I think that this may be a first, but I'm not sure. This evening at 6:00, yours truly, Big Soccer Referee Forum Poster All-Star Scott Zawadzki will be coaching his U18 team in a match that could put them into the Massachusetts State Tournament of Champions (for the 2nd straight year) OR force them to win Sunday to make a playoff game for the Tournament berth. The Center Referee for tonight's match is none other than fellow Big Soccer Referee Forum Poster All-Star Sherman Whipple. I would assume that we HAVE had an ALL BS POSTER ref crew before, but have we a Coach/Referee relationship?? BTW...I'm suprisingly a nasty coach and have already been given my warning<g>. If any of you Mass Refs are south of Boston today, take a trip down to Hobomock Fields in Pembroke...match starts at 6:00.....I'll be the good looking guy coaching the RED team. If you think you've just seen Santa Claus, you've found Sherman. Scott
Oh Scott, I think you've already found your way into the book, and the game hasn't even started yet. Sherman, it doesn't sound like you're going to get away with $0.37 postage on this match report.
i'm in Snores right now for the Future Problem Solving International Conference...but today is a blah day so i'm sitting in the library...it's a lot colder up here than in Alabama! we were freezing when we got off the plane in Hartford!
Being the sporting sort that I am, I'm going to print out a $2.00 postage label from work today...that outta cover any trouble I'll get into! Scott
It should be a lot of fun. We have a good crew and two good teams. The field, however, is a rather intimate setting (read small field) for a B18 competitve match. I just hope it is not too muddy. Sherman
The "intelligent" referee would look at the field size and decide that in the best interest of the game, the two ugliest players from each team should be RED CARDED immediately following the opening kickoff...THANK GOD HE'S NOT DOING THE GAME AND I HAVE SHERM!!!!! Scott
In all seriousness, my boys and I are looking forward to the match. We haven't had a full crew of experienced (U18/19 match quality) referees all year and this will be a good experience going into (hopefully) the Mass Tourney of Champs the weekend of the 20th.
Good idea but, why wait until the KO? If we sent off four from each team right from the start, we could have a nice 7v7, lots of room for the players. It is something to consider. Sherman
There will probably be half a dozen memoranda coming out of Chicago over the next few weeks, trying to undo the damage done by this one game!
Okay Scott here is what you do. First, don't even acknowledge his presence. At first, act as if you don't even like him at all. Then when the other team is in earshot, chat him up and say how much you enjoy his advice. Two birds with one stone that way. Maybe the other coach will begin to question things even before the game starts Then have your players accidentally <snicker> hit the him with the ball. Complain to him that his positioning wasn't good enough. Then think of some comment that can be taken two ways. Wait for a foul by the other team then say something like, "Hey don't you hate Attacking Minded players? <wink> <wink> That's what your private message said!!" Now the other team is pissed and thinks he is making makeup calls or something. Then have one of your players fake an injury after another foul and tell the referee that you would have expected better game control. Now the other team is expecting unfair calls and he is inclined to call a tight match. Have a player pick an argument with an AR or another player. Then maybe one of your players encroaches on an IFK. Now if your team is up by a goal or two slow the game down by getting into a bunch of little arguments with the referee. If you are even or a goal down get one of the opponents to step over the line. Maybe push into his back in a wall or something like that. So PUT THE PRESSURE ON HIM then use it to your advantage. -------- Just Kidding!!
