What other sports do you officiate?

Discussion in 'Referee' started by RefIADad, Mar 16, 2020.

  1. RefIADad

    RefIADad Member+

    United States
    Aug 18, 2017
    Des Moines, IA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well, since it looks like we will be without a lot of on-field analysis unless South America and/or Mexico defy general world sentiment regarding sport, seems like as good of a time as any to ask what other sports those on this forum officiate.

    I've been kicking the idea around of picking up a sport that doesn't interfere too much with soccer. I work away from home during the week (I leave home on Monday and return home on Friday), so I was debating whether to help with the officiating shortage in other ways.

    So here are my questions:
    1. Besides soccer and derivatives (indoor, futsal), what other sports do you officiate?
    2. What benefits do you see from officiating different sports? I know there are benefits from being a multi-sport athlete, and I wonder if some of the same types of benefits come from officiating different sports.
    Many years ago, I used to umpire baseball and softball. The two biggest things from those sports that I carry over into soccer are finding the right angle to view a play as more important than distance (especially with a two-umpire system) and focusing on one item for the completion of play (tracking a pitch and ensuring that the fielder held onto the ball for a tag play or a force play).
     
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  2. Pelican86

    Pelican86 Member

    United States
    Jun 13, 2019
    I remember being a line judge for volleyball when I was in middle school. I coach cross country and we host one meet each year, so I help out with the finish line (although I don't know if that's really officiating). By far the most interesting example of officiating another sport was when I used to play cricket and players from the batting team would have to take turns serving as the umpires. When you're the umpire at the bowler's end you really have the perfect vantage point for watching the game. Of course, LBW calls were always a bit dicey. You never wanted to have your teammate mad at you for the rest of the day. If I were ever living somewhere with an opportunity to be a cricket umpire and get paid for it, I'd do it.

    Unfortunately being an official for most other sports doesn't really appeal to me. I love volleyball but you don't get to run around at all. And most of your decisions are just based on eyesight--either you see the touch off the block or you don't. Basketball would be somewhat interesting, but HS basketball conflicts with HS soccer where I live. And you have the spectators right on top of you, and I don't know enough of the technicalities in the rule differences between HS/college/NBA. Baseball is like volleyball--not enough running around. HS football is the only other thing with any appeal, but again, I don't know a lot of the minor rule differences between different levels. And you're under far more of a microscope than you are in HS soccer.
     
  3. Gary V

    Gary V Member+

    Feb 4, 2003
    SE Mich.
    FIRST Robotics - our season is suspended too. Billed as the only "sport" where everyone can become a pro.

    I knew I could do robotics after putting up with all the soccer coaches and parents.
     
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  4. Bubba Atlanta

    Bubba Atlanta Member+

    Mar 2, 2012
    Yep, Atlanta
    Club:
    Atlanta United FC
    I do a lot of "player management" at the office, and I often find that my referee skills and experience come in very handy there.
     
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  5. Law5

    Law5 Member+

    Mar 24, 2005
    Beaverton OR
    I do track & field, or, as some of us say, field and track. No real running by officials, although raking the sand for horizontal jumps, and doing it quickly, is challenging for a lot of people. Retrieving shots, javelins, discuses (disci?) and hammers are also physical work.

    There are crossover skills, in the sense that athlete management still comes into play, although not as often. You will look like an experienced official very quickly, just because you know how to be calm (although shouting at officials is very rare), deal with different rule books for different days and know how to look and act like a professional official. The big thing that carries over is mentally 'taking a picture' of what you see in order to make a decision about what you just saw.

    I enjoy it tremendously. I've been the head official for an American record and also for the longest triple jump ever on American soil. This year will be my third time doing the Olympic Trials. I've done two world championships and about eight national championships, plus about seven national college championships. I have officiated everyone who won a medal at the Rio Olympics in long jump and triple jump, most of them multiple times.
     
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  6. RefIADad

    RefIADad Member+

    United States
    Aug 18, 2017
    Des Moines, IA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You and me both! As a school administrator in my day job, I find I use a great deal of my officiating tools as many people have the same issues related to schools as they do with soccer. :)
     
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  7. threeputzzz

    threeputzzz Member+

    May 27, 2009
    Minnesota
  8. SA14mars

    SA14mars Member+

    Jan 3, 2005
    Dallas
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I was recruited to referee beach handball when they were making a bid to get it into the Olympic Games. Haven’t done a match since the international clinic.
     
  9. Rufusabc

    Rufusabc Member+

    May 27, 2004
    I have been a HS baseball umpire for 7 years now. I find working solo on sub varsity games to be the single worst officiating job ever concocted. You have terrible pitchers, which leads to hundreds of pitches (you can only widen the strike zone so far) and then you have to call every single out from as far away as possible. All that for a Varsity fee.
     
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  10. Bubba Atlanta

    Bubba Atlanta Member+

    Mar 2, 2012
    Yep, Atlanta
    Club:
    Atlanta United FC
    ...which served to remind me why I consider baseball to be the worst youth sport ever conceived of.
     
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  11. RefIADad

    RefIADad Member+

    United States
    Aug 18, 2017
    Des Moines, IA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The few times I had to work games like that, I just decided to call games from behind the plate and take my chances. I figured that I had a better chance of calling safe-out plays more accurately from long distance than I did calling pitches from behind the mound. Steal and pickoff plays at second were my toughest calls.
     
