Fortunately, one out of four difficult games doesn't mean one every day
Had a relatively pain-free night. Sometimes, just like the saying, "trouble comes in threes", bad games can clump up in a short amount of time and you begin to doubt. Then you have some potentially troublesome games that get handled well (dare I say damn well?) - maybe coupled with a respected colleague having a troubled game, and you feel better. Not because you're feeling good at the other person's trouble, but because even though you know it intellectually, empotionally you know that everyone has difficult games, and that somestimes you can handle them and sometimes you can't.I still stand that one out of four games in this league is "trouble", but after my clump of baddies, it's awfully nice to having everything firmly in control, even in a potentially dangerous situation. Here's the situation: team with a bunch of whiners, especially the goalkeeper (unfortuatnely for him, he doesn't pick good issues to whine - he tends to get dissent cards for minor infractions instead of where he can "make a point"); there's never any physical intimidation like "that team" - but rather where you tend to roll your eyes and wish they would just shut up - let's say they're Team A. Team B would probably get beaten handily by Team A except for two players; those players are the entire attack. The two players on Team B, despite better ball handling skills than the defenders marking them, aren't making much headway because Team A is packing it in, and their goalkeeper, though a whiner, knows that when the goal is only four yards long, you stay on or near your line unless there's a break-away (more)
Best of 2003: The Call I Blew
There's a saying that's unfortuantely true: "Refereeing is the only job where people expect perfection to begin with, and a steady improvement thereafter." Unfortunately, we're human beings, and we screw up. And when it comes to human beings, screwing up is how we learn; yes, there's book-learning, teaching, and so forth - but the whole process of growing up involves screwing up. When you were a child - you could be told all sorts of things about what is hot, but it didn't mean squat until you came across something that actually was hot - if you were lucky you just pulled your hand away, if you weren't you got burned - but you learned. I had a martial arts instructor who summed it up pretty well: "Pain is a great teacher."And when it comes to reffing, sometimes Pain is the only teacher. We can memorize the Laws of the Game, we can memorize the Advice to Referees, but sometimes the only way to understand a situation (especially one that requires delicate handling) is to have gone through it. If you're lucky, you just get uncomfortable but finish the game unscated; if you're not, you realize why referees tend to park their cars in the getaway position. In American football, it's easy: you see the foul, you throw the hankie, the play ends, and if you realize you screwed up you "pick up the flag" and the play stands. There are no hankies in soccer (if there were, the field would be littered with them), so the decisions, and screwups, are bigger. Here's one of mine (more)
Best of 2003: The High School Rules Meeting
This seems to be one of the more popular articles in search engines, because, if I had to guess, because it covers so much. It asks the question of why the NFHS has to differentiate themselves from the governing bodies of other sports (quick answer: to keep their jobs); and the differences in attitudes between an organization that is purely dedicated to soccer, and one where soccer is merely an annoyance that gets in the way of football (and, for that matter, referees are merely people who get in the way of coaches). It's a relatively short article, but here is is (more)The Best of 2003: What if refs evaluated coaches?
As a referee, coaches are an easy target; coaches have gone from not being allowed on the pitch at all, to being restricted to technical instruction, to they're now thinking they have impunity to froth and scream at us whenever they feel like it. I mean, it's one thing to take it from players in the heat of the game, but coaches, on top of being specifically instructed to offer "technical information" only - and only to their players, aren't even on the pitch. Or is it that they don't know the rules of the game their coaching? Or is it they always seem their kids as angels (as they tackle someone with studs raised)? Or is it that they think they can game us?The more I read Big Soccer, the more I see that in high school associations around the country referees are rated by coaches, which, while far more plentiful than the Assessors offered by the USSF, is a whole squiggly can of worms that just begs for a Good Ol' Boy Network. So, I decided to try to even out the scales in October with a varation of something my mom taught me when it came to sharing cake with my brother: you cut the cake, but your brother gets to choose the pieces. And what better way to evaluate refs, but to have them evaluate them back (more)
The Best of 2003: When is a red card not a red card?
