Bad stories

Discussion in 'Referee' started by Law5, Oct 27, 2021.

  1. soccerref69420

    soccerref69420 Member+

    President of the Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz fan cub
    Mar 14, 2020
    Nat'l Team:
    Korea DPR
    I always felt the same until doing a decent number of duals recently. I hate how having dual refs leaves the middle and far corners of the field exposed to poor foul recognition just from the distance/angle problems caused by a dual system. I might actually prefer a center and single AR where the center can be there for better foul recognition and player safety. Yeah offside is less accurate but I feel the fouls and safety stuff is more important. I even tell that’s that if I have to do a solo, offside is what it is and I care more about player safety
     
  2. mathguy ref

    mathguy ref Member+

    Nov 15, 2016
    TX
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    For things like preseason tourneys (not end of season tourneys like State Cup or Presidents Cup) I would wholeheartedly be in favor of duals. It would let me assign 2 to a field and give a guy a break. The dual there is better than a R/AR combo. And in this king of setting it’s a huge help with the limited resources of assigning bodies you don’t have.
     
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  3. Law5

    Law5 Member+

    Mar 24, 2005
    Beaverton OR
    It's not just a question of numbers. It's also a question of experience and savvy. I have seen too many youth tournaments use one referee for U-10 games. And then the assignor puts a newbie out there because, hey, it's U-10, right? Then they get to the field. It's U-10 boys, Anglo v Hispanic, and the parents have circled the field in their chairs, with cow bells and horns, booing and yelling about every foul against their team and the referee is looking like a deer in the headlights. "What did I get myself into?"
     
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  4. Rufusabc

    Rufusabc Member+

    May 27, 2004
    If you are an experienced referee, and you cannot do any level of youth soccer solo, then I do not know what to tell you!
     
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  5. soccerref69420

    soccerref69420 Member+

    President of the Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz fan cub
    Mar 14, 2020
    Nat'l Team:
    Korea DPR
    Throw this guy onto a solo U19 MLS Next game between two MLS team academies
     
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  6. soccerref69420

    soccerref69420 Member+

    President of the Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz fan cub
    Mar 14, 2020
    Nat'l Team:
    Korea DPR
    I just got assigned to center their game this Friday. I'm really hoping for a unicorn play where I give his team advantage on a foul that has his attacker running into the attacking third, he starts screaming at me for the foul, then I stop his teammate's attack to slowly walk 60 yards to his box and talk to him
     
  7. LongTimeLurker

    Dec 24, 2019
    Only once in my referee career have a done something resembling a dual. I plead extenuating circumstances. Turn back the clock to Mothers Day, 1996. My wife has long considered Mothers Day as a major holiday, one on which I am not allowed to referee. On that particular day, my wife had planned dinner and a show (Donny Osmond in Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) for the family (two teenagers--yeah, that's a show for them) after I finished coaching our son's U16 game. My son's team was playing in BAYS, a Boston-area league for town-based travel teams. The game was away in Boston. The Boston teams in the league often seemed to have organizational or financial problems, being generally poorer (but probably better soccer players) than the suburban teams.

    While we're warming up, a guy who appeared to be the president of the opposing club showed up at the field. As far as I could tell, after some heated words he fired the opposing coach on the spot, then took over the team. He was quite pleasant with us--and explained that there were no referees for the game, so would I want to referee?

    Well, not really. I was only one year into my undistinguished referee career, and I believe that to that point I had done only solo U14 games. Beyond that, I wasn't feeling well. So I asked my assistant coach if he wanted to try, although he's never been a referee. Nope--bad back, so he could hardly move. We finally reached an agreement: my assistant coach would hang out near a top corner of one penalty area, and I would try to stagger around the rest of the field. Not a classic dual, to be sure.

    The game went ok. I've no memory of who won. The only grief I got was from one of my players, because I called a foul in his favor but he wanted the advantage.

    Then off to dinner and the show. Not my kind of show. Midway through the first half, I bolted to the rest room and after emerging spent the rest of the show ashen-faced and queasy in the lobby. Best part of the show, as far as I was concerned.
     
  8. frankieboylampard

    Mar 7, 2016
    USA
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    that show alone is enough for a bad story.
     
