We had friendlies this weekend. We went to two water breaks after the first set of games. The only questions we got from coaches was why did we add time for them. One of the coaches was from the sponsoring club, and I told him it came from his organization. He just shook his head. Some parents suggested 35 minutes of water breaks with two minutes of play. By the last games on Sunday I think some coaches would have gone with that.
A couple of years ago, I had a men's O-58 game on a very warm day. I believe it was in the mid-90's and the league instructed me that all games that day would have two water breaks, per half. Fortunately, this game was on natural grass. One of the players was 76 years old and his team only had 11 players, so he had to play the whole game. We took a water break every 15 minutes, but in the second half, at the second break we just decided that we were done. Everybody was proud that they survived it and had something they could brag about having done.
Adding to this: This is likely worth a thread of its own, but my hard-earned wisdom on this front is that games where you think "cards don't matter, so why would I use them" (scrimmages, friendlies, warmups, whatever) are _still_ better when you officiate and caution/send off like you would any other game. Once the game starts, the players almost always act like they would in any other game, and in the back of their heads, they expect us to do the same. When we don't show cards, it's confusing. If there are rules or coach expectations that differ for a valuable reason, then adjust accordingly, but otherwise just call your game. Everything else is asking for trouble. (Spoken like someone who got caught by this recently....)
Friday I had a HS double header, tournament 2 varsity boys games, Temp in low 70's. No issues in my Middle, the game ended 8-0. Both teams knew each other well and had fun. It was a large school vs a small school. At one point one of the parents on the opposite side of the benches right next to me yells out call it both ways, I look toward the bleachers and do the pointing in both direction signal, similar to the old dangerous play signal, while telling one of the kids- does he mean like this? Kids on both teams start laughing. Saturday 2 DA friendlies, U17 AR and U19 R, on turf. Temp in the high 90's, I have no clue what the temp on the turf was but the kids were falling like flies. We has a water break roughly 1/2 way through the halves. I give a yellow card to a White player for a cynical hold at halfway line. He grabs the jersey than proceeds to bear hug the opponent, really dumb foul because the attacker would have to go through 1/2 the team to get anywhere. Few minutes later again at a half way line I give a yellow to a Blue player for breaking up a promising attack. Late in the 1st half I call a PK on White and elect not to caution a defender, its a friendly afterall, and think nothing of it. In the second half one of the Blue players pulls a jersey of a white player when he is coming toward goal from a corner with 2 other defenders in front. I don't caution this one either, again it's a friendly. After the game the White coach questions me whey I didn't caution the Blue player for a hold when I cautioned his player. I explained to him one was a simple hold where the other was a cynical one. He doesn't get it so I finally tell him I didn't caution your player for a slide tackle in the Box even though he was a last defender, I also elected not to caution the blue player because the game didn't need it and I left. He still wanted to argue and a site coordinator stepped it. Yesterday I had a JUCO Mens game on grass, temp in the high 90's and no wind. The Athletic Trainer insisted on a water break every 15 minutes. After a phone call to the Assignor we agreed on it with a stipulation that time does not stop. Game ended 4-3 to the visitors after the Center called 2 PK for the home team in a span of 10 minutes. There was a total of 3 PK's all for home team one was saved. All fully deserved.
The friendlies djmtxref was talking about I assigned and worked random games. It was brutal. It was 100-101F, with heat index 108-109F. That was on grass. Two fields we used were fieldturf and I'm guessing it was 10 degrees higher. Maybe more. Players gad 2 games Saturday and one Sunday, but because of the ref numbers I had guys doing 3-4 games both days. I didnt like it but it was what it was. Assigning sucks. Fortunately everyone was a trooper and we didnt lose anyone from heat related issues. My last game Sunday was 2:15, supposedly 35 min halves. One coach wanted 30 or less, and the other insisted on 35. That was the only game that day and they had driven in from out of town. So we did 35 and I gave 2 breaks each half. I milked them for everything could. I waited the full 2 minutes before walking back in to blow my whistle to get them back, and never stopped the clock. After HT, I walked out, blew my whistle to get them on the field, waited 30 seconds and blew it again. Both teams were still under their tents and I started the clock. I used every cheap trick I could and I dont regret it one bit.
This! I can't tell you how many "Showcases" go to shit because refs are instructed not to use their cards, but they players don't adjust and games get out of hand. Every year, I'm the bad guy because I tell the other refs to ignore the instruction not to give cards and instead just ref it like a normal game, but every year someone gets a mass confrontation for not giving the easy yellows.
Yellow cards are a great opportunity to chew someone's ass about keeping their head with all of the college coaches watching.
This. In the right moment, the discussion can be something like, "Don't be stupid, you want to show well for coaches? Then be smart enough to stay on the field." For some players it works; for others, not so much.
One of my partners on Saturday said he did a College Showcase and he was the AR for the tournament’s assignor, who told him don’t call any offside at all, save for the blatant ones.