I'm not much of a holiday person - I do it "the thing" but it's never "done anything for me". More than celebrate the holidays, I grumble about not being able to play or ref. And since we're now in that "holiday mode", and there's fewer things for me to write about (at least in the first person), I'm kicking off what I think are the ten best articles I wrote on RefBlog in 2003 (in no particular order).One thing you quickly learn as a referee: just because, from a fan's perspective, the game is boring, it's not for the players - unless the game is so lopsided that one team so out-runs and out-plays the other that they're able to avoid any type of contact, there's the potential for an explosion. You also learn that, despite what the letter of the law says, needs require you to bend it from time-to-time (later on, you learn that it's a requirement for promotion). This was about my first high school game of the summer, and it was aparent who would win (and win handily) after the first few minutes, yet the game had "the moment" - the moment where I had to apply the rules strictly, and probably ruin the game, or bend it and hope the offended team understands why. Here's the article (more)
Real Life Intrudes on Reffing
I'm in a dilemma - like many referees, soccer is our main source of exercise; usually a combination of reffing (and during the summer five days a week or more), playing, and training. During the winter, if you live where it actually gets cold out, there's a problem: there's not as many places to play or ref (because you have to go indoors), and the fields and games are shorter to accomodate the number of players who want to continue at it. The end result is, if soccer is your main form of physical activity, it drops precipitiously during the winter.That's where I'm at right now. I ref once a week and I play once a week - I would love to go to the gym a few nights a week, but real life intrudes, and I have to take classes to remain certified and able to buy groceries. I make a deliberate choice to do it during the winter, so I have more summer to devote to the game, but in the meantime, I feel like everyithing, including my conditioning, is slipping dramatically - and it probably is. Frankly, going to the gym would be more fun than taking the classes - but when even the best referees in the country can't making a living doing it, no way in hell I can.
It's good to have some normal games
I made some gramatical changes to my handling hand-out; I saw that a few were taken, hopefully there were also read (maybe even at the scorers table, too). It can't hurt - maybe it'll help. I think I'll keep some of those in my bag for the summer (maybe whip up some for High School, although I'll have to change the "Proof" portion of the text).Last week, except for one game (with the hand-ball issue), I did the lower-level games. I wasn't asked to - just decided that I didn't want to deal with the high-end whining that goes with some of them. Well, no choice last night - all the games were of the high-bracket, and they went well. One yellow card for a retialitation foul; offender didn't mind taking it and didn't complain the rest of the game - offendee was satisfied with the card and the pledge that I had no compunction about handing out a second yellow. Other than that one non-issue, everything was cool.
There were a couple notes of interest: I called more fouls against the top team in the league this game than I have for them all season combined - three. Should tell you something about the best teams. I also had the team with the handling issue (last game of the night); I walked up to the guy I talked to at halftime last game, "Are we all cool with handling tonight?" There was a smile, and a "Yup" and the one situation where they wanted a handling call, and I said, "Nope, not deliberate" the game just carried on.
Bad games happen - you try to figure out why, and what or if you could have done something. But it's also easy to remember that most games go just fine, even when they disagree with your calls.
A little reactive, hopefully a little proactive
I've mentioned it on here many times how people (meaning players, fans, coaches, and unfortuantely, even a few refs) don't seem to "get" the handling call. So I'm going to try something; partially because I knew I was going to get that team that complained again (and after looking at the schedule, that would be tomorrow), but partially because the place I ref in now allows me some freedom to experiment - if this goes over well here, I'm going to keep it in my bag for the summer.I wrote a little hand-out. It spells out the two most common misconceptions of handling (any contact and contact with an advantage), says "Bzzzzzzt!", explains the correct reason to call, then backs it up with excerpts from the Laws and the Advice to Referees.
I wrote it to avoid pandering, but merely to help straighten out a common misconception in hopes that they better understand the calling (and non-calling) of handling. I have a PDF of the hand-out here - if it's useful, feel free to use it; if you have a problem with it, for god's sake please tell me before something goes horribly wrong!
Another example of why refs don't trust coaches
You can just tell when you're dealing with an American writing about soccer - inevitably, the writing just sucks, and so do the coaches. South Florida's Sun-Sentinel for what I assume is high school soccer. Let's jump to the end of the article with the obiligatory grousing at the refs. An excerpt:Leonard coach Randy Singh was critical of the officiating. "It's unfortunate the referees control the outcome," Singh said. "A lot of calls didn't go our way. Their coach [Gnehm] said something insulting to one of our players and the linesman stood there and did nothing.
So calls didn't go your way - big deal. It happens. But you lost because the refs control the outcome - not that your defense was so porous that it forced your goalkeeper to make fourteen saves. I mean, FOURTEEN?! Holy smegging cow, man. Forget the refs and start teaching defense!
