Six 7v7 games assigned today, all U10 and younger. The first game was postponed 90 minutes because of a scheduling snafu. While the only coach of the only team that showed was on the phone getting it sorted out, his players started an impromptu game with siblings. They played a good 20 minutes before he made them stop when it was determined they would play after all. I love the sound of kids laughing and having fun.
A change of pace today. Last weekend, my boys tournament varsity game was a 0-0 draw. Today I had 3 12u rec games. I had the same ARs scheduled for all three games, but one of them injured his ankle yesterday and was unavailable. So I went with club lines for all three games. It would have been a great opportuity to do a dual, but never suggested it. GOALS Galore! The games were 9-6, 6-4, and 18-0. The last game the home boys team had 7 subs. The visitors were a new team - about half boys and half girls, none of whom seemed to have any soccer skill. The only thing keeping it from 25+ to 0 was the home side kept getting offside.
I forgot to include the most unusual event from my last game yesterday. The home team was about take a corner, and the visitors found a large insect on the goal post. They called me over to check it out. "Yes, it is a praying mantis! Let's put it down and continue the game." It was their highlight of the game!
Out here in UCONN country, I call this the "coaches who went to the Jim Calhoun school of coaching". And no, they don't often do it with me, if only because I don't actually hear them.
You are not in CT are you? There is a school here that the girls team has been doing that for years. I've done at least 10 of their games and never seen it lead to an offensive opportunity (for them).
Dual'ed a U15 NPL boys match. Called a player offside twice from being in offside position on the keeper punt and then came back onto own half to receive ball. Both times, keeper who punted was shouting at me that you can't be offside on your half of the field and that I don't know the offside rule. Told him it changed a few years back, he disagreed. Placed a bet with him that after the game I'll show him the rule and if I'm right, I caution him for dissent (no accumulation so it would be a ceremonial caution) and he agreed, very full of himself that he was right Game ends, go to my IFAB app on phone, and literally the first paragraph of law 11 says "referee awards IFK at point of offense including if it's in own half of field of play". He goes "ah shit" and then I caution him in front of his entire team
Due to the massive shortage, our state league has authorized the dual system. Wasn't sure if it was national across USSF or just depending on areas.
Our association has explicitly stated that USSF will not cover our liability insurance if we do a dual for a sanctioned game, so safe to say it is not a national thing.
Our state association sent out an email yesterday stating categorically that per US Soccer policy any match with 2 referees/whistles is unsanctioned and liability policies are not valid. In addition if you are in any match where the assignor assigns an unregistered referee that individual can only act as a club linesman. I’m not sure how it’s my job or mission to question whether an individual I don’t know who shows up having been assigned as AR is certified or not. As an assignor it is my job and I make sure that I have a current and updated list of certified refs. And right now that list changes daily as everyone’s safesport is randomly expiring and youth refs randomly turn 18 and are suddenly suspended for the BGC and safesport. But as a referee that’s 100% not in my lane. Given the direction this trend is headed in with fewer and fewer referees and more and more matches, this only ends one way. Everything will be solo.
This is why I won't do a certain tournament in a nearby city anymore. That club now uses an out-of-state assignor for tournaments. He drove up with a dozen referees wearing green t-shirts that said "Referee" on the back. One was assigned to my field with another referee wearing USSF gear. I asked the t-shirt wearing referee if he was USSF certified and he said he wasn't. I asked if the others were and he said he didn't know. We did the five games and I haven't been back.
My best story of the week is that I am doing my first college center tomorrow night. I am, however, nervous and I really hope I can post another best story tomorrow night that it went well. It is a D3 men's game with two schools known to come and play rather than kill each other, so that's a good start. I have a good crew of solid ARs although somewhat inexperienced like myself - young, a few years of adult stuff under our belt, but we're all still learning. I will report back!
The OS offense didn't change. That OS call has been the right call for eons (I'd say forever, but I can only go back to the '70s). The only thing that changed was where the IFK is taken. While cute, the caution was in clear violation of the LOTG. A caution not given cannot be given after a restart. I'm really not a fan of overly cute making stuff up. IMHO, it sends all the wrong signals--though I admit sometimes it works for the moment. I think there are much better ways to handle.
You're right that's what I meant. You're right even though technically it could be considered post-game dissent. I didn't even record the caution down, it was really just the ability for me to tell him that the referees know more about the laws than he does so he should think the next time he goes to complain about procedural calls and he said he would. And with respect to the comments about dual system which I know is a contentious topic on here: I don't know what to tell you, I just work here. The assignors in all the leagues in our region were sent a memo from the state region's soccer league governing body (that sanctions all the matches rec, competitive, NPL) in mid-September a few weeks into the season that due to the shortage, if there are two refs assigned to a game, and neither team wants to provide a club line, that a dual system would be allowed despite always being explicitly banned before like it should have been. The state body would also use their insurance to cover any issues that happened in a dual game. Before this season I had maybe 1 game a season short of refs or solo. Now I'm averaging one a weekend. Every time we ask the coaches if they want to provide a club line or we run a dual, they tell us to run a dual. This game I did on Sunday I stuck around late to help and with the players' skill level and setting sun leaving the unlighted field under dark shadow the entire second half, the CR said it would have been extremely hard to do with 1 CR/1 AR and that the dual system was a godsend and kept a high level NPL game from falling into disrepute. The assignors in this league are high up reps for the aforementioned state governing body including the official head of discipline, so I'll assume they know what the procedures we're allowed to use are. If you guys want to say that our leagues are deficient and shady for using duals rather than a useless club linesman then so be it.
So you're saying your states' SRA sent a memo to USSF certified assignor's that using a dual on USSF games including NPL was allowed?
Well, NPL is USClub, not USYSA, so given that most SRAs are at least formerly tied in with their USYSA State Association (PAWest split refs from the SA few years back), I'd say the answer is somewhere between little and bupkes. USClub...well, bless their heart.
When I've been asked what to do if neither team wants to provide a club line, I've always advised refs to tell the coaches that its a pity there won't be a game if no one volunteers . . . never, ever heard of a game not happening because of it . . . I'd be really curious about that insurance policy . . .
Can somebody tell me the difference between all those acronyms? Occasionally I hear about them, but I am totally oblivious. I just show up and do a game as assigned..