Physically, I couldn't do those games anyway, so it is a moot point. But I'd be tempted to ask what other laws of the game he wanted us to ignore. Does he really think they are helping the kids by officiating differently than the games they would play in college?
Agreed on all accounts, just remember there is no such thing as a friendly game. Yes I may have a word with a player that is showing signs of playing in a reckless manner; "College coaches are watching, show them your best side." The only big difference in my friendlies is I ask the coaches what they want when someone gets sent off. Most of the time they still want to play full strength, and I'm OK with that. That reminds me of Disney Showcase from a few years ago. I was working a U18G game and one of the girls was more aggressive than anyone else on the field. At the first opportunity where I could possibly give her a yellow for PI, probably in the first 10-15 minutes into the match, I separated her and told her, "Look around there are at least 10 college coaches watching this game, show them your best." She adjusted until the last minute of the game, where she committed a reckless challenge in the box giving up a PK and a winning goal. Not to mention that she finally earned that Yellow card.
I'd say the problem is they do adjust! Cards aren't being given; players recognize that and ramp up behavior.
At some events the rules of competition include this stipulation. Hey, it's a showcase. If they want to show the college coaches misconduct, I imagine that too is useful information.
While we may not be showing cards in showcases (the "friendlies" we did this last weekend were showcases in the sense college coaches were there) I am reasonably certain that a college coach watching is sharp enough to notice a player over the line. Case in point this last weekend I was watching one of the U19 DA teams play and standing with a good friend who also happens to be a head coach of a major (top 5-10) D1 program. One of the players was over the top and was called for a foul twice in about 5 minutes and the coach mentioned that was the fourth he had seen committed by that player. I mentioned we were trying not to give cards and he knew that. At HT I walked out with the crew and just made sure the CR was tracking her for PI and he was. And then he admitted that he had forgotten his YC. His AR handed one over with a big grin. I went back and told the coach and he just laughed.
One of my friends from New England told me that a fellow referee was doing a college dual. He realized during the run of play that he had forgotten his yellow card. And then there's a foul, right in front of him, that HAS to be a caution, no questions asked. He stops play and yells at his dual partner, "Chalie! come over here and give this guy a cahd. I'm so mad at him that I can't even talk to him!" The partner trotted over and displayed the card. That team was really careful how they played for the rest of the game.
From a referee game report, high school girls varsity. "Player #8 came from behind and kicked her opponent in the midfield." The midfield? Boy, that really hurts!
Attended a mentoring tournament this Saturday. Local referee assessors would watch our games, and give us a debrief afterward. My first game was AR1 on a U15B Premier. I missed a couple things early in the game but overall I did well. The assessor told me that I needed to stand farther behind the touch line so that I could see the touch line in my peripheral and keep my body square to the field (for offside calls). My second game was a center in the same bracket. I called two penalties and the game ended 2-2. It was a fairly exciting match. I thought I hadn’t done that well but the assessor praised my command presence and said that he thought I had reffed a great game. All in all a successful weekend!
This happened years ago but is relevant to the discussion on yellow cards. I normally carry my yellow card in my front right pocket and my red card in my back left pocket. I was late to the game and ran out on the field. I thought that I had everything that I needed. At one point in the game, a player committed a reckless foul that needed a caution. I blow the whistle hard and reach into my right front pocket, but it's not there. I start heading to my nearest AR hoping that he has his yellow cards. As I am walking I find my yellow card in another pocket. I must have just put it in a random pocket as I rushed to the field!
One of the things I've learned to appreciate about high school games is the fact the parents are generally in bleachers and not camping the touchline and the benches are opposite the ARs. It really let's you back away from the touch line when needed.
I had something similar this past spring. I reach into my chest pocket, no card. Reach for backup in right front shorts pocket and find all of my cards. I pulled out the stack, picked out a yellow, tried to hide the reds but not very well, and showed yellow. At half, one of the ARs said, "I got real scared you were going to give red for that." I realized at that point that I should have pulled my data wallet with a yellow and red hidden in it.
I had a situation last season where I forgot to put my ref bag back in my car after I took it out to clear it. I was on my way to a HS JV boys game when I realized it wasn't in the car and I would be really late if I went home. I had extra jerseys, shorts, socks and shoes in the car but no extra cards or whistles. I call my partner let him know and he thinks he has some. I get to the game "on time" (5 min beforehand) since day job had something come up last minute, and wouldn't you know it my partner doesn't have anything extra. I sheepishly ask one of the coaches if I could have a whistle and my partner and I quickly decide that if we have a card he would run over to me. Little did we know that this game would be a boiling point for one of the teams and after they went down by a couple goals that playing soccer wasn't an option for some players. We had two straight reds, one for SFP and one for VC and 2 yellows. Fortunately my MIL, she's the best, was able to bring my ref bag to me for the Varsity match that followed, which of course had 0 cards. Also lesson learned, I have a small emergency pack in my car.
I'm still bewildered by your partner who had neither a second whistle nor a second set of cards . . .