I dunno if you or anyone else were on the NISOA fireside call last night. But that was Howard Webb’s call he always encourages the PRO officials to make.
Yesterday was my first high school game of the year. I think I've posted elsewhere about the somewhat schizophrenic high school sports season we have this year in our state. These two schools are taking advantage of the opportunity to have their teams train this fall and play non-counting for anything games. The largest schools are not allowing their schools/teams/coaches to do that. The two schools playing yesterday, however, are from the smallest schools divisions. That means that the home school has less than 129 students, 9-12, and the visiting team has less than 83 students. Both teams are co-ed, as are most teams in their divisions, because otherwise they wouldn't be able to form a team. We were the guinea pigs for all of the Covid-19 mandates and guidelines. The players wore masks at all times, as did the coaches, except for the home head coach. My dual partner and I only wore our masks before and after the game. The visiting team only had 11 players and the home team had 14. The coaches agreed to play 8 v 8. They also felt that their players weren't in good enough shape to play 2 x 40", so we did 4 x 20" with five minutes between all periods. We probably had about 50 spectators. The home team was down 1-3 at half. They scored four goals in the last five minutes, to win 6-5, with the winner coming with 30 seconds left. "It was just ...... swell." Lee Marvin, Cat Ballou. [1965 comedy Western, with Lee Marvin playing both the good guy and the bad guy cowboy, Jane Fonda, Dwayne Hickman and even Nat King Cole.] No arguing, no attitudes, less than seven fouls. I gave both teams a 10 on sportsmanship on my game report. The AD came over after the game to say how happy he was that the kids could just play this game. Had a parent stop me in the parking lot to express the same sentiment.
This is like an episode of the twilight zone. Just be careful to avoid the Kanamits and remember they are “To serve man”.
U19M done and dusted. Foul selection was good but could have worked on my positioning a lot better. There was 1 time where I should have give a yellow but for the life of me just could not get the number. AR2 said I missed a 2CT but I guess I didn't press for another card... other than that -- it went well! Assignor stayed for 1st half much to my surprise. He said my whistle was strong and foul selection was good but other than that, I had to work on controlling substitutes and getting into better position. Overall he thought I did good the 1st half as he had to go. I'd call that match not _too_ bad but a success!
I think this is where this fits... again, I'm a parent, not a ref. The CR last night ejected a ball boy! HSB, District final. The two teams are cross county rivals and tensions are high to start. Rules are each team needs to provide two ball boys (girls, whatever). Host team gives up a PK late in the first half, offender continues to argue and gets his second yellow. Visitors convert the PK. FFWD to 2nd half. Hosts, even playing a man down, continue to pressure the visitors. The announce booth notices one of the ball boys provided by the visitors will quickly toss the ball to their players, but when it's a home throw in, he'll set the ball down and walk away or roll it away from the throw taker. After a handful of times seeing this, the announcer says (over PA), "Ball boy, do your job or leave". About 30 seconds later, another home team throw, the ball boy does the same thing (rolls the ball toward the thrower, but 'away' from them if that makes sense). The CR has a word with him, then did the finger point to eject him. I don't know if the ball boy said something, or the CR just figured enough is enough. Final was 1-0. Visitor keeper had to make some outstanding saves.
I had to toss ball girls out of a playoff game several years ago. They were slow playing it back to the opposition. My AR noticed it before I did. They got a warning to stop playing games. They continued doing it and I said “go”.
I dismissed a ball holder, high school boys varsity game, stadium, under the lights, home team versus the next high school east of them, so a rivalry. Ball holder, behind goal line, had been 'dissing' the visiting keeper at that end. I hear it, and the kid is gone. Pretty bold for a kid of about 10 to be doing that.
