Best story of your week - 2017

I keep the clock for a local high school basketball team...it drives me nuts when at half time one of the officials asks for the foul count on each team and is happy when they are even. Call the game as it is and don't worry about how many more fouls one team has over the other.

 

Coaches who observe their team getting called for more fouls than the opposition might pause to consider whether there is any opportunity for a teachable moment, say at the next practice.

 

There are two kinds of referees that could be. Those that are happy because they know the coaches are less likely to complain and those that actually worry about the "balance" in number of fouls. The former are just game aware; the latter drive me bonkers as the parent of a HS hoops player. (Of course, I can only surmise refs are doing the latter, but some games sure look like it...many HS scoreboards post team fouls, so the refs will know. And it is interesting how often it seems that a foul count of 4-0 becomes 4-5 with a lot of what seem to be close calls.) Alas, I suspect that the refs who ask are more likely to fall into the latter category, as a the "aware" ref probably already knows because he has been paying attention to the bonus situation . . .

 

Not me, my 16-yo son the loudmouth, dissenting, know-it-all player (and referee), playing in a college showcase on Long Island last Saturday.

He is at the center line to sub in. CR waives players on as AR holds them up for player-for-player swap. No problem. Son steps on a few steps early pointing to the player he is replacing who is not far away from the sideline with no harm in his path. AR yells out immediately for my son to return to sideline. The boy tries to state his case, in which case the AR says to him "When you 'earn' this shirt (pointing to his new style, economy either Score or OSI ref shirt), you can decide when its OK to step on the field." Wise-ass kid looking for a yellow says "Its ok, I have one of those shirts. I even sprung for the one with the zipper."

CR warns him, but nothing comes of it. Before second half kickoff, they are talking shop at the center circle.

 

Had to bite my tongue a few weeks ago to a local coach. His team is getting schooled by a more talented team. His solution is for his girls to press harder and run more! novel idea. Except they are chasing shadows and now arriving a step late EVERY time. He gets on my case about the lopsided nature of the foul calls. I just look at him shaking my head and go about my day.

 

I remember a small college women's game in which the visiting coach came to me at halftime to complain about the foul count, which ended with him "defending" his players by saying "And I don't think my girls are dirty players!" As he walked away, AR1 smirks and said to us, "No, just overly physical."

I've watched a lot of high school basketball over the years. (Wow. Am I old or what? I was just thinking about the picture in the state high school association's conference room, of the state championship game half a century ago. I can (barely) pick myself out in the press box where I was a reporter.) I have also noted how a lopsided foul count seems to correct itself. I haven't seen the reversals as being due to the referees changing what they call so much as players mentally deciding that they can be a bit more physical like those other guys while the team that's getting called for the fouls figures that they'd better pull back or risk fouling out. YMMV.

 

100% agree that it can be adjustments by they players. And I'll even agree that is the more common effect, along with simple regression to the mean. But there are some games I scratch my head as the "balancing" calls don't seem consistent with other calls in that game. Not surprisingly, those head scratchers don't tend to be games with refs that I find otherwise impressive. (Of course, I admit that I have a bias when watching my son's games.)

 

I make sure and track my foul counts. It's important to stay grounded to the WHY I'm keeping count.

If Team A does X then I want to make the same call if Team B does X.
It's more often the case that Team A is doing X and Team B is doing Y.

 

Now that you mention it, I have seen things like that before.

I did a U12 rec game where at halftime I didn't think we'd be finishing the game, because I was going to really start cracking down on PI and eventually get to red cards (in U12 rec!) I'd given a generalized warning with about 5 minutes left in the half: "OK, there are far too many fouls - it has to STOP!" But the second half was much calmer - maybe my warning worked.

 

One of my friends, a National Emeritus, did pretty much the same thing in a high school boys' varsity game this fall. He went even a little further, calling all of the players to the center circle, where he told them that they were being petty whiners and they could either just play the game or he'd get them a spot on the bench. It worked. Oh, and he's the father of a 19 year old.

 

You should have stuck to your guns - you were right. Rule 8, Art. 4:

 

This past week was an insanely hectic week for me. I worked like crazy over the past weekend. I flew back home Monday night (December 4th). I had a day off and began our HS season on Wednesday. I did 6 games over 3 days but thankfully they were all DSC for HS. During the week I received an email asking for local assistant referees for our area's pro team that was having a combine! So Saturday I worked a professional combine match. Which was pretty cool. Everything was closed door and the players weren't professionals (yet, I think only a handful of them signed contracts) but most of them were really good college players from across the nation. I can also say that I got to officiate in a professional (soccer specific) stadium. The game was easy but I did over 5 miles as an assistant and the match was only 35 min halves!

