The Weekly Soccer Referee Blog
Sharpening Referee Knowledge and Judgment, One Week at a Time
Volume 4, Issue 36, September 9, 2012
Quote of the Week:
“I boobed it in.”
Heard from a player during a U17 girls game, in which a cross from the corner, the ball hits her in the chest, changed direction, and went into the goal.
More on This Year’s IHSA Test
I did hear from the IHSA – One of the questions I challenged is being thrown out, while they did not agree with the other two questions. I followed up by quoting chapter and verse from the same Rules they chose to quote.
Here are your further thoughts:
Referee 1: I agree with your comments on the test. I also had a problem with one of my incorrect answers. I went back to the book and the answer I selected was exactly what the rule book said. Pretty hard to figure out how or why the answer was incorrect.
Referee 2: I agree the test is written very poorly especially for a group that is working in the education business—I took the test last night (last minute as usual) I did get a 92 but I also got the second caution question wrong and one on what was considered legal equipment–I guess a rubber band is ok
Referee 3: Gee you see it now, 20 years ago when (name redacted) ran the system, it was common for answers to have different answers the next year for the same questions.
I kept all the tests and answer sheets and would send them in registered letter asking how these answers could be incorrect if last year it was correct? Needless to say, (name redacted) and I bumped heads a lot – you know I always strived for that 100, I got computer error – oh well – it is what it is – and so on .
HERE IS WHY THEY DON’T WANT YOU TO GET A 100. BACK THEN, THE ONES WHO WERE INVOLVED THE IN FIXING OF THE ONES WHO DID ALL THE FINALS MANY YOU KNOW, THEY ALL GOT 100s. STRANGE BUT TRUE. I GUESS WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND HAS COME AROUND AGAIN.
“’They’ are back”
This Week’s Question – The Saunter
During a U-19 Game today…
Play has been fairly even, with both teams having opportunities to score. Player B10 has been a spark plug for his team, and has had the best challenges to Team A’s goalkeeper to date.
A Direct Free Kick is called for a holding foul. As A81 steps forward to take the kick, you see B10 change direction and saunter directly in front of the ball, blocking A81’s ability to take the quick kick.
You Make the Call
What is the call?
What is the restart?
Last Week’s Question – Brick-Passer
On a U8 Recreational game…
An adult referee was asked to cover this U8 game, due to conflicts between the team coaches, as well as problems with the Team A coach verbally abusing the youth referees.
The game has been in progress for a while. The referee, who is acting solo (small field, no offside), has stayed within 6 feet of play during the game, and has called dozens of U8 fouls.
Two players are contesting for the ball, headed towards Team B’s goal. Player A5 and B12 are shoulder to shoulder, arms at their sides, with the ball within playing distance.
Both players fall over the ball. Player B12 gets up, while Player A5 stays on the ground. The referee waits a few seconds to see if A5 is getting up, then whistles the ball dead and calls the coach on to the field.
As the referee is backing up, he clearly hears the Team A Coach tell A5 “That’s okay kid – you got fouled. Either the Ref didn’t see it, or he didn’t care.”
The referee waits for the Team A Coach (the problem coach) to get A5 off the field. Once A5 is seated, the referee calmly explains to the Team A Coach that his comments were dissent, and Cautions the coach (as allowed by the Rec Soccer League Rules.)
As the coach moves away, he starts in with another outburst: “If you aren’t going to keep the game safe and call fouls…”
The Referee turns back to the coach, and provides the coach with a second Caution, and then shows the Team A Coach the Red Card, and ejects him.
As the referee is moving back on to the field, the mother of Player A5 runs on to the field from the bench area. She is yelling “Where is that player’s caution?” “Why isn’t that player being cautioned?” Remember: This is U8 Recreational Soccer).
The referee calmly explains that the mother must leave the field, and that no caution is warranted as no actions were observed that were reckless. The mother persists in arguing for a caution. The referee again asks the mother to leave the field.
The mother continues to yell at the official. As the official is deciding to terminate the game, the husband of the mother runs on to the field, and grabs the referee by the throat.
The referee does not fight back. Within seconds, bystanders on the sidelines pull the husband off the referee.
You Make the Call:
What in the heck do you do with THIS situation?
And yes, it really did happen.
What You Said:
Referee 1:
Definitely game termination is due, due to misconduct of the