I had not one, but two situations this weekend where I heard, "But I got all ball, ref!" One tackle was when the defender tripped the attacker's other (plant or "non-playing") leg, and the other tackle was a leaping, straight-legged slide tackle that came in at a hard angle and did get a lot of ball and hardly any player. When the players and coaches complained about getting the ball, I thought to myself that he was lucky to get so much of the ball. Had he got player and not ball, I would have asked the center to show a red for serious foul play. All I can say is, "I don't care if you got the ball. That kind of tackle is still careless and deserves to be called a foul." I also remember Lubos Michel calling a two-footed tackle that got absolutely nothing but ball a foul in the Confederations Cup final in Frankfurt, so we must be doing something reasonably right to call these type of tackles fouls despite the fact that the players did get a lot of the ball.
That's my second least favorite player saying. The first is, of course, "Hey linesman, it's when the ball is kicked!" Gee, thanks for straightening me out on the offside law!
"But I thought the ball was out before I picked it up!" "Hey ref, a foul in the box is a PK, not a throw-in!" "There's no offsides (sic) on a direct kick!" "Hey, the goalie touched that ball twice!" ("Yes... once with his face, and once with his hands... I'm going to let play continue, thanks.")
http://www.nfhs.org/scriptcontent/v...owArchive=No&NewsHeader=sc&NewsFooter=SC_FOOT The full rule book is only available on-line to members. Nice to see that taunting is now a straight red, not a soft red (but that's a topic for another thread ).
I just feed it back to them when there's a claim for offside that I'm not calling. "It's when the ball is kicked, guys!" I've never had a player come up with a response to that.
No 1. U-10. Two different sized players challenging for the ball make shoulder to shoulder contact. The smaller one goes about 4 feet off her line and I hear a parent, "watch the shoulder!" No 2. U-12. A mis-hit shot rolls into the penalty area and the keeper picks it up, no problem. The captain of the keeper's team comes over and snatches the ball from the keeper's hands. After a moment of shock, I whistle and point to the spot. The players of the penalised team said "that's not fair, he's cheating".
I think I get it. It's a handball in the penalty area and a pk was called? I still don't get "The players of the penalised team said "that's not fair, he's cheating". Who did they think was cheating? The referee?
Had this one the other day. I'm doing a game between two local kids camps where almost all the counselors are Brits in their early teens looking for a trip to the US + cash. I only have club linesmen and the game is fairly casual in organization though serious in competition. At any rate at some point in the first half in trying to keep track of subs-I was using the standard youth modifications- I made the remark to one of the players that I'm trying to do this by the book. Well just before kick off this player comes up and says well if we are going by the book Id really like the ARs to switch sides. What???? says I, yeah switch sides ARs never switch sides, only the teams do Go watch a professional match mate and learn to do it right YC Where was he coming from- how do you grow up as a decent soccer player from a soccer mad country and honestly believe that ARs switch positions at any point during the match?
The one thing that we do lead the world in is kids playing in organized "official" matches. It has been my experience that a great many people who come to our shores with excellent skills do not have any significant experience playing in organized "official matches". I have played with many players who have played far longer than I who have not played anywhere near the number of actual 90 minutes with lines, nets and officials games. I think that you would find an similar phenomenon for Americans and basketball.
I do believe the ARs in England switch sides with the teams. Our English friends can help clarify this one. That being said, you still should have carded the kid.
I did give him a yellow- in response to Claymore - I'm not sure how I could have justified a red. However, in his eyes, I lost all authority for the rest of the match. English ARs switch sides??? I'll have to look at an FSC ,atch to confirm-I would love confirmation on that as well as an explanation as to why- wouldn't this have the center running a reverse diagonal the second half? I suppose it could work, but I have no idea how this improves the game.
No, they don't go over onto the lines they were directly opposite, but some (and I'm pretty sure it's a minority who do it all the time) refs like to swap their assistants over at half-time so they stay with the same attackers and defenders: they switch lines and halves. Can prevent dyslexic signalling and that horrible moment everyone's had where you flag the offside trap offside. Also, if you've got dug-outs and a reasonably inexperienced junior assistant, a common practice is to give the junior assistant the dug-outs during the first half so he can have a little experience managing them when it's reasonably quiet, and then swap them at half-time so he doesn't have to deal with rapid-fire substitutions during the second half while he's still trying to figure out which end of the flag to hold. I suspect the "everyone does it!" thing comes from the time his parents remortgaged the house to be able to afford a ticket for his nearest big ground, and the ref that day was someone who swaps his assistants. Either that, or he's getting 'the professional game' mixed up with playing organised football at home and seeing the club linesmen move round to stay with their own defenders/attackers.
I have had situations where I've had a young AR on the coaches side (trying to get him experience with subs, etc.) taking alot of flak from a coach during the first half. Instead of switching the more experienced AR to the that coaches end in the second half, I simply changed diagonals. This still gives the teams an equal time with each AR. Because we run the left diagonal so much, some of the lines get very messy and rutty. If that's the case, I will also switch diagonals. I try to avoid ARs switching ends if at all possible.
I know most upper level games have a senior and junior AR (explictly). Senior AR gets to deal with the bench,junior AR doesn't. My two and only games at the college and university level had me stuck on the non-bench side. For one of them - was very glad If your young AR is taking alot of flak, you need to deal with it, not just switch them around. I personally have a fairly low threshold for teenage AR abuse before I start speaking - and possibly booking - the coach.
Though obviously this isn't the case if most leagues, in NY state high school play, you CAN substitute a player who gets two yellows (but not one who gets a straight red).
I understand that unruly coaches must be dealt with, and, of course I do. Even if you handle the coach, the damage has already been done. Even if the coach settles down, the AR may still feel apprehensive because of the coach's earlier actions, and this could affect the AR's performance during the remainder of the game (reluctance to make certain calls, etc.) with the coach watching his every move. Especially in rec matches, if it is going to make the kid more comfortable and maybe help him do a better job, that is better for the game, so why not? We need to keep all the refs we can.
Two great quotes from yesterday's women's tournament: During an O-30 2nd division game - First player "In that situation, do you think I should try to get my body in front of the ball and trap it?" Second player "I don't know. Every time I do that, it goes straight to the other team. I'd just try to flick it on." This game went to kicks from the mark after no goals were scored in regulation. As I approach the visiting team before the Open 3rd division final, a player turns to me and asks "Are you our master?" I didn't have a snappy response, and it probably wouldn't have been appropriate if I did.