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  9. Rufusabc

    Rufusabc Member+

    May 27, 2004
    to be honest, it wouldn’t be THAT difficult. They’re playing decent soccer, you know what to look for, and since you’re working alone you get to shut everyone up very early.

    Now, a Sunday morning ethnic clash would be a lot harder.
     
  10. Pelican86

    Pelican86 Member

    United States
    Jun 13, 2019
    I think it's pretty relevant to soccer refereeing, though; in listing the colors of Joseph's coat, the first two mentioned are red and yellow! (I could name the other 25 colors in order; let's just say I was in quite a few community theatre productions of that show as a teenager.)
     
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  11. davidjd

    davidjd Member+

    Jun 30, 2000
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Reminds me of the day.....A decade ago I was coaching my son in U8 local rec. Small field. 4 foot goals with keepers. In the semi-final of the year end tourney there weren't enough referees. It happened from time to time. We usually just get a parent to call obvious things. No big deal. This was local rec. We absolutely couldn't get one parent to do it that day. So I finally convinced one of the parents to watch over the sideline while I refereed and handled coaching duties from on the field. I had no assistant. (Other coach would do the same the 2nd half.) It wasn't as horrible as it could have been given refereeing could have been handled by a parent and I only had a couple subs to work in and out. I did, however, get to hear one of my players make some not so sporting comments to the other team at one point. He was surprised I heard him and rather upset when I stopped the game and sent him to the sideline (he'd only been on 30 seconds.) It was fun to see his mom come over and talk to him wondering if he was hurt or such. (I did put him back on later.)
     
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  12. StarTime

    StarTime Member+

    United States
    Oct 18, 2020
    Haha, the example you gave brought back vivid memories about an intra-city U10 cup I refereed a number of years ago. I was already well experienced at that time, so no deer in headlights for me, and sadly no artificial noisemaking machines, but other than it’s pretty spot-on. It was a fun atmosphere, I enjoyed it! But no, definitely not the place to assign your 15-year-old barely-tolerates-this-job referee.
     
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  13. Law5

    Law5 Member+

    Mar 24, 2005
    Beaverton OR
    Basic rule: Don't get between momma bear and the cub, ESPECIALLY if momma bear gonna rip junior a new one.
     
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  14. soccerref69420

    soccerref69420 Member+

    President of the Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz fan cub
    Mar 14, 2020
    Nat'l Team:
    Korea DPR
    Well I just had my worst game in a long time, a boys varsity match at the high school I even attended. It was their fans and coach who were off the handle. The NISOA and regional ref who was on the opposite touchline said I did a great job, and I felt fine about my performance. But I made a real mistake not throwing out their entire bleacher section despite me giving two warnings, and I should have given a straight RC to the coach for partially confronting me after the final whistle, only gave him a yellow. Talked about how pathetic my performance was, is going to report it to the assignor, and how it's all recorded. And I'll be ready with my rebuttal to the coach's abhorrent behavior that every ref complains about.

    Unfortunately in this game it seems I didn't have my full Lahozian power level. Only had 5 yellows total. I need to recharge my battery to power up to full Lahoz. Not even upset or stressed out, I just think it's funny because their team is very good and are usually blowing teams out, the game ended 0-0 and that's likely why they are so upset. What I'm mostly upset about is that now I guess I can't do their games anymore which stinks.
     
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  15. RefIADad

    RefIADad Member+

    United States
    Aug 18, 2017
    Des Moines, IA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm in favor of duals only for up to U12 matches (so in other words, 9v9 or 7v7 matches). First of all, the smaller fields allow for better field coverage in a dual compared to a larger field. Second, I also feel like that's a situation where a more experienced referee and a younger/less experienced referee can work together with the more experienced referee maybe being able to cover for some of the learning that will take place from his/her partner.

    Once you get to a full field and 11v11, duals are awful. You are always compromising. Even for someone like me who does cheat more into the center of the field when I'm the trail, I consciously know that I'm leaving my sideline uncovered as well as a big part of the field behind my back. I also know that the subjectivity of foul recognition causes issues even with a good pregame.
     
