Whew. My HS season is finally over. Did my last match last night. 125 miles away in a stadium with a capacity of 8000. Well played game with the winner going to the regional semis. Fortunately the old man running the line did not trip over himself and managed to stay in position all night. The season was right at 100 days from the first scrimmage and I worked 68 matches. I’m whipped.
Did my first games above the U16 level today. All three were as AR2. 1. U18B Division 1 game. Very well played all the way through. Not a single card, but MAN WERE THOSE GUYS FAST! 2. U17B Divisions 3 match. There were a lot of overlapping runs in this game but I thought I did well. Game ended up tied 1-1 after the center ref gave a PK for a slide tackle in the box with almost no time left. Losing team scored and tied it up. The coach of the team that was ahead at the time was incensed, as were the players. But the referee definitely got it right. 3. U18G Division 1. This sure didn't look like division 1. Play was kind of sloppy. In the first half, one attacker was literally even with the second to last defender several times. I nailed the offsides calls, but man did I hear it from a couple dads behind me. Oh well, I can't please everyone. All in all, I think I did a very good job. The head ref said that my instructor would be proud.
Course today started off a bit rough, but had a great moment of validation during the Law 11 segment. To start, we had a great introduction of "the Law used to be the shortest on the books, but takes the average new referee a few years to figure it out and understand it, we're going to try to get you to understand it in the next 45 minutes." We got started, and one of the students commented that FIFA '94 had better graphics than some of the images we get to use on screen. That really broke the ice. But the real moment of validation, we're working through offside videos, and in the fourth one, this one kid suddenly has that "eureka" look on his face and shouts loudly "oh my god, I get it, this make sense!"
I traded some games around at my tourney so i could Center a match for my home club's U14 boys team. I know several of the parents and coached some of the players and actually worked a match with one of the players earlier in the same day. My son also used to play for the coach before the age/year mixup. Thought, "all they do is gripe about bad referees, let's see how they react to a "good" referee?" They played a tough Chicago team of Polish Immigrant kids. Match was pretty good, a bit chippy, obviously some things going on behind my back that ARs weren't seeing. but overall we controlled it. 2nd half was a lot chippier, as was expected, but still, used the whistle, personality and cards to control everything. 2 minutes left 0-0 and home team forward fouls Chicago kid and is upset that he was called for the trip, so jumps up, and statues ON TOP OF the ball and...get this, slowly turns his head back and stares me down with that Teenaged boy "GFY" face. So I caution him, and as I'm explaining it he's absolutely seething. I think he needs a minute to compose himself, understanding the tenor of the match and age of the boys, hormones etc.. tell coach he needs to come off for a minute. Kid turns to go to the bench and screams "THIS IS GODDAMNED STUPID!" So, he gets called over again, gets his 2YC and red and he bursts into tears and shepherded off by dad (assistant Coach). Match thankfully ended 0-0, but it's as upset as I've ever seen a kiddo. Like, surreal upset. Naturally coach wants to know what the first card was for, I explain and he's upset because nobody has "ever given a card for that, ever." Apparently, people haven't been doing their jobs? Feels like the billionth time I've explained this part of soccer to a coach or player just this season, alone. It's the new "It" thing to do, forget that loverly "grey area" where you pretend to think you're ten yards off the ball and I pretend to not know what you're doing, you get a warning, we're all happy. nope, it's STRAIGHT on top of the ball and "What? What's wrong with this? You're crazy!"
Just to play devil's advocate for a moment, do you think the player would have reacted with the language like he did if you had not insisted that he be subbed out?
Good question. I'd thought about that. It's really hard to say, he was extremely wound up in that moment. In the end, I spoke with the ARs and my very good friend who also referees and who's kid plays for the home team and also got a YC and we all agreed that he definitely needed to come off. I figured it was better to get him out of there with a simple YC, a moment off the field to collect himself and then come back on than to allow him to do something truly foolish and injurious right after that. He just did a dumb thing again. BUT, since I was questioning it, myself, I spoke with the tourney Director (who has final say on appeals for 1-match-bans) and told him IMO he should let the kid play. He probably learned his lesson about letting his temper run away with him, but given the situation wasn't egregious enough to ban him. I also spoke with the coach about it and told him he's "always more than welcome to appeal to the Tourney Director." I think it was the right thing to do, and in the end, they took my advice (both sides) and he was allowed to play in their last match (which they lost).