HS boys varsity. The school gives us our own parking lot! I am getting ready, when my partner pulls in, and I finish getting ready while talking to him. I am clearly not focusing on the task at hand because I unknowingly switch the pocket for yellow and red. I am a front pocket guy, right for yellow, left for red. second half. Attacker comes in late on defender and after the ball is away, he forearms him in the chest, and the defender falls awkwardly. I hit the whistle hard as I am within 10 yards of the foul, and did not watch the Flight of the ball like everyone else in the stadium. Another few inches, and the forearm would have hit the defender square in the jaw. I say to the attacker “You’re lucky this isn’t red!”, as I pull out a RED card, which I quickly put back in my pocket.
Well, it’s been an interesting year. After reffing 6 summer league games over the summer, I got a job at Chick-fil-A so I can have steady income (I’m in college). In August I turned 20 and I have only reffed 1 game this fall season. Tomorrow I have 3 Girls Academy matches, one of which is a center. I’m disappointed that my referee development has seemingly been put on pause for the time being, but I’m glad to be back on the forum!
Well, I have been away for awhile (if anyone noticed) so I will just throw all by Bad stuff for the Boys season in one post, sorry for the long read. About my 3rd HSBV match of the season is a senior riddled home squad that is usually middle of the table, against a usually better visiting team that just had a ton of kids graduate last year. Game is going ok, I am feeling pretty good keeping up with play (which had me worried after a spring and summer season of no soccer) and making some good calls, I am noticing that the visiting team is doing a LOT of shirt grabbing, that I am calling, it is obvious for all to see, so I am thinking there are no issues. Now, for this Conference they had decided that all players needed to wear masks at all times. That happened until the first 5 minutes of the game and then 95% of the players just wore the scarfs around their necks. Not my job to enforce so we play on. End of the first half and visiting team is up 2-0. Start the 2nd half and home team trying to cross the ball out of their own PA hits a defenders arm (which was WAY out from his body and about 15 yards away) Blow for the PK. It was one of those angles that depending on your position it was hard to tell just how far the arm was out. I had a perfect view, but the coach was still jawing at me and when his own defender tells his coach it was a handball the guy starts yelling at his player that this was his 2nd penalty that he had conceded already this year. PK converted and restart 2-1. About 70 minutes in Visiting player takes out Home player on a 50/50 ball @ midfield. On ensuing FK ball bounces twice in PA and home team buries it to tie the game. Remaining 20 minutes is constant pressure by visiting team to get back. Home keeper is the best I have seen in the area in awhile and the visiting team missed about 3 open shots. I gave 1 YC to home team player UB and then one to visiting player UB for some late reckless fouls. Game ends 2-2. Home coach walk over and just starts laying into me about "This is HS VARSITY soccer and I was calling all the fouls against his team. I think he said foul count was 24-3 And that EVERYTIME he comes up here to play he gets "home town officials" and that they always get a free kick around midfield late in the game. I told him that his players were PULLING jerseys, not something I can let slide, and they KEPT doing it. I also told him I had to drive over 40 miles to officiate the game and if I had to officiate in HIS town I would only have to drive 30 miles, so I don't know where your home town issue is. I told him to go back to his team and talk about how his defense didn't clear that ball away after the first bounce or tell his Strikers to keep their heads down when shooting on an open net. He grumbled something and walked away. This usually is an "ok" coach and I have never had any large issues with him, but I was going to let him come over and bad mouth my team just because his team couldn't put it to bed. 4th HSBV match I did was a division lower then above. This is the Home teams first year having HSBV and it shows, although they had a few kids that pretty decent and the conference is not the most competitive playing to begin with. Get to the field for a 7PM game under the lights. Home team has a student section full of about 60 HS kids just yelling and screaming the whole game. Wearing Osh Kosh's and MAGA hats and running up and down the bleachers waving Flags around. You know, just being dumb HS farm kids who know nothing about the sport. They were mostly harmless though and they weren't calling out any visiting players out by their names or numbers so I got no issues. Visiting team has ONE player, #7, coaches son, they just play the ball up to the top and he takes on 4 defenders, sometimes he scores, sometimes