1. Feel like the referee not putting the RC up immediately probably helped make the situation worse. After he puts it up, a player on the offended team claps his hands like "finally" 2. Really surprised to see a grassroots ref (the tattooed AR in this fracas) on a USL2 playoff game. They can't even use comms because of this. And the 4O is a regional.
To be fair, a lot happened just as the center was reaching into his pocket for the red card. I think he got caught in the middle of the melee and was first just thinking about trying to get out of the mess first. By the time he did that, the effectiveness of the red card was lost. Had he just continued pulling the red card out, perhaps a lot of the extra stuff would have been avoided. I know the fourth and AR2 on this game and have worked with them several times on a variety of matches. Both are very good officials. I'm actually a little surprised AR2 is only a grassroots, as he's one of our most experienced adult referees (has gone to USASA nationals before) and does a lot of college. But yes, that does make using comms a no-go.
Yeah I think it's unfair for me to sit on the sidelines and critique his response in a tense situation. I would just say have the RC in his hand and maybe not getting RIGHT into the middle of everything, just forming a barrier around the outside with AR2 to watch. Man, he's probably getting better assignments as a grassroots than most regionals get. That's gotta feel really badass because I assume a guy like that is probably getting hounded by your state reps to upgrade. "Yeah, I go to USASA nationals and USL2 playoff games as a grassroots. Becoming a regional? All those politics, assessments, and fitness tests? Nah, I don't feel like it." What a boss. Wonder how that regional feels getting relegated to a 4O spot on the crew while the grassroots gets an AR? Probably outwardly nonchalant but inside pissed off. I really can't imagine any other reason why a crew wouldn't want to use comms on any professional level match, let alone a playoff match. It's why I noticed it immediately because of how strange it was for me to see.
Comms, agree you'd want to use them, but they're expensive so not everyone can afford to buy them and unless you're in the PRO BU or upper PRO2 group nobody is giving them to you.
You don't have to get the ridiculously outrageous $2k+ comms. In fact I know a ref who bought $2k yapalongs and they are horrendous. The EJEAS/vnetphone ones most sub-pro refs have if they use comms run $350 for a 4 set on Amazon, same set $180 on Aliexpress to buy from China. They are a little finicky sometimes but work very well. Although I'm not sure which brand refs use in the USOC, USL2 like this, etc. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256801179816001.html For refs who take refereeing seriously, which I think regionals doing USL2 playoff games do, I highly doubt that no one on the crew would have a comm set. I feel it 100% has to be because one guy is a grassroots.
I've purchased two sets of the 4 unit Yapalongs and they both malfunctioned after two college seasons. And, USL2 is juiced up amateur soccer, so to say for certain there are comms. Who knows? I know there are refs getting games at the low * pro levels * that don't have comms. Maybe these motorcycle sets will be affordable enough to swing the change, but it's not a simple as all that yet.
Something doesn't compute there. Maybe he was a regional and then re-registered down? I guess it's not a hard-and-fast rule written in stone, but traditionally most referees at amateur nationals are National Referees... Regional referees (in the past, National Candidates) at the very least. Do you mean the Veterans Cup or some other type of USASA tournament? Oh, and fully agree with @USSF REF on the comms.
If you're gonna invest in buying a set of comms and are serious about moving up, you might as well eat the cost and buy the Vokerros. Anything else is just wasted money, because you'll probably end up buying the Vokerros anyways after frustration with the knock-offs. I don't have a set myself, but I've used all the various brands and once you use Vokerro you can't use anything else. The quality is night and day.
If you want to make the match even longer, stop/start the clock. You think they are slow taking a corner now, wait until the clock doesn’t matter.
I will agree with the quality difference, who wouldn't? I've used the Vokkeros in a number of competitions and they're just better! If I had the cash sitting around or made enough to reasonably finance them, I'd say it makes sense to "eat the cost" But at a starting price of $3,000 USD vs the $1000 Yapalongs (... at the time I bought them... twice) it was not really a choice for me. Some refs make enough in college checks or in their careers to spend lavishly on such technology. At the end of the day, this is an officiating tool and the way I have looked at it is, if you make it to a league with a lot of money, they'll probably provide it to you for nothing. And let's be real, Vokkero's better sets are like $5,000 dollars to talk to three other people for 90-120 minutes, which is a great tool, but the cost is prohibitive for people with average bank accounts. Here is to hoping that the cost of this technology comes way down while keeping the same quality in the next few years.
I would definitely not spend personal thousands on radios even if I moved up. My Chinese ones work well enough. Anyway my whole original point here wasn't getting into the logistics of radios. I was just surprised to see a USL2 playoff match without using them, and even more surprised to see a grassroots doing a game like that. I don't think that the crew can't be taken seriously if not using radios or anything like that.
Its not uncommon. I did some USL2 games this season with grassroots. Really just comes down to your national assignor (whistle, line, 40).
Exactly. You would be amazed at the lack of regional officials and availability of ALL officials in some parts of the country right now. Assignors are sometimes boxed in. And... USL2 is just an adult amateur league after all. Also, at least where I live the regional badge isn't being treated like a state badge was by most officials, so the supply is drastically lower than it was. It's a lot more like "national light" with the current fitness standard, so there isn't as big of a space for people to exist as a state level as their terminal grade, it is viewed as something you do when you want to go national.
To add a little more background, Des Moines hosted two games that night (conference quarterfinals). Both ARs that were supposed to be on the second game tested positive for Covid the night before. Both ARs that worked the first game were AR/4th on the second game. Due to USYS Nationals and other circumstances, this was the best way to do it, from what I've heard. Speaking from my own experience in MN, a number of grassroots referees worked USL2 games this year, myself included. Every grassroots referee working these games (to my knowledge) has ambitions of making regional in the next few years.