  12. Rufusabc

    Rufusabc Member+

    May 27, 2004
    I got involved because I was a player as a yute, and then when I retired from work I had nothing to do during the week in the spring. I knew the rules (at least I thought I did!) and took the 8 week 20 hour course. There are far more differences in the rule book between HS, College, Pros than soccer has. Plus, there are hundreds upon hundreds of one off situations that are beyond convoluted. Interference vs. obstruction, advancement of runners on balls going into dead ball territory, and let’s not ever forget BATTING OUT OF ORDER!

    And, since I got into baseball, youth soccer has become a 7 day a week thing with games in the spring all week long.
     
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  13. mathguy ref

    mathguy ref Member+

    Nov 15, 2016
    TX
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    I spent 3 seasons umpiring little league baseball and softball. Standing behind a 12 year old catcher who can’t catch and getting plunked repeatedly by a 12 year old pitcher who has no idea where the ball is going is something I do not miss.
     
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  14. OkieZebra

    OkieZebra Member

    Aug 11, 2013
    Club:
    Norwich City FC
    I do HS football as the white hat. I'm working to break in to college at any position possible (though it looks like the spring hiring camps are called off due to quarantines, so that'll be a no).

    In all honesty, I'm now more of a football ref than a soccer ref. Started soccer in HS, but fell in love with working flag football in college, then transitioned to tackle.

    I would also do basketball, but I coach hoops at my MS and I (and my wife!) don't want an extra thing to do in the winter season.


    Find your local HS association! They would love to train you. The differences aren't big, and are almost always in the interest of simplifying as you go down.
     
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  15. Pelican86

    Pelican86 Member

    United States
    Jun 13, 2019
    I've considered it, but I coach HS cross country in the fall, so I'm busy enough as it is.
     
  16. RefIADad

    RefIADad Member+

    United States
    Aug 18, 2017
    Des Moines, IA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If I do another sport, it would be basketball as the seasons are very complementary in the Midwest (lots of soccer in the spring and fall, plenty of basketball in the winter and then in the summer with various summer leagues. I would also think that a few of the basketball concepts would be applicable to soccer and futsal. Much would depend on the continued development of indoor and futsal leagues in the area where I work during the week. My older son has also expressed an interest in working basketball, so it may be a good time to start that so he and I can learn together. I'm trying to convince him to try soccer, but no luck so far.
     
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  17. OkieZebra

    OkieZebra Member

    Aug 11, 2013
    Club:
    Norwich City FC
    Ah. Yep. That would do it.

    I'd agree that it's a pretty good combo of sports. Similar advantage/disadvantage ideas and angle stuff. And then I personally subscribe to the idea that anybody who has the mental makeup to work one sport will probably transition fine to another; rule are easier to learn than people.
     
  18. DefRef

    DefRef Member

    Jul 3, 2017
    Storrs CT
    So I have not been on this site in a month and enjoying catching up on everybody's stuff.

    I am surprised to not see anyone mention Lacrosse. Here in CT, HS Lacrosse is played in the spring, with soccer being in the fall. I was looking for something to keep me active during the week (still plenty of soccer on weekends) and this fit the bill perfectly. Got in about 20 games as a rookie. I do the boys game, which is quite different then the girls. I find it requires more running than a typical soccer game as the ball can move much faster end to end.

    HS games pay the same as soccer and youth games pay 20%-30% more for similar ages. And if you are lucky enough to get coaches who want to play running time, you can be off the field in an hour or so.

    And, no, you don't have to be a lacrosse geek. I had not seen a game live in 40 yrs. If you can run, and you like sports, you can handle it.
     
  19. Bubba Atlanta

    Bubba Atlanta Member+

    Mar 2, 2012
    Yep, Atlanta
    Club:
    Atlanta United FC
    But you have to buy a tape measure ...
     
  20. Rufusabc

    Rufusabc Member+

    May 27, 2004
    strangely, in my neck of the woods, the HS soccer guys do girls lacrosse and the HS football guys do boys lacrosse. No idea why, but I think it has something to do with the assignors when the sports first started percolating.
     
  21. RefIADad

    RefIADad Member+

    United States
    Aug 18, 2017
    Des Moines, IA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I really enjoy watching lacrosse (always try to watch the NCAA Final Four for both genders). It’s just getting ramped up in Iowa. We do high school spring soccer in Iowa for boys and girls, which I think slows the growth of lacrosse here.

    I wouldn’t mind trying lacrosse as an official. I know my son would play it if it didn’t conflict with soccer so much.
     
  22. DefRef

    DefRef Member

    Jul 3, 2017
    Storrs CT
    You are correct sir - and I did not use it a single game last year (all jv and youth). Finally stopped bringing it.
     
  23. DefRef

    DefRef Member

    Jul 3, 2017
    Storrs CT
    It can be fun to watch, it good teams are playing. Can be bit boring if kids can't complete 2 passes in a row. And lot of kids get hurt. At least once a game some kid would "get his bell rung". Far more than in soccer and generally more serious. I don't think I would want my kid to play - too many loose canons out there just wanting to cream someone.
     
  24. Bubba Atlanta

    Bubba Atlanta Member+

    Mar 2, 2012
    Yep, Atlanta
    Club:
    Atlanta United FC
    Rugby with weapons ... and tape measures.
     
  25. funref13

    funref13 Member

    Dec 12, 2019
    Tape measure?
     
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