he doesn't but that is the extent of this game. About 40 minutes into the game #7 scores his 3rd goal and visiting team are up 3-0. I am about to restart, oh forgot to tell you when I got to the field I noticed they had painted the Circle of excellence with a 10yd Diameter Luckily it was the football practice field so I was having the kids just step back another 5 yards. I look over to my AR2 and he is waving me over. I go over and he said I had to boot a parent, with all the noise from the student section I hadn't heard this parent bitching about me the whole game I guess. The AD was there and and I got him and told him to remove the parent. Much to the joy of the other parents around him I guess. Game starts and home team actually gets a goal, Might've been their first home goal because the crowd goes nuts. About 50 minutes in Visiting #11 goes in late and hard on #9 from home team. I blow the whistle and motion #11 over for his YC. As he is walking towards me #7 from Home team walks next to #11 and does a little leg swipe @ #7. I just stare at him for a second and blow my whistle again and give him a YC as well. As I walk the two kids to the sideline to report the cards to the coaches, the home coach asks why his player got a card and I said he swiped at the legs of Visiting player well after the play had stopped. Coached looked at the player and he just shrugged and walked to the bench. Coach puts the kid in about 5 minutes later and I call a FK for visiting team at midfield, as I am looking at the landing area and getting ready for the kick I hear a kid say "HE JUST SPIT ON ME!" I turn around and there is a visiting player showing me his arm that has a huge Luggie on it. and #7 is standing right next to him just staring me down. I quickly go to my AR on that side of the pitch and ask and he say nothing. I go back to #7 and ask him if he spat on his hand. He of course shrugs denies it, I go into a riot act on him about if he HAD done that and someone saw him do it, it would be an immediate RC and he probably would be done playing HS soccer for the rest of this year, and with the possibility of COVID as well, I wouldn't be surprised if the WIAA would make it longer. But since I didn't actually see it, there was nothing I could really do. After the game I brought the incident up with the coach and told him I had a STRONG suspicion that he had done it, but I couldn't do something I hadn't seen, but if he had someone taping the game he might want to go back and double check. Visiting team won 7-3 with all goals scored by #7. Home students after the game rushed the field and started congratulating both teams. Hope the team makes it long term. Then next weekend I had a funeral for a College buddy over the weekend, dude was only 57. My 3rd College buddy to pass away in less than a year, all under the age of 60, all of us Fraternity brothers. I had a small gathering at my house after the funeral On Friday night, about 30 people. On Sunday I started feeling ill and by Monday I was down for the count. Went in on Wednesday and tested positive for COVID. Quickly cancelled my remaining games for the year. It hit me HARD, just mostly in the lungs, coughing fits and no appetite. All food tasted really "off" That was over 2 weeks ago, thankfully no one else at my place or the Funeral had tested positive that I knew of. Just me and the Mrs at the home with the kids in College so no chance of me causing any more problems. I should be past the contagious stage and COULD get in to do the playoffs coming up next week, but I still don't have all my strength back and I lost over 30lbs since becoming ill (almost under 200 for the first time in a LONG time), plus I am still coughing a lot. Dr. says that might continue for up to 6 weeks. I don't wish this on my worst enemy, I know that all cases are different, the Mrs went in to get tested and it came back inconclusive so she had to get the swab the 2nd time. Haven't got those results back yet. So, there is the novel. It is good to get back on here and read some of the other stories. I didn't realize how much I miss bouncing stuff around on here.
Dude, @Ickshter, way to bury the lede in paragraph 100. Take care of yourself, buddy. The game will be there when you’re back.
youre 20 mang. You’ll have plenty of time. I hope during that time you have used it to up your fitness.
Thanks, I wasn't too worried about it. I am feeling better, when I went into the Dr. they were telling that it isn't a huge issue for anyone under 80 (his words not mine), it was the sickest I have probably been in many years, but in the end, besides the lingering cough I am feeling much better. Funny thing, my OL who lives in the house with me never tested positive. I tried to stay downstairs while she was upstairs and vice versa, but she was stuck at home because her work made her work from home until she tested negative because she told them I was positive. She got one inconclusive test and then one negative. So she is back at work now.
