Question about rec soccer

Perhaps, but remember in house means you NEVER play any team not directly under that particular organization. If one team plays any game against someone not directly under them then you aren't in house.

 

The recreational youth and in house leagues exception was eliminated about three years ago. All USSF affiliated competitions now MUST use USSF certified referees who are assigned by a USSF certified assignor. No exceptions!

And a league/tournament should not want to be using uncertified officials/assignors in the first place for insurance reasons. I've been in a few depositions (fortunately, only a few) and it isn't hard to imagine a plaintiff's attorney asking the league president questions about why they used untrained officials, when the national organization says that they have to use trained officials, getting an answer like 'because it was cheaper,' and then telling the league president 'here's how big a check we want from you. The league is incorporated, aren't you?'

 

On a somewhat related note. I had always been told, and I swear I remember reading that, club linesman were not allowed to call anything other than out of bounds.

Well according to the US Soccer Policy Mnaual that isn't quite true.


Based on that reading it doesn't look like a league allowed to "plan" on club linesmen. They are to be used in place of previously assigned licensed officials.

 

I think that is correct. Nothing wrong with handing the flag to a parent from each team who signals ins and outs. I'd even allow a direction. But certainly nothing more, if only to excuse them from liability for decisions about fouls and misconduct.

On the rare times that I've used club lines, I have positioned them on diagonally opposite corners of the field. That gives them a view down the entire touchline and goal line, they don't have to move along the line and it reduces the chances they will be distracted by conversation with spectators from either team.

 

I tend to do the same but like I said I thought I recalled them not being allowed to call anything other than the "out", no direction. The open ended wording I read on US Soccer seems to indicate you can let them call anything!?

 

I don't use club linesmen, previous experience has taught me it is better to not use them at all.

 

So what do you do when you only have one AR show up -- only use one AR?

 

That's what I do, and most other referees I know do.

 

That's what we do. Although for me personally 1<0<2.

 

Not criticizing but I'm not sure that method gets you to a point where you are covered by US Soccer.

 

Doing two whistles is not covered by us soccer, but using a ref and one AR is indeed covered by us soccer. Assigning club linesmen ahead of time probably isn't covered by us soccer.

 

Again not arguing but I am cautioning, your scenario doesn't seem to fit any of these. Actually in re reading this it doesn't seem to mesh with the US Soccer Policy Manual either. Strange.

 

That's what I was remembering ...

 

Page 33 of the policy manual states that it is optional to use club linesmen.

 

That's not inconsistent with the above, and does not necessarily suggest that the use of a single AR without a club line is acceptable. The above material pretty clearly indicates that it is not.

The other part of this is simply the "everybody knows" bottom line I've absorbed over the years that you can have one official or three officials in USSF-sanctioned matches, but you can't have two. But I'm not infrequently wrong about stuff that "everybody knows."

 

Me as well. I knew I had read that. God forbid the official documents match what's ok the site.

 

My understanding of the matter is two or more whistles is not allowed but one whistle is allowed. Are you suggesting that if an AR becomes injured and no one wants to step up to be a club linemen then the gave needs to be abandoned?

 

No of course not -- nor that you should decline to start the match if you only have one AR show up and can't raise anybody to be club line. Only that it should be the last, not your first, resort.

 

I suppose the alternative in that case might be to have the other AR stand down too and finish the match solo. That's not the route I would take personally, given my increasingly sketchy mobility, but I would be interested to know what USSF wants us to do in that situation (assuming they care what we do anymore).

 

They don't, until someone threatens a lawsuit and they need a loophole to hang you with.

Same with most companies.

 

I get the impression that USSF wants to avoid even the appearance of a dual, so their hierarchy doesn't include 1 center and 1 AR because it might be misinterpreted.

 

Would the term "club linesman" apply to people who are certified, even if they never take assignments other than their own kids' games? That's the situation in a local travel league here for U11 through U12 or maybe U13.

One follow-up question, back to rec league -- if a ref doesn't show up or the assignor can't find one, should a parent or coach do it, or ... what? Cancel the game? I actually "reffed" a game several years before I became a ref -- I just told my assistant to take over, the other coach said he would help with line calls on the coaches' sideline, and I followed along near the other sideline.

The most educational part of it was hearing the parents behind me yelling out things that directly contradicted what my assistant coach was telling our team. Ugh.