The You don't see that very often thread

When that happened in one of my games, I heard comments from the sideline: "He must have been offside."
Or maybe that was after a corner kick bounced off the goal back to the kicker.

 

Did I already tell the U9 story in which the coaches asked me if they changed sides at halftime, I said yes, and so they picked up their bags and traded places on the sideline?

 

Flip throws are fun, but if you are going to do one you'd better get it right. I'd probably have to see it to be sure, but the way you described it I'd go with foul throw and (in high school) ball to the other team.

 

Saw a referee give a RC in a U9 game for the first time.
Technically the correct call...attacker alone in the box about to shoot and is pushed down from behind...but it was still a surprise. Both coaches tried to talk him out it...everyone would have been happy with just a PK or a PK and a YC.
Tough one.

 

What would I do? Caution the coach for dissent.

 

Alright. HSBV match on Saturday. Home squad is up about 4-0 in the 2nd half and the visiting team puts in their JV keeper probably to give him some playing time. He looked like a freshman, but that is a guess by me. Anyway, he collects the ball from a shot and starts running up the line to give a big throw. As he cocks back to throw, the ball falls out of his hands, it bounces twice and he turns around and picks it up, takes another step and throws in in play. I just stay quiet and listen to see if any of the home team or coaches catches it. They didn't, I let play continue. I considered that the keeper was dribbling the ball. Behind his back. On purpose...

Home team ends up winning 6-2, Home team pretty much dominated whole game and they were such whiny Arseholes even under HS boys standards. Home team player #11 was the best player on the pitch and he spends his whole time just yelling at his teammates. One time he sends a ball over the top, his teammate plays the ball over the top and volleys a shot on goal. It wasn't very hard, but I thought it was pretty good. Player 11 calls him "useless" loud enough for him to hear. Later he tells his other forward that they are double teaming him because they know he won't pass to the "worthless" side of the field (where two of his other players were playing) Boy did I want to find a way to card this jack wagon. I know I can card for assaulting a teammate, but what about belittling them?

 

U13G premier (supposedly)

I'm AR1. Striker takes a shot on goal that goes right thru the keepers arms and legs and luckily (for her) hits the side of goal and goes out.

CR and I look at each other in disbelief. We were both thinking it should be a corner kick, but it did not touch her at all. Not sure how she could miss that badly, but we went with the goal kick and no argument from anyone....

 

I'm guessing that was a young/new ref.

I did something similar in my 2nd year. Very young, probably U10B rec. This was when I realized I can sometimes predict the dumb things players are about to do.

Defender tries to tackle and bounces off the forward. Falls to the ground and looks at me (5 ft away) in disbelief that I did not call a foul. He gets up with vengeance pouring out of him and sprints after the forward. I'm thinking, uh oh, he's gonna do something stupid. Sure enough, when he gets close enough, he winds up and tries to kick the kid so hard he throws himself off balance. Misses totally.

Tweet - RC for intent to injure. Kid bursts into tears and sprints off the field. Coach has no clue and wants to know if they have to play a man down.

In hindsight, I should probably have escorted him to the sideline and had a talk with him and coach and given him a "timeout". But it was my first RC ever.....

 

Wow. I hope I never have that. But three of those this Saturday and one Sunday, my luck I talked myself into seeing it.

If BOTH coaches lobby for it, I could see a PK and a YC if this is just a playdate/academy game, and not in a tournament where score and wins/losses mean something.

 

Surprisingly, a very old ref.

 

Couple of weeks ago I was mentoring some relatively new U7/U8 refs. 4v4 stuff, U7 is no GK. The question came up about a kid standing in goal playing sweeper keeper rather than being engaged in play. Before I could say "gently encourage the coach to encourage the player to become involved in play" one of the newer refs (who is in their mid 20's) says "I would tell them to get in play, then tell the coach, then card the player".

I suggested that no, we dont card U7's for that. Or anything for that matter. In fact, please put your cards in your bag for the duration of the flight.

 

Might be harsh, but high school lets you disqualify (red card) players for taunting and there is nothing prohibiting that punishment for a player taunting his or her teammates. A yellow for unsporting conduct and a warning that he shouldn't taunt his players could be warranted.

