Columbus Soccer Ref

Somone over at Big Soccer posted this and thought it was well worth passing along.

Link to the YouTube video is here

The Referee’s Alphabet by Half Man Half Buscuit

A is for my authority, which many players seem to question, thinking they’re somehow going to make me change my mind.

B is for babies, which a lot of managers cry like after a decision has not gone their way.

And the Z, well the Z could be for Zidane, Zico, Zola, Zubizaretta, Zoff, even Zondervan - but is in fact for the zest with which we approach our work. Without this zest for the game we wouldnt become refs, and without refs, well zero. See also Zatopek, Zeus and Zeal Monachorum. I have a caravan there, static naturally.

Well. . .tonight I did a U19B middle and ran into a couple of coaches (same team) who definitely had absolutely no grasp of the big picture - or sportsmanship - at all.  Here’s the situation. . .we have Gold vs. Orange.  We’re at the 87th minute and Gold is leading 4-1.  There were a couple of cautions in the match, but in general things were going pretty well.  Virtually no dissent from players or coaches to this point.  Gold player has the ball right in front of the Orange bench, and Orange defender commits a challenge that is definitely reckless (no excessive force and no endangering the opponent’s safety).  I blow the whistle hard and run to the foul to make sure there’s no retaliation.  Things are fairly calm and the Orange player (and his coach) knows a caution is likely coming - and it would be his second of the match (resulting in a send-off).  As I seperate the Orange player who committed the foul, the Orange coach asks me if he can take him off and that they will not substitute for him (we were still close to the Orange bench).  I definitely appreciated that this coach understood that the player needed to be removed and the game needed the player to be removed.  Also, this was the last match of the league season for these two teams.  So I elected to handle the misconduct by letting the coach manage his player. The Gold coach voices some dissent that the player was not shown the red card, which I felt was just venting.  After all, Orange had removed the problem player and were playing a man down - AND GOLD WAS UP 4-1!  I mean what more did the Gold coaches really want?  So I restarted play - with Orange playing down a man.  About 30 seconds later, I noticed that the Gold coaches were bickering with the Orange bench.  I stop play and go over to the Gold bench to essentially tell them that I had used my discretion to allow the Orange coach to manage his player and that we were moving on.  And mostly that the bickering with the other bench had to stop.  These coaches barely let me get a word in.  Their attitude was generally aggressive, provocative, and definitely unsporting.  When I was done with the Gold bench, I then went to the Orange bench and made it clear that the bickering had to stop.  Finally, I go back to the players and the match.  We play the final minutes of the match and it ends.  I fill out the match card, denoting the cautions, and get the Orange coach’s signature while handing his player passes back.  I then give back the player passes to the Gold coach, along with the game card.  Since the winning coach sends in the game card, he can sign at his convenience.  I then go about getting out of my wet shirts (it had rained during the match).  When he gets back to his bench, he and the other coach then shout over to me - again dissenting my decision not to issue a second caution (and resulting red card).  Now. . .I’m in the process of changing out of my gear after the match.  The only thing I say to the coaches is “Coach, walk away!”  Of course, they didn’t like this at all.  So they continued their dissent as I continued to change into a semi-dry shirt.  Any response from me was the same - “Coach, walk away”.

So let me get this straight. . .we’ve had a nice match for 87 minutes. . .and your team is up 4-1 in the last match of the league season. . .and you’re going to be all pissed off about the referee’s decision to  allow a coach to manage his player rather than show the red card (something I’m sure you would appreciatehad the roles been reversed)?!?!?!?  I’m not sure I’ve ever encountered a worse case of sore winners.  It really spoiled, for me, what I thought was a pretty fun match up to that point.  Truly a shame that some people have to be such poor sports.

(NOTE: It should go without saying that if the Orange coach not been willing to manage his player, then I definitely would have shown the Orange player a second yellow card and then the red card.)

If you’ve ever seen Ocean’s Eleven, you probably remember this quote.  Early in the film, Basher (played by Don Cheadle) is detonating a bank vault - only to be done in by the ineptitude of one of his accomplices.  While he’s being arrested, Rusty (Brad Pitt) manages to get him away from the police and fill him in on the big scam.  Basher, of course, is elated to be working with ‘proper villains’.

