RefBlog

Comment moderation is enabled

It's often said that rules are created because some people just won't play nice. In this case it's true: due to one really sad individual who won't play nice I feel I've been forced to enable comment moderation, which simply means that if you enter a comment, it won't show up on the site until I give it the OK.

Feel free to disagree with me, as before. I'm basing the moderation on spam, illegal, and unethical information.

27 September '08 - 18:16 - - default| No comments yet - § ¶

An almost genial affair

Sometimes it only takes one player to turn a game from an almost genial affair, to your typical men's game complaint session. We're winding down the adult leagues as well, and the men's playoffs are right around the corner, and even though both of these two teams are inside the playoff zone (and presumably would like to stay there), the first half was downright nice - although I could see one person who could, if he wanted, light the fuse that could turn it it into something nasty.

Unfortunately, the field wasn't conducive to a good game. Even though it's been very dry this month, the sprinkler system on this field had apparently been working overtime, and the grass was well over our ankles, slowing the ball to a crawl. This left both teams sending lots of long-balls to either direction (even if it was cross-wise and not length-wise), because you just couldn't play good touch-soccer. I ended up letting my ARs know that, because of this, I couldn't encroach into their quadrant much, or even go too deep without risking getting caught badly out-of-position; it came down to, "I need to trust you guys to make the foul calls in your quadrant - I'll do what I can, but don't assume I'll be there." It's not an ideal situation, but neither was the field, and I needed to stick with the best-possible solution rather than the perfect one.

The second half brought out the guy I'd been watching; he'd been driving in harder than anyone else, and was also clearly the most emotional, in the first half taking fouls personally that clearly weren't (and there weren't many fouls - maybe three or four). Early on he didn't like a challenge that seems more than perfectly legal and retaliated - not badly, but enough for a foul and raised voices. In the first half, people were joking, and having fun - and this one guy changed the tenor of the game to deadly serious for the next 43 minutes all by himself, almost in an instant. A few minutes he went into a challenge waaaaaay too hard - one of those technically legal, but clearly overly aggressive - I could have booked him, but instead did the raised-voice warning, and then followed him around the pitch for the next fifteen minutes. Eventually, he cooled down, but his opponents had not, either because he pissed them off, or because they sensed a good player to provoke into a send-off - but instead it was them that went over the top, following him to shove in the back (clearly trying to instigate something), earning the first caution.

I had to keep a close eye on him for the rest of the game, even though he played nice for the remainder (even scoring the go-ahead goal); the rest of the game was your typical men's match where the complain about every call, every non-call, and every perceived or actual slight by whomever.

Still, you still have to enjoy 45 minutes of adult men just having fun playing the game - even though you know it won't last. (more)

24 September '08 - 16:51 - - default| Only one comment - § ¶

I liked the grit

Yesterday I had a 14-girls Classic-1 (2nd division) game that bored me nearly to tears - no team play and just run-and-dump for 70 minutes. Today, it the girls were a couple of years older, and down a division - but this game was actually fun. There still wasn't a whole lot for me to do (there had to be less than ten fouls for the game, maybe half that), but the game was so much better. The skill level maybe not so much, but the players went into the game with much more gusto; what they lacked in skills they made up for in grit, taking and giving hits with no complaint, just determination.

I have to admit, I'm still steering away from youth games (especially since I'm cutting down the number of games I referee in general), but at least this one was fun to watch, and kept me on my toes, even if I wasn't needed to actually blow my whistle a lot.

08 September '08 - 12:24 - - default| No comments yet - § ¶

Lack of youth games

Referees lately have been hounded to take games at the State Tournament, which is different than the State Cup. The Cup is done at the beginning of the season, for top-level teams to represent the state in the Regional and maybe (although rarely) National Championships - because of geography we're forced to do this before our regular league games start, and use the strongest teams from last year.

The State Tournament is for the other three divisions. I think promotion from one division to another is more complicated than simply winning the title, but I have to admit that, since I don't have kids who play, it's not something I play a ton of attention to. And, per usual, they're hurting for referees.

I have to admit, I don't like working the State Tournament, unlike the State Cup, where you'll get two games and be done with it, assignors tend to... abuse your generosity. One year I said I was available all day, but wanted no more than two games - I got six (and it's hard to argue when it's the head of referees for the state that's assigning). As expected, I sucked at the end. I dropped doing games there for a couple of years, went back when there was another assignor, and again got more games than requested - being in a different position, I was able to ague more forcefully, and flatly refused to work a third game (a 19 boys center??? After two 18 boys games??? Are you freaking nuts?!?). So, again, a couple years away, and now a third assignor, who I've known since I started reffing. Bullseye! I said I wanted to do one game, I didn't care if it was center or line, and no more than two - and she listened! The second games were fourth officials, too; although technically I was a standby official, in case someone got hurt or overheated - which was a real possibility because it was boiling out again.

I realized while I was working the game, a U14 girls game that was blissfully only 35 minutes per half, that I hadn't worked a youth game since the State Cup - and I was perfectly OK with that. I hate to say it, but I was bored. I worked hard, kept focused, but the game was one of run-and-buzz, with very little strategy, and it was difficult to stay interested. But, we got though it with no major issues (or minor ones, for that matter). I have another tomorrow, which is the finals day, and that will be the end of youth soccer, except for maybe some high school (and I've decided to not do much of that).

03 September '08 - 14:59 - - default| No comments yet - § ¶