Sounds a bit nerdy, tucking them in. I cut the feet off my school socks last fall and just pull the tube part over black running socks (like players do with their no-slip socks) and this is how it will be forever time.
given this is more and more the norm, why haven't suppliers started to sell a non slip sock and the pull over sock combo? Or does that exist and I'm not aware of it
They exist. I'm seeing kids at MLSNext and clubs with higher end uniforms getting with their kits the matching kit brand calf sleeves, nice and neatly cuffed and sewn to pull over whatever socks. Most players still seem to use Tru Sox (the small squares) under these sleeves.
I'm not sure what you mean by nerdy. I tried to have the tube portion outside of the sock tucked into the shoe, and it is too short to stay tucked, so the top of my foot between the sock cuff and tube bottom would be exposed skin. If I tuck it into the sock cuff, it stays in place. It's not like you can tell, like I'm a 50 year old dad tucking a pant leg into calf high white tube socks with a pair of white new balances (sorry if I offend the old guys here who probably do this)
Update: Just heard from that village's assignor, a fellow HS ref and co-conspirator in the fight to cover everybody's travel games on Sunday. He asked after my ref and let me know their board is weighing disciplinary measures. Score one for the good guys.
.... weird. Yesterday I helped a referee fill out her first red card report in the first league I assign. In fact, I was watching it happen because I had my one and only game coming up on the next field over. Two quick yellows for dissent on a U12 game.... she did not take any dissent that's for sure. Coach got up in the face of her after the card and explained to him what was what in a professional manner.
When I was assigning back in Oklahoma I created a help page on how to write quality reports. There was a random explosion of 4 red cards in 3 weeks not given by me and all of the reports needed some degree of help, although the best was a kid who wrote it perfectly except he didn't want to put in what was actually said for AL. I don't blame him, the thought of having to write the n-word in a report makes my skin crawl. I took all of the reports from the past two seasons in their initial form, re-wrote them and annotated the changes with why I had changed something.
Phew, the way I read it, you were pulling on black socks and then tucking the ref socks underneath the regular socks. You are wearing it like the players (and me), though I cut them a little higher so that they don't tuck into the shoes at all. I'm 54. You can't offend me, though I steer clear of above said stereotype.
I get a hole as well in the heel area after 3 months of usage. I always have at least two "backup" socks (used and unused) and as soon as I do notice a tiny hole forming they're immediately tossed to avoid being in the same situation with the blisters. OSI did a decent job improving their jersey's over the years from the circus tent-like material to the current breathable ones. From what I can recall, their sock material has always been the same, meaning not very comfortable for officiating in, prone to holes...and prone to having old Field Turf field blades sticking to them on your ankles.
Just put the words in quotes. That way, you don't have to feel like you are saying the words yourself. And, yeah, I see too many reports where the referee doesn't use the exact words and that can create problems. E.g. the referee gives a red card for language and reports that the word the player used was "fricking." The school appeals the suspension and fine. Now what? We find out that the real word the player used was the other one. Nobody walks away satisfied.
Assignor's recommendation is a touchline ban for the season, subject to reinstatement on getting certified.
Hey. the old Egg Socks seemed to last forever. I still have a couple of pairs in my bag, and occasionally get to pull them out if we have an old enough crew. I started double socking after some horrible blisters and lost toenails at a tournament. Ankle high Nike/Adidas black socks with the OSIs over the top. Not a blister since, and while I still wear holes in the heel after about a season, I can keep using the holey socks for a bit before I remember to toss them *before* washing. 'Cause it's illegal to throw out clean socks, right?
Before online recerts, the in-person training done on Referee Reports indicated to type exactly what the player said for AL, as repulsive as it may be for this very reason. NJ did a month long webinar on Referee Reports but only a very small percentage enrolled.
This is what I used to do, throwing out socks when they got a hole and paying $12 to the OSI scam artists for a new pair. But I realized that the only "optics" that matter with socks is the OSI logo on the calf/shin. So what I'm hoping is that by cutting off the holed foot, I can use the OSI calf portion presumably indefinitely, for years, who knows, until the calf elasticity wears out, and only need to throw out the ankle socks when they get holes in them.
Its not so much the OSI material as it is soccer socks in general. My original blister issue came from playing in Nike soccer socks. I bit the bullet last season and purchased a pair of no-slide socks (for playing in) and I've gotta say they wear much better than general soccer socks.
Anyone else have a pet peeve about AR's stopping the ball when it goes out of bounds? Yes, I understand the on occassion from preventing the ball from rolling down a hill or into the woods. I was 'informed' by an assessor to refrain from doing it many years ago. I now instinctively refuse to do it, much like a parent automatically correcting a child's grammar when they say something like "me and my friends" or "I ain't going". To this day, its part of my pregame. Had a player yell at me the other day "Ref get the ball" I just replied 'no'. He then all pissy runs to the corner area gets te ball and returns it to the goal box. After the match, pulled the player aside and explained to him the perception of neutrality we try to maintain. Its like a light went on in his head "wow, that makes perfect sense". Can all U-16 soccer players be mandated to take the USSF 8 hour ref course (the old blue badge) just for at minimum their own knowledge?
If I could stop a ball by sticking my leg out, I'd do that. But I wasn't going to move any distance. And certainly wasn't going to run after the ball once it was out!
I've been criticized as an AR for doing this and had the same realization of perceived favoritism, even if my intentions were just to stop the ball from flying really far away. That said, when I'm an AR in a game where a ball has gone a long ways out for a goal-kick and then another one comes towards my line, I will make an effort to get the ball by my line while the GK/team goes and gets the other one.
I effectively got an assist in a HSBV game by stopping a ball. The ball rolled into touch near the corner flag and I stopped it. An attacker swooped in, threw the ball into the area, and his teammate buried it in the net. Sure the defense should have been ready, but the play wouldn't have happened at that speed if I hadn't stopped the ball. Suffice to say I don't do that any more.
Deliberately picking up or even stopping the ball (sticking your foot or leg out, etc.) as an AR is absolutely unacceptable behavior. You should be doing everything possible to avoid the ball. If a ball rolls to my feet, I open my legs to let the ball go past me. You are not a ball boy. If any player or coach ever gives me crap for not stopping the ball, I give them a very simple and very possible scenario. I ask them what if they were on defense and kick the ball out, I stop it, and their attacking opponent gets a quick throw in before the defense is set and it leads to a goal, how would they react? That usually elicits a "you're right ref, my bad" response. The only time I can imagine ever intentionally stopping a ball would be if there was some sort of hazard behind me (a big hill, a busy street, etc.). And if I did stop the ball, I would then intentionally tap it 5 yards in the opposite direction of whichever player was approaching to throw it so they would have to fetch it and it didn't go right to them.
Take that touch then say “that’s why I ref, terrible first touch”. Have done that myself more than once