 

It's an interesting question. I agree that at some level it probably becomes USB or even OFFINABUS.

"Taunting" is also a possibility but the Rules define it as "use of word or act to incite or degrade an opposing player, coach, referee or other individual." Of course a teammate is an "other individual," but in contrast, VC is defined with very similar language but specifically includes teammates: "VIOLENT CONDUCT – The commission of a violent act against an opponent, an official, a spectator, teammate or other individuals when the ball is in or out of play." (We can skip over the bootstrap aspect of that in defining "violent conduct" as "a violent act...")

Tough and frustrating situation, but one I would tend to leave to the coach unless and until it gets pretty darn bad.

 

In AYSO, we are told, and teach, to not use cards in U10 or below. Makes sense to me. Speak with the coach and have the player either take a short break, or a permanent break for the rest of the game depending on the situation.

 

Maybe the teammates will find a way to take care of it.

 

Is this an issue for the referee at all? Especially for new U7/U8 refs who will be trying to remember to blow the whistle and keep their own shoes tied?

 

unfortunately this was the overall make up of the entire team. There was about 3-4 guys on the team that were doing 70-80% of the work. There was about 3-4 players that would sub in at times that these guys would just treat like dirt. On their own team! Really gave me a bad taste that I just wanted to act upon but knew there was nothing TO do. Coach doesn't far fall from this tree either, team is up by large number and he is still joysticking them from the TA and letting them know when they screwed up. Just seeing the dichotomy of HS life in front of me during a HS match was a bit disheartening.

 

I've seen a U9 team that was clearly trained in the Dark Arts. Shove, forearm shiver, trip, kick the ball away on the rare occasion a foul was called.

That, and seeing one of my teams get clobbered to a slightly lesser degree, is why I disagree with blanket bans on YC at U9. Maybe reserve a red for a kid who does something horrible AND tries to do it again, but YC should be fine.

To another point -- I'd argue *no* game really *matters* at U9. You want to keep it safe and fair, but I'm not sure carding people for procedural things really makes a difference in the grand scheme of things.

U7/U8 refs? Interesting idea.

 

AYSO uses refs for these games--it means the coaches can just coach rather than doing both. And it doesn't cost anything, as AYSO uses volunteer refs. (Well, it costs just a little bit as AYSO provides the ref kit, though many regions use tshirts rather than official ref shirts at that level.) And the certification is a shorter class than the entry class for 10U and higher as the game is so simplified. We also hope that the easy ref job helps some find the courage to take the "real" ref class when their kids move up to 10U--though that transition is not as strong as we would hope.

AYSO's position on cards at younger ages is a bit nuanced. Referees are encouraged to handle things without resorting to cards at 12U and below--but its not a full ban. And referees may caution or send off players without using the cards, but simply explaining to the coach--this is definitely the preferred procedure for 10U and below. (The kid who is truly engaging in calculated conduct that suggests a greater sports maturity than the general 10U player is the unusual player to whom actually showing the card might be appropriate--but those players are pretty rare in the broad AYSO universe that I have seen.)

 

We use grade 8 refs on the 4v4 games to give them a chance to do their first whistle jobs. Usually pay about $10 for 30 min game.

 

That actually makes a lot of sense. I did often wish we had refs at U8, especially in the game in which one team knocked out at least two of our players and a parent still had the temerity to tell me my team was starting it. Part of my book intro is about that game.

 

There's one association that starts you out doing 4v4. I haven't been up there to do games yet, but I am listed on their spreadsheet as a "4v4 referee." I've been certified four years, and have done when is now NPL games, but I guess these folks want to see for themselves what I can do before moving me to 7v7, 9v9, etc.

Suits me. I enjoy doing those game, too.

 

Same here....we actually start new refs out as an AR for U9/U10 games. As a newly minted Grade 8 referee, expect to get nothing but those assignments for at least the first season.

The ones that show promise get a whistle for the U8 games the next season (the ones that are struggling stay on the line). Then maybe a whistle at U9/U10 by the end of your second season or beginning of your third. All of this is on the advise of Ref mentors who give feedback to the refs at the field and written reports to the assignor and league's head referee. Or on the advice of other senior adult refs.