This weekend, I’ll be doing games at NSR Midwest Cup.  Through a friend, I was assigned to be part of a crew including my friend, a guy I worked with at Regionals last year, as well as two other officials that are highly recommended by my friend.  This comes in stark contrast to my experience this year, doing State Cup round-of-16 (and 8 ) with U16B.  There, I was paired with four different officials over the two days.  All four are what I call “middle-third referees”.  Which is to say, they really didn’t leave the middle third of the field.  As ARs, I totally feel they gave their best. . .but in each case, these gentlemen were past their prime.  Now, I’ll be the one hoping I can keep up.  I know that I am over twice as old as my friend (seriously).  So guys. . .please. . .take it easy on an old man : )

So far this season, I’ve dismissed a coach. . .and I’ve sent off a player for a second caution, but tonight was the first straight red-card of the season.  It was a U19G match and as an aside, the quality of play was beyond bad. . .but I digress.  Gray attacker was dribbling with a Blue defender immediately behind and slightly to the right of the attacker.  In what I felt was an attempt to disengage the defender (establish territory?), the Gray player brought the back of her hand up and smacked the Blue defender squarely in the nose, causing an immediate reaction from the Blue player.  I blew the whistle for the foul and showed the Gray player the red card for SFP.  The 2009 directive on Contact Above the Shoulders is pretty clear on swinging the arm/hand back into the opponent’s face in an attempt to disengage him/her and create space.  I certainly felt, in this case, the action far exceeded the force necessary. But it got me thinking about the Contact Above the Shoulders directive.  Up to now, I’d been focused more on aerial challenges as where I’d most likely apply this directive but now I don’t really think so. . I think I’ll see more incidents like this where a player uses a hand/elbow to the face/head/neck to disengage an opponent or clear space.  I think at this point, we’re far enough into the season where we’ve started seeing this directive in action.  So I ask. . .what is your experience and impressions of how the Contact Above the Shoulder directive is being implemented?

It’s been a while since I’d really posted anything, in large part because work has been sort of crazy.  It can get that way when you own your own business.  But I didn’t realize I haven’t posted in 2 months.  Wow does life get away.  Nothing earth-shattering this spring, so here are some snippets. . .

Read the rest of this entry »

Well, this past weekend were my first matches of the season.  For mid-March in Columbus, the weather was unbelievable.  Sunny with highs in the upper 50s.

In my first match, I was in the middle for a U19B match.  I’d been fighting a chest cold for a few days and was concerned about how it would affect me in the match.  All in all, it was better than I’d expected.  In the match we had White v. Red.  The first half went reasonably well, with both teams being rusty and two cautions issued in the half - one for each team.  Score at halftime was 1-1.  In the first half, there was some chirping from Red (visitors) about the ball - which of course, was supplied by White.  I’d inspected the ball before the match and it was fine.  It was a Nike full-leather ball, so the overall weight of the ball may have been a bit lighter than many of balls they’d been used to playing with.  But throughout the first half, I never saw any indication of the ball being a problem for anyone.  Indeed, I never saw any problem with players receiving the ball, passing the ball, or shooting the ball.  And in fact, it was Red that had the first goal of the match.  At hafftime, I checked the ball again with a guage and it was a little bit low.  So I added some air to it.  And we begin the second half. . . Read the rest of this entry »

At a referee meeting yesterday, we were briefed on one of the new directives from US Soccer.  Last year in the MLS “Week in Review” series, US Soccer looked much more closely at the use of elbows in general as well as contact that takes place above the shoulders.  This year, US Soccer has released guidance that all referees are to follow regardless of level of play.  And when it’s all said and done, I think we need to be ready to see more red cards.  I can’t guess how many more, but I’m sure we’ll see more.  Bob Evans over at For the Integrity Of Soccer does a very good job covering the new directive, but I think it’s important enough that it’s repeated here as well.  Read on. . . Read the rest of this entry »

As I wrote my post about my goals and challenges for 2009, it occurred to me that if I made mention of this, I didn’t do so strongly enough.

As referees, we work out and prepare for the season. . .we go to recerification courses and other advanced training. . .and during the season we leave the house for hours at a time - leaving behind our families.  So. . .I think it’s important that we appreciate the sacrifices our families make so we can do this thing we love.  During the season, my wife puts up with my being at the soccer field almost every weekend - and cares for our (now) 2 year-old.  Never take your loved ones for granted - and take every opportunity you can find to let them know how much you appreciate how much they sacrifice for you.