USL2/NPSL etc. are AMATEUR leagues A lot of players if not most are current or former average college soccer players/student athletes. Referee fees are horrendous for the travel and game intensity that you go through. (Most of the times it's easier to officiate and deal with PRO players than with Amateurs that basically have nothing to lose) In my opinion in most of the cases becoming RG ref means absolutely nothing. Most of the refs who become RG is because they are willing to travel for games basically losing money and time... they go and do what the State Assignor tell them(Yes Sir) and they are rewarded with a patch that means absolutely the same as GR. National instead could be very different. Actually I know several VERY good referees which are GR and they have no intention or desire to upgrade to RG and they don't even work USL2/NPSL because of the low fees. At the same time they work College doing only Centers making between $500 and +$1,000 NET per game and the RG refs if lucky they run their lines or 4th... I know at least 5 GR refs which are making about 50K per year doing Spring and Fall College, none of them officiate USL2/NPSL and they all are GR.
Thank you all for the insights. As usual, my complete lack of knowledge is on full display. That's what my personal experience and what I've seen online seems to indicate as well, that a regional badge is more of a ceremonial appointment rather than any sort of coronation of their skill level. And when I see the level of game that grassroots refs are apparently able to get, the less I understand what the point of getting a regional badge even is unless you play to try to get into PRO. Although I guess technically grassroots are just going through informal forms of everything regionals have to, right? Like to get into high level matches, they still have to have the correct fitness standards, passing informal game assessments, etc.? What in the hell? Apparently I need to start researching how to try to get into NISOA and the college ranks...
Indeed. Just to temper your enthusiasm. In my area, our D3 matches are like 250/165/165, no travel. Our JuCo Matches used to be a lot less, but we just got them to match D3 now (thanks to the ref shortage... people were not taking those games when the rates were so disparate). D1 is where the money is at, but that will take you some time, some skill, and some luck. But if you get a full season slate of D1, well yeah. You can make some "comma checks." The money is still good at any level of college, though different regions are different. But, I probably wouldn't do it if I didn't really love to ref because the atmosphere is intense and demanding.
Exactly. Regional patch means something if you are VERY young(18 to 25 years old max) and you have a lot of potential and PRO knows who you are. If not is only a cerimonial appointment to show your commitment. Obviously I'm not saying Regional refs are not decent refs, I'm just saying it means absolutely nothing in terms of games assignments. Grassroots don't have to run or pass any fitness test, don't need any game assessments... just a recertification online where you can try as many times as you want and you will never fail! Regional refs need to get assessment every year to keep their regional patch and need once a year to do the fitness test and pass it to keep their regional patch. Also the re-certification exam is more complete and difficult, you can actually fail. It's not NISOA only anymore. ECSR(Elite College Soccer Referees) is the group that assigns most/almost ALL of the D1 from Kansas/Oklahoma/Texas to ALL the East Coast. At least 90% of the D1 are assigned by them, including ACC, Big10, Big12 etc.
I actually believe that in USSF will take you some time to upgrade, get better games, get noticed by PRO etc... we are talking about Years. Obviously your age as well it makes a difference. In College assignors are private contractors hired by the conference and they can put on theirs games basically anyone they want. Technically they see you, they like you and you are in the middle of a national tv game. I've a friend of mine who did plenty of games in the middle on National TV, including 2 I believe on Fox Sports 1 on his first college season. He is GR referee in USSF and when asked if he wanted to upgrade he refused. Believe it or not when he doesn't work college, he works youth games in the middle and on a Saturday/Sunday he makes the same or more money than a national referee traveling to officiate a USL/MLS Next PRO game... and he is 10/20 min from home. I give you an example... Let's say you have a USL Championship assignment on Sunday 1pm KO You have to fly in the day before and if lucky you will be back Sunday night/If not Monday morning. Game fee is $580 before taxes, plus they pay all your expanses... flight/hotel etc. A very good referee working local youth in certain states where the youth fees are high can make almost twice as much 10/20 minutes from home officiating games where there could be 5/6 fouls, no video, no assessor, no stress. It's unreal how underpaid are professional games compared to Youth games. That's why most of the people who are not very young, do not even consider upgrading and giving a shot to do PRO games. The truth is that if you are able to officiate MLS and get a salary it is financially worth it, all the rest that PRO assigns is extremely underpaid compared to the effort you have to go through to reach that level and officiate at that level. Next question is: How many refs are able to achieve that out of thousands and thousands of refs? Your odds are close to 0%...
What on earth could that coach have been complaining about? That tackle was ridiculous. Was he trying to say it wasn't a red?
I agree. I actually believe it is harder to officiate USL2 than USL Champ or League 1 or MLS Next. Coaches and players are for the most part professionals on those leagues, USL2 instead they literally treat you like shit, either players and bench in general. If you apply the law of the game on amateur games you could easily finish games with 14-18 players on the field, it’s more like game management. Pro games instead there are more cameras and you have to be more technical and have the big decisions right being consistent, but in term of behavior and management way easier.
State (National) assignor only assigns Amateur games and first rounds of US Open Cup. If you are very young and you have potential your patch has a meaning… if not it doesn’t. The level of most if not all the games that a State Assignor assigns are super low level compared to PRO games, the speed, players skills… not even comparable. Like is not even comparable the difference between MLS and all the other “PRO” leagues. Therefore if you are young, looking to upgrade those games have a meaning and the patch as well, if not it’s just useless. Don’t get me wrong, if you do it with passion, you enjoy it… why not! But just realize what you are officiating.