Bad stories

As long as the question is rhetorical.

Cheers, Mi3ke

 

Boys State playoff. Ar1. Game ended with 5 yellows and 2 reds and a personal email from our HS association president. An email only to me asking what happened.

 

Please don't yell to the bleachers to respond to ignorant spectator comments.

Did you defend your center or throw him under the bus

 

That's a silly question. I never throw anyone under the bus... the game was just have gonna cards with the way one team was playing.

 

Yeah exactly never throw anyone under the bus. So what is the president fishing for when he asks you what happened? Sounds like he's undermining the credibility of the center.

 

I wish our state would get input from the whole crew. Our association president gave a red card to a player who wound up with a six game suspension. I spoke with one AR and he said what happened and what was in the report did not match. I suggested the ARs send an email to the state. They didn't, maybe because they feared repercussions from the association president. The suspension stood.

 

i don’t know if it is happening where you are, but most important HS games are taped and as an assignor All I need to do is ask and I can see every major incident that I need to see.

 

Yep. Ask either coach for game film or go to NFHS network and see it for yourself.

Honestly I have no idea why he wanted my input since he's ignored me all Spring

 

I’ve done a lot of work during COVID to fix some nagging bio mechanical issues that have led to injuries in the past (calf, Achilles, hip). As a result, I’ve been feeling good and getting my fitness back to a good level.

Last night I refereed an MLS Academy team vs. the Provincial U18 team. Fun game, and a good opportunity to work on positioning when you’ve got high skilled players across the board. Anticipation, reading of the game, and movement all felt really good. Fitness felt solid, too. Then in the 30th minute I got trucked from the blindside by a defender who sprinted unexpectedly into me. Got caught with my left foot firmly planted and basically blew out my ankle. Adrenaline kicked in and after being looked at briefly by the team trainer, I finished the half. I knew in the last minute or two, though, that something was wrong. AR1 took over for the second half.

The ankle and top of the foot is massively swollen, and I barely can put any weight on it today. Definitely doesn’t feel like your run-of-the-mill ankle sprain. Awaiting a trip to my physio to get it fully evaluated.

Meanwhile, the fitness testing deadline is May 31st (with the last scheduled FIFA Fitness Test on the 29th), and there’s not really an exception for injury other than “try again next year” for maintenance (and upgrades, in my case). So, after a promising start to the year, it seems things are over and done before even getting started. So much for a fun midweek exhibition game…

 

Thanks for the suggestion, but I was there. I knew the temperature of the match, I was hearing the parents and this was in my hometown where I have been coaching / reffing youth for over 20 years. Reffing HS matches in the area for all these teams for over 15 years. I think I know my audience. Which is what I was saying in my original post. To be Black and White that you should ALWAYS do this or NEVER do that is not a great way to handle things. How do you expect parents to become non ignorant if we are not there to teach?

Would I have done this at a D1 HS match where I am not calling illegal throw ins or double touch fouls on IDFK and the yells from the crowd aren't "Boot it!!!".

No I would not.

 

Did the VAR signal in U17 EA game today. Corner kick in my quadrant, I'm in normal position. Ball crosses in, attacker heads it to far post probably going wide or off post. Far post defender jumps up and I see it deflect off him (assumed his head) for a corner. Attackers all yelling for handball and AR1 is wiggling flag. Double tweet with VAR signal and go talk to him. I couldn't see thru the mass of players but when player jumped, it actually went off his outstretched arm that was near end line, only AR1 could see that. Defender kept pointing to his shoulder while I was talking to AR but that wouldn't be anatomically possible from where the contact was. Double tweet, VAR signal, then whistle blow pointing to the spot.

Of course I absolved myself of responsibility and the AR explained his decision to the coach. But I really wonder about the call. I hated to have to give it, because it felt like the ball was definitely going out of play anyway, and then the question of his arm being in a natural position for the jumping motion comes into question, which obviously I have no opinion on since I couldn't see it. I feel like if I had been AR or been able to see it as CR, I would have not called it and gave "natural positioning for the jumping motion" reasoning just because it really had no effect on the play, but the AR kind of painted me into a corner.

 

I've gotten a few of those requests in my career and there where 2 different motivations behind them

• Was the referee up to the game for future assigning
  
• You are the most unbiased person that was at the game and can tell me using Laws/Rules what happened

I will say, one time I'm pretty sure the assignor was contemplating not using the referee anymore, he called me and emphasized that he wouldn't share what I said. Because it was a phone call, there wasn't a paper trail.

From what you've said, it sounds like a school complained and he wanted some details so he knew how to respond.

 

[QUOTE="Dayton Ref, post: 40478565, member: 206043]I will say, one time I'm pretty sure the assignor was contemplating not using the referee anymore, he called me and emphasized that he wouldn't share what I said. Because it was a phone call, there wasn't a paper trail.[/QUOTE]

My wife is a government lawyer. Her favorite saying is "Unless you want it read aloud in a courtroom, don't put it in an email or text."

 

if it isn't anatomically possible for it to have been off the players shoulder, how would this have been argued to be a natural position? In any trainings I've attended, if the arm/hand is above the head and contact is made it is always handling.

