But never Racist. Tonight was the first time someone suggested that I preferred another team because my nationality resembled that of another team who seemed to be playing better and got a few consecutive calls in their favor. Cant really decide whether I should have straight-red carded the miscreant for racist behavior of his own, yellowed for dissent, or done nothing. Anyone had this directed at them before?
Can we have a quote, that would help. I've had the opposite happen in a men's competative game. Latin team vs non-Latin (tip toeing with the PC here...). Comment after a call they didn't like. " You called that because we are Mexicans." Translation up to you here. My action? Team captain motioned over as I blow for half time. "You know thats not true. He was accusing me of racism. If I EVER hear that again from your team, straight red. Have a nice game, see you in a few minutes." Man management. Would I have been justified for just popping the red out? Yes. Was my approach better for the game at hand. I think so. I've never heard it again from this team. YMMV.
Quote was something to the effect of: "you know why you're calling it that way. because you're (insert nationality/race) Was not vulgar, no slurs. I caught up to him at the next restart and had a word that anything else suggested like that would be red. It was a very testy game between last place v 2nd to last place late in the 2nd. I Did next week's ref a disservice. Live and Learn.
Were you insulted? If you were, then you have your answer. I'd put accusations of racism, or implications of racist motivations, on par with being accused of cheating--it's essentially the same charge, since your fidelity is supposed to be solely to the laws. We all know that "you're a cheat" are considered magic words for the top referees that warrant an immediate send off. I don't think "you're being racist" or "you're calling that because we're/you're __________" should be any different. If it's loud enough to be public, I think the player has to go... 100%. If it's said for only you to hear it, then maybe you can do something like campbed described. Should you? I'd tend to think not. Unless it's a heated, physical near-violent match where the cards are flying and a red card for a verbal statement that only you heard will make the situation worse... I really believe this needs to be red.
I had a Latino team accuse me of the same thing several years ago. I answered back in Spanish that it was not possible because I was also Latino. The player that accused me was quite shocked to hear me respond to him in Spanish, what did he think I was Italian? It's not like you could ever confuse me as from any other place than the Mediterranean.
Accusing someone of racism without any supporting evidence is outright slanderous, and anyone who does so risks going off in a bus, if you get my drift.
I got a "racist" comment once from a spectator. That was it: he just looked at me and said "Racist!"... after I'd called his team offside. Okay, calling offside is a racist act now? With the only hammer over spectators being suspending the game, it didn't seem worth it and I just game him a glare. Drifting a bit, but an amusing story similar to Alberto's. I was running a line with lots of Spanish-speaking fans crowding the touch. I asked several times in English if they would move back, to no avail. Although I am as gringo as they come, I speak a bit of Spanish with a decent accent so finally I said, "Atras, por favor!" Everyone immediately stepped back from the line... then did a double take when they realized what I'd just said. No more problems the rest of that game.
I don't like "homer" either. Especially when I'm 30 miles from home on a field in a town I have never been to before.
I've never had this happen to me. But my father (also a USSF 8 and NFHS ref) had a HS Boys Varsity game where, after the game was terminated (5 cards to one side = end of game. local ROC), the Red coach who's team was winning but ended up forfeiting implied that the two refs were racist. However, neither my father nor the other ref (also very experienced and highly regarded) heard the full comment and couldn't act on it. Besides, at that point, they're trying to get the heck out of Dodge. Luckliy, there was an independent observer at the field who DID hear the comment and reported it to the assignor who contacted the ADs of the schools involved. Hopefully, this is something that most referees and people in general never have to deal with.
5 Red cards in a game. In Iowa, not only would that team forfeit that game, but 4 Red cards in a season keeps a team out to the state playoffs. 4 red cards has only happened once in three seasons that I'm aware of. One team, made it to the playoffs with three. In the first playoff game, a player then made a foul or abusive comment to the referee. The referee showed a Red card, and the game administrator came on the field and terminated the game.
Not to get too far off topic... In MIAA-sactioned games (public HS and some private), 5 cards of any color (yellow, red, "soft" red) to one team ends the game and it goes on the books as a 1-0 forfeit. In the game mentioned, only of the cards were straight red. Is it a good rule? I don't know, I haven't been in NFHS for long enough.
