I was talking with my dual partner and AR (second game) yesterday. Young guy, actually still in high school himself. I told him that I haven't done a youth game, other than a random summer tournament game or two, in at least five years. I don't even know the heading, building out line, etc. rules that have been introduced recently. I'm just fine dealing with high school, college and adult amateur games. The adults are, across the board, just happy to be back out playing again. Maybe it's that they have longer histories of being out there and enjoying it before the pandemic shutdowns. The college players seem to be more in awe that they are now COLLEGE players than I used to see in the past. High school players, based on what I see locally, are better behaved than what I saw pre-pandemic. That's not to say that they're perfect, but I'm not having melt down games and I'm not seeing game reports with melt downs elsewhere. Welcome to my happy place.
I lump HS in with "youth", it's basiclly the same as U15-U18. The *players* have been fine. Sure they whine but then just as often they're thanking you. It's their game and we're there for them. The coaches and parents, 90%+ are great. The rest really do their best to make the atmosphere toxic for everyone. Maybe college ball is the answer.
I had a citizen shout in full throat, at last night's GV event, "You need to get F***ING GLASSES!!!" Stopped the clock, got the AD, kicked the guy out. Before standing up, he said if we wanted him to be quiet, he would. WTF. No, dude, you can't say that at a HS game. Then after play restarts some harridan shouts, "Somebody's feelings got hurt!" Lady, how about the feelings of the kids in those stands who had to deal with that, or the parents of those kids who thought they were going someplace where...people won't be swearing out loud. Take a lot more than a four-eyes comment to hurt my feelings, but it saddened me that so many, last night, had so few good ones of their own.
After that GV event the home coach thanked us for doing a good job and said it was a wonder we kept coming out in the face of all that crap we get from clueless parents, said if we wanted to just ban them all he'd be happier for it, there;d be no more telling the girls to "C'mon, KICK ITTT!!!!!"
Below is what Arizona sent out. Not sure I totally buy the "no other association in the country is doing anything" bolded part but the sentiment is there. I notice they don't mention anything about raising ref pay. Not sure that would help and I appreciate club soccer gets expensive. Over the past weekend many games throughout Arizona had to be cancelled due to a shortage of certified referees. This situation is not unique to Arizona, as everywhere throughout the US games are being cancelled or played with no referees. This is a situation that has come about due to many factors, the least of which include: Constant and incessant verbal and at times physical abuse referees endure from parents and coaches COVID – with the past year bringing its challenges some referees did not recertify last year and again this year. The increase in total games every weekend. From tournaments to the various leagues that have come to youth soccer this creates far greater demand and limits the ability to efficiently schedule games and referees to maximize the referees that do exist. 63% of all referees in Arizona are under the age of 18. This means that many are also playing so they aren’t available to referee consistently. 21% of all referees in Arizona are over 40 years old. 76% of the entire referee pool lives in Maricopa County. We need everyone to step up and be better. Here is what is needed: Club leadership must take greater accountability in being present and active in taking action when their coaches, parents, and/or players act irresponsibly and abusive. Coaches need to take the lead and demonstrate appropriate behaviors and DEMAND it from their parents and players. Team Managers need to take more accountability for holding parents responsible for poor and inappropriate behavior. Parents need to hold each other accountable for poor and inappropriate behavior. Most parents on any given team are usually embarrassed by poor behavior of others. It is time they spoke up and held other accountable Every Club and/or team require two parents, not just players to become referees. They can register for a class here https://www.azref.com/getting-started While it is everyone’s intention to ensure every game gets played the issues currently at hand have created a situation where games are having to be postponed and cancelled. ASA will review currently scheduled games to determine if there are additional changes that may be required to leverage the existing referee pool more efficiently and appropriately. ASA will be working closely with the State Referee Committee to determine the best steps to increase the referee pool and create development opportunities for those referees. It is important to point out that no other soccer organization in the country is putting efforts to reduce and solve this problem. Quite honestly, the only organization that is invested and works to support the clubs, teams, players, coaches, referees, and families in Arizona is ASA. ASA is fortunate to have a tremendous working relationship with the State Referee Committee and over the past two years they have implemented continuing education, development, and mentoring programs with a maniacal focus on supporting and developing referees at all levels. ASA is far from perfect, and this year has started off rough. But you can trust that the Board and Staff are absolutely committed to doing the best we can and want the best for all of soccer throughout Arizona. If you can please register to become a referee in Arizona at https://www.azref.com/getting-started
Actually, raising the pay might get you TOO many referees. A tournament on the other side of the state from me is paying $1,700 (yes, one thousand seven hundred dollars) to a referee for a full compliment of games this weekend. Basically, 7 hours a day for 2 days. Unsurprisingly, the tournament had to turn refs away.
I have to think and hope that the AZ sentence about no other organization doing anything is an editing issue of some kind. I find it hard to believe that any of our brethren/sistren could be so arrogant as to believe they were Don/Dawn Quixote.
Our HS association tried really hard to get the USSF certified refs to join us this year. They made it simple. Pay the fees, buy the uniform, will send you a sheet with the differences, learn the dual for a year, varsity next year. Open book test. Two takers.