Both teams played an outstanding match, with the yellow team going up 2-0 early in the second half. Red scored on a PK in the 27 minute of the second half, yellow counterd with a third goal two minutes later and red scored the last goal of the match with seven minutes remaining in regulation. The final was Red 2,Yellow 3. There were no cautions or send-offs and Scott showed exceptional restraint. It was a lot of fun, though it would have been nice if someone had reminded me that this league only goes 40 minutes and not 45 for their B18. Sherman
RAT FARTS!!!!!!!!!! Oh Poooo!!!!!!! I don't want this to sound the wrong way so read the whole thought before blasting me! If Sherman were not reffing the game, we may have had a better chance to win. Not for anything he did wrong, but for what he did properly that ne other referees in this area seems to be able to grasp the concept of. Example, one of players (smallest member of my team) is physically challenged for the ball but maintains control although he is slowed down. Realizing that he is about to be challenged by ANOTHER player, he stops trying to maintain his balance and goes to the ground...no whistle (correctly called), then with the ball close to his grasp he grabs to (as instructed by me to force the official to make SOME sort of call). Referee blows the whistle and correctly calls deliberate handling. Every other referee that we have had all season would have incorrectly given us a DFK. As far as the game goes, we had a 0-0 score going into the 2nd half when Hanover opened the scoring a couple early on. PK awarded to us (RED) on an incredibly silly, unneccessary and obvious hold by the keeper which we converted to make the score 2-1. Hanover retaliated quickly for the 3-1 lead on a hell of a turn-and-shoot from the left of our goal. With about 6 or 7 to play, by son hit a ball from about 35 yards out the somehow rolled its way through three sets of legs and had slowed down enough at the end that one parent told me "I though the paint on the goal line was going to stop it." to make the score 3-2. The last 5 minutes was an all out attack by my side and after a hit post, a couple of near misses and two slaps off the line by the keeper, Hanover defeated PKH 3-2. We'll have another crack at making playoffs this Sunday against a considerably weaker team. Well done Sherman. If there were more refs of your caliber in my league, the players would be a lot better off. Scott
Sherman "played"...I think not! I did indeed try to "play" Sherman once in the match. I don't know if it worked or not. When Hanover built a 2-goal lead, their restarts were getting painfully slow. Sherman kept on them about it "Let's go yellow, get the ball in play" At one point one of my players took it into his own hands to call out Sherman's instructions. I yelled out, to my players of course, "Don't worry, we have a good ref. He knows enough to add time if they are delaying!!!" So Sherm, how much time DID you add in that 2nd half. I hadn't set my watch back after I saved you in the 1st half? <g>
Re: RAT FARTS!!!!!!!!!! Interesting. I thought maybe instead we were going to hear about a caution for the dive and an IFK. (Now where have we seen that test question before?) Sherman was being too nice!
Re: Sherman "played"...I think not! About a minute and a half was added in the second half. I think both ARs did an excellent job. Tim is improving on the eye contact and Rich was a pleasant surprise as a last minute fill-in for Alexey who had to honor a prior assignment in Carver. I did get a kick out of some of the yellow coach's comments, however. Particularly the one implying that the "fix was in", but also in his tactical instructions/critcism of this players. It is too bad for you that the players had the good sense to ignore most of what he was asking them to do, though they were obviously a little frustrated. I was a little surprised that Coastal stays with 40 minute halves for U18 and U19. I did an B18 make-up earlier in the season and ran 45's and no-one said anything.
Re: Re: Sherman "played"...I think not! Ya...the Coastal Youth Soccer League has several oddities including *40 minute matches for U18/19s...don't want to tire out the children *Temporary suspensions "Cooling off rule for yellow cards" btw...no one in the league can answer this question for me. "Sir, you tell us that as referees, we have to order a player to be substititued for if he gets a yellow card. What do I do if there is no substitute on the bench?" I love watching them sweat through that one. *Zero-tolerance...enough has been said on that one! *Playoffs with no "golden goal". Yup, just give the other team a chance to get the equalizer so we can settle a championship fairly...with Kicks from the Penalty Spot! Don't even get me started on how the home towns get to assign all their own refs at every level of play! Oy Vay!!!! Scott
As a post script, both teams involved in this game (PKH-18 & Hanover-18) won their remaining scheduled games and finished with a 5-2-1 record. We will play a playoff match time/date TBA for the right to represent our league in the Mass Tourney of Champs. I'll let you all know what happens. Scott
Coppins Field (Chandler Elementary School)- Duxbury, MA Sunday June 15, 2003 (Father's Day) 5:30 PKH-18 in RED vs. Hanover-18 in YELLOW I'll still be the good looking coach of the RED team. Those of you flying in from out of the area should try to get a room in Plymouth. Good sight seeing during the early part of the day before the match!!! I highly recommend the breakfast buffet at the Harth 'n Kettle at the John Carver Inn for your Sunday morning meal!!! Admission is free, but tipping the coaches is highly encouraged!
I'll actually have been reffing a 1:30 and 3:30 game on the field right next to the one we're playing at...so yes you're right! Nothing like a little "tipping" before reffing a couple of league championship matches to settle the nerves! Scott
Sad, but true story: Early morning of a cold, rainy day for the OTH playoffs. Twelve games to play on four fields so there's lots of activity. In the midst of the referee pregame one of our elder statesmen is offering around swigs from a bottle of Sambouka (or however you spell it). I use the distinctive blue bag from a bottle of Crown Royal to hold small items, keeping them from disappearing into the far corners of my kit bag. I love the expression on the coach's face when I pull the bag out before the game.