Overall, it was a solid weekend, plus I was able to catch the second half of MLS Cup, as well as both merseyside and Manchester derbies!

 

Dreading clicking 'yes' on Arbiter. First game in over a month as there is very little going on in the northeast. Game is this coming Saturday at 11:00 AM. Game time temp right now is projected to be 22 degrees F.

 

Saturday I'm CR for a regional league GU15 game. Red team lines up in their formation. Black has kickoff and lines up after red was already out, putting 4 girls on the half line between the bench and the circle. I recognize what's going to happen right away, but red doesn't. Kickoff goes backward, girls take off, ball sent up to them. I had anticipated and booked it up to that area. Defender whiffs at the ball, attacker runs onto it. Keeper comes out. Attacker kicks the ball past the keeper. Keeper slides into her leg. Penalty. 10 seconds in.

Everyone was confused. The look of - can you call a penalty in the first 10 seconds? But no real complaints.

 

I had a good week at the DA Girls' Winter Showcase even if the weather couldn't decide what it wanted to be. 2 Centers, 4 ARs, and 5 4ths.

The most interesting moment of my week was when a pair of goal keepers didn't have change shirts or socks and they were wearing the exact neon green as the other team. The pinnies are yellow, the other team has yellow pinnies, so we had to get DA Headquarters to send over an orange pinny for the keepers to wear.

 

How was the trip, financially speaking? Is it worth the time and expense? I have always heard mixed feedback when it comes to these events.

 

So, I will make $475 from games. Based on talking with other refs, I did average number. Known guys did up to 3 a day, some unknown guys only had 1 on the two slow days. I heard that at the Boys events they usually only get 1 game a day which will cut down on income.
Because I'm not in the referee academy in South Texas, nothing will be subsidized. They provided lunches and dinner on 2 of the 5 nights
I stayed in an Air BnB and flew Southwest so I think I came out on a push.

When I count the knowledge gained through assessments (1 CTR, 2 AR, and 4 4O) and classroom sessions and the fact that I've put myself in front of the US Soccer staff, I'd say that I came out ahead.

 

To add to what Dayton ref said the boys event they usually only got 1 game a day. With some officials getting 4O and AR or AR and AR on busy days. But to note that he is 100% accurate that they try to assess most games pending the # of assessors. And all assessors that go are national assessors (that usually know their S***). So if you live in a state with not as many resources or assessors this event can be almost a must if you plan to move up. Now whether the games are challenging or the games are worthy test of a referees skill for a national assessor to give decent feedback (that's up for debate).

Also In my state they subsidize national assessments $100 an assessment. So I saved $400 by attending this event and got 4 national assessments.

P.S. my state didn't subsidize anything for us. So everything was out of pocket for me. I had to pay for airfare, food, lodging, and transportation. They do provide lunch for you at the fields everyday and they also provide snacks (like all the clif bars, granola bars, fruit, you can imagine). I did not break even for the event.

 

DA Girls Winter Showcase. 9+ refs in a 4 bedroom house. Worth it? Absolutely. Thanks to Washington State for travel and lodging, this event put me leaps and bounds ahead of where I was.

 

I understand that the assessments and training are invaluable. I just have a hard time justifying the cost involved when the application says that you can expect to only get 1 game per day.

I am debating whether or not to apply for the Girls Spring Showcase in North Carolina.

 

If your state doesn't pay, it doesn't pencil out. Girls Spring Showcase won't be paid for by my state, so it'll be financially stressful... But I'm still going.

I spent a lot of money in college on Underwater Basket Weaving 101 and didn't get a lot out of it. At Girls Winter Showcase, I got a lot of feedback and assessments (2 Centers, 5 ARs, 3 4ths). Worth it.

 

Why was that not part of your pregame on Friday! I would have loved to hear about basket weaving.

 

Anyone who wants to possibly do games above the grade 6 level needs to do DA showcase events, at least the way the system works right now. You need to be seen by the national assessors and particularly by the national assessors who are sent to these events. (All national assessors are equal and some are more equal than others.) But if you are mostly concerned with the income and expense right now, then going to these things isn't for you. It really comes down to whether you are willing and able to invest in your refereeing future.