This one is just way too common...especially in College. Earlier this year in back-to-back matches in different cities at different levels I heard the following post match from the coaches after overtime goals/no goals where they didn't like the calls: NCAA D1 men's match from the home coach: "We get screwed on the road all season. When we are at home we should get that call." (in this case his player was dispossessed around midfield and that turned in to a goal 30 seconds later...he wanted a foul when in reality his player slipped and there was no contact). NAIA men's match from the visitor coach: "I told my players we were going to run in to home town refs and it doesn't surprise me." (this came in a match between the top 2 teams in the conference where we pulled a goal out of the net in 2OT for offside). Both coaches earned cautions for their comments, but I found it amusing to be called out for not being a homer and then being a homer in consecutive matches.
15 yeas ago my son was playing a heavily laden hispanic opponent. After a couple run in my wife yelled for the ref to "give them a green card." I looked at her, one of the least racist people I know, and just busted out laughing. She looked at me and said .."What???"
I wouldn't let that slide at all. I think it would take a total of 2 seconds to get in his face and have him repeat that same line. Its one thing to make an implication, but calling someone outright a racist is perhaps the lowest insult. That's not someone calling a ref a name, that is personal.
Never actually had the word 'homer" used but have been accused of "he's making all the calls against us" or "our town always gets the short end". Funny thing I was from the same town as the people complaining???? Go figure. I wanted to tell them, if I was going to cheat, it would be for you.
Unfortunately, it has been my experience that in recent years, the claim by players of referees being "racist" is increasing in alarming frequency. I can't think of anything that I would be more offended by than this. I have tossed a coach post game for "I guess I need a few more white guys on my team"; I have tossed a coach for loudly yelling "It's alright guys, this always happens when we come to [fill in city name]"; This past Sunday I was lead AR when a hard driven cross from directly in front of me struck a defender's arm in the PA from a distance of about 5 yards. Loud appeal from the player who kicked the ball, everyone else silent. Ball out for corner. Player loudly called me a racist. Center did nothing. I would have tossed him, too. Any loud, public comment that declares a referee to be biased, racist, etc. tears at the foundation of the game and should be dealt with in very harsh terms. It is beyond foul and abusive language. It is a crime against the Game.
Truth Why do coaches/fans/players believe this? I'm a coach, not a ref, but I've never seen anything in the LOTG or ATR that says the home teams get calls, and most of my experience doesn't back it up. This canard also tears at the foundation of the game, just in a less insulting way.
Once, in an Over 30 Mens match, where I was the only referee in a 3-men crew and no assistants were assigned, when I awarded a PK halfway into the 2nd half, the captain of the defense said publically and in a bantering tone "How much did he pay you?" Rather than immediately taking action, I had signalled the player with my hand, to which he immediately replied, "Sorry, did not mean that", identified the kicker, and then when all players were lined up, informed this speaker, "You Mr, White 8, I do not tolerate such language. This is both unfair and brings the integrity of ALL referees into question. Your player tripped Black 7 in the box, and he has been fouled repeatedly." "I was just joking, I should not have said that." To which my response was "This is not a joke, and that too as a leader of your team, Come on Fellow. No more of such language. Behave." Those 16 seconds with all the players lined up beyond the PA had the most impact in player management, and in all my future matches with these players. Did I cop out of meting out harsh punishment? Possibly. Was there a hint of racism here? Likely, as the fouled player and me are very brown. Would it have helped the game if I had sent-off/booked this player-captain? No. Was it in keeping with the tone of the match? Most definitely. There was good banter between players on both teams, and between them and me. Did I gain respect from the players? Yes. Will such buying off-payment situation arise again? Likely. Will this player say such thing again to another official? Not without a memory of this incident.
Amen. I did a game earlier this year at a place in the state that rarely gets refs assigned because it's such a hike from "civilization". I had been scheduled to be in the vicinity with the family for the weekend and agreed to take the game. Plans changed but I didn't want to leave the assignor hanging so I spent the 3.5 hours on the road only to be called a homer by the visiting coach, whose team drove less than half the distance I did. I chose to be "deaf" that time, but I really pissed me off. In retrospect, I should have probably read him the riot act, if not outright tossing him.