Sadly the "best" story of my week was me cocking up a substitution, allowing the restart that resulted in a goal that I had to take away because the substitution was still going on. If the goal stood it would have been 1-0 at that point, the game ended 0-2. The good one is that I got to be AR on what is largely regarded the best amateur game in Houston and we rocked it.
We have had our younger daughter living with us for 2 months (soon to go back) and we have been juggling 2 cars for 3 people. I have been moving all my gear from car to garage to the other car to garage and back to my car. So, my question is: HAVE YOU EVER LEFT YOUR SHOES (both pairs) IN THE GARAGE? And, driven 35 miles, and found out they aren’t in their case? (I had taken them out to clean off the mud). I drive in slippers! I got my wife to drive my shoes to me!! We’ve been married for 44 years, she already knows I’m an idiot.
It wasn't shoes for me. Referee shorts. I went to change, at work, and realized I didn't put the shorts in the bag. I'm headed 180 degrees away from home to get to the game, at rush hour. There is no way to go home to get them and get to the game in time. Did I mention that it was a high school playoff game, and I've got the whistle? Oh, and the socks were missing too. What do I do? Then I remembered the soccer supply store five minutes away. "I need referee shorts." "What size?" "Medium." "All we have left is XL." I cinched 'em up and wore them. The socks were XL too. The assignor is at the game. "Your socks kept falling down." Now I use rubber bands as gaiters.
I am an acting referee instructor for a local rec league. Mainly because I am a little more than twice the age of the next younger referee. We run solo on 5v5 and usually duals on 7v7. Every once in a while a 7v7 will be solo. One referee couldn't be there tonight, so the director assigned one person to take her place. The assistant director assigned another to take her place. Including me, we had three referees for a 7v7 game. I hate I didn't bring my flags. Neither of the other two has ever done a game with flags. So we did the next best thing. A double dual. I never did one before so I know I didn't do it to the letter. A high school age girl who has really good promise took the center. A new one who plays high school but never reffed before this fall took the AR2 spot on the field. I took AR1 to be the coaches' chew toy. We didn't rotate because I didn't want to confuse myself, let alone the other two. The CR did well. She said she liked being "in the middle" more than doing duals. The other referee seemed lost. He did well, asserting who had the throw in and determining corner/goal kicks. But he seemed to be out of position for offside more than a few times. CR bailed him out more than once. At the very beginning of the season, I talked with all the youngsters about getting USSF certified. Two already were, but they are the children of the director. The rest showed no interest at all. Now tonight's CR has the resolve to be comfortable with the whistle in the middle and said she wants to certify USSF. I hope she does.
I have pulled over on the side of the road to check that my whistle, cards and shoes are in the trunk more times than I care to admit. I now keep a plastic bag in the passenger seat with whistles/cards/etc so I can see them! I’m pretty sure that’s OCD ... That, and the recurring dream I have that I whistle and no sound comes out ...
I was lucky . . . for me the field was only 10 miles away and my wife was understanding as I didn't have time for a round trip . . .
Carded another U12 boy in a rec game. This was on purpose. This kid kept kicking the ball away whenever it was his opponents' throw in, free kick or corner kick. Not far, just kicking it a yard or three away. After I think the fifth time, I said "Enough." First corner kick in the second half for his opponent I said loudly "Blue corner. Black, leave the ball alone." The keeper rolled the ball toward the corner, but Mr. troublemaker picked the ball up and carried it back to his keeper. I pulled out the yellow card and he did a fist pump, saying "Yessss." I actually was hoping he would do something stupid one more time for the second yellow, but he apparently got it out of his system.
He probably won a bet with someone, but you certainly did the right thing. Be thankful he decided to earn his caution with benign actions like delaying restarts instead of reckless tackles.
Indeed. I forgot to mention it was the last game of the rec season, so I am sure it was on purpose. But I'll take DR over reckless fouls any day of the week.
I've had Rec and even HS (lowest of levels) players ask if they can get carded in a game, and yes it's usually the last one of season. I tell them - "Only for DR or FRD. Any dissent or hard fouls and I'll know it's on purpose so it could end up Red." Never had one follow through.