I see Well anyway @the_phoenix612, how are you wearing the sock sleeves? Do you pull it halfway up your calf over grip socks so the writing on the bottom of the sock is visible on your calf? That would look pretty bad to me. Or maybe are they trying to transition to referee socks actually saying “referee” in the middle of them?
I'll post a picture tomorrow from my games. I have the "soccer referee" across the very bottom of my ankle where it meets my foot. It also functions as a perfect example for everyone's favorite conversation - telling players to pull their sock sleeves down to cover their grip socks so they're not ALL wearing white socks on their ankles. "Look, it IS possible!"
I actually did something a little similar the first pair of socks I cut. I cut it right below the ankle where the fabric changes because I figured the calf would unravel. So I had to tuck the hanging foot portion into my sock/shoe. I stopped that after a few days But yeah even when OSI comes out with something I never expected them to do, even that they can’t just make normal and leave it black. Nope, gotta randomly add writing for no reason so now you would be forced to tuck it into your shoe instead of just using it up your calf. Incredible
Could you "roll" the bottom of the sleeve under so that it doesn't show? I've been wearing black compression socks as a first layer, and I haven't worn out a pair of ref socks (either OSI or Capelli) since. Or had a blister, either. I suppose I could easily wear the sock sleeves over the compression socks.
Looks pretty stupid to me. I’ll stick with the regular socks and compression socks underneath. Never had a problem.
Got my badges last night in the mail. Or should I say badges? I received not one but TWO badges and TWO stick velcro pieces. Way to go, Maryland!
The same benefits that players get from them, less foot movement within the boot. I assume that leads to better traction and fewer blisters.
Yeah sorry that looks terrible with the writing visible. I thought from how you said it, it was going to be hidden inside your sock. Like said previously, typical OSI, even when they make something surprisingly decent it still ends up being stupid
I go the complete opposite way. I wear smartwool no-show under the standard OSI ref sock. The added benefit that black crew socks (what material?) and sleeves is that even in cold, wet games my toes don't get cold. I do occasionally use calf compression sleeves also. No blisters and my OSI socks seem to last much longer than is being reported here. My biggest problem when the OSI socks do wear out is the elasticity over my big calves going so they slide down. I'd think this would be a problem with these OSI over-sleeves, as well.
I'm still workshopping. That pic is from the end of the game - the bottom of the sleeves worked it's way up from where it was hidden.
Looks dumb, yes, but I plan on just folding it under like I did with my previous cuts as they began to fray.
Oh yeah I didn’t even think of that. Just fold the bottom over itself few times so the writing can’t be visible. That’s a good idea. And having the socks actually manufactured properly rather than just cutting off old ones and leaving sliced fabric exposed will eliminate the fraying too. Maybe those sock sleeves aren’t as as as I thought
Bumping this thread for 2026 recertification. The new guidelines came out in the learning center. Big changes are: They are trying to bring back in-person referee certification courses for new referees. Green referee badges for all referees under 18 They added a new referee mentor+ level in between referee mentor and referee coach
Does nothing for me. Fans players and coaches ought to respect all referees regardless of their age. Young referees ought to conduct themselves with professionalism regardless of their age. I’ve worked with 60yo guys who were worse referees than some 14yos I know. If they’re getting a different training, give them a different badge. But if they’re getting completed the same training as me, give them the same color badge.
This has to do with protecting minors, and is a point of emphasis for USSF at this time. It has nothing to do with training. It has been tested in other countries and saw positive results.
Protecting them how? The person without capacity to control their impulse to abuse a human being is going to suddenly think “Gosh, I was going to verbally assault that professional on the pitch until I saw the GREEN badge. I’m gonna rein it in.”? How about someone use those same marketing dollars to say “The badge was earned. If you abuse any of our referees you won’t be allowed to watch your kids play.” And then enforce it.
I think this is more about an abuser getting a 3x penalty imposed and claiming they didn't know it was a minor... the green badge means they were given the information beforehand, so they have no legit argument there.
Why would that be a legit argument anyways? They shouldn’t be abusing anyone regardless of their age.
I appreciate USSF being willing to experiment with another method to help protect our younger referees. Like everyone else, I'm not certain it's going to do anything, but if it provides another visual cue to remind poorly-behaving adults that they're yelling at minors, I'm all for it.
Also may facilitate public shaming by other adults on that team No question, abuse is horrible against anybody, but in the case of minors it's extra-horrible because of the power imbalance
I'm pretty much in agreement. At the same time, it is also true that there are some people whose personality simply does not match with what referees have to do. I once did AR2 for a U-16 girls game. The referee was an adult, in his 20's, less than a year and a half into his referee career. He was not calling anything! Fifteen year old girls and they recognized that the referee wasn't going to protect them, so they started getting confrontational after fouls, fouls that weren't called. At half time, the other AR and I told him, 'You have to start calling stuff here or we're going to have a brawl." "Oh, I can't impose myself on the game." "[insert bad word here], you'd better start imposing yourself or we'll have a mass confrontation." He got a little tighter in the second half, but it was apparent that he just couldn't blow the whistle and signal for a free kick. So it isn't just youth who don't yet realize that we have to keep (or restore) the peace on the field. Yes, parents are going to yell like their kid has never committed a foul and the other team is all thugs. You have to have command presence, at the level required for this level of the sport. Young referees are less likely to have that but I've seen plenty of newer adult referees who don't have that either. As I think I posted elsewhere, this year, at the state high school track meet, I had a teenager girl who had volunteered to help rake the long jump pit. The other raker was a professional landscaper, so he was trying to show her what to do. I sensed that she was inclined to just pretty much stand there and let him do the work. I told her "In this kind of a situation, you need to just pretend that you are already an adult, and just dive in." She did and, a few jumps in, she was right up there with the other guy, getting the job done. So abuse is bad, yes. But what I see is that the way we have to deal with it is to confront it the first time we hear it. It will not get better on its own, and a 'reminder' in an e-mail from the league to the parents is about as weak kneed a response as it is possible to come up with.