Reffed 100+ games, no red cards, is this a problem?

Why in the world would this be a cause for concern?

 

My first red was this past Memorial Day weekend. USSF Game #282. Probably 60+ more U-littles before certification. And, it was only a 2CT. Granted I only do youth games.....

 

If your matches are staying under control and you can't think of anything in any game that might have warranted a send-off, you're doing fine. Numbers are meaningless. Results count.

 

Think of how many yellows to reds the average national referee has. In most cases it's a lot of yellows and only a few reds. I think you could go any number of games without a red if the environment you are refereeing in simply has fewer red-worthy events. If I recall correctly, in the 50 (approx) HS and club centers I've done so this calendar year I've had 1 red (for flipping off my linesman) and ejected one fan for language. Both of those reds weren't related to any sort of a foul (not directly at least), so in reality I have had a misconduct-based red this year (disent is misconduct but hopefully you understand what I mean, e.g VC, SFP, DOGSO). Now I've had a lot of yellows, more than I think I've ever had in the past, but everything has seemed to handle itself without needing the red. If you had a game were you should have given a red but didn't (or gave a yellow instead), then maybe there's an issue.

 

There is nothing wrong with having no reds, as long as you cannot think of a time where it was deserved and you just didn't pull the trigger. In my six years as a referee, I have given 6 red cards in probably 500 or more games, 3 of which have been in my last 5 or 6 games. So there was a very long stretch where I didn't give any, and this includes college games as well as high level Men's games. So I wouldn't worry about it, unless you have just been too afraid to give them.

 

Doing better than me....3 reds in last 4 centers (2 coaches!)

But no, no problem whatsoever. Outside of the top levels at youth, its rare, or at least uncommon, to have a situation where a red is warranted - even then its probably DOGSO. Good refereeing combined with a bit of luck

 

That is because you're just a terrible ref.

 

I have to agree with everyone on here. I went almost three years after I certified before dismissing a coach. I didn't give my first red card to a player until my 4th year refereeing. I had worked probably 200 or so games at that point.

If you can control a game without a red card, why use it? I am a firm believer in attempting to keep 22 players on the field. That said, there are times when you have no option but to bring out the red. If you can't think of one of these times, you are probably doing your job.

Another thing, red cards tend to come in spurts. I had not given one in almost two years until this spring, where I gave 5... I find it interesting to track stats of my card habits and other misc. stats. This season, I am sitting at an average of 0.19 RC per center (Max 2 in one game - twice) and 0.96 YC per center (Max 6 in one game). After each game I like to sit back and think about each card and if it was necessary or if there was a better way to handle it.

 

I also tend to find that in one season, there is one age group (one gender or both) that you seem to pick up more cards than any other. Some times it appears, to me at least, this group is more aggressive/boarder line dirty. Whether or not it's true.. mehh.

Now, back to the OP. Not having to issue reds could be a testament to your style. It could be that you are using all your tools to keep an actual game of soccer going, and that when you issue a caution, it speaks volumes to the players. If this is the case, good on you. I have games like this, but am still learning on adjusting to, well, everything around me.

 

It all depends on what level of games you are doing and your player management skills, although you will still have the 100% misconduct thing pop up out of nowhere occasionally. I'd have to look back, but I think my last red was an adult co-ed game a year ago that was going along just fine until one guy got fouled, I whistled it and then he punched the opponent in the face.

I still remember my first red card. High school JV boys, maybe 30 games into my career. White player steals the ball from a larger orange opponent in mid-field and orange player is upset. "********er, next time I'll take your head off!" Bye bye. Orange coach asked what it was for and I repeated what the player said. "If he said that, then he needs to go."

So, is it a problem? No. Is it surprising? Maybe, depending on the level of games you are doing.

 

I do well over 100 games in a season, and some years I go without showing a red card and I've never thought anything of it.

Though, I just realized, that I've never sent off a coach/manager in a game (currently in my 11th year).

 

I have no way of honestly responding to your question, because I have nowhere near the info to feel like I can draw any conclusions. But the tone of your question does ring a bell from my personal experience. So....

When I started reffing, I was immediately the local big dog (in shape, adult, knew more about soccer than most of those around me). So, I got some fairly responsible assignments fairly quickly. It was fun.

The downside of being the big fish in the small pond was that I didn't have other, more experienced refs to learn from. All of my ARs were less experienced and I couldn't trust the feedback from any of the partisans. To make a long story short, it took me about 3 years before I got an honest critique (helpful advice) from a more experienced referee I could trust. It was manna from heaven, and I have sought it out ever since.

