Went to my first state-run HS recert clinic/meeting. It was decent and had an interesting presentation on officiating & US income taxes. A key discussion item was on "how we should handle the new drop ball procedures". Primary concern was having a HS coach or subset of players that either don't know or choose to ignore "traditional" sporting DB restarts (ie. certain injury situations) and what we can & can't do to manage the game without illegally "directing" the DB restart... we shall see. Finally got to meet and chat with our SRA in person, met our new SDI, and a few others on the USSF side that were there for HS. Got the opportunity to guest-ref some games at a HS super-scrimmage/tourney across the state border this weekend - Sunny with 90* heat index, but I drew the grass field games... those on the stadium turf said it was nasty hot. My first time at this event, so I arrived early to get a feel for it... recognized names on the crew doing the game before mine... all ECSR's ( ) and using high-end comm's, vanishing spray, Torrx ball pumps - you name it, they had it. I half-jokingly questioned the assignor about me even being qualified to work here?!? He said, "Yeah, you're fine - they just like showing off their toys."
Not at all. Auburn has many referees when college is in for both clubs we have here. I imagine the bigger the city, the smaller the ratio of available referees to needed referees. That's why I can go to Columbus and Atlanta and get all the games I want.
There was no concrete solution as none exists given the way the rules are written for this year. Short Version: It was pretty much left as, "Do what you can without giving mandatory instructions until they fix adjust the rule OR hopefully most players & coaches grasp the concept quickly." Sort of like what we (used to) do in USSF competitive youth, I guess. Biggest concern was coaches (deliberately or unintentionally) not ensuring a sporting DB restart by their players when The Game expects it and/or only some of the players are on board... and limitations on what we can & can't do. ---- Too Long Version: During the combined coaches/officials portion of the rules clinic, a few Coaches almost came unhinged when the rule changes were laid out... "So, if someone gets hurt we can lose possession?!? That's bull****!!" Strangely, the clinic did not give examples of various stoppage situations and the traditional/sporting dropped ball techniques seen in club and higher level matches for the coaches benefit. But, maybe they couldn't since it's not codified in the HS rules? I think a, "listen, here's how this typically works..." could have helped. Of course, some would then ask, "If it's not in the rules, how do we know our opponent will do it to?!?" [Sigh...] In the Referees-Only segment of the clinic is when we had the detailed presentation analysis... it was more about the situation than solutions... his summary being that NFHS left a potential hole by not addressing team in possession in some manner like the IFAB did this year with the 4m distance. So the objective became, "How can we facilitate sporting drop ball restarts across the state in a consistent manner, especially early in the season with so many in HS not used to this?" Not to force sporting DB's if nobody intends it, but rather when participants are on different pages or coaches are being less than sporting... Lots of suggestions all over the place on how handle it (including telling coaches pre-game how it should go ) and repeating many of the examples posted on DB's in the NFHS Rule Changes 2019-2020 thread. Several also-USSF's offered what we've done for years in competitive youth & higher, with some reservations when dealing with HS...as usual, "it depends on the situation". a) Drop ball restarts after injuries are not new in HS... if there wasn't clear possession in HS at the stoppage, we already did drop balls, so they should have a clue. We already offered "suggestions" when they intended to give it back but weren't sure who was supposed to do what. b) At least in our area, some players/coaches simply aren't familiar with the various methods of executing a sporting DB restart - HS is all they know. So, perhaps we can make suggestions as long as we don't direct it like it's a rule. Maybe ensures players/coaches clarify their intent if we perceive confusion - like in (a) above. c) Some players/coaches will deliberately contest most DB's in chasing a win... It's a mentality/sportsmanship problem. But, we cannot force them to be sporting or stop them from contesting. Several ideas for "handling" this behavior were a bit, uh, let's say, too creative. Or, just whistle & drop quickly before it's contested if we can. So, no, I did not come away from it with any specific procedures/solutions beyond what we already did under USSF.
