Not sure where I've ever said anything either way. Personally, I don't really care. As long as soccer gains exposure, young players get a chance to develop, and everybody enjoys the experience, more power to it. And, by the way, nowhere else in the world is soccer played under one set of laws. Every country has unaffiliated games, and others do have competition authorities not sanctioned by FIFA. How do you think the differences between soccer and rugby came about in the first place? The point is, the game comes first. Everything else is a result of the game existing. The role of FIFA is not to control changes to the game. When changes occur to the game, it is their role to assist the implementation of those changes throughout the world. But, if somebody decides they want to play the game differently, who are we to admonish them? They simply do so outside the authority of FIFA. And that's exactly what NFHS and NCAA decided to do. There's nothing wrong with that, and there certainly is no law that forces them to be sanctioned under USSF. And even if there were, it has absolutely no relevance to this discussion or this forum.
I don't care for your attitude, jkdd77. Let's recap - 1) You accused me of backtracking on the issue of referees complaining about law differences between NCAA, NFHS, and USSF/FIFA. Reality: I've never said anything about the subject either way because it doesn't concern me. 2) You state no other countries have unaffiliated games. Reality: I've officiated unaffiliated games in other countries. 3) You state referees are not allowed anywhere else to officiated unaffiliated games. Reality: This is stated, but hardly enforced. USSF has a similar clause. If you officiate unaffiliated games and turn down USSF games to do so, they can revoke your membership. No national association has a watchdog group looking for referees who do unaffiliated games, though. 4) You state I don't care about unauthorized changes to the LOTG. Reality: I've never said this. I believe any organization affiliated with FIFA needs to follow the LOTG. If the FA doesn't want to follow FIFA, then they don't need to be affiliated. I don't see anything wrong with or advocate for either scenario, it's up to them to decide. If an organization isn't following FIFA and there's a problem, that's between them and FIFA. Referees follow whatever the organization we work for instructs us to do. 5) You say I'm happy USSF doesn't follow FIFA. Reality: I've never said this. Again, I don't really care what anybody decides to do. If USSF follows FIFA, great. If not, fine. I'll referee whatever games I'm asked to referee if I'm up to it. I'll enforce whatever rules I'm instructed to enforce. We're out there to do what is good for the game, so long as I'm out there as an ambassador to the game I don't see what difference anything else makes. jkdd77, the proof is in the pudding. If FIFA has a problem with USSF's application of the LOTG, they would confront them about it. They haven't. So evidently there isn't a significant problem. If it's fine with FIFA, and it's fine with USSF, then that's all that matters. If you don't like it, don't work the games.