10 Best of 2005: "Simple rule of soccer: if you want to keep playing, don't say 'Fuck You' to the ref"
Indoor soccer is my man-management training ground. Despite the recent issues I've had with the management of the league (things that thankfully just don't happen, or at least I've never experienced, in the USSF), it's a great place to test your metal on some serious soccer psychopaths. In 2004 I think I issued a single red card in affiliated play (more in High School), and I can't think of any in 2005 (although I skipped High School) - the level of play in the affiliated leagues is higher, but there's also more discipline, and more consequences should someone lose control (I've seen several "life bans" overturned in this league after a few years, and I don't think there's a written record, which means they can come right back in when the position of coordinator turns over). I often attribute my ability to juggle players and situations in the higher leagues to my being able to deal with this league.So when it seems like I just breeze over sending two people off, in this league, it's pretty much business as usual. And it's interesting to see how highly skilled players, the players I see behaving so much better in USSF matches, drop to the lowest common denominator when they're put in this league.
Simple rule of soccer: if you want to keep playing, don't say "Fuck You" to the ref
Tossed out two red cards this morning, for two different reasons. I feel good about both of them, although in a perfect world there would have been three; I'm doubtful they could have been prevented, and in the second one, pretty much did all I could do, short of withholding a righteous card.
The first one happened with about fifteen minutes left in the second half (out of a 25-minute period), and shows, once again, the inherent weakness of a single-referee system: nobody watches our back. The game was a "B" level, and was pretty mellow; a couple fouls either way, but nothing of serious consequence, nothing that indicated that people were pissed. Well, the goalkeeper picked up a ball, and threw it down-field. Right before the throw, an opponent tried to block the throw, but nothing happened out of it; and the ball was quickly in the offensive third of the keeper's team (small fields strike again!). I brought my attention toward the new center of play, when I heard shouting behind me. Turning, I saw the striker bringing down his fist from above his head, downward into the keeper's face. I'm unsure if it connected or not, but it really didn't matter. Whistle screaming, I sprinted between the two red card in hand, and immediately sending off the striker (and if you're fluent in soccer, there is no attempt at a pun, even if it is appropriate).
You know, for a team that just had a player sent off, they were incredibly well behaved. Obviously they wanted me to be aware of what the goalkeeper had done, but they all understood that there was no way I could have seen what started it. I wanted to, I thought I had lingered enough, but it's a tough balancing act between what you want to do, and what you have to do (in that case, what I had to do was get back to the rest of play). I was really impressed - and after the game had to shake the hand of the guy I sent off. He took his booking like he was supposed to, which is unfortunately far too rare.
The keeper actually owned up, too... after the game was over. Apparently there was something that pissed him off last week, although I don't know if it was the player he went after, the team, or just something stuck in his brain. But he admitted to both punching, and cleating the player after releasing the ball. I did what I could, I alerted the coordinator (if it were an affiliated game, it would have gone in my report, and he would have hell to pay for), but it looks like, aside from the forced apology, that if the guy is going to sit out, it'll end up being voluntary.
The second game was pretty straight-forward; it ended up being 8-1 for one of the teams - although on the field it was much closer. The difference was that the losing team had a field player playing in goal, and didn't have the necessary damaged brain to play the position effectively. He, like a sane and normal person, flinched when a ball was sent on a ballistic trajectory toward him... meaning he gave up several easy goals that would have been stopped by a much stupider person (and if you haven't figured it out, I play goal, myself).
The third game was great - two teams battling it out, too interested in the game than it beating each other up (or myself for that matter). It's a pity that it ended scoreless, but if there's a rematch, I'd be honored to ref it.
The last game featured the second red card, and you can't get it for being more stupid. Here's a simple rule to follow: if you want to keep playing, don't tell the referee "Fuck you." This featured the really good team I've talked about for the last few weeks; I've been wondering how they would do in a tight game, and I think I've got the answer: they whine and hack. The team, in the four times I've reffed them previously, is so fast that they can all just run circles around their opponents; and because the schedule is more-or-less random (there are more teams in the division than could be played in one session), they've been lucky to get, at best, middling teams. Their opponents tonight not only kept up with them speed-wise, but when they decided to get physical, they dished it out just as well. Everyone, men and women just had a field day hacking each other.
The first yellow card came early, maybe five minutes into the first half; white (the team I've written about in the past) is missing their best player, and their best scorer is now a solidly built man who runs much faster and harder than you would think from a man his size; he was taken down hard about thirty yards from goal, and I immediately booked the fouler. Booking early is a common recommendation by other referees to put your stamp of authority on the game, and while the physical strength of the fouls never reached that level for the game, the quantity just kept rising. I pull a second yellow on the white player for fouling the same player who fouled him (no play on ball - he "went up for a header" for the purpose of knocking down his opponent - he's too good to have misjudged that badly).
