Maybe I should put this in the things we hear... but this made me chuckle. So yesterday February 14th, I am working a Boys HS match. It’s a high end game in a small town against another small town. Most of the town turn up for this match. As I’m walking out by myself (ARs already in position) I walk by the coach of the home team to discuss something real quick. As I leave from the coach I hear a young lady, in the crowd with a sign yell out to #15 “hey ______ you score tonight and can have this_____” [as she points with her index finger to her rear end]. The player blushes slightly and smiles. The bench are all snickering. The rest of the game I was waiting to see if he will score. He tried a little extra harder and can see an extra motivation. Alas, he didn’t score at all in the match. But can’t speak for the rest of the evening...
Quick question I don't want to start a new thread for. Where is the list of LACs? I think I have tried every combination possible on google and no dice. Also are LACs mostly assigning DA/Open Cup or are there other competitions they assign as well?
The list of LACs is on the US Soccer Game Officials site. You go under the link for "News". As far as I know, LACs assign DA, USL (when available), PDL, NPSL. There may be more, not sure.
I see. I haven't accessed that before. I'm seeing elsewhere that the default sign in is USSF ID for username and my full name for password, but that doesn't seem to be working. Looks like I'll be sending some emails. Thanks.
Yeah, national assignors assign DA, NPSL, USL2, and they assign any positions that PRO has not filled for USLC and USL1. They also sometimes assign other leagues like UPSL, or other high-level amateur leagues that may be state-specific.
I believe the password is just your last name- try that and see if you can get in. Otherwise I can try to send you the list.
I did a few games at ECNL Houston this weekend. The guest national coaches were Rick Eddy and Pedro Trejo as well as 3 other South Texas national coaches. Rick and Pedro brought the new Futuro videos with them and we broke down a handful of situations. It was pretty good how close together the group was when it came to the voting on no foul/foul/YC/RC. Rick said that when one of the videos was presented to CONCACAF, they spent an hour convincing some of the representatives. We spent less than 10 minutes on it and it was more about our thought process, not convincing referees why they should see it differently. No, the videos aren't available yet for public discourse. We were the first group to see them in the US outside of US Soccer. If you want a headache, some of the videos include the VAR breakdown rocking the video back and forth a few frames at a time.
Don’t forget some youth national team games. And some international friendlies. I forget what categories.
I am doubling the number of games I've worked with the no heading rule from 3 to 6 on Sunday. Not to have a big head about my current grade, but I didn't think that I needed to block the youth assigning groups because I figured I wouldn't be put on a game until the U-15 started up. My game count for the year is 6-Adult, 8-HS, and 4-ECNL. I'm not quite sure how I'm going to mentally adjust to U-12, I just hope the answer isn't poorly.
Isn't it ironic? Just happens that way sometimes, I suppose. My first U11 game was after I got a state badge because I was rehabbing from an injury. Sometimes it's a fun reminder to get out there and do some tiddlywinks games
I showed up to do a U6 game when I was coming back from an injury, just to test if I was ready to go. U6's are reffed by the coaches - they were thrilled to see me.
I'm reminded of Bob Evans story. First match after he got his FIFA badge was some Ulittle. Got some complaints from the parents - "not surprised he's making bad calls. Doesn't even have the right badge."
I had a DOGSO-H in my HS varsity boys game last night. Good game, high level of play. Corner kick, I'm lead in the dual so I'm standing on the goal line a little outside the goal, scrum in front of the goal, keeper saves, attacker picks up the rebound and chips it towards the upper left corner, defender standing there "instinctively" sticks his arm out and bats it down. Another defender clears. I'm probably ten feet away. I blow, point to the spot, and walk over to the kid, who's standing there looking like he's been hit over the head with a 2x4. I tell him "Man, that's bad luck, but you know what it means." Stands there, thousand-yard stare. Red card. He stands there for another thirty seconds, turns and walks very slowly towards his bench. He simply cannot believe he did what he did. They ended up losing 4-1, and I think it would have been a very close game if it had stayed 11 vs. 11. As I was writing up the report, it occurred to me that the player could have saved himself by grabbing the ball and popping it into the goal before I blew. A teammate could have done the same. Wouldn't that have been quick rethinking? Never happen. And I hated having to write it up as "serious foul play," but that's how we write it in HS.
So you mean that if he had thrown the ball into the goal before you blew the whistle, you could have gone with a yellow for an unsuccessful DOGS-H?
Yes -- don't you think? It would have been bizarre indeed, but I think that would have been the result. It's the same as if the bat-down falls to an attacker who buries it. No?
I certainly would. No goalscoring opportunity was denied if a goal was scored. (Well ok that's not really true if they were two separate acts but close enough). It's still a caution. When my son was in his playing days around u14 he forgot he was a field player and once handled a cross - deflecting it in. This was before I certified but I remember telling him if he had stopped it from going in by handling his best bet would have been to try to score an own goal as fast as he could. That one took some explaining.
First game of the spring season yesterday, 17G middle. We were on turf, with 30 mph wind gusts. Lots of balls out of play, and it was really hard to keep the ball stationary on free kicks. I'm just glad to get back out there for another season.
I did my first soccer games in bright sunlight since November with predictable results, sunburned nose and cheeks and a neck that puts my wife's Valentines flowers to shame.
I got to meet Corey Rockwell and Chris Penso over the weekend during the NISOA seminar. Both of them are very engaging and easy to talk to. I think Corey's biggest asses is that he never stops smiling. Great overall experience and worth going to for any aspiring official.
Two inner-city middle school games last night, Lord have mercy -- purgatory. "This is how you do a goal kick. No, here." I made four bracelets magically disappear. "I didn't see that -- make it go away." "What should I do with it?" "I don't care. Give it to your coach or put it in your sock." "OK." "Coach, does #15 have any socks?" "#15, uh lemme see..." At halftime in the boys', with the coaches' permission, I did a quick little seminar on handball/not-handball and playing to the whistle. "OK, so when I blow the whistle, what are you gonna do?" "Stop!" "And when I DON'T blow the whistle, what are you gonna do?" "Keep playing!" "Good!" To keep it interesting, in the boys' game (which was spirited and actually vaguely reminiscent of soccer) my dual partner called a defender offside. Yeah, the coach noticed. After a chat we restarted with a dropped ball. I hope I got some assignor karma points for those.