Most players and fans would never consider being a referee - why now take the abuse that they had so liberally given for so long? Now you get to find out why some nutcase would choose to pick up a whistle and stand between 22 people who may not like him very much, and just what he thinks about you, too.
Thanks again for SocRef on letting me know.
The USSF saw fit to close two resources for the American referee recently:
The Week In Review was focused on MLS games, on what went right and what went wrong. Obviously there were things that were more likely to happen at a professional level, but since the Laws of the Game are the same from the international game to the sandlot-equivalent that most of us work in, it's a sad thing to see go. I remember when it was a big deal to wear the same jersey that MLS officials wore - now we don't even get the same training.
Likewise, Ask a Soccer Referee was a great place to get official USSF answers to questions from all levels, from U-little on up. Fortuantely, Jim Allen, National Instructor and retired National Assessor, still has the website up and is still taking questions. Previous answers, if you ask me, are still official, as they had the USSF approval when posted, but they no longer do no.
No idea why these two great resources have been killed off - nothing has been brought forward to replace them.
Sadly, a third resource has gone offline, the Corsham Ref, which had a mydriad of articles and unique perspectives. I can't see why is's gone offline.
Read More »
USSF Recert, part one
This wasn't really meant to be divvied up into sections, but since the website that I need to connect to in order to continue my re-cert process is down (there's a requirement of three hours of online seminars and quizzes), I'm rather screwed. I've actually been trying to get this done for the last month-and-a-half. The next set of weekends for the next two months don't look good; and I'm not usually in a good mental spot late at night after work.
I got some of it down yesterday, though. Did two online classes (really powerpoint presentations, albeit good ones, with voiceovers and quizzes). The first was on being an assistant - which I good before I saw the intermediate topics after. As expected, I already knew 99% of everything in it - but it was nice that it covered a lot of stuff that I ended up having to pick up from working with higher-level referees, so in that respect, it was a good class, if just below my level of working.
By the way, I really don't like the AR signal for indicating a penalty kick (holding the flag waist-high, but otherwise in the same position as if signaling a substitution request). Using it to communicate if a penalty called by the referee was inside the penalty area is all good - but, at least in my opinion, not so much when the AR is calling the foul and the restart is a penalty kick. I don't like it for two reasons: it lack's urgency and it's different philosophically than what we use for the AR's other most important job (signaling a good goal).
This is the what the instructor indicated: AR sees a penal foul in the penalty area by a defender. The AR stops, raises his flag and waggles it. So far, no changes, but now we're instructed to make that signal, and "walk briskly" (their words) toward the corner flag.
It's the "walk briskly" bit I don't like Read More »
I got some of it down yesterday, though. Did two online classes (really powerpoint presentations, albeit good ones, with voiceovers and quizzes). The first was on being an assistant - which I good before I saw the intermediate topics after. As expected, I already knew 99% of everything in it - but it was nice that it covered a lot of stuff that I ended up having to pick up from working with higher-level referees, so in that respect, it was a good class, if just below my level of working.
By the way, I really don't like the AR signal for indicating a penalty kick (holding the flag waist-high, but otherwise in the same position as if signaling a substitution request). Using it to communicate if a penalty called by the referee was inside the penalty area is all good - but, at least in my opinion, not so much when the AR is calling the foul and the restart is a penalty kick. I don't like it for two reasons: it lack's urgency and it's different philosophically than what we use for the AR's other most important job (signaling a good goal).
This is the what the instructor indicated: AR sees a penal foul in the penalty area by a defender. The AR stops, raises his flag and waggles it. So far, no changes, but now we're instructed to make that signal, and "walk briskly" (their words) toward the corner flag.
It's the "walk briskly" bit I don't like Read More »
Why little kids should be carded
A tip of the hat to Referee Magazine for bringing up this clip. It got me thinking of one of those things I hear a lot regarding kids games: you don't card them, ever.
I understand where it's coming from: most of the time when we deal with U-littles they don't understand much more than kick the ball into the net and don't use your hands. But the game is getting steadily more sophisticated, even at the U-little level. Some people have said that instead of issuing a caution, you should have a brief word with the coach instead. It's hard to argue with that approach, but it only goes so far. With as many issues as I've had with coaches in my career (more philosophically, but there's plenty that went beyond that, too), most of them have a pretty good idea of what they're doing, and have a good chunk of experience behind them. U-little coaches tend to not have quite so much; the reason I bring it up is because I can totally see a coach not using that quiet word, and then the next time it happens - what then? All you're left with is a card; and if it happens to be the same player, a kid that should be removed from the game, but can't (unless it's a send-off offense).
I guess where I'm going at is that, be it by card or by private word, kids can be shits (god knows I was) and should be disciplined. Coaches may have a better idea of how to effectively do that, but we can't just assume that because it's kids (and I know some people who have the same idea for adult rec games), that they're angels and shouldn't be cautions or sent off.
I wish I knew how far into the game this was, and see if there was something that precipitated that, beyond them getting crushed the game before. Below is the clip Read More »
I understand where it's coming from: most of the time when we deal with U-littles they don't understand much more than kick the ball into the net and don't use your hands. But the game is getting steadily more sophisticated, even at the U-little level. Some people have said that instead of issuing a caution, you should have a brief word with the coach instead. It's hard to argue with that approach, but it only goes so far. With as many issues as I've had with coaches in my career (more philosophically, but there's plenty that went beyond that, too), most of them have a pretty good idea of what they're doing, and have a good chunk of experience behind them. U-little coaches tend to not have quite so much; the reason I bring it up is because I can totally see a coach not using that quiet word, and then the next time it happens - what then? All you're left with is a card; and if it happens to be the same player, a kid that should be removed from the game, but can't (unless it's a send-off offense).
I guess where I'm going at is that, be it by card or by private word, kids can be shits (god knows I was) and should be disciplined. Coaches may have a better idea of how to effectively do that, but we can't just assume that because it's kids (and I know some people who have the same idea for adult rec games), that they're angels and shouldn't be cautions or sent off.
I wish I knew how far into the game this was, and see if there was something that precipitated that, beyond them getting crushed the game before. Below is the clip Read More »
It can't be a 50/50 split
I started reading a book from the NASO called Image in Officiating - I'll probably post a review of it at some point, but I'm going to riff on something I've touched on a few times here, so I can get it out of my system, and then take the rest of the book sans that one spot. Oh, did I say "touched on a few times here"; I probably should have said "ranted".
Here's the thing, in the book, someone from the state high school league, from my current state of residence, brought out a mantra I've heard many many times: about how high school sports is an extension of the classroom, and it's up to the referee and coach to work together to make it so. Most of my rants have gone on about the hypocrisy of the league (just look at the High School section of this blog), at least to how it appears when it comes to soccer in this state.
But since I'm not writing this in response to a personal situation (be it a game, a raving lunatic, or rules meeting where the presenter's favorite pastime is to insult referees), I actually came at it a little differently: if I was to actually outline what the referee's role is in high school sports, in order to facilitate it as an extension of the classroom, what would it be, and how it would it differ from club soccer?
And the answer is, on-paper at least, the NFHS has it down pretty well! While signals have been on-again, off-again for the last twenty or so years, I understand the rationale for it: in FIFA games, the object is flow; so if there's a foul, you call it and move on. With NFHS, like if the kids took a test in class, they want to know just what they did wrong, and it takes presidence over game flow. Read More »
Here's the thing, in the book, someone from the state high school league, from my current state of residence, brought out a mantra I've heard many many times: about how high school sports is an extension of the classroom, and it's up to the referee and coach to work together to make it so. Most of my rants have gone on about the hypocrisy of the league (just look at the High School section of this blog), at least to how it appears when it comes to soccer in this state.
But since I'm not writing this in response to a personal situation (be it a game, a raving lunatic, or rules meeting where the presenter's favorite pastime is to insult referees), I actually came at it a little differently: if I was to actually outline what the referee's role is in high school sports, in order to facilitate it as an extension of the classroom, what would it be, and how it would it differ from club soccer?
And the answer is, on-paper at least, the NFHS has it down pretty well! While signals have been on-again, off-again for the last twenty or so years, I understand the rationale for it: in FIFA games, the object is flow; so if there's a foul, you call it and move on. With NFHS, like if the kids took a test in class, they want to know just what they did wrong, and it takes presidence over game flow. Read More »
Probably no indoor this year
So, I decided to do a follow-up phone call with the unaffiliated league. I hadn't gotten an email back, and my email had changed since I last worked for them. I figured it couldn't hurt - either they'd remember me or they didn't, and I'd just go from there.
I got one of the owners, who did remember me. I recall back when I worked for them, a conversation I had where he said that soccer was his most requested sport (they run about half-a-dozen other sports from touch pointy-ball to bowling to broom ball), but also the hardest to administrate, because of the amount of misconduct they had - and that even though it brought in the most money Read More »
I got one of the owners, who did remember me. I recall back when I worked for them, a conversation I had where he said that soccer was his most requested sport (they run about half-a-dozen other sports from touch pointy-ball to bowling to broom ball), but also the hardest to administrate, because of the amount of misconduct they had - and that even though it brought in the most money Read More »
Here's something I didn't think I'd do...
... I just sent an email to the guys who own the unaffiliated soccer league to see if they need an additional ref for the winter. I'm not interested in a ton of games, but kind of miss doing as much soccer as I used to do... From time-to-time anyway.
My availability is a bit limited; I'm tied up three days a week with roller derby - but I figure it can't hurt to email and see if they remember me. I wouldn't hold out much hope that they have a spot available - there's always more refs than games during the winter. Read More »
My availability is a bit limited; I'm tied up three days a week with roller derby - but I figure it can't hurt to email and see if they remember me. I wouldn't hold out much hope that they have a spot available - there's always more refs than games during the winter. Read More »
I'm getting old and gray, so how have things changed?
So, as I mentioned earlier, I've been going through all of my old entries and cleaning them up a bit, and adding them to a bunch of categories I created to make finding things easier - in case people do that sort of thing. But early on (as in, the 30th entry I put on this blog, compared to today's 967th entry), called "When I am old and gray, will I still referee?". I figure, since my beard now grains of salt in it to go with the pepper, and my temples have a few grey hairs as well, it might be time to revisit it.
I wrote it after deciding to quit working at the Renaissance Festival - something I very much enjoyed, but the negatives had moved from slightly outweighing the positives to very much outweighing them. And so I put the Renaissance Festival behind me. I miss it, I really do (I did quite a bit of stage and street combat), but I haven't regretted that decision. I even put on my old costume for my wife (who agrees with my reasons), who still works there, just to see if I would feel "the magic", and didn't. It was done. Maybe later, but not now, not for a long Read More »
I wrote it after deciding to quit working at the Renaissance Festival - something I very much enjoyed, but the negatives had moved from slightly outweighing the positives to very much outweighing them. And so I put the Renaissance Festival behind me. I miss it, I really do (I did quite a bit of stage and street combat), but I haven't regretted that decision. I even put on my old costume for my wife (who agrees with my reasons), who still works there, just to see if I would feel "the magic", and didn't. It was done. Maybe later, but not now, not for a long Read More »
Who's game is it?
This is something I hear a lot, so much that it, and it's answer has almost become a meaningless platitude: the players.
The reason I think it's become meaningless is because, while I think the answer is correct, we don't actually think about which players we're referring to, or just assume it's the ones on the field right now rather than everyone who plays the game; and frankly, I think that's become part of the mess that I see soccer has gotten itself in to.
I'll try to explain. Typically, when you hear that saying, they're usually referring to a referee that "inserts himself" into the game needlessly, or it's a coach or player who's unhappy with a referee's performance (usually because of some call or non-call that affected them adversely - although the sad thing is that those complainers are not always on the losing side). For purposes of this argument, Read More »
The reason I think it's become meaningless is because, while I think the answer is correct, we don't actually think about which players we're referring to, or just assume it's the ones on the field right now rather than everyone who plays the game; and frankly, I think that's become part of the mess that I see soccer has gotten itself in to.
I'll try to explain. Typically, when you hear that saying, they're usually referring to a referee that "inserts himself" into the game needlessly, or it's a coach or player who's unhappy with a referee's performance (usually because of some call or non-call that affected them adversely - although the sad thing is that those complainers are not always on the losing side). For purposes of this argument, Read More »
Follow-up to something years ago
Since I'm still going through all my old entries and categorizing them (and cleaning some up), I found this little bit and wanted to follow-up, since I don't recall hearing about the results. It was, that referees were about to lose their representation on the USSF board of directors, despite the large number and large amount of revenue (from membership dues) we bring in, we were going to get the chop. Players still have multiple representatives, but refs would get zip.