For myself. . .I was thrilled to be selected for Regionals last year, but the hardest part was definitely being away from my wife and my son for a week.  As some of you know, my son has some medical needs (spina bifida).  Normally, a nurse is with him during the day and we take over when we get home from work.  In order for me go to Regionals, it meant that my wife had to adjust her work schedule and coordinate with the nurses - and take care of care of our son (who was 1 at the time) in the evenings pretty much all on her own without much help.  It was a hell of a lot of work - and a big sacrifice on her part - all so I could go to Regionals.  I’m sure some of you read my coverage of 2008 Regionals.  But I don’t think I thanked my wife enough.  Without her sacrifices, it would have been impossible for me to go.

So like I said. . .take every opportunity to thank your loved ones!!!

Well folks. . .we’re into the last week of February and just like last year, my 2009 calendar says that March is only a few days away.  And here in Columbus (Ohio South), that’s when the spring season gets underway.  So what’s on tap for 2009?

• Well. . .first, is getting serious about fitness.  Over the winter, my fitness totally went to hell.  So I really need to get back on the wagon.
• I’m also hoping to avoid little niggling injuries that seemed to plague me last year.  Last year in one of my first middles of the spring, a player stepped back and planted a cleat square on the knuckle of my right big toe.  I swear she broke the toe - or re-broke it, I should say, and it hurt to varying degrees for the entire year.   I was definitely feeling my age last year, which too often stood in the way of having fun.  And in 2009. . .
• I really want to have more fun doing my matches this year.  And to some extent, the first two items will affect my ability to have fun.  It’s hard to have fun when you’re busy trying to catch your breath or thinking about how much you’re hurting.
• My biggest challenge for 2009 - I was selected for Pro Clinic this year.  I’m looking forward to increasing my knowledge and potentially working more challenging matches.  I hope I can justify the confidence they’ve shown in me.
• I still have work to do toward my State badge.  I need to get my overall U19+ match count up and while I feel like I’m ready for an assessment as an AR at the D1 Amateur level, I feel like I have a ton of work before I’m comfortable doing D1 middles.  I’m shooting for 2010 for my State badge.  Trying to think of it as something to do for myself for my 40th birthday.
• This year, I won’t be going to Youth Regionals.  They’re in Sioux Falls, SD -about as far away from Columbus as you can get and still be in Region 2.  Going away for a week is tough enough, and to add two days for travel (one day on each end of the trip) just make it unworkable for me.  I’m shooting for Regionals in 2010 - when they come to Dayton.

At any rate, what are your goals and challenges for refereeing in 2009?  Drop me a line, I’d love to hear from you!

I’m currently a Grade 7, but for the last couple years I’ve elected to do my recertification during the Grade 6 makeup recert in the fall.  Because Ohio South is changing their recert procedures, I probably won’t be able to do that again.  But all the same, getting the instruction that the 6s get has helped me immensely.  At the state referee clinic I attended in November, one particular module caught my attention and impressed me.  The SDA gave a presentation on “Inheritance & Bequeathment”.  So I can’t claim ownership of the concepts.

Inheritance is what we receive from other referees.  How many times have we heard from players or coaches “But the last ref never called that” or “No referee ever cards for that”.  My personal favorite is “They (kicking team on a free kick) have to ask for 10 yards” - see my entry from May 30 2008 here.  These reactions are a result of the referees who have officiated these teams before not enforcing the Laws properly.  Even at the highest levels of play in Ohio South, I’m consistently amazed at the lack of knowledge of the Laws of The Game on the part of players and coaches.  By not enforcing the Laws properly, referees are often responsible for perpetuating this lack of knowledge.  By not enforcing the Laws properly, it allows myths like the “Have to ask for 10 yards” myth to grow.  By not enforcing the Laws properly, a referee often inherits players with a lack of knowledge of the Laws and corresponding expectations.

Bequeathment is, as you’d guess, what we pass on to the referee who next works with these teams.  By not falling prey to the 10-yard myth. . .by working to prevent delayed restarts. . .by making sure throw-ins are taken from the spot where the ball went into touch. . .by recognizing and cautioning for tactical fouls. . .these are all things that I try to pass on - bequeath - to the next referee through the players and coaches in my matches.  I can only hope that after my match, the teams have a little better understanding of the LoTG and I can only have faith that the next referee will also enforce the LoTG properly so that the lack of knowledge doesn’t perpetuate and the myths don’t continue to grow.

So. . .remember that the collection of referees is a community.  Think about what you’re bequeathing when you selectively enforce the Laws. . .think about what you’re passing on when you choose not to show a card for actions that are 100% misconduct. . .and think about what you pass on when you allow myths to continue and grow.  Think about what you’re bequeathing - and the next guy, in turn, will be inheriting.