(off topic) I just wanted to say how much I appreciate you guys talking to and listening to each other. It really helps my enjoyment of the game I love to see how hard you guys work. (play on)
More good advice. I've found myself sort of coasting lately, not sprinting to every single ball downfield, almost getting bored at times. I do A LOT of U11 - U13 and I was getting worried about it. Wife says "You're just far more efficient, you're not sprinting to a ball the GK is picking up, because it's just coming right back downfield." she's right, but I don't want to sit back and become one of those referees that made me get into it in the first place. I need to talk more on the field for sure.
Can you please pass the word to the other "dadmen" and "momwomen" and all the other spectators? Thanks! Seriously though, this site has been a huge benefit to me. Started reading it a few weeks ago and the knowledge transfer is amazing. I've already stepped up my referee game...
Or running a reverse diagonal - and trying to remember not to drift back to the normal diagonal. Another option, with the prior permission of your assignor, is to recognize that you have a young up-and-comer for an AR, and offer her the middle. There were a few of us old farts that were assigned to a lot of U12 rec games, and the assignor trusted us to both train the newbies as AR's, and to push the not-as-newbies as new centers.
Pick your spots. An uncontested ball going to the ‘keeper is not worth chasing. You are better off being where the ball is going to go to.
B16 game. After the game, winning coach thanks me for cautioning his player. Tells me he’s been telling the guy all season to stop talking. And a parent from the losing team calls calls over his thanks and good game. And follows it with, “I mean, really. That was a really nicely managed game.” These are the fundays that help make up for some of those other days...
What a day. Called a double touch on a FK, an outgoing FK not leaving the area before being touched, and sent off a player for OFFINABUS. Yay dealing with 16 year old boys.
Had a new experience had a Middle School dual last week - opening game of the season with a new partner. Had a couple of new experiences after numerous dual matches. The home team took the Kick-off with a double touch. I whistled for an IFK the other way. My partner (more experienced with these teams and environment) came up and suggested we re-start for the home team. OK! The away team won 3-1; after the game, my partner suggested that I called more fouls on the losing team, and should have called more on the winning team. A novel thought. I supposed my bias was because they were less skilled and more careless with pushes and high kicks! * edited - change less careless to more careless
This is something I find myself struggling with occasionally. I realize I've called six straight fouls against blue with nothing against white - and it's for the reason you say. Meanwhile the coach and fans are going nuts. I look and look for something to call against white, but sometimes it's a real stretch. Any tips/tricks for this situation, or just call it like it is?
I’m sure others can share the (valid) reasons for why “call it like it is” should be what you do in any case - but for me, I learned some time ago that I am a better referee when I can focus 100% of my mental energy on calling the game in front of me as it’s played, rather than trying to layer on any other concerns about past or outside events. Worrying about evening out fouls adds cognitive load and detracts from my performance (or my perception of my performance), so the benefit I might feel from it calming down the world around me (which it pretty much never does anyway) isn’t worth the cost. I know the approximate count, but I don’t care about it. I apply this logic to pretty much anything like that. The only exception I can think of right now is that when I call a foul in a game where my cards have come out, I do a quick mental check if this player is on a YC before my body language betrays what I’m thinking of doing - but even that doesn’t impact the original call (I’m still calling the foul).
Before the fall season started, I met a man at the recert clinic who said he would not do rec games. He said they don't pay enough and the level of play is beneath him. Today, I ended the fall season as AR1 to a Grade 5 referee who also does NCAA games. It was a 12U boys championship game in a state rec tournament. She was solid. It was supposed to be a dual with me having one of the whistles, but it was changed to a DSC. But I was more than happy to relinquish the whistle and hold a flag for her. A fun, fast game. I'm glad to see her give back and not have the attitude that rec is beneath her.
I've only worked with three or four states since I moved to NC. This past weekend was the first one who ran during the game and didn't look like they thought the game was beneath them.
That's awesome she came down to help out. I would've liked for her to take a flag and give you or a young aspiring referee the whistle. That way you guys could build the knowledge and gain the experience. She could act as a mentor and give feedback.
Over the weekend I did a 3 game DA set. I was AR on U13 and U16/17 and had the whistle on U18/19. In the second game the U16/17 I was AR1 and I had an interesting situation. With about 5 minutes left in regulation the away team wanted a sub, but because of the way the stands are constructed a lot of balls ended up under the stands without an easy way of retrieving them. I spotted one ball on the far side of the away team bench when the coach asked where the ball was. I told him the ball is over there. Since we were waiting for the ball to arrive he sent in his substitute. I communicated to the CR that there is a sub and he allowed him to sub. The substitution was completed when another sub came by. I didn't realize at the time that this was his 3rd sub opportunity and I did not allow another sub to come in because he did not report in time. The coach exploded and accused me of telling the sub to get the ball that is why he was not ready. I responded that I only told them where the ball was, and I didn't instruct his waiting sub to get the ball. It got to the point where he kept going on and on. I told him to stop and he continued. At that point I got a bit pissed off and told him if he continued he would not finish this game. To what he responded that he will report this to DA. I finally had enough and on the next stoppage I called the CR over and had the coach dismissed. In hindsight, I probably should have allowed the sub to come on, but it was a miserable weather and I was not thinking about the Sub opportunities. Before the start of the next game where he was scheduled to be a head coach (he did not participate because of the ejection) he and I had a nice conversation and we both apologised to each other for taking it a bit too far. Even though technically the CR and I were justified in sending the coach, I could have avoided this by paying closer attention to my job. Sometimes I wish we had recourse on the decisions that we make in the heat of the moment. BTW, the weather turned from sunny 68F at 9AM to 48F at 10AM and slight rain to 38F during this game with sideways rain and strong wind. In my U18/19 game it got even worse. Probably the worse weather I had all year.
For any other game, I'd agree with you. But this was the states Parks and Rec association's state championship for U12 boys. That game needed the better referee in the middle. But no doubt, for a weekend tournament, I would love to have her mentorship.
Update: Called a FK not leaving the penalty area again the next day. Both times I got something about it not being a goal kick so it doesn't matter. Both were quick restarts trying to launch a counter-attack where the ball was 5 or 6 yards inside the penalty area when touched, so not really trifling.
Good for you! It amazes me the extent to which people think it doesn't apply to FKs--makes me think enough refs forget or aren't paying attention when it happens that people see it done it bout being called.