I have the highest level game I will have done tomorrow. U18 boys USYS Mid South Conference. AR1. I'm a big guy, 6'0, 340+. As a referee, I think I am ready for the challenge. Physically, I'm not sure. But I will give it a go. Thankfully the center is a paramedic.
I get to go to this field once a year. Here’s the view from the center circle. That’s one of a pair of lighthouses in the foreground and Downtown New York City in the background. The weather was spectacular.
I tore my ACL, and partially tore my LCL and popliteus tendon while skiing last year. Recovery from the reconstruction surgery took a very long time because of my HMO insurance plan limitations (and a quadriceps muscle that was very stubborn with building eccentric strength). I had to put off my referee career for a little over a full year. After months and months of hard work at PT, in the gym, and in training runs, I am finally back on the field for this fall season. I am working my way back into college games and some higher level assignments and I couldn't be happier. I have missed being a participant in the beautiful game so much!
I had a busy week of high school dual games. Friday was the first boys game that I had after doing three girls games in row. Ball goes out right near the corner flag for a throw-in. I wanted everyone one to know it was a throw-in and not a corner kick so I decided to vocalize the decision as well as signal with my hand. I yelled purely out of habit for the last three games, "Ladies ..." and then caught myself so I continued "... and gentlemen, it's a throw-in" as if I was announcing it to the whole crowd.
I had two firsts this year- I worked my first USL 1 game... and this morning I worked my first U9 game for my daughter's team. It's "in-house" among three clubs and I happen to assign (set to self-assign, ha) the games, so I knew there was probably not going to be a ref. I brought my gear and sure enough it was either me or the coaches trading off. I had a tough time keeping a straight face listening to the girls trying to communicate and laugh at each other as they kicked the ball in all directions. My daughter was pretty thrilled that I got to do her game and my 5 year old son thought it was so cool that he got to pick out the color for me to wear and to watch me referee a game.
After 2 weeks off the field (I know.. it's not much...) I was back to refereeing and I did my first center ever (U12M). It's not much, again, but definitely got me excited. Luckily, I had 2 great ARs to rope me through the process and off we went! Months (literally) of waiting and reading BigSoccer, watching MLS/USL for referees, going to games to watch referees and looking at seminars had lead me to this moment! *Tweeeet* Here are some things that did not go well: I completely missed my first-ever offside flag by AR. I gave a handball PK to player who had arm tucked in Couple times of "second-halfitis" Got way too close to the action. Position was not good. I called IDK for my first handball :| Here are some things that went WELL! I stopped play because ball hit me and changed possession (and I restarted with IFK..........) I blew whistle for backpass to keeper and keeper picks up I handed no cards and called only 3 fouls all game I survived... Months of preparation won't prepare you for your first whistle. But it was fine and I got out there had fun. Ended 5-1... Onward to the U19F game.... I fall down 10 minutes into 2nd half and had to pull myself off due to injury and a club linesmen was used for rest of game. Ah... hello 2 more weeks of rest <_< Did I mention they were turf fields?
HSBV match on Saturday afternoon. Two lower skilled teams going at it and I have the whistle. Not very exciting, with me trying to get out of the circle of excellence but these two teams are just "booting" the ball back to each others defense. Home team goes up 2-0 in the first half, on two close OS calls, that when I looked at my AR he was jogging about 5 yards behind the play and not raising his flag. (He was the old AD for the school and a BB official who signed up when they were short on officials) So you know the type. Only interesting thing was about in the 75th minute, away team defender clears the ball in "the box" and is then taken out be attacker. I blow the whistle and the away team coach loudly yells "You have got to be kidding!!". I am standing directly across from him and Loudly say back "Coach, which way is my hand pointing??" He sheepishly apologizes and nary a peep from him for the last 15 minutes. Ahh, if they could all be that easy.
College club game this weekend: This is one reason why you never lower your flag as an AR until you are told to by your CR. I am AR2 and green has a corner kick against white right in front of me. On the corner kick, the ball curves out of bounds so I raise my flag. The ball curves back onto the field. The CR doesn't see my flag. I yell his name as loud as I can, but he still doesn't react. I keep him flag up as white takes the ball, runs down the field, and scores. CR doesn't see my flag up until he is ready for the kick off. He comes over, and I explain what happened. He awards a goal kick to the white team, who was not happy with me for the rest of the game. But I did the right thing.