Hopefully you can hook up with experienced refs who see you work and can be honest with you. Even if you aren't being formally assessed.

As I said, this is just a wild guess from the tone of your question. It might not apply to you at all. Good luck.

 

Don't make me come down there to Utah! Haha but they were all definitely needed. DOGSO-H by the keeper outside the area, VC that my AR insisted I send him off, and a player yelling "ref, you're a f***in retard" from 50 yards away.

 

Lol yeah I know, we discussed this

 

I've given only 1 RC in my 239 games, but seen several issued as an AR. My only red was in HS for foul language by a JV player that chest-bumped a guy after a foul and told him to "f" off (but used the full word) loud enough so everyone in the stands could hear. I got very close to a 2 caution - red situation in men's league, but not yet.

I have however dismissed 3 coaches. In fact, I cautioned a coach in my very first match as a center in a tournament for U13 boys - he stepped on the pitch during a water break to argue a call 10 minutes prior.

I don't like to do it, but red's and yellow's are tools to keep the match in control and the players safe while enforcing the LOTG.

 

As others said, can't really offer words of wisdom based on just this. However, I was in the same boat and can offer what my situation was. Took me about three years to give my first red card as well. Had done youth games and some adult matches to that point, but never sent anyone off. Throughout that time, I developed a lot, went to our state cup, regionals, odp and was mentored by some pretty successful guys. I spent all my time watching as much soccer as I could and reffing as much as I could. For some reason, a switch kind of turned on, and during a 19B match there was a scissor tackle that I just knew had to be red. Sent him packing. That night I started to get to thinking about previous tackles in the past games. Were they red, did the game need a red, did I process the SIAPOA critera(if i knew it then!). It took it actually happening, combined with all the mentoring and studying the game to actually understand that something wasn't reckless, it was excessive force. Sounds simple, but took me time. I realized that I probably should have had a sendoff or two previously.

Now, I'm not saying you're in the same boat and should have sent people off. Just my thoughts on what happened to me!

 

I figured we did. The weekend was a blur

 

As law 5 has said, it all depends. I haven't had to look back too often in the past couple of years, but I know there have been times were I perhaps was a tad lenient. But in my career I did give the majority of my cards in one match including a 2ct in the post game! I have thrown out one coach. Coaches haven't been a problem in a few years for me now. Been lucky.

 

Look at it from the opposite point of view.

My second game ever was a JV H.S. boys match. I go out to midfield with my partner (a Veteran official) to do the coin toss (back when teams were on opposite sides). As my partner flips the coin in the air, one of the captains punches the other captain right in the face and knocks him out. The game was so bad with so many send offs we never even finished it. Then I don't have a red card for about 3 years after that in both HS and USSF. Consider yourself lucky.

 

Wow! Two pre-game reds in your 2nd game? Amazing. I have never had a pre-game red, in over 2,500 games.

We had a high school varsity boys game about five years ago. (I was not the referee, but the resulting change in the state high school association's rules for all sports is informally known as the Michael Alben rule, after the guy who was the referee.) Last game of the season for both teams. Neither team has won a game all season. Home team has no school for the foreseeable future, since their teachers are going on strike, i.e. they have a strong expectation that there will be no consequences for anything that happens in this game. The game is 6-0, with two reds already given when, with 13 seconds left, there is a fight, probably planned in advance, well behind the ball and referee. Michael gave an additional seven reds for what he saw, for a total of nine in one game. The coaches actually asked him, "You aren't going to restart the game, are you?" "No. First of all, you only have six players left and second, I'm not crazy." The rule now says that the fines for ejections are doubled if they are in the team's last game of the year.

 

I've gone 5 years without a straight red and over a year since my last Rellow card reffing at least 75 matches/year......I've issued 3 straight reds in my last two matches. Start knocking on wood.

 

To the OP, very astute of you to recognize that there may be an issue with your officiating.
The game of soccer by its nature has send-offs. They happen during the normal course of competitive play from time to time. So if you are having any in the matches that you work then it is likely that you are doing games that are very competitive or you are either to lenient in your disciplinary sanctions or are failing to recognize sending-off offenses properly.
Sounds harsh, and many here will likely disagree, but that's because they have not yet reached the level of self-awareness that you displayed in making your original post. You alone will know the degree of truth that there is in my response.

 

If those two U-17 girls didn't decide to have a fight on the field, I would have not issued any red cards in three years.