Comments on: The “Insistent Referee” http://www.columbussoccerref.com/the-insistent-referee/2008/09/13/ Observations, opinions & other ramblings of a soccer referee Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:08:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: CSR http://www.columbussoccerref.com/the-insistent-referee/2008/09/13/#comment-291 CSR Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:21:41 +0000 http://www.columbussoccerref.com/the-insistent-referee/2008/09/13/#comment-291 Alex, Good to hear from you again. In a word - Exactly! I could care less that my AR questioned the call or even that he disagreed with it. That's all well and good. But a sideline conference is neither the time or the place to tell me so. And loud enough that other people could hear - or - making his disagreement visible for others to see is NEVER the way to express it. If I'm an AR, I handle it differently. The sideline conference would have gone something like this - AR (me): Are you sure that handling was intentional? What did you see? CR: She didn't move her arms, but made herself bigger to cut off passing lanes. AR (me): I didn't see it that way, but if that's what you saw then we have a PK. It would have taken 2 seconds, the CR would have known I disagreed, and the referee team still looks united and is able to sell the call. If my incident would have happened at a very high-level match you can bet your game fee that the coaches and spectators would have picked up that the AR and I weren't on the same page and used it every chance they got. What bothered me the most was that the AR in question was a guy I'd worked well with before and generally thought reasonably highly of. Not anymore, I guess. Alex,
Good to hear from you again. In a word - Exactly! I could care less that my AR questioned the call or even that he disagreed with it. That’s all well and good. But a sideline conference is neither the time or the place to tell me so. And loud enough that other people could hear - or - making his disagreement visible for others to see is NEVER the way to express it.

If I’m an AR, I handle it differently. The sideline conference would have gone something like this -
AR (me): Are you sure that handling was intentional? What did you see?
CR: She didn’t move her arms, but made herself bigger to cut off passing lanes.
AR (me): I didn’t see it that way, but if that’s what you saw then we have a PK.

It would have taken 2 seconds, the CR would have known I disagreed, and the referee team still looks united and is able to sell the call.

If my incident would have happened at a very high-level match you can bet your game fee that the coaches and spectators would have picked up that the AR and I weren’t on the same page and used it every chance they got. What bothered me the most was that the AR in question was a guy I’d worked well with before and generally thought reasonably highly of. Not anymore, I guess.

]]> By: Alex http://www.columbussoccerref.com/the-insistent-referee/2008/09/13/#comment-290 Alex Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:12:05 +0000 http://www.columbussoccerref.com/the-insistent-referee/2008/09/13/#comment-290 A player can say what ever they want close to me and not public, same goes for my AR's, make it public and your going to get an ear full at half or after the game. Close situation last night. I have a 4A boys game which is not all that physical but of course there is a few bumps and grinds. I told my AR's before the match that I was going to let them play a little tonight and to follow my lead or the tone of the match when they call fouls. 3 minutes left in the match and my AR (who I have never worked with before) starts waving his flag like a wild man over a normal shoulder to shoulder bump with both players coming in on it. If I call this I am going to get eaten alive because it would be so grossly inconsistent with the previous 77 minutes of the game. I wave him down and signal play on.... (I actually struggled with this in my head for the next 30 seconds because I really like to back my AR's up on thier calls) The game ends and we all meet at center field. Before I can say something my other AR lights up the AR that made the call. Telling him 1. I as the center was very close to play and could easily make that call if I wanted. 2. It was inconsitent with my other calls and he should match my calls 3. who did he plan on calling it against since they both came in hard. I actually felt bad for the guy after my other AR got done with him.... A player can say what ever they want close to me and not public, same goes for my AR’s, make it public and your going to get an ear full at half or after the game.

Close situation last night. I have a 4A boys game which is not all that physical but of course there is a few bumps and grinds. I told my AR’s before the match that I was going to let them play a little tonight and to follow my lead or the tone of the match when they call fouls. 3 minutes left in the match and my AR (who I have never worked with before) starts waving his flag like a wild man over a normal shoulder to shoulder bump with both players coming in on it. If I call this I am going to get eaten alive because it would be so grossly inconsistent with the previous 77 minutes of the game. I wave him down and signal play on…. (I actually struggled with this in my head for the next 30 seconds because I really like to back my AR’s up on thier calls) The game ends and we all meet at center field. Before I can say something my other AR lights up the AR that made the call. Telling him 1. I as the center was very close to play and could easily make that call if I wanted. 2. It was inconsitent with my other calls and he should match my calls 3. who did he plan on calling it against since they both came in hard.

I actually felt bad for the guy after my other AR got done with him….

]]>