Sorry, that’s what I was (probably) trying to say. My oldest son has glasses like that, so I’m pretty familiar with those.
I have prescription sunglasses so I can read the smaller numbers on my watch. Even if they weren't, I am not doing such high levels of games to care what some may think about my wearing them. With blue eyes, I will have a headache after reffing a few hours without them. My comfort is more important than their old-school thinking that sunglasses are forbidden.
Sunglasses basically allowed/expected in officiating every other sport that’s done in the beating sun, driving two ton gasoline carrying death machines, even the coaches in these same games wearing sunglasses is fine, but apparently if you referee soccer wearing them, it means you are effectively blind. More useless officiating stereotypical gate keeping from this sport
Apparently it is the son of one of guys who is on our High School Referee Board of Directors who has picked up the middle for the NPSL final being played Saturday night in Madison, NJ. I have never met the kid, so we'll see how he does.
Being blind has never been the rationale at all against sunglasses. Sunglasses are discouraged (and at higher levels essentially discouraged) because it makes eye contact harder. That includes the R-AR eye contact and communication with players. Sunglasses are distancing. Whether that is a good enough reason to eschew them is another question. But don’t make up stupid straw men to mock it.
It's not a straw man at all. Maybe you haven't heard the "sunglasses = blind" trope, but I absolutely have. I have even seen coaches, wearing sunglasses, yelling sunglasses criticisms at a referee wearing them. There is absolutely a belief that a ref wearing sunglasses cannot see the game properly when, ironically, it can actually be the lack of sunglasses (or the hat/visor controversy) that can cause a referee to not call the game as well (ex. at dusk with sunset right in your eyes, or extremely bright sunlight making it uncomfortable for your eyes). Eye contact, yes that is a factor, but a ref can easily take off sunglasses if needing to talk directly to a player. But it’s another example of soccer putting its referees on a weird pedestal that referees in other sports do not have.
It’s a 100% a straw man. Just because some people don’t understand the rationale for the practice and say something different does nothing to change the actual rationale. Stupid peop,e and those with agendas say lots of things that don’t make sense. as far as taking them off when talking to players/coaches, that is definitely the way to go (and has been an adjunct to avoid wearing them for a very long time). But it does nothing to address eye contact among the referee team. I’m not advocating for keeping the limit (and the no hat was always dumber than the no. Sunglasses—the world went upside down some years back when an EPL (?) AR wore a hat because it was necessary, which of course is less likely to be necessary in professional stadia than on grass roots fields—I believe it was even with a logo from one of the teams because it was available). And of course pro refs on,y do one game, not several back to back. I do think it is preferable to not wear sunglasses (for the real reasons, not the straw man). But for those of us doing grass roots games, I’ll never criticize someone who makes a different choice. As long as sleeve lengths match!* ——— *just a joke for those around long for when many in the US thought that was a big deal.
Not sure if anyone else saw the quarterly but there is a new name for USSF Director of refereeing, education & development. Additionally, this person will be replacing Rick Eddy.
It's Brian Hall. He just keeps bouncing from referee administrator job to job in North America now for like a decade and a half. Why and how he keeps getting these jobs is hard to understand? No one actually likes him.
I received it today as well. Are these still being sent quarterly? If so, they may be going to my spam as I haven't received it in nearly a year.
They aren’t as regular. I recall seeing one mid summer. And for sure one in the spring time (maybe March) which is why I said quarterly.
I was puzzled by this item: *** Lastly, in our continued effort to increase support to our Referee Community, we are pleased to announce the Referee Department has hired a Senior Manager, Refereeing Operations. We look forward to announcing the newest member of the team starting late August! *** Why not just announce the person now?
Props to Jamie for the NPSL award, he's a good referee. Did first two scrimmages of the season, nailed a tough goal line decision as AR2. Keeper who let in the goal wasn't happy but it for sure was over the line. Go me!
U.S. Soccer Congratulations to U.S. Soccer Referee Katrazyna Wasiak who has been selected for her first FIFA event at the upcoming U-17 FIFA Women's World Cup. Wasiak will serve as an Assistant Referee at the tournament to be held from Oct. 16-Nov. 3 in the Dominican Republic.
Mathew Cheeseman 3 days ago I am thrilled to be joining Kari Seitz and the team at U.S. Soccer Federation as Senior Manager, Refereeing Operations in the next chapter of my journey. It is an exciting time for soccer in the United States, and I am honored to be given the opportunity to help realize the growth potential of refereeing, and to support referees and the sport across the country.
It's that time of the year again. Yesterday was two games for an adult tournament. O-65's followed by O-60's. It was very interesting to watch how much difference just five years make in player fitness. In the first game, both teams scored twice, 4-0 final. I think we were 20 minutes in before the first foul. The second foul was a guy who got his cleats stuck in the shoelaces of his opponent. One keeper thought he had the ball in his hands, but it squirted down, so he got his hands around it again on the bounce, only to lose it again in the same way. And I hear cries from the opponents "Double dribble, ref!" Today was my first college game of the season. D3 women v. alumni. Huge turnout. I think there were a total of 50 players. Many more people on the field and benches than in the stands. Alumni sub after their goalkeeper had made a save? Sure. Why not? No rosters, no scoreboard, no numbers on the alumni shirts, shin guards were more like a suggestion. Picture taken of all the coaches and players together before the game. In the second half, the alumni actually scored, shortly after a male voice from the stands yells "Come on, alumni!" After the header went in, the coach yells "Who was marking her?" And a very small voice says, 'me.' The lines were two injured players for the college team, one wearing crocs. We went 25 minutes before the first foul, but I did give a PK for the second goal, to no objection from the alumni because it was so obvious. The most important referee thing about this sort of game is to recognize what this game is and not get all wrapped up in the official college rules.
First game this fall went OK. Center for a U14 girls travel tournament game. I might question my foul recognition, but game management went well. It helped that I ingratiated myself to both coaches when their players came up to let me know the boys team warming up was making rude comments to all the girls playing, and I went over and VERY LOUDLY informed the boys that I didn't want to hear a word from them toward the players on the field. (In retrospect, I'm not sure I had much authority to do anything if they had persisted, though I think the site coordinator may have come over for a word.) Second game was more eventful. The aforementioned boys team was very good at holding. I was the AR, and I put up the flag for it on a couple of occasions -- the young center saw it once but didn't see it the other time. It was a tense, physical 2-1 game, with the holding team in the lead while the other coach fretted about all the fouls the center was letting go. With about seven minutes left, I started thinking I really wanted this to be over. Goal kick on my half of the field, and ... POOF!! The lights went out. The trailing team asked if they could go ahead and take the goal kick. The sun was completely gone by that point (it set during the first half), so we figured that'd be a bad idea. Site coordinator gets tournament staff on the phone. The word is that you have to wait 15 minutes before trying to turn the lights back on. We informed both teams that we'd try then. The lights didn't come back on ... BUT the game on the stadium field (we were on an adjoining practice field) had ended, and the lights there were nice and bright. We played the last seven minutes on the stadium field. Another hold, another complaint from the aggrieved coach, but we had built up a bit of goodwill in such a funny situation, so everyone was in a good mood when we finished.
It took me a few times - OK, until you replied with your emoji, to realize exactly what the original post meant. Owen Goal had quite a game!!
I got this clip from a friend of mine from a youth game he was on, doesn’t fit in any other thread. Regardless if this is inside or outside the penalty area, are you giving a SPA YC for this handling? I think for sure if it’s outside because of the right forward if that ball passes the defender, but would this qualify as still being SPA for not challenging the ball for a PK and still be valid? https://streamable.com/hulcyw