"Doing youth is easy. You have natural authority. You're Dad. Adults don't care who you are. You are the baby-sitter. The pros are the same, a bunch of prima-donnas that need a baby-sitter." - National Emeritus Referee
Just a couple of months after I received my USSF futsal certification, I received an invitation to work at the Central Regional futsal championships in the Kansas City area Presidents Day weekend. I'll only be able to work on Sunday, but I'm looking forward to putting my certification to good use for one day. It probably helped that I took my futsal certification course from the same people assigning the event and that they have seen me officiate outdoor when my kid's played in the KC area.
Ever have one of those matches where you just happen to get a great angle on every challenge? And you're in the right spot 99% of the time? And when your ARs are in perfect position for the tough calls? Our crew was on our game tonight. Compliments from the losing coach afterwards. One of our higher ups was there to observe as well. Proud of that one.
Having two good ARs on a match is soooo helpful. Being able to trust them in their quadrants, allowing you to focus on play near you, is so underrated.
This Saturday I will have my first HS lacrosse officiating field training. In the past 6 months I went from only refereeing soccer to picking up two additional sports I have literally never watched before training to be an official in them. First water polo in August, now lacrosse. In water polo I went from sheer terror to at least getting some compliments from fellow experienced refs and coaches by the end of the Fall season about my progress, so hopefully I can follow that same trajectory with lacrosse, but it seems a lot more confusing.
FA ANNOUNCEMENT Body cams to be trialed by Grassroots Referees in an effort to combat ref abuse. Statement as follows #GrassrootsFootball leagues in England before the end of the 22/23 season, to explore whether the use improves respect towards referees in the grassroots game. 100 referees will wear the equipment while officiating adult grassroots football matches in England
I finished up my fifth season of HS reffing today with a 4th for a girls' semifinal (just the 2nd time I've had a semifinal; the other was as an AR). It was my busiest season ever: 82 games, including two preseason scrimmages, 70 regular season matches (from November 16 to January 30), and 10 playoff games (thanks to newly expanded playoffs that meant 48 more playoff games than last year, many of them incredibly lopsided). And out of those 10 playoff games, none of them went to extra time!
Despite hardly knowing what the hell was going on in lacrosse today, I got multiple compliments about how I was the fastest ref on the field and how I looked "the most natural" on the field because of how well I run. I told the refs from soccer who I know how just being in position and keeping with play sells like 75% of that you look like you know what you're doing.
I got assigned onto a Friday HS semifinal playoff game that is quite a distance away. Usually I would not go so far, but apparently it is between two rival schools where the stuff basically always hits the fan and that both ADs specifically asked for a heavy handed ref. My assignor referred and assigned me because "my officiating style is conducive to a game staying in control". He said that usually he would put a regional on it, but that regionals tend to let too much physicality go and he believes it would lead to another disaster. I've never seen the two schools before but I'm sensing that my 10 card game record may be falling.
Congrats! The backstory is really funny. Be careful not to decide what will happen before the game starts, though! I've had some games where I've gone in expecting it to be a card fest and it turned out to be a total dud.
My son, who is a senior, has decided to play HS lacrosse this season for the first time, since he's not playing soccer in college and thus, his club career is over. He played a little when he was 7 or 8, but that's it. I'm looking forward to seeing him try a new sport, but I'll have little to no clue as to what's going on, so that will be interesting.
Finally got around to taking my LotG test for my 2023 recert. 40 multiple choice questions, followed by 10 videos where you needed to decide the correct response (restart, misconduct, etc). 80% needed to pass. The videos don't play. I tried both Mac and Windows. I tried different local accounts. I suspect that GameOfficials uses Flash, which went out of support years ago. So, finally decided to just guess at the answers without actually seeing the content. Since the video plays in a 2" x 3" window, it's usually impossible to see what's going on anyway. I guessed right on 4/10 videos, and passed with an 82%. Worst score I've ever had, but good enough to recert.
Copied this from Bad Stories; Two years ago I started down that path. Lacrosse did have a good mentor program. I went and watched a JV game and felt that I could do this. Then I watched the varsity. I didn't even see the ball most of the time and had no idea what the refs were calling. For my fist 5 or 6 games I was carried by my partners. The only calls I made were out of bounds. At mid season I decided to start making calls, and learn from my mistakes. It was rough. Fortunately, lacrosse coaches don't dissent as much due to the in-home player serving their penalties. Things did get better. In my second year I met another official who told me that it took him 3 years before he really got the hang of things. That was a great relief to me and it seems to be the case for me. One thing that helped was doing a lot of middle school games. The slower pace allowed me to learn to process what I was seeing and make the right call. Hopefully you will get to work with experienced refs who are a great help.
Not sure where to put this, so I'll be optimistic and put it here. JV boys game, dual. I hate duals. I'm in the quadrant in front of the home bench. Every time I cross the midline to get farther, there is a counter attack and off to the races I and my 300+ pounds go. Every time the visiting coach goes off on something, that something happens across from me and down from my partner, and I am usually screened. Or it happens in front of their bench. I try to get an angle but am usually too far away and screened. Tie game and the visiting coach is trying to fire up his team and get mouthy with me. Finally I had enough. I stop the clock and go have a chat with him. I start standing side by side with him and he said "Dang it. I was hoping you would face me." Um...sir? "If you face me, I know I am getting a card. But you aren't facing me." We have our chat and as I walk away he said "You can card me if you want." Not yet, coach. Five minutes later the visitors score. I heard him say "Now i don't have a reason to get a card."
Alright folks, home now and it lived up to its expectation. Both ADs came over to talk to our crew before the match about the expectation. I told them not to worry. The resulting misconduct. Home won 1-0 with 75' goal
It looks like circled players are the ones sent off. #12 got a card for serious foul play, #10 got 2 cautions, #8 got violent conduct, and #3 got 2 cautions. All of those are reds.
I think soccerref69420 hasn’t updated us yet as he’s still negotiating rights to the movie. “It started out like any other pleasant sunny day… Minute Ten, in theaters this fall”