The rain last week saw just about every game on grass canceled. So Saturday saw me at U11 games (I've done more of these in the last 10 months as a state ref than in the previous 5 years combined). First game as a mentor, the center, doing just his 3rd center ever shows real good instincts for getting out of the way of play. Both ARs keep moving after putting up their flags to signal and of course, don't stay with the 2LD. Games 2&3: I'm the center with ARs in their second week. They both recognize me from reffing one of their games. At various breaks we talk about flag angles, what constitutes a bad throw (foot has to be all the way over the line), and, of course, not losing focus and staying with the 2LD. After game 2, one of the coaches thanks me and says, "You were the best ref we've ever had." I resisted the urge to point to my badge and say, "No $h!t. You probably won't get another like me." After game 3, a coach comes up and says, "Thanks for coming out teaching the young guys." He recognized me from his HS aged games. Game 4: Another mentoring but this time for a young guy who has his eyes on a Regional Referee badge. Talked about positioning and helping the AR in their quadrant because the AR can't focus on offside, know who touched the ball last, and determine fouls at the same time. Also talked about never entering the PA with the ball in play. That is especially true with the dropped ball restarts. You'd hate to get hit by an attacking pass that then results in you needing to drop the ball to the GK, attack over.
Always interesting when senior refs do those games--though sometimes it becomes a challenge as some coaches have trouble adjusting their inappropriate behavior or understanding correct calls that they aren't used to seeing. I would quibble slightly with the blue above. There are times when it is appropriate to be in the PA. I'd frame it as don't go into the PA with the ball in play unless there is a good reason and you are conscious of what is happening with play to be sure you won't get hit. (Now, whether "never" is the best simple advice to give a newbie ref, knowing it can get refined later is in an interesting philosophical question.) P.s. kudos for doing the mentoring. Far more of that is needed than takes place me thinks. (Side story: watching my nephews play in a youth league, which I'm told is USSF affiliated though I am dubious (besides the ref issues, they just decided not to use the current laws . . .)--all youth refs doing duals (not duels, as none of them are engaged enough to have a conflict between them . . .), different colored shirts, changing refs at half time, no badges, minimally moving and never in a position to be remotely aware of OS--painfully clear that the league has decided not to invest at all in having competent referees. It was painful to watch.)
But never is what is being taught in PRO and national camp and was passed down to us this summer. It has been determined that even the best referees would get hit inside the PA, so they don't want us going in there. The exception is to follow through to sell a call eg. Bang-Bang corner/goal kick, keep running so it looks like you were closer or pass through after the ball is gathered by the keeper to let players know you saw what happened. A couple of weeks ago I had a scrum inside the goal area. I shuffled along the top of the PA (actually away from play) to get a better angle of view and when the keeper got kicked, I hit the whistle hard and full sprint into the goal area so by the time the kids looked up, I was standing next to them. It is hard, I still find myself a couple of yards inside the PA once a game and have to remind myself that there isn't a reason for it.
That's interesting. I had't heard that. And with so many things these days, there's nothing written to share with others, so those of outside the bright lights have to hope someone shares with us. Sigh.
I would love to know where to go to read about these things passed down as well, always looking to learn more. Thanks!
I caught myself in the PA twice last weekend, thinking "What are you doing? You got no business up in here!" I'm falling back into my old bad habit of getting too close. This conversation resonates.
@socal lurker & @Soccer Dad & Ref, I asked about being able to get the presentation this summer but as I said, they don't have the rights to any of the stuff so they couldn't yet.
Fall soccer is finally appearing in Colorado - Sunday morning, temp was about 50 degrees when I got to the field at 8am. Starting the 3rd match at 2pm, it was in the mid 80's, but for a while it was SO NICE..... Love this time of year for soccer - cool mornings, pleasant days and NO snow-outs.
So typical. We're back to the referee lore being passed on by word of mouth, so only the elite referees will know the "correct" way to do things. Even Assessors and State Assessors are kept in the dark. "We can't let you pass this along because we want to control it." Typical staff first, customers second attitude.
There is no reason that Refereeing instruction has to be closed behind doors. It should be completely open sourced and easy to access. If you're a curious referee or even a player, coach, or parent you should be able to find out the answers to your questions or at least buy a ticket to the debate of those questions. Refereeing isn't made better behind closed doors.
Which is one of the main reasons I visit this site. I have learned more here then elsewhere by design...
This is why this forum is good, but I think it could be better somehow. Like maybe making a wiki for soccer refereeing in general that we contribute to and edit articles based on current thinking and law changes. I don't know it's just a thought but sometimes wading through a forum isn't the best way to access information.