Kids watch the stars on TV do it, and I can't recall a time that anyone was carded in a professional game for standing on a ball forcing a 10-yard pace, so I can understand where the coach and kids get the idea that it's "part of the game" because in reality it's part of the game. I do find it interesting that you took the game so you could show these people you know "how it's done" and you end up finding a way to teach them a lesson. Perhaps being less emotionally invested before a game is a better idea?
Absent any evidence that he would not do the same thing in any other game you are making an unsubstantiated accusation.
Instructional materials in the U.S. distinguish between being a bit slow to back up vs. "the statue" or, heaven forbid, a run-up followed by the statue. This is what our USSF youth referees are explicitly taught. Why PRO has decided not to is befuddling to the rest of us since it directly contradicts our instruction. To imply that he did this because he was mad at the player is, frankly, an insult.
You took this 180 from what I said. I didn't take the game to prove anything. They've seen me referee before and thought I did a good job and are always asking me if I have their games and complain about guys who i know are good referees. Mostly I wrote: "Thought, 'all they do is gripe about bad referees, let's see how they react to a "good" referee?'" tongue-in-cheek. I also didn't do anything to "teach them a lesson", this isn't my first caution for the infraction. Like I said, there was none of the "I'm pretending I think this is ten yards when I know it's really about 5", "I'm pretending you actually think you're 10 but KNOW you're only about 5". If a player is living in that grey area, we do the dance, move back, please don't do that again, etc... It was blatant and unsporting. Most matches I have a chance to explain to the kid what's happening, and they're receptive. Nobody's ever mad about it until this match. And yes, implying that I took this match to do anything other than referee some kids I know because I think it would be fun and treated the situation any differently than I would any other team is a bit insulting. I was calm, fair, and above all, professional. The most emotional thing I did all match long was laugh at two of the visiting players argue before kickoff in answering my question as to who has the coolest hair cut. It wasn't even my most challenging match of the day, I stand by my efforts.
I don't question your motives here, but I think you took the wrong path. I don't think it is the role of the referee to decide that a player needs to leave. That's the coach's job. We don't like it when they try to do ours, and I don't think we should try to do theirs. If the ROC don't have a requirement to sub after a caution, the R has no authority to tell them they should. also disagree with this. A kid screams "This is GD stupid!" and the lesson he gets is an exemption from the automatic suspension? (Unless the context is that send off suspensions are usually lifted--I live in a context where they never are. And frankly think that is the better rule as it prevents constant re-litigating.)
Agree with this, although occasionally a "Coach, feel free to sub him out if you're of a mind to" is not necessarily entirely out of line and might just serve to keep the player in the game until the final whistle. This is one of the few things I like better about high school rules, i.e., that a cautioned player has to step off for a cooldown.
My spring season is not off to a great start: Still a few inches of snow in the yard. EDIT: http://www.startribune.com/cold-and...innesota-s-spring-sports-schedules/479184763/
I got lucky and my season won't end until Saturday in Dallas. I applied for and was selected to work a set of Regional semi/final. Looking at my schedule, I'll end up at 38 games for the season. Not doing Saturday games for close to 4 months does wonders for avoiding burnout.
My season may be able to start on Thursday, it's supposed to be 50 and on turf so may actually happen. Saturday is looking less likely- 30 with 90% chance of snow. However, that doesn't hinder them in England...
Any rain down here in NC and the grass fields close, which has made it a very tough couple weeks. The negatives mean that the make up weekend will be packed and if it rains that weekend...uh oh. The positives are that the grass fields are pristine and not dirt patches.