First, IMHE, 80+% of injuries are caused by fouls, so there's no drop ball restart anyway. Second, maybe this will give coaches a clue that having more than one player flailing away at a drop ball really isn't much of an opportunity to actually gain possession/control of the ball anyway.
Sorry! ECSR = Elite College Soccer Referees. I first read about it in this forum; guess the associations work some of major college conferences. Well above my limited potential!!!
This Saturday is the annual 'fall' fitness test and recert. The guest instructor will be Corey Parker. Side note: Have you ever gotten an email from an assignor telling you that the teams you're about to have had multiple VC red cards the last time they played? https://www.mlb.com/news/reds-pirates-benches-clear "These two teams still have to play a game here tomorrow afternoon." Edit: From the box score there were 9 ejections, 8 for that fight and the coach, who came back to the field, the inning before.
Sure. And I can't recall any unusual misconduct in any of those "rematch after a bloodbath" games. Not sure if it's because everyone is on their best behavior after the donnybrook, because there's additional scrutiny, or because the miscreants are sitting out suspensions. So I always say "Sure, no problem, I'll call it tight" and go do the easiest game of the season...
I heard that some betting book has an over/under on numbers of suspensions (5) and games for Puig (3). Also, today they are playing a day game and the two managers did not shake hands with each other, though they did with the ump and some fans.
Reviving this thread with a NOT so great story from tonight. Adult coed, players meaning about handballs sooo much. They wanted every touch, accidental or otherwise, called. Low level, some players have next to no soccer experience. I figured I had two options 1. Pause the game and loudly proclaim that not every time ball hits hand it’s a handball (which might work for some of you but that’s totally not my style) 2. Start calling some handballs I normally wouldn’t I went with the path of least resistance. May the soccer gods strike me down - but everyone was much happier after I changed. I think it’s a good lesson of reading the players and the game to see what they expect. We need to be able to adapt - even if it means bending rules a bit.
Law5 has said it many times. In Adult soccer, you are there for the players and it’s their game. Call what they want. It’s something that I have difficulty with at times.
It’s your game, how do you communicate what you’ll be calling in that game. If they can’t figure it out that’s on them. But I agree if it’s low level and they want give them some easy calls with reason (reasons why I don’t do low-level coed or youth Rec or indoor). I don’t want to have to educate or babysit just Bc they don’t know the laws. I would’ve opted for the first option. Again just communicating to the players. I also would’ve managed the dissent differently too.
Third option: when the ball hits a hand/arm that is not a handball offense, call out loudly "Not deliberate! Keep playing!" That says to all the players "yes I saw it and no it's not an offense" without having to stop play or pause the game to do it.
First game of new AYSO season, 19U girls. First goal kick taken to teammate inside PA--but never again even though that team had trouble clearing the other team on their GKs?! And had a clearly non-deliberate handball offense by an attacker. And got hit and had to do a DB (change of possession). On the plus side the coach was energetically explaining the new rule to the parents (seemed happy that he knew it!).
One plus from the goal kick rule change: Never again having to make a team retake their goal kick because the ball didn't clear the penalty area. Four times......
One negative is watching rec league coaches take advantage of kids that can barely kick it far and send their whole team into the PA to get a cheap goal. Ahhhh, low level rec...
Without the build out line, a GK has always been the best scoring opportunity in those low level games. Seems to me that being able to make a pass within the PA with the opponents outside is better than having to kick it outside, with three attackers like vultures waiting for the ball to finally roll out before anyone can touch it. (I do think the BOL does a good job in getting rid of that silliness at GKs.)
Yeah -- in the pre-buildout days, that was a big contributor to the 22-0 game that I watched. The parents of the team that was winning actually started yelling to their kids and the coach to back up and play soccer.
Yeah! Been there, done that. We were U-10's, if I remember correctly. At one point, the referee wanted to award our team a corner kick but we wanted a goal kick.
Back in Rec coaching days, I'd often say "just give it to them" on close throw-in calls... seemed like we were always better at receiving an opponent's throw than our own...