RefBlog

At last a game... kind of

FYI - there's a continuing problem with the blog software I'm using. It's actively being addressed, but it's not yet fixed. I can issue a manual symptom fix, when I see the problem happening, but it's a manual process and doesn't address the big issue (which, as I said, is being addressed). But believe me, there are over 700 entries on this blog, not five.

I finally had a game outdoors, after nearly seven months. Actually, it was a scrimmage, and it was a dual, but it was outdoors and it was something to get me out and running, and a little more adjusted to what I expect to see tomorrow. Tomorrow being State Cup (yeah, how's that for a first game?), which here starts at the beginning of the season because of our weather; actual league play doesn't start for another week yet. The reason for this is because all the southern states, which are ending their seasons, have also finished their respective Cup competitions, and you have this whole national championship thing going on... and well, it's a big country.

The game was between a top-tier U17 girls team (who is also going to our Cup next week, so it turned out doubly-good I got this scrimmage) and a local college team, or a least a chunk of them, as they had enough to field a team, but no subs. They played two 20-minute periods, where the U17s dominated, scoring once on an own-goal (although, like most own goals, it was caused as much by a defensive mistake as it was by a good offensive push). The third twenty minute period, the teams mixed themselves up, and it was a much more lighthearted affair.

My next games won't (or usually aren't), but I really didn't want to start with a Cup game, anyway. Now I haven't.

29 April '07 - 08:09 - - default| No comments yet - § ¶

The annual humble pie breakfast

Every year I hope for better on the physical, and every year. Well, let me just say, "Fuck." I spent the entire winter training for this one day (gym six days a week, personal trainer, etc.), and the end result was no better than past years.

I think it comes down to nerves, and where my mind is focused. When I referee a game, my mind isn't focused on me, but the game, which I think is why the running doesn't bother me (although I do have up-games and down-games as far as hoofing it goes); I've been told on more than one occasion that I run better than many State referees. But stick me on the track, the concentration isn't on surrounding events, and where I need to be to deal with those events, but squarely on myself.

And apparently, when my attention turns inward, I freak. Because the sad irony is that I can do this - I've been doing this; I've been doing far more than the 12-minute run in training, on a track, all winter long. But once I start, I lose control of my breathing, almost like a panic attack, and I barely make the distance I need to cover.

What worries me further is that, having had this happen a couple years in a row, what I can do, if I can do, to get over this.

Once again, fuck. (more)

25 April '07 - 10:42 - - default| two comments, already - § ¶

New product review online

Just a quick bit, I've put together a formal review of the new Timex Ironman O.V.A. watch (you can see it on the right in the Feature Articles section). Feel free to read, comment, and/or ignore.

20 April '07 - 21:35 - - default| No comments yet - § ¶

Referee News of Note

Interesting that this didn't get the type of coverage that the Hijab issue did in Canada; until Stephen Cobert, I can't claim that cooler heads prevailed, because this happened in December. In this case, a player in Pennsylvania was denied playing time by the referee because of his knotted hair and patka. In this case, the league apologized, and hopefully all the referees will know better later.

For some reason, African soccer has a special vitriol when it comes to referees; most elsewhere, we're limited to really stupid comments by the coaches, or maybe a player. Physical attacks, when they happen, are usually limited to a punch or a push. But here we have a case of a player choking a referee in the South African's Premiership. Suspensions were handed out that ranged from two months to a year. And don't forget about the famous referee shooting (think man bites dog) of 2004.

Africa, is by no means alone in that behavior (OK, maybe in the referee shooting the coach): an assistant referee was carted off to the hospital in a neck brace after being attacked by Ionikos fans.

A referee in Bahrain, working a U15 game was attacked from behind, knocked unconscious, and kicked repeatedly by fans and players. While events like this do happen, I'm always heartened with coaches and team officials act with class: "Even if the referee was wrong, I don't think that things should have gotten so out of hand." Thank you - because no matter what level, it's still only a game. Players involved were banned for two years.

I say a lot about coaches, but I can't help but giggle, and maybe even admire a coach that starts stripping after being ordered off the pitch. Well, giggle, anyway.