But isn't that the prospective officials doing nothing, rather than the association? I get it, it's hard to get people to cross over to what they see as the dark side. Here in PA we add to rules differences a system (Double-Dual) that evokes derision on a good day.
One year of not working varsity games? LOL. After a couple years of doing USSF my first HS game was a BV dual (albeit an 8-0 blowout). If the money's not too much different, and you'll still get a decent number of games, I guess it's not a big deal. But if you'd have told me I'd have to spend a year working JV games before I could do varsity, I'd politely say no thanks.
Many, many years ago, I was interested in doing basketball. I went to a meeting for potential referees. We were told that it would be at least nine years before you got a varsity game and then it would be munchkin sized schools, playing in their "cafetorium." Pass. We require that anyone doing playoff games must be or have been a USSF grassroots referee. 98% (no, not a SWAG number) of the high school referees meet that criteria.
Situations today: 1. Young referee shows up for first game ever to AR. It's a U17 girls comp match (not NPL but still comp). We gad to switch crews around on our own to get her off it. 2. Young referee shows up 5 minutes before kickoff as AR on my CR U16B NPL game. He didn't even have ref socks. Only had time to find out it was his second game ever. At halftime the coaches come to me to ask to play game under protest because the game has basically fallen into disrepute due to the AR's complete lack of knowledge about any rules including offside and players, coaches, spectators are raging. I'm doing my best to keep everyone under control and basically had to throw him under the bus to the coaches saying it was literally his second game ever and this is the result of a nationwide ref shortage mostly due to abuse these same people give referees. Since our state's league has emergency approved the dual system for their sanctioned matches, I'm considering asking our assignor if I can just get one other experienced ref and we can be a crew doing 3 dual matches a day on the higher level matches we do.
I’d still like to see this memo from the league if you can share it. Has your state referee committee taken a position on this emergency dual use authorization?
I am going to try to get a copy of it this week to have on hand. There is a ton of confusion because some leagues under this state's governing board are allowing them and others are not, and this mystery "memo" will clear it up. I have no idea about the state referee committee's position and I may ask our referee coach who also assigns MLS Next. I know this site hates the dual system, but I'm going to be a broken record and continue saying that the dual system matches I've done have gone pretty well with a few hiccups. And I am not going to be able to tolerate having to have completely new ARs on high level matches vs. me and other experienced guy doing a dual for much longer.
Interesting. We were told under no circumstances do a dual. If only 1 AR shows, club linesperson it is. I've done 1-2 centers with 1 AR and it was hard for me. As crosses were going over my head I had no clue if the kid was on/offside. Felt like I was in the wrong position most of the time. Done plenty of duals for HS. Not as good as the DSC, but given the choice I'd much rather do a dual than 1 AR.
This was also our policy every season until halfway through this September. It's basically impossible to be in the correct position. It's why we usually say that the CR drops back and plays more as an AR and the other AR has to expand their quadrant to almost their entire half. It's ridiculous. I would as well. Obviously CR/2AR is better. But apparently US Soccer thinks that having two referees being around the 2LD line and also whistling fouls is worse than getting game-changing offside decisions wrong. But hey, at least you have a player's fat dad in his sunglasses, sandals and backwards hat to tell you when the ball goes over the touchline to get monumental throw in calls correct.
My family and I were in the north Georgia mountains on vacation five days. We got home at 1:00 Sunday and see I am assigned a state league game this Friday. I accept and click "open games" to see what else is out there this week. I see a 2:00 game Sunday. I text the assignor asking if he needs an AR. He said yes, the game is a U17 girls Div 1 with a college-age solo referee. The field is five minutes from my house, so I change into my gear. It's hard to believe in a town full of college-age referees, there aren't two other ARs who want to make $50.
Because $50 is a 3 hour shift in an Olive Garden with less abuse. (Slightly less abuse) A 90 min match (17u Div 1) is really 2.5 hours of your time when all is said and done. An extra $3 player would be an extra $30 /referee. At least give supply and demand a fighting chance.
I used to do Boys Lacrosse. It's played in the spring, before the good amateur league start, so there's not a lot of good soccer games to cover. I decided to sign up for the training for Girls Lacrosse. After spending a day with a confused look on my face over the rules, the trainer, who was the assignor for the Detroit area, said "This season is all assigned. But come to games (and pay to enter) and watch. Then, next year, come to games (and pay to enter), talk to the crews, and shadow them. Maybe I'll give you games in Year 3." Uh, I can go 37 days in a row with games in the spring, between Easter Sunday and Memorial Day. Not only am I not interested, but, um, as you say, "Pass" Of the ~225 referees in my Arbiter group, 100% are USSF certified. I used to have one guy that was NISOA, and not USSF, but he's not reffing HS anymore.
I asked a few assignors who are allowing the dual system if they can get a copy of this "memo" sent out and they basically avoided the question, so I have no idea what the hell is going on. Apparently the approval actually came from the state referee committee, so theoretically I could ask our region referee coach but I'm not going to keep poking the bear, they must be avoiding it for a reason.