Was doing a U12G competitive game with a travel team. I was AR2. During an attack, I was running towards goal and slide into the flag (feet planted la foot loose...) but kept my head looking straight onto the goal-line (as a good AR does...) The girls are dancing on goal line heading their way toward goal toeing on the line and I still keep my flag down. After about 2-3 seconds, the CR blows whistle for goal kick. The parents are _livid_. The girls are confused. "How are you going to call that when your linesmen didn't even raise his flag?" "You saw it better than him all the way from that angle, huh?" "I would think the AR has better line of sight than you." The reason he blew was because he thought it went out. I did not hence why I kept my flag down and then he said I ran into the goal why implies I may have missed it. I did not because I specifically remember keeping looking up. And it did _not_ look like it crossed the line to me. So ... I don't know anymore. Anyway, my credibility was crushed and I felt terrible the rest of the game.
Most likely, only in your mind. Stuff happens. One of the keys to surviving as a ref is letting it go and just moving on. (True for players, too--need to think of the next play, not the last play.) Sounds like your R made a well-intentioned but misguided call because he thought you weren't able to see because you ran into the flag. (Happens in the middle sometimes, Shrug.) Oh, well. Don't lose sleep over that! (It happens the other way, too. I was whistling a G14 game with fading goal lines this past weekend, and the players acted like it was over, but my AR wasn't signalling, and then said it was in. Seemed odd to me, but I went with it (fortunately the GK just picked it up, so nothing messy happened--in retrospect, I think it went over the goal line, but my AR momentarily got confused with the pointy ball goal line. I wish I was closer and would have known. Shrug. Life goes on.)
Sounds like you were trying to do it right. Remember, the CR's responsible for decisions whether they use your input or not. Like SoCal said, the CR made a decision and chose not to confer - that means it's on to the next play, it doesn't mean you fouled up. FWIW - when a ball is dancing along my touchline/goal line, I'll often give the CR a subtle hand signal to let him/her know that yes I can see it clearly and yes it is still In Play. Rest assured, it's likely not the last time a CR might seem to make a decision without, or even opposite of, your signal/non-signal... sometimes they see it differently, or brain-cramp but can move the game past it, or have some game management at work, etc. When AR'ing, I regularly remind myself of "Assist, Don't Insist." Understandable. Eventually, we learn to keep situations like that in the proper context. Maybe a quick mention at halftime/post-game to clarify, but certainly not something to dwell on. Not your exact situation, but the feelings sounded familiar.... AR2, one of my first-ever HS games, two opponents battling for the ball along the goal line ~15 yds from me. Ball last touched by a defender was two feet off the ground and just barely, but completely, over the line for a 1/4 second before the attacker got a foot on it sending it way out. Incredibly close, but by gosh I was sure I'd caught it! As I began signalling CK, the CR quickly pointed and emphatically said "Goal Kick"... Huh? I busted butt to get into position to make that really close call correctly! But, I did comply and veered my flag back to my side and moved for the GK. I wondered why he didn't want that called accurately? Or maybe he thought I was just guessing? Whatever, we've got 15 more minutes. After the game, CR explained: "Did you see how *both* players thought it was a goal kick right after the shot went out? They didn't even look for a flag. Yeah, it was close, and you might have been right, but think about this: [Attacking Team] already had the game well in hand and they were expecting a goal kick for [Defending Team]. Take the gift, no need to call an iffy corner at that point in the game." Point is to try and have a chat afterwards so you're not needlessly second-guessing yourself. YMMV.
Good. One other thing, in the FWIW and do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do and maybe-you-already-know-this categories ... think about working to stay off the line a bit as AR, maybe as much as a yard back. It has a lot of benefits, including giving you a better angle of sight in most situations (making close ball in/out calls up the touch line not being among them) and keeping you off the field of play when you're sprinting down the line (and significantly reducing the chance of crashing into the corner flag). It's also an excuse as AR2 for moving the fans back a bit further. Personally I have occasionally looked down and found myself a full yard onto the pitch after a downfield sprint. Oops!
I have found, particularly with a large crowned field, that I have trouble seeing the ball on the ground in the far corner. I find myself 5 yards or so onto the field with a much better view of the play than behind my line. I had one assessor comment unfavorably on my position, but that was 20 years ago!
For some reason I'm flashing back to a time long ago when I was doing a dual on a smallish and very narrow field and blew for a ball out of play because it had exited the PA ... the kids thought I was nuts.
I wasn’t sure where I should put this so I picked this thread, cause this is definitely a bad story. https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/fear-incites-stampede-at-temecula-youth-soccer-tournament https://www.10news.com/news/local-n...t-confrontation-at-temecula-soccer-tournament I should add this happened 20 miles from me, and I just signed up for State Cup Youngers for this weekend.
Parents ruining youth sports is nothing new, unfortunately. Without the added element of a perceived weapon involved we probably never hear about this. Just another reminder not to engage spectators directly, have the coach do it (I'm making this is my personal point of emphasis this year).
Years ago now, I was assessing a U-16 boys semi-final at youth Regionals. (Before DA got started.) The game ended with a minute and a half left in the second overtime when a fight between the parents spilled out onto the field, past a very astonished AR2. If memory serves, no players involved, just parents.
Injury time. The same injury I had cropping up last year when I first started is now popping up again. I thought I could skirt through by doing leg/hip exercises a week before my first match. Nope. I did 4 games back-2-back and I could barely run after the end. I had ITBS on my left knee. Last year it was my right knee. I did a GJV and GV game yesterday and it was better. I took an epsom salt bath last night and did 2 U12G games at 11 and 1 and faired better but the injury persists. Unfortunately, I've had to cancel my Tuesday and Friday games due to the injury and I think I made the right call. Guess my preseason should have included some cardio and light exercise...
You you tried Active Release? I had ITBS a long time ago, had it for a couple of years until I went and found a chiropractor who does Active Release. It was magical. Not everybody is the same, not everything works for everyone, but for me that was a the magic bullet.
I have not. What worked for me last time was rest and strengthening my core muscles. But I'll look into it. Did you only get Active Release once? And where on the body?
I wrote about this in my post asking for advice on small-field single-ref positioning, but a couple of weeks ago I positioned myself as a solo ref on a corner kick about 3 yards off the goal line away from the corner where the kick was taken. As the ball was coming toward the landing area, an attacker was taken down by a defender. I was screened by a bunch of players and was focusing on the drop zone, so I flat-out missed the play. The attacker's coach, who I know well and generally appreciates my officiating, was not happy. Fortunately, when I told him I was focused on the drop zone, he understood. It was a close game, so the call could have had an impact on the game. No excuses on my end - I missed it. I'll learn to take a different position and not worry about an outswinger potentially going out and coming back in next time.