Something that did make me laugh was the rough play at a Vatican soccer game" that included yellow cards and an ambulance ride.

One coach I don't criticize is Brian Hall, yes former US FIFA referee that represented us proudly eight years ago in the World Cup. I don't criticize him as a coach, because I haven't heard him do anything stupid as a coach, nor have I seem him on the pitch as a coach. I do know of other national referees who are hell on wheels when their coaching hat is on, but that's another story, but even in those cases, I'd never say they knew nothing about soccer. In my experience with high-level referees as coaches, it's because they know so much that they're a pain.

The Montreal Gazette published a piece in December that most of us long-time referees already know the pool of referees are not keeping pace with the increased demand for games. The causes: profanity, physical threats (and actual physical contact) aimed at officials; officials who naturally say, "Fuck this" and walk away. The paper also mentioned that this leads to referees doing games above their ability, because there aren't enough experienced officials available, which leads to more abuse, and to more quitting. Nothing new, but always worth sending to people who have big mouths.

There's a similar piece in the Saskatoon StarPhoenix which says out-and-out that the pool of referees hasn't just kept up, but in fact shrunk while the demand for games increases. This piece is a little smarter in that it provides information on where to go to referee.

High level soccer match-fixing scandals continue to grow, this time in Israel - although this time the culprits aren't with the referees, but players, who were paid to cause penalties or draw cards that would benefit illegal betting rings. Apparently the Israeli FA has detectives at all matches, but it didn't deter the deals from being made.

Apparently Sheffield United's Neil Warnock wants to have a required post-game "chat" with referees after every game. Yeah, that'll be helpful.

You have to go to the middle of the article to find it, but there's a very funny bit about a fan invasion on the pitch in the CONCACAF Champions Cup match between Chivas and DC United. Here's a paragraph: "A Chivas fan ran on to the field and seemed intent on reaching one of his favorite players when [Canadian Referee Silviu] Petrescu moved towards him, blew his whistle, and pointed him off the field. The fan was so impressed by this show of authority that he stopped, grinned sheepishly, and gave himself up obediently into the arms of two security men."

More power to him: Edgar Watson isn't happy about officiating, so he's becoming one. Watson is the Ugandan National Teams Coordinator. I'm not sure what that means, but I hope that when he starts seeing the game from the other side of the whistle, he gets as much publicity when as he does here (more, in fact). (more)

14 April '07 - 13:50 - - default| four comments, already - § ¶

Referee Meetings and Referees Not Wanted

I hate April - despite it being the month of my birth, it's a month of nice looking weather with no soccer in it whatsoever. Referee meetings just don't cover it.

The adult league referee meeting was actually one of the shortest I went to, mostly because the assignor worked really really hard to shut people up who didn't like the changes that were being asked of them. I should take that back, didn't like what they thought of the changes, before the changes had been fully explained. The men's league is trying to clamp down on bad behavior, so now all game reporting is being done online (the same website we use to get assignments, so that's nice); the strange stuff is how rosters and passes are being handled: Team A will have Team B's roster, and visa versa. Apparently they can't print out said roster until a few days before the game, and no roster, no game - the reason being is that passes after red cards typically come very very late, because we mail them to the league; now they get mailed directly to the team manager, and the league edits the roster to determine eligibility. More complicated? Yes. Easier to read? Most definitely (no bits of scrap paper with poorly written names on it being used as a roster).

The problem was that people were coming up with ways to circumvent the system, because the whole thing had been read out. To me, it seems pretty well organized, but if it fails, it fails - and it won't be our problem, it'll be the league's. But that's just me.

My dad wanted to referee this year, but found out he can't. The clinics are geared to kids who are current and former players only and has been told they don't want non-playing adults. I have a feeling we're not getting the correct people, but since I live in a different corner of the country, I can't help him a great deal - even if could help him get a badge, it sounds like the only people doing affiliated games are doing youth. Still, I find it hard to believe any assignor wouldn't take a willing body - so I'm off to write some more emails to see what I can do to help. (more)

10 April '07 - 17:17 - - default| four comments, already - § ¶

Best of 2006: I didn't have to mock him

When I finalized my list of "best of" articles from the previous year, I throw them into a mixer and randomly select the order. So when I read over the order for 2006, I saw an eerie resemblance in this final entry to something I wrote 692 entries ago. In the older article, it was about abuses (not just onto myself, but others, and multiple times) suffered by coaches on my very first day of reffing. Unfortunately, little has changed in seven years, and those of us still around are really starting to feel it in other ways.

