Whether or not it an athletic trainer is present is something that should be asked about before the game starts, and that information should be made available to both teams. That would prevent an issue like that from happening in the future.
Do UPSL standards require a trainer to be present? In our state, the youth concussion laws (yes, more than one) apply to any player who is under 19 years old, regardless of what level of play, even professional. Our adult association had to add a line, in large, letters on the bottom of the player card of anyone who was under 19 when the card was issued, "Minor until XX/XX/XX."
UPSL Varies from state to state. In our state it is a minimum standard depending on the division. However, if no certified ATC/Medical Professional, before kick-off we proceed with match as usual but if the referee deems any head injury the player is done for the day (any age group). Of course the teams are fined, and supplemental reports included (ymmv on referee's completing). Different league but NPSL requires first and last name of ATC. Which I think puts more onus on the team to use a certified ATC.
I've stopped doing UPSL ... zero fun, huge hassle. Not worth it for me. P.S. Always a debate here if you're supposed to start UPSL matches w/o a trainer present. I've heard different opinions.
What’s crazy to me is how much youth pays these days. It’s like almost $25-$30 more than some of the adult leagues in my neck of the woods. Also saw a youth match for $120 that wasn’t mlsnext. Very fascinating.
A couple of years ago, right before I got my national badge, I worked some youth games as part of a mentoring day. I discovered that the full length youth games paid more that adult that had more than 1 in a row and were just under the "single game at site" type adult games. I thought, "Maybe I do this more often." [Narrator voice] He has not done more youth days, for they are long and hot.
Yep, these adult leagues that are only one game, one site, especially if it’s in the middle of the day, and usually mediocre pay are just not worth it especially for the BS you have to deal with, early arrival times, travel time, etc. Taking 2-4 youth games is obviously a longer time commitment, but sometimes more financially worthwhile. But then again, the people doing the travel and all that for these single adult games are usually doing it for reasons other than money.
yeah I don’t know how referees do the let’s stay out in the sun all day. I want two hrs maybe three and I’m ready to be back home.
Oh yeah I agree. Some of the adult/amateur games you have to travel, be at the site 1.5 before the game, deal with the adult players and match itself. Then drive back. It quickly becomes a 5-7 hr day, with sometimes them paying for mileage, sometimes not, but again there are other reason for doing these matches than pay. If it was for pay for sure I would just do college matches only. Maybe some youth games or be like one of those traveling groups of officials that go from tourney to tourney.
I’m one of those guys. The way I see it, if I’m setting aside my schedule to do games I might as well make the most of it, and it doesn’t really make sense to just do one game (which for example your 2-3 hour time limit would leave for you) unless it’s an early morning or late evening game. Like the Sunday adult league I frequently do, the games are at 9, 11, and 1. Yeah it’s being out in the sun for almost 6 hours, but since I’m going out there anyway, might as well. But I do the same thing for youth games, and also it’s normal in my area for the high level acronym youth leagues (ECNL, MLSN, etc) to play all 6 age groups at three game times across two field and the assignor will only assign a three person crew in rotation, so you automatically get 3 games in a row
that's one way of looking at it. It's tough these days, I do not get much enjoyment from working that hard on matches as I did when I was younger. One really good adult match > three youth matches. I find that I run about the same distance. Easier for my knees. It also makes it easier for me to watch a lot of soccer (BPL, MLS, USL, College, etc).
What, you don't want all the internet points for posting a crew photo of working one of the 70-million divisional finals that exist every season?
Spent an hour on the phone last night, talking an Athletic Director off the ledge. He was at his school's game last night, and the referee cautioned him for not being in the technical area (!). I've asked for video of the game to try to get some context, but there's one I've never heard of or contemplated before.
Worked a game Tuesday night, had a lightning delay, and the video ended up not good enough for the assessment the referee and I had lined up...
This reminds me of a story, NFHS match and there is a new dude sitting at the table with my official timer. The official timer and I go back probably ten years, really a great guy. So I have a bang bang offside call against the home team. I then hear dissent coming from the vicinity of the official timer. I am totally sure it was not the timer so as I run past him I casually mention that if he wants to continue to sit there, that I had better not hear any further dissent. Rest of the match went fine. That night I get a phone call from the Chapter President, the guy giving me dissent was actually their brand new Assistant Athletic Director who had been on the job barely a week. Welcome to town!!!
I once removed an AD from a college match. He decided he wanted to yell from the technical area about some random call very early in the match. Head Coach is a known yeller but he and I had a very good rapport. I ask him who's the new guy at the end of the bench yelling and he said it was his boss. I asked if his boss wanted to get a call from the Conference Commissioner later this afternoon and the head coach said "do what you gotta do but I'm not telling you to do it." I wandered towards the end of the bench and the AD pulled one of the "do you know who I am?" moves. I pulled out the game roster and said "I don't know. which one are you on this list here?" The guy and his whole family took the long walk around the field to the exit. I was back a few weeks later so I didn't get bitten by the political snakes either.
Once did a DIII college men's game, AR1. There's a guy sort of around the home team's bench area. Definitely not feeling confined to a (unmarked) bench area but always on that side of half. He's yelling about some calls that went against the home team. At half time, the center asked who this guy is. "He's the President of the University." "Well, it wouldn't look good to have the President get thrown out, so you'd better tell him to hold it down." He was a little better in the second half. Referee, who is an alumnus of that school, put it in the game report. The next time I was there, I heard that the President was uninvited to their games. Haven't seen him since. This is a very conservative university. No drinking on campus, no dancing on campus, no card playing on campus. One of their long jumpers, disappointed with his jump, uttered the F word. The coach immediately told him that he was done for the day and that, if it happened again, he would be off the team with a recommendation for expulsion. Nice kids.
One of my first NISOA assignments was as AR, Gino D'Ippolito (the NASL legend) was the referee and he tossed someone on the Green Mountain bench (school has since closed), I ask Poppa at the half was it the Coach...no. Was it the Asst Coach, no. Gino, who did you toss? He answered, the bus driver...man, I so love this game.
I don’t think I’ve ever even thrown a coach out of a game before, let alone any technical staff. I did once have a coach run into the opposing technical area wanting to fight the U16 boys, but I never technically sent him off because a mass confrontation and match abandonment resulted before I got a chance. The first time I do it will be an honor
When my son was playing U9 (no ARs), someone in the opposing team's "bench" area started yelling at the ref about offside calls. (I happened to be on the line -- the ref was right, which isn't always easy at U9 without ARs.) The dude quickly escalated to f-bombs, so the ref, quite rightly, tossed him out. We asked the parents on the other team who this guy was. Most of them had no idea. Turns out he wasn't with the club. He was some kid's personal trainer. Parents from both teams escorted the ref to the parking lot to make sure this dude didn't run up and attack him. It was inspiring. The ref insisted it wasn't necessary, though. Said he was federal law enforcement, and if this dude wanted to try something, well ...