And let's not forget that instead of being a civilized human being, and being gracious to your opponents, you also go after the other coach! Considering your attitude, Mr. Singh, it is any surprise you and your team have earned a reputation? To continue:
"It seems like the last couple of years referees come to our games looking for our players. I think we are being unfairly treated with calls against us, and it changes games.[If you go out in public insulting refs and other coaches, it should be no surprise. Did your mother never teach you to "Treat others as you yourself would like to be treated?] Our kids get frustrated. [You mean you don't mean: "I get frustrated and it affects the kids"? Because you who have already shown so much tact would NEVER let it affect you, right?]They think they can't do anything on the field or they will be called. It takes away from their aggression. We keep stats every game and the ratio of yellow cards is about 3-to-1 against us."[OK, Coach dumbass, you'll get few yellow cards when your team stops commiting so much misconduct.]
Is there any responce? Does the high school association in Florida respond to defend the refs? No, this just goes into print, allowing this child in an adult's body to blame someone else for his own failure. Until you grow up, your team will continue to suffer, because there is no vast ref-wing conspiracy to penalize your team - it's how you treat the refs and your opponents. I wonder if Florida's high school authority will penalize you more for the insult to the opposite coach than to the ref.
I just can't end this piece like that; I have to think of an appropriate ending. Ahh, I got it.
Leonand Lancers coach Randy Singh? Wanker.
Watching My Instructor Ref
As I arrived for my game last night (the one I play in), as soon as some of my teammates found out who we're played, they started comparing bruises; one said, "I really don't want to play a team that good tonight." I asked, and they don't play dirty (well, there's one guy who my girlfriend, after playing against him for a couple year in another league, has nicknamed "Butt Cheese"), but play hard. This was my week between the sticks (we have two keepers here, and we alternate between field and goal), and I joked that it sounded like I would have lots of practice.The referee was one of the people involved in my last recertification, and one of the higher-ups in the state referee association. I had him once before, but the game was pretty low-key. If we, as a team (we were one and two, and the two losses were pretty convincing), folded quickly it wouln't be much of a test - but if we got ornery (and we have a few players who can - myself included), it can be a test of a referee's patience.
When the ball wasn't in my end, it was real interesting to watch; he called some fouls right away that I might have let go; I think he's familiar with, if not our team (we're new in this league), than the other, who tends to press hard. Knowing a team's history is a luxery that most of us don't get during the summer, but can aquire when doing the same teams over five months. He did a very good job - there were lots of fouls on both sides, but kept us from getting ornery and the other side from egging us on. I'm not sure how to integrate this into my style - because a lot of it was foul recognition (which only comes with practice) - but otherwise was pretty silent. Then again, in the four weeks I've done this league, the reffing is much more consistent (consistently good - not that everyone calls it the same) than the league I ref in, so the good behavior of the teams may come from the overall organization of the league.
I let in three goals that night. First was a ball bandied about intside the six, defenders and myself kept them out, but a rainbow shot over my head doomed us to fall behind 1-0 (sometimes I hate being short). The next two were put back from rebounds - I don't feel bad about the rebounds, because they were off saves I made from break-aways. :) We were down 1-3 with about five mintues left, and our team picked up a pair of quick goals, a third with 90 seconds remaining, and then I made some (if I say so) pretty damn good saves myself including one from three yards-out with 15 seconds remaining. I was having fun being behind 1-3 - didn't think we would pull if off - usually we're the ones who drop at the last minute.
Fictionalized Laws
I've come to a conclusion regarding this league, and it's that the people I'm reffing are children. Yes, they may look like adults, but they act like children, and I need to act accordingly. This does not mean I need to go and spank them (no matter how much I'd like to), but it does mean that I can't treat them the way that I would at a USSF or High School match; they're not as disciplined, and they're damn ignorant on the Laws of the Game. So I'm going to have to baby them a bit and talk them through more things, even little things like who's throw-in it is (in USSF and High School play, players know to look at the referee to point the direction - they don't). I need to slow the pace down when misconduct occurs, and even take away some fast-restart opportunities in order to keep-the-peace. I still think a lot of these problems come from having no accountability from game-to-game, but until next session, this is what I have to work with; we'll see if the other teams are willing to play ball.If you were to pick two areas that cause more problems for referees, the obvious answers would be Offiside and Handling. Offside is probably the most misunderstood law, the hardest to get a grasp of when you're new to the game, often the hardest to to call (because gaining an advantage from being in an offside position can be very subjective), and most definately the hardest for players, fans, television cameras and commentators to observe from the correct angle. That's all well-and-good, because despite those issues, once you move that step beyond describing offside as, "like offsides in hockey, but where the blue line is always moving", you've got the gist, and the next stage is merely understanding the propper positioning (and that, unless you're the AR, 99.999% recurring, you're not in the correct position). Handling (or hand-ball), on the other hand, is probably the most fictionalized Law. It seems everyone "knows" the Law, even though it varies widely from person-to-person and from team-to-team (amazingly enough, it always benifits their team... strange that). Handling is the quintessential judgement call, and the problem is that different referees can have differing judgements on the same play, let alone those who take the easy way out by ignoring the Law. Most players and fans don't read the Laws of the Game, so here it is, under Law 12, Fouls and Misconduct.