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  16. Law5

    Law5 Member+

    Mar 24, 2005
    Beaverton OR
    First, I will just say that I do not do games at my high school, period. I don't want to put myself in that situation.
    Second, you don't 'get' to do their games anymore? I had a HS BV game where I sent off the athletic director's son, for trying to punch an opponent, off the field. (He swung and missed.) The AD requested the assignor not sent me there anymore. That was the year that the school did not win a varsity league game, boys and girls, in any sport. When I told some of my referee colleagues that I wouldn't be going back there, they all said, "How do I get on that list?" The AD is now gone. There have been at least three AD's since him and I am now welcome there. But why would I want to go back? I don't know about your area, but there are dozens of other schools in our association's service area, so it's not like I'm hurting for assignments.
     
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  17. Baka_Shinpan

    Baka_Shinpan Member

    Mar 28, 2011
    Between the posts
    Club:
    Vegalta Sendai
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    I’m pretty sure he could handle it. As could any experienced referee who has a good ability to read and manage a game and who can get into the proper position to make the calls.
     
  18. soccerref69420

    soccerref69420 Member+

    President of the Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz fan cub
    Mar 14, 2020
    Nat'l Team:
    Korea DPR
    Yeah you're right, really the only reason doing a solo youth game will be hard is being alone to deal with any scrums that break out

    Also interesting how I had my first negative ref experience in a while on Fridays and then today I watched some of the most abominable borderline rigged officiating we’ve witnessed in nfl playoff history in those two games today
     
  19. chaoslord08

    chaoslord08 Member

    Dec 24, 2006
    Fayetteville AR
    Club:
    West Bromwich Albion FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yikes
     
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  20. Baka_Shinpan

    Baka_Shinpan Member

    Mar 28, 2011
    Between the posts
    Club:
    Vegalta Sendai
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    Reffed an adult amateur game this past weekend on a turf field that only had external lines for football, soccer and lax stitched into the field.

    Soccer lines were painted on the field, center line wasn’t the straightest, but we had all of the proper markings.

    A misty light rain started falling in the first half. Start the second half and quickly realize that the lines are dissolving / washing away in the rain.

    Fortunately there were football hash marks at midfield, so we knew where the center line was and enough paint remained of the penalty area that it didn’t end up creating an issue.
     
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  21. soccerdad72

    soccerdad72 Member

    Chelsea
    United States
    Apr 5, 2021
    U10 indoor girls game last weekend, one of the teams had a player who was increasingly getting more aggressive (not in a good way) as the second half went on. Some extra pushing and shoving after the ball was played away and even once as I was calling a foul against the other team. In retrospect, I probably should have shown her a YC for UB, but I'm one who hesitates to show a card at U10, especially indoor soccer, so I call her over and tell her she needs to calm down. Then, go over to her coach to request that he subs her out so she can cool off for a couple minutes, hoping that will settle things down.

    Everyone seemed to be ok with it, except, apparently her dad, who screamed across the field, "That's bullshit!!" as she was going to the bench. A couple minutes later, I hear her coach asking where she's going - she was walking around to the sidelines with her bag on her shoulders. I told the coach I didn't throw her out of the game and the player turned to us and said her dad told her they're leaving.

    I just got assigned games for this weekend - first game, same team. Oh joy.
     
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  22. Ghastly Officiating

    Tottenham Hotspur
    United States
    Oct 12, 2017
    Did you address the dad swearing so loud that it is heard across the field? It’s U10 and I don’t see how that is appropriate behavior. I wouldn’t have restarted the game until the coach has removed that spectator. My $0.02.
     
  23. soccerdad72

    soccerdad72 Member

    Chelsea
    United States
    Apr 5, 2021
    Both coaches (and, from what I can tell, a couple other parents) addressed it as soon as they heard it.
     
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  24. kayakhorn

    kayakhorn Member+

    Oct 10, 2011
    Arkansas
    Hopefully the coach reported this incident to his/her club. This is a parent who needs an attitude adjustment before they return to the field.
     
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  25. soccerdad72

    soccerdad72 Member

    Chelsea
    United States
    Apr 5, 2021
    Hopefully, especially pulling his daughter mid-game and storming out.
     
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