sounds like our local indoor league. Dudes show up with a rainbow of shirts and just seek out a team each hour. And don't ever go to the front desk and complain that 'he was not on their roster' or 'he is under 30'. It don't matter.
Our USASA/USSF affiliated state association has converted a number of adult leagues to affiliation. One parks department league came over because the teams didn't trust themselves. The managers would meet on Monday night to go over suspensions. "Jose got a red card yesterday but he isn't that kind of player. I move that he not be suspended for this weekend." It had become "I'll vote not to suspend your guy if you vote not to suspend my guy." In fact, the players didn't want to play against thugs from the other team. "We've got to go to work tomorrow." So they affiliated for the player discipline. If you give a red card, you keep their player pass and send it to the state office. They have to come in and pay a $50 fine to get their card back and they can't get it back until their team has played one game without them. If you're playing in another league at the same time, you can't count that game against your suspension in the league where you got the card. If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.
Worked a small-school girls V/JV doubleheader last night. I had the center for the varsity (an 8-0 game that wasn't as close as that score indicated - my coverage map had a lot of red in the home team's attacking half of the field in both halves) and then worked a line for the JV game. One of the other officials is a young college student and worked the center for a game older than U14 for the first time. She had an advantage that led to a goal on my half of the field. Nice confidence boost for her. She did a very good job, just had some minor positioning things to work on (which wasn't helped by a field that was 55 yards wide - I was hit by the ball in the first five minutes of my game because I couldn't figure out the passing lanes on a narrow field combined with a lot of kickball early).
This exact same thing for me....when I CR'd my third HS JV game this season-- deferred to advantage play which resulted in a goal. What a rush! It's things like that that keep me going.
I have had a busy April. In the last 2 weeks, I have had 12 different referee sets. 19 HS and 5 club games. I had a rough top level JV boys game earlier this week. Last night, I had my first Varsity Center. It was two previously undefeated girls teams from medium sized schools. It was one of the most fun and entertaining games I've officiated in a long time. A lot of ball control, few fouls or boom balls. The visitors scored 2 nice goals in the first 15 minutes. The home team scored just before halftime. After halftime, the visitors scored again. With the 15 minutes to go the visitors with a weaker bench were starting to tire. The home team scored with 15 minutes and 4 minutes to go tying the game. The home team won with 5 minutes to go in the second OT. I felt great about the game. no complaints from either team, with little complaining about calls missed. I remember why I love being in the center.
My last HS Boys match a week ago: Called last-minute by assignor "Can you drive 50 minutes out to work a 2-man for these teams? It should be super easy, both teams are really nice, coaches are great." I'm ALWAYS up to help get matches played so hit the road. Pitch was small, like, SMALL small. Maybe 95-100 long and the width was hard to tell as it was on a slant, behind the school and was in not-great shape. Behind the benches was a forest that dropped down a hill about 15 yards past the benches, so EVERY ball OOB that side had to be chased. you'd watch a player disappear, then randomly pop back up with a ball. Visiting team had 10 players, so they played 9v9. It was the most fun on a pitch I had all season. Kids were SOOOOOOOOOOO nice, coaches, too. Lots of "omg, man, I'm sorry, you ok?" after fouls. And I gotta say 9v9 and a smaller pitch was WAY more interesting and fun/dynamic than 11s on a big pitch. best $65 I ever earned doing this
All of the Americanizations (some pushed by FIFA) that were tried over the decades have faded, and they're not really missed. But I wonder if they would've had success with 9v9 on a smaller field. They could have used baseball outfields without messing with the dirt infields, which might have made a difference in the NASL. It's fun to watch -- I've seen it many times in pro training sessions. Set pieces don't have quite as many bodies in the area. The window for trying this has surely passed -- though given all the variants of sports now being played (3v3 basketball, and I kid you not, beach wrestling), maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea.
U-9 girls rec league. Third week of the season, and they haven't grasped the rules. Goalkeepers making saves and then putting the ball down as if it's a goal kick -- which would be a live-ball frenzy if the other team realized they could immediately charge in. The classic "Which team?" after calling a corner kick. At halftime, a parent came onto the field to ask why I was letting the other team's keeper handle the ball so far outside the box. I quickly realized he was confusing the areas -- the keeper was handling the ball well within the penalty area but outside the goal area. I was standing near the corner of the PA, so I hopped over to it and held my arms out to show him which area was the one in question. "A keeper can go out to the edge of the BIG box?" I was flustered at this point and probably could've chosen my words better. "Um, yes. Have you watched much soccer?" Him: "I played in college, but thanks." I'm glad he walked away because I had no idea what to say to that.
U10B game yesterday, visitors mostly girls. Coach very chill and supportive of her kids, we had a nice chat about individualist boys getting outplayed by collectivist girls. Home kid, eats his Wheaties, on a run across midfield. Visiting defender, she's half his weight, runs him down and pokes the ball away, ponytail flying. Later in my O50 game I looked up while play was at the other end, watching a great blue heron swoop around. Made saves, had laughs, told lies.
I worked 3 games this weekend, 2 centers and had 4 red cards for VC. The first 2 came in a U20 Presidents Cup match. In the 82nd minute, a player on green committed at least SPA 30 yards from goal, even with the right edge of the PA by grabbing a white attacker around the waist with both arms and holding on. It was close to DOGSO since there weren't any other defenders but before I could get input from the AR the two players have squared up, hands up, and are bouncing like they are in a boxing match. Me railing on the whistle from 3 feet away and the AR (upgrading to national this year hopefully) doesn't settle them down and teammates come pouring in at which point I make eye contact with the AR and we both take a few steps back and watch. After the game I ask the AR if he knows what happened. "I have no idea my friend. *shrug*" The other two were in an adult match were two guys took one swing each at eachother seen by the AR. What a cluster.
Off Topic, but I gotta say as long as you're not talking about hunting elephants in Alabama because in Alabama the Tuscaloosa, you don't have to pay my avatar a royalty. Thanks for the smile.
The last guy almost ruined this place, 'Cause he didn't know what to do with it If you think this place is bad off now, Just wait ''til I get through with it!
I have a whistle to match every color jersey that I own, and I like to use a whistle that matches my shirt but I am not obsessive about it. I used to be. Then I did this one junior college game where the referee delayed the start of the match so that he could run into the locker room and get the right color whistle to match his shirt! That is a little too much.
As I take note of your avatar you were the one who said: "One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don't know. '
Last night I'm helping train some new young refs for the local club's rec program. I asked them to all get their whistle ready to practice some basics, then proceed to pull my key fob from my pocket and bring it up to my mouth. "Woah, that's a funny looking whistle isn't it?".
Wow I had no idea...would love to get an interview with her: On 28 April 1980, the NASL becomes the 1st professional sports league in North America to admit women officials when it adds Betty Ellis of California to the referee corps for the 1980 NASL season. Ellis, a widowed mother of 5 and a teacher of handicapped children in her day job, debuts on Mother's Day that season and works NASL games for 4 seasons. Although subjected to catcalls from the stands and often forced to dress in men's urinals, she generally drew high praise from players, coaches, and fellow referees, and opened the door for women officials in soccer and other major sports. Said Vancouver Whitecaps forward Ray Hankin: "If they are all as good as her, we should have more of them."