But prior to that, yellow, their opponents, scored two quick goals; I've never seen white behind let alone by two goals; this really set up the situation for white to start fouling, and yellow to reciprocate. When White instigated the fouls, yellow immediately followed suit, showing that they wouldn't be cowed. The first one was by the woman who I've, for three games in a row now, called for shirt pulling.
"Haven't I called you on that for the last three times I've reffed you?" Knowing full well I had.
"Maybe." No maybes about it.
"Let's make sure it's the last one, OK?"
Well, she didn't pull any more shirts, but I did have to issue a warning to both teams that if things didn't settle down, people wouldn't finish the game. It was a prophetic statement.
The second half started, with white down 2-1, playing much better, although the action was pretty intense on both ends. White attacking mercilessly, and yellow doing everything they could to mount a counter-attack. White ended up pulling ahead 3-2, when things started unravelling. Although it may sound like my ego talking, I didn't unravel, a certain player unravelled - the shirt-puller, to be precise. She was stuck cleanly by another woman (one clearly not as skilled, but ready to dish it out physically), sending the puller flying. It didn't look pretty, but it was the puller's own momentum that sent her airborn.
"Where's the call?"
"No foul."
"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Shadows of things to come...
A few seconds later, literally, a foul from white on the opposite side of the field on a slightly late challenge.
"How is that a foul and that one," indicating the challenge against her, "not a foul."
She was pissed, so I kept my answer short and to the point. I've learned that trying to discuss these things with women is a recipe for disaster. Guys you can shout at and they're usually fine in a few minutes (for example, the stuff between the two players I booked in the first half was completely done - they butted each others heads and were fine), but women... well... I'm much more muted: "One was all-ball, one was no-ball. Simple as that." She didn't even see what happened, anyway, I was 10 yards from the play, she was 35.
So I've talked to her; but it didn't work, because she started complaining more. I waited a few minutes to see if she would calm down, but the rhetoric only intensified. Play was continuing, but I shouted to her, to make sure she heard, "You're booked." She's played club ball, I'd be shocked if she hasn't played college. She knew exactly what I meant, but chose to play dumb and belligerent. At the next stoppage, I held up the throw in, took out the book (this was a delayed card, and rushing in quick my quick-draw card would just be a stupid thing).
"What? You're going to card me because I'm standing here."
Now I can roll my eyes (and have), but I played it straight on the field. "No, I'm carding you for dissent."
"Fuck you!"
Well, since my book was already out, I didn't need to reach for the back pocket, just the other flap, and gave her a straight red for Foul and Abusive Language. White played the last ten minutes of the game short (and they'll play their entire next game short, per league rules), but managed to prevent any good shots on goal, and ended up winning 3-2.
The really fun, if not enlightening, part, is when the two parents who watched the game came over to me (curse me that the scorers table is right by the entrance), complaining about the card:
"I can see a yellow card, but you can't disqualify someone in a tight game like that."
The heck I can't. "Yes I can. I think, in a close game like that, she'd be better off not saying 'fuck you' to the referee."
They continued their argument, although my speaking portion was done and I was more interested in finishing my paperwork - but let's look at what they were really arguing: That it's OK, in a tight game, to verbally abuse people, and they should get a pass on the rules! There's a lot of talk about the values in the US, but I think this pretty much sums up the belief system of the 51% who voted for Bush and support the war on Iraq: the rules we impose on others should not apply to us. It's scary! Fortunately, an exiting member of the other team, pretty much summed it up nicely (and loudly - I know the parents heard):
"No wonder she behaves like that - she learned it from her parents!"
Too true.
This was a vrey good and instrctional missive about poor behavior and its consequences.That is, up to your ill-informed and foolish politcal commentary. You clearly know soccer and “reffing” (sic)but why try to insult 1/2 of your audience?
Pete Beckett () - 06 January '06 - 19:05
Because it’s my blog, and there seems to be a difference in how fans behave depending if they’re in a “Red” or “Blue” area, at least in this state. Actually, given how the Bush administration is blatantly ignoring laws on wiretapping (let alone the rest of their behavior), I think it’s quite apropos.Feel free to igore my political ramblings, however. I think I’ve only let them fly a few times in the three years I’ve written here (I have other places to vent those), so it’s not a common occurance.
TheRef - 06 January '06 - 23:31
Please take a look at this link that I’ve provided, it’s why we all love to referee.http://www.iht.com/getina/files/309548.h..
Marc A.Silverstein, ENY () (URL) - 24 February '06 - 06:56