A couple thoughts, recognizing a bit a YHTBT. 1. U14 is an interesting age as I feel it's when I start enforcing the LOTG more seriously. So I think there is a real chance that act of statuing had never earned a card before. Until 14, I feel like I can usually manage a game with my voice, and at that age, a card becomes more necessary. Because of that, my approach to cards is to be really calm. Take your time. Give the card, but make sure they understand why they've earned it. I usually call them over and say, "Hey, I'm going to give you a yellow card. Do you know why?" and try to have a conversation with them. Now, this isn't my approach every time, but it's my chance to be a teacher. Could you have approached it more like this? 2. I once did a similar thing with a 2CT, also on a BU14. I had warned the player about PI and Dissent, he proceeds to commit the foul AND dissents after receiving the PI card, so I gave him the 2CT. The advice I got was to give the 1st Caution, and then recognizing dissent, go to the coach and TELL the coach that he needs to either sub off the player OR the player will get a 2CT for dissent. Let the coach handle the player, not you. Now, I had mixed feelings about this advice, as I felt that the player earned both of his cautions, but I see a wisdom in this and would consider trying it in the future. Hope this helps.
Not exactly a best, but definitely a first. Refereed in a downpour. Last Saturday's forecast called for 100% chance of rain and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Before I made the one hour drive, the forecast showed a 20% chance of light rain. 1:00 game and it was a very light sprinkle. Then the second half came. Easily 15 minutes of downpour. Hardest rain I have ever refereed in. No thunder nor lightning. I wear glasses for the astigmatism, and a hat on sunny days. I decided to wear the hat just in case. When a team scored and I wrote it on the scoresheet, it was like a waterfall from the brim. It stopped raining completely with around five minutes left in the U10 game. The next two games saw the field get choppy. But these were USSF academy games, so they went on. But my glasses stayed pretty dry so i could see.
Had 86 students in my grade 8 class last weekend. They got a little squirrely around 3:00, but that always happens. Best part of the day: Nine people age 18 or older, and the sponsoring club bought pizza for lunch!
They were lifting every suspension that didn't include violence, so that was a big part of it. It was actually part of my day, talking to coaches who were outside the referee tent looking for tourney directors etc... Listening to their version of what happened, and basically just letting them get it out of their system before someone with actual authority was available. A LOT of 2YC, dissent, and really dumb (in my opinion) reasons to get ones self dismissed (appropriate dismissals, but dumb on the player's part). The ONLY player they upheld the ban on was a GK who threw a punch, I believe. In a league match I wouldn't have suggested he leave the field. I was instructed that we had the right to ask a coach to sub a player off who in our opinion was getting "hot around the collar". normally, our league doesn't do that, it was my first time asking a coach to take someone off. I always do everything I can to calmly approach the player, and explain why they're getting the caution so they understand and I don't generally get cranky if they're completely confused by it. It all depends on their attitude. A couple of weeks ago I had a U17/U16 boy upset because he received a caution for statuing after I had already verbally warned his teammates earlier. His actual, literal response was "But I'm just trying to delay him so we can get ready!???" Post-match I try to track the coach and kiddo down and, if they're willing, explain the why/what/how to of it all. Normally everyone is receptive. This one had a good chuckle when I showed him that he literally recited the infraction to me. And, AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU for the advice, and mentoring. Even though a lot is lost through written word and most of our stories are YHTBT situations, I find every bit of advice, objective questioning and nit-picking or however anyone chooses to respond, absolutely invaluable. I believe I'm twice the referee I would have been had I not found this magical kingdom of experience and knowledge. Buy yourselves a beverage for me.
I have, on rare occasion, suggested to a high school coach that he should sub out a player. "Coach, six is doing stupid stuff out here. You want to sub him or shall I?" Stupid stuff includes, IMHO, repeated gamesmanship (so it's just below the caution level), small challenges of an opponent off the ball that are just designed to irritate him, maybe into doing something stupid, etc. I'm only going to try this with a coach that I know is likely to respond favorably to an adult to adult approach, one whom I know is concerned with the behavior of his players. Just a little reminder, perhaps, that we (the coaches and referees) are the adults out here and we're here to see that the kids play safely and fairly. YMMV.
"track down" is the wrong terminology, just post-match and I only ever do it at low-level youth stuff, anybody else should know better. I'm not doing a great job of being thorough in communicating this week. Still, maybe I shouldn't do it, anyway?