Since we are talking about time… Community College games here use USSF rules for timing (kept on the field by the CR, no clock stopping), and also many of them have big visible (sometimes portable) clocks anyway. This causes occasional drama, especially when scorekeepers just start stopping the clock because someone told them they should once. Anyway, I’m AR1 and a few minutes into 2H, the head scorekeeper asks me how far in we are, because they forgot to start the clock and have to manually enter it. I look at my watch, see we are five minutes in, figure it will take a moment to get it working, and tell them to set it for 30 seconds later. Well, after it takes the assistant more than two minutes to figure out how to press the buttons, that clock is now 1:30 behind, and you just know people are going to see it. Fortunately the CR ignored the clock and blew the whistle right at 90’ in our 9-2 game.
Did anyone let her know about the next certification course? Sounds like she needs to help the ref shortage.
College game. Attacker chooses to crumple in the penalty area. From off the field: You have to call that. That's a PK! ..... 10 seconds later: Well you don't have to call a PK, but at least call the foul! ♂️
I try to keep a straight face when I ref. Occasionally Ill hear something funny and smile, but today I heard something that made me laugh out loud for longer than I should have. Coach is encouraging his player who is dribbling around midfield: "Can you break his ankles?" (Meaning, of course, cross him over). From nearby I hear "No, he didn't mean to literally break his ankles"
I used the #99 Wayne Gretzky line again. Visiting U16 girls team. As I check them in, I asked #99 if she was a Wayne Gretzky fan. Of course she had no idea who he is. I said he is the best NHL hockey player to ever play the game. She went on to score three goals and assist on the other two. After the game, I told her #99 suits her.
U-9 rec girls playing their first game on the "big field" with a ref, throw-ins, goalkeepers, corner kicks, goal kicks, etc. As usual, the kids need some guidance, and I sign up specifically to do that because of my experience coaching in this group (and now as a substitute teacher). But this was new ... Goal scored. Kickoff. "Hi, you need to be outside the red circle." (blank stare) "Outside the red circle." "OK." (remains in place ... long pause) (in my gentlest voice) "Um ... now."
U17 boys game. I am AR2. An easy hip check SPA gives a visiting player a yellow card. A parent yells "That's horrible." The CR tells me after the game the player questioned his integrity. The CR said loudly "I have no affiliation with either team." Mr. "That's horrible" yells "Then act like it." I turn around and said "That's enough from you, too. I know there is a culture of animosity toward officials. I did PA for high school baseball for three years. The way coaches and spectators treat umpires is shameful. This isn't baseball. Be respectful or leave." As I turned and got in position, the guy's daughter said "Does he know you coach baseball, Dad?"
If I'm ever an AR2, if a spectator ever makes some referee comment, I tell them "Sir/ma'am, if you know so much, please take a ref class. I would love to learn from you" It's the only time I ever acknowledge a spectator's existence directly. Hate when I'm CR in a game and I see the AR2 chumming it up with the spectators behind him.
Serious question - do you cover that in your pregame? If not, why not? I don't engage spectators often, but I would not want to find out later that my CR didn't want me engaging with them at all.
Here’s a new one … On Saturday, my the CR for a junior college women’s game. Green team has the opening kick-off. Their player stands on the halfway line and kicks off by back-heeling the ball. When it doesn’t leave the center circle, she runs up to it and kicks it again. After I blow the whistle, she says, “But my coach told me to kick it backwards!”
https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2021...-of-famer-spath-longtime-referee-passes-away/ RIP, REINHOLD: National Soccer Hall of Famer Spath, longtime referee, administrator dies
College women's game today. As we're getting ready for the second half kickoff, a player smiles at me and asks, "Did you used to give out suckers on the field?" What? "No..... but I know who you're talking about. He's shorter than me, older than me and talks more than me."
Is there anything in the LOTG that disallows referees from wearing luchador masks, as long as they are black?
The ultimate Mike Dean farewell would be for him to be a fourth official for someone like Anthony Taylor and then whack him with a chair. Laughing as the crowd boos him, he takes over and sends 8 people off to end the match 7 on 7 for his final game. He just might be crazy enough to do it . . .
And then never calling a foul and playing advantage for everything even if the fouling team is dribbling with the ball.
HSGV, two top 10 teams, tied 1-1 late 1st, I'm AR1. White is attacking, firm through-ball from top of the PA is easily scooped up by Orange's GK. No issues, we're playing. Orange parent barks, "You've GOT to call the offsides!!! CALL IT!!!!!" We chuckle on comms. Orange fullback near me turns to White forward, "Sorry, we have some really stupid parents." White replies, "Don't worry, we've got plenty of them too."
It was a very fun encounter, HSBV. Home team down 1-0, the winning team makes a sub at 5:30 left on the clock. Home team coach, very experienced guy, been coaching more than I have been an adult. - Clock stops, right? - Once we get to five, yes. Glances at the clock: Well the clock is off by 30 seconds... (pause) I tried! He got my head spinning for about two seconds before I realized he's joking.
I feel kind of sick. BV game, derby, bottom-tier 4A against bottom-tier 3A, home is up 2-1 late but has sort of lost gas and visitors are surging. I'm SR2 in a double-dual (similar to AR2 since I'm on the fan side)and home is attacking my end. Home gets a spurting ball upfield, and the result is offside or GK, can't remember now. Home attacker, inside PA, then lofts the ball over the goal. Easy YC, attacker half-heartedly protests he was just trying to get the ball back to the keeper, I say 'No, you kicked the ball away, take 5." This kid was among the few on his team able to get the ball to do what he wanted--it went where he wanted it to go. I go near the bench to explain the card to the coach. He says "Okay" but no eye contact; either doesn't understand what just happened or isn't used to having it called. So now the assistant says, "I hope we don't have any prejudice going on here." I say, "No, I don't hear anything out there," and go back across the field. I figure she's talking about stuff between players. Only later do I realize, holy crap, this person is trying to lay prejudice on me because the kid I carded is black. It was a textbook caution in a pretty mellow game. I care about two colors in that game, home and away. But it's easy for me to say that's what I think since I'm white. At the moment I realized I thought she was accusing me of prejudiced officiating, I had two thoughts: how could I have been so slow on the uptake, and what should I have done? Is an accusation of prejudice on a par with an accusation of cheating/homerism? I just...feel kind of sick.
Amateur psychologist: you were slow on the uptake because it didn't even cross your mind, and part of the reason it didn't cross your mind was that (based on your explanation) it was just an obvious, easy, low-risk YC. This isn't a place to discuss the science and details of implicit bias in any case, but it just seems like you did a thing you would have done in any case. If it's foul count, one player fouling "harder" than the other, etc., I find myself being sensitive to this, and double-checking with myself that I am treating everyone fairly, and (especially in games where there are few non-white players) I'm not over-remembering the fouls of the player who is comparatively easy to recognize - but that doesn't sound like this case. In any case, the assistant made you feel uncomfortable, and it is an accusation, but also probably not something you want to engage with - you didn't do anything wrong and you don't need to defend yourself. In retrospect, I expect your totally disconnected answer is the right one - disarming the situation without turning it into something it's not. Put differently: I'm sorry you went through that, and I'm glad you recognized the situation and will think about it, and also it sounds like you did the right things. Good work, and I think the discomfort is perhaps a healthy tool as long as you don't take it too hard.