Until this last year, the USA Cup has always been a beacon. Yes, ugly things happen there, just like in any other tournament - but the tournament's always been able to deal with it. Not only administratively, but with the number of referees to be able to protect our own. But this last year they were short - grievously short of officials, and once again parents and coaches either don't know, don't understand, or more likely don't care about it. Up until this last year, I've never seen a regularly-scheduled final without a fourth official - this year I was told to start with a club line.

Parents/Coaches/Fans, please read and understand this - it should be pretty easy to follow: When there is a shortage of referees, then you get inexperienced or under-qualified officials working your games. When referees are abused, they tend to quit (especially when children!). This leads to a greater shortage of referees, which leads to more inexperienced or under-qualified officials working games.

Are we getting the picture? Granted, at some point, every official has to move up a notch and do games they may not be comfortable with - but it's part of the process of making officials better so they can do those games on a regular basis. But that process is gradual, and hopefully under the watchful eye of a good assignor and one or more assessors. But when the field of officials is short, you put the best you have where they're needed, even if they're not ready. An assignor once told me that on a daily basis she has to decide what games need "real officials" and which can get by with "a body". Refs getting fed up only strains the system more.

So here we are, seven years later, and children are still getting legally abused by complete strangers. It makes me wonder if I should befriend a cop or two, and ask them to patrol and ticket parents who do what this one did:

USA Cup 2006 Diary, Day Eight: I didn't have to mock him
I don't envy the people in referee headquarters; apparently a number of referees didn't show up today, making their jobs pretty hellish. There were white spaces all over the assignment board, and all-calls going over the radios asking for any free referee to pick up games.

Despite being playoffs, my first (a center) and last games (a line) were uneventful, but one in the middle had some issues. It was a 14 boys game, and one of the referees looked like a kid who was younger and screamed meek and nervous. I hate to admit it, but when I saw him, the first thing that popped into my head was a life-size fraggle.

He was also a new referee, so his signals weren't crisp and he wasn't in the best position. To make matters worse apparently his bag has just been removed from the tent, complete with all of his belongings, and we didn't know if was by accident or not, so his mind may not have been totally on the game, either (and who could blame him?). On the first half, I did what I could to encourage confidence in both him, both private and public. But in the second half, when the bulk of play shifted to his end, it just wasn't enough.

I've said many times that a referee cannot practice, but only learn from experience; and once the pressure came on him, he worked his butt off. This is not to say that he improved dramatically, but that he gave a damn about the game and all things considered, did a damn good job. Maybe he shouldn't have done a trophy-flight line, but considering a great many games were going club lines, it probably was a good experience for him. After the game, when an irate parent came in screaming about the officiating (quite literally), and the rest of the referees in the tent started mocking him (especially when he said he was, "An advanced referee" - of which we can all say "bullshit!", knowing that any "advanced" referee would be able to identify a green ref, and be more interested in helping the kid rather than scream about his spawn's 4-1 loss). I started to tell him to take it to headquarters, because I didn't want a scene to erupt, but then the rest of the refs took over - I'm not sure if it's a good or a bad thing for the kid, but I did talk to him after the game, offered some encouraging words and some suggestions, and suggested a few places to check for his bag.

I can't help but wonder why there were so many no-shows. Presumably most, if not all of them, had done games earlier in the week, so they would know the general area for picking up and turning down games; maybe some were hurt and couldn't do more games and forgot to tell HQ. But I wonder how many came across one of those evil little shrews of a man after doing 3-5 games in the heat, and decided that it just wasn't worth it. I wonder what that kid is feeling after that jerk's outburst.

But the good news is that he found his bag - an identical bag was accidently taken in the rush from field-to-field, and was returned to him about an hour later.

02 April '07 - 10:52 - - default| No comments yet - § ¶