid the flag and my heart sank.
Ideally there aren't inexperienced refs on the 14-15 games. But there is a supply demand issue that crops up in many, many places. And even a ref with experience at 10-11 and 12-13 needs to adjust to the nature of play as the players age--increased physicality and gamesmanship. Just as players have to adjust to each new level,so do refs--some more easily than others.
I referee across the entire spectrum, and sometimes right in a row! Talk about readjustment! @Law5 has a saying that we may try to referee the match the way the players expect it. (I am paraphrasing because of Lent!) The trouble sometimes is we referee the match the way WE expect it to unfold. I am with Sport Billy. A lot of referees that I watch keep the cards in pocket far to long on higher level competitive youth matches in that troublesome 14-16 age bracket. You’d be surprised how far you can get with a first half yellow in one of those games! Things tend to calm down when color is shown. On the other hand, when harder fouls go lightly punished, all bets are off on landing the plane. BTW, I cannot remember my last lower level any age group card. Just not needed.
Knowing when and how to use cards is a skill that takes time to be comfortable with. There is more gray area than most people realize when awarding cards. I will reference the Middle School match I wrote about in a different thread. (post #425) I think this is the same age we are talking about. In the first half I gave a yellow for a foul that could have escalated things, the attacker took two steps and put his shoulder through a defender. This happened right after the attacker's teammate had a slightly late challenge that I just whistled and talked with. Either foul could have been a yellow or just an talking to. The players didn't know what to do when a player is given a yellow card. The rest of the game was really smooth. Again one data point, but it helps show Rufus' point, one card, letting everyone know where the bar is really can keep things calm. Anecdotally MS games are more physical than anyone really wants, and I talked with an Administrator after the game, he told me it was very uncommon to see cards given.
How great would it have been to see the young kid get the whistle in that kind of game? Last spring, my son was playing a U11 game (playing up an age group as a guest player) in a tournament. Very talented young referee in the middle with two veteran officials on his lines. The kid is just nailing this game - he's hustling, he has great foul recognition, and he's recognizing AR flags. The tournament assignor was watching, so I asked him how old he was. After convincing the assignor my motives were pure (I had to tell him I though the kid was doing a fantastic job), I learned he was 14 and was a high-potential referee. The two ARs were high school officials. One was a Grade 7 and also does college matches. It was a perfect environment for a kid of his ability to shine, and shine he did. As an official, I just sat back and enjoyed the game except for the 1-2 times I asked a couple of the parents to stay quiet and let the kid do his job. He certainly didn't need any help from the sidelines.
Was on one last fall that probably gave that very same visual (older AR's supporting a new CR)... But, we didn't "take" her whistle... the poor college-age girl was absolutely terrified to the point she was petrified and couldn't speak clearly... I don't think she could have blown the whistle for kick-off and said she was leaving. Honestly, the assignor should have put her on a lower game as a new CR. So, after trying to assure her it would be fine and we had her back, we eventually let her swap with one of us AR's instead of quitting. The next week, she CR'd U-littles and eventually blossomed as a young referee. When I've known it's a safe game for one of my young AR's to get some CR experience, I've offered them the whistle... maybe claim some lingering "old man injury" along with "this game is still on me" to encourage them. Some accept the offer, others shriek and decline.
I'm a great supporter of young refs (I was one long, long ago), but we have no idea if that was a situation where the young ref would have been well served with the whistle. We need to get young refs whistles, ideally with experienced ARs to start, but they have to be ready for it, too. We can lose refs before they start if we throw them in the deep end before they are ready.