As for your feeling on giving a pen for a ball that was going out of play - that's not your "cross to bear", if you will. Look at the Concacaf Champions League Final, first leg. Pumas gives up a penalty on a play that was in the furthest corner of the penalty area from the goal. Roldan is turning out of play and gets tripped. it's a foul, and because of where it is, it's a penalty. it feels harsh, but that's the area.

Did you give the player a caution? Had that ball been on frame, it would have been dogso red handling. Given the way you've laid it out, I think you just did a penalty and nothing more which feels right. It sucks for that player, but also, why are they trying to hit a ball that's going out of play with their arms/hands?

Lastly, I've been instructed to NOT use a VAR signal in any game unless I actually have one - which is a long ways away if it ever happens. Have you been told to do so when consulting an AR? I get the idea and actually like it, but just curious if that was something you've been asked to do or just something you do yourself

 

What I meant is that clearly the player knew it went off his arm so he was repeatedly touching his shoulder. But just based on the trajectory or the ball, there's no way it would have hit his shoulder, so he wasn't helping himself by saying that.

I know about it likely being technically correct. However, I probably could have sold not calling it in that it did hit his arm, but it was in a natural position for his jumping motion.

No, it would not have been RC DOGSO or YC SPA worthy, at least not from the information the AR who flagged it gave me.

Absolutely have not been told to do so, it would absolutely be frowned upon, and I wouldn't do it if I was being assessed or something. But in my pregame I always tell the ARs I don't want to put them in position to call a PK but if they do, I'll go over and talk and "jokingly" give the VAR signal never expecting to have to do it. Well, I did it. And I know it's pretty silly, but any KMI decision that I'm having an AR call or assist me in calling, as long as the game isn't super legit like MLS Next, NCAA, filmed HS or US Open Cup or something like that, it isn't like people will report me for doing it. But I'm sure people here will tell me not to do it.

There's a very good adult grassroots ref I work with who does a fake vanishing spray any time he sets a wall, even as an AR. I find it to be ridiculous but he's been doing it for years.

 

I have 4 games tomorrow. All week up to this Friday and then Sunday thru next week it is in the low to mid 70s. Specifically tomorrow, the temperature jumps up to an expected 86 degrees. Classic.

 

Chalk yesterday up to a day where I wish I could have switched hats for about five minutes . . .

My son and I were in Chicago this weekend for USYS Midwest Conference. I'm fully a parent for the weekend (thank goodness, as I've been working high school 3-4 nights every week with varsity middles most of those nights). The referee and one AR for their game yesterday were . . . let's just say in need of some mentoring. I definitely had to grit my teeth, as the level of inconsistency (and it was for both teams, not just against my son's team), lack of willingness to deal with any sort of dissent (90% of that was by the opponent), and lack of effort (spent most of the game in a 30 by 30 yard box around the circle of excellence) was tough to watch.

Second half, and the opponent is attacking away from our end. Goal is pulled out of the net for an offside. One particular parent comes unglued and takes three steps inside of the 10-foot line extending all the way down the touchline berating the AR who made the offside decision. As the ref was a 17 year old or 18 year old kid, I knew he wasn't going to stand up for himself and toss this parent. This guy absolutely needed to go.

I looked at my son's teammate's dad next to me and softly said, "Good thing for that guy that I wasn't in the middle. He would have spent the rest of the game at the gas station down the road."

Definitely not my place to run this up the flag pole, but this guy's behavior was disgraceful and needed to be dealt with. Had I not had family there, I probably would have remembered to take a video of this guy and send it to Brian Barlow.

 

I do a lot of games but I'm a kickoff time diva. Earliest kickoff 9A, latest kickoff 5P, maybe 6P if it's a good game or HS doubleheader. So I'll usually take 4-5 games of the 9-11-1-3-5P or 10-12-2-4-6 sequence. Originally today I had 9-11-1-3-5, 9 got cancelled, so I had the brilliant idea to break my rule and take a U19 7 PM kickoff since I'm off tomorrow

Game ended 850P, by the time we file off the field and travel I didn't get home until 915P, eat dinner at 930P. I don't know how people do this or why games are scheduled this late esp. on a Sunday. Maybe I'm just an old guy, maybe it's because I'm doing games all day rather than coming for just one 7P game, but I can't see myself ever doing this again.

 

Around my area, the local adult league has games at 4, 6 and 8pm. Yeah it sucks. There's another league that has games at 2, 4 and 6 which is better.

 

Majority of our HS varsity games are 7 or 7:30 kick offs here. So I wouldn't have a choice if I didn't want to do them. And we do them after coming from work, so it's not like we're coming for one day and that's it.

 

Ha. Our MBB league is able to get the local university's turf fields on Sunday nights at 7:15/9:15. That means that the second game ends just after 11, home by 11:30, showered and skip dinner by 11:45 or so.

 

About 6 years ago I was working a tournament in OKC. It was pushing 10 PM on Saturday and another ref and I were headed to our cars to drive 30 minutes to the hotel. She said, "I swear tournaments didn't used to be this hard." Without missing a beat I said, "It's the lights. Games start at 7, before the sun is up and we just ended 3 hours after sun set." You could see the light bulb illuminating in her head as I said it. She replied, "You're right! There are more games in the longer day but not more referees."

When I moved from Oklahoma to Texas, I stopped doing tournaments because there were plenty of good games in league play and the commute was going to be terrible in all likelyhood