Sadly, I looked at the list directors from the USSF web site, and it looks like it happened. Really? Call me cynical, but I'd think the phrase, "representing all facets of soccer in the United States" would include referees.
Meanwhile, at least in this state, the number of referees continues to drop. Too bad we won't have anyone in power that we could tell why it's happening. Read More »
Sadly, I looked at the list directors from the USSF web site, and it looks like it happened. Really? Call me cynical, but I'd think the phrase, "representing all facets of soccer in the United States" would include referees.
Meanwhile, at least in this state, the number of referees continues to drop. Too bad we won't have anyone in power that we could tell why it's happening. Read More »
Regionals 2011 Diary Day Seven
Well, I'm still skating. Like last week, the final day only has five games, so two crews work a pair of games, and one crew works a single, and I was on a crew that worked two. We swapped one of our two inside pack refs, so one game was, maybe, used to get us used to each other before working the championship game of the tournament.
Because the vast majority of referees are based with a particular league, there is the chance that you work your own "home league's" bouts during the tournament, and the mantra is that we are not League XYZ referees, we are WFTDA referees - and we mean it. So as I did equipment checks, I basically ignore comment like, "it's weird having him doing our equipment checks here and not at home". It is what it is, and the skaters have very definitely stated that they think the referees can be neutral in these situations, and at the playoffs, they want the best referees available. Is it harder to remain neutral in these situations, yes - but that's where training comes in, and you just make the call. League names go away in favor of "color number penalty", which is how things are called out here (such as "Blue 42 out of bounds block")
As my stint of doing nothing but outside pack dies down (not done, but I'll be working other positions again shortly), Read More »
Because the vast majority of referees are based with a particular league, there is the chance that you work your own "home league's" bouts during the tournament, and the mantra is that we are not League XYZ referees, we are WFTDA referees - and we mean it. So as I did equipment checks, I basically ignore comment like, "it's weird having him doing our equipment checks here and not at home". It is what it is, and the skaters have very definitely stated that they think the referees can be neutral in these situations, and at the playoffs, they want the best referees available. Is it harder to remain neutral in these situations, yes - but that's where training comes in, and you just make the call. League names go away in favor of "color number penalty", which is how things are called out here (such as "Blue 42 out of bounds block")
As my stint of doing nothing but outside pack dies down (not done, but I'll be working other positions again shortly), Read More »
"This is not soccer. Is that clear?"
Props to Referee Magazine for posting this video, and it caused me to laugh my ass off. Partially because it's funny, partially because it keeps me from getting so depressed in how little respect referees are getting in football any more.
And here's what the referee said, for those who can't watch it:
"I don't think we met before, but I'm the referee on this field, no you. Stick to your job, and I will do mine. If I hear you shouting for anything again, I'm going to be penalizing you. This is not soccer. Is that clear? Back you go and get on with the game."
And this is at the upper levels of the game, where the USSF has said on many occasions that referees must put up with garbage because the it's more entertainment than sport. Which is why abuse is common at every level of the game, from processional down to U-littles.
My laughing at this pretty much proves to me that player and coach behavior in soccer has become a joke. A sad sad joke that people who want to help the game, in a no-glory position, also have to deal with heaps of verbal feces. Soccer players and coaches at all levels should watch this video and feel ashamed. But they won't.
The video is below Read More »
And here's what the referee said, for those who can't watch it:
"I don't think we met before, but I'm the referee on this field, no you. Stick to your job, and I will do mine. If I hear you shouting for anything again, I'm going to be penalizing you. This is not soccer. Is that clear? Back you go and get on with the game."
And this is at the upper levels of the game, where the USSF has said on many occasions that referees must put up with garbage because the it's more entertainment than sport. Which is why abuse is common at every level of the game, from processional down to U-littles.
My laughing at this pretty much proves to me that player and coach behavior in soccer has become a joke. A sad sad joke that people who want to help the game, in a no-glory position, also have to deal with heaps of verbal feces. Soccer players and coaches at all levels should watch this video and feel ashamed. But they won't.
The video is below Read More »
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