Direct Free Kick
A direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following six offenses in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless, or using excessive force:
[At this point, those six offenses are listed - if you want to read them, read the Laws.]
A direct free kick is also awarded to the opposing team if a player commits of the following four offenses:
[Again, I'm going to skip the first three]
- handles the ball deliberately (except for the goalkeeper in his own penalty area)
(more)
Quiet Days
Yesterday I subbed in for another referee (unlike during the summer where you work games, here we work "shifts" of games - mostly because they're shortened and it's on a regular basis), and had three relatively uneventful games. Was nice to have things go my way after a couple of rough ones last week.Last game there was one player that just blew everyone out of the water - final score of 11-0, and he took a couple of hard knocks; at half-time I talked to the opposite captain and told him, "I know this guy is killing you, and I'll talk to ___ to see if he's a ringer, but take it easy on him. There's been some stuff that's been just shy of fouls, and if things pick up, I'll have to tighen up." The captain was cool with that - the onslaught continued, but there were no incidents.
Tonight it's back to my normal "shift" - wonder if my luck will continue.
Ten Best of 2003
Like many people, I'm going off to visit relatives during the holidays, and probably won't have a lot of time to write. although I'd like to keep contributing to the site. So, I figured, what do other people to do kill time this time of year?Do "Best Of" shows.
So, that's what I'll be doing, sporadically, starting mid-to-late December and through New Year's. If you would like to tell me what you think has been me best articles (stuff that made you laugh, made you mad, made you think, whatever), just email me.
This is what happens when the start time is 10pm
On the way back from the game (playing), got strange idea in my head...Crossing Highlander with Soccer
"My name is Duncan McRef of the clan McRef, and I cannot be red carded."
Queen makes a slight modification to their opening song: Here we are, born to be kings / we're the princes of the soccer pitch / Here we belong, fighting to survive / in a world with the dirtiest players...
Opening credits would include Duncan proving that he can not get red carded, spiking people cleats up, leg chops, etc. until he comes across another Immortal, where they duel by playing one-on-one - the winnter knocking the head off with the soccer ball, causing the start of The Quickening.
That's what happens from lack of sleep due to late starting times.
04 December '03 - 00:03 - theref - default| No comments yet - § ¶
Is there a Kobayashi Maru for Refs?
Interesting night last night - lots of talking with the soccer coordiantor and another referee; most of the talk had to do with how this league lets problem teams (and more specifically, problem players) remain playing year after year. It's taking a big step next session by finally doing some card accumulation and enforcing red card suspensions, but man things can get ugly.It's troubling in a way, because one of the reasons I do this league is because is gets ugly; I give out more red cards doing this league during the winter, reffing one night a week, then I do all sprint/summer/fall reffing four to five nights a week, at higher competition levels. I figured out last year that one out of every four games is a "problem game" - and when I say problem game, I mean if the red card doesn't get pulled out, it's only a few ticks away. Don't get me wrong, I like work working for this league, I like working with the people that run it; they always stick up for the referee (myself or otherwise), but I felt I was in danger of physical harm last night.
The best way I can describe this team is via the other ref who works with me: "They play like it's life and death; like it's more than life and death." Trust me, he did not say it in a good way, either - he meant that they whine, complain, and scream and every little thing like their immortal soul depended on it.
They were complaining before the game started (the goalkeeper didn't want to change his shirt because it confilcted with his opponents - it was like pulling teeth to get that out of him for something so common sense). Less than a minute into the game, goalkeeper dribbles the ball into their attacking third and complains about a hand on the back - no pressure; he's whining - trying to get a call, that I can't let them do that because he's out of position (meaning out of the penalty area. Let's make this clear, there's only one answer to that: He's full of crap. Outside of the penalty area, he's another field play wearing a funny jersey. Every call is disputed, every call garners yells of anguish, every call is just an insult to the game they're playing. Here is the list of referee's tools:
Whistle for fouls: nothing was satisfying enough if it was against them, everthing was an affont if they were called.
Talk to the players: This worked for their opponents, but they would listen - there wasn't a possibility to explain jack without getting interrupted.
Strongly talk to the players (not yelling, but projecting loud enough that everyone knows you're not happy): Wouldn't work - only escalated the situation. This led to...
Yellow Carding the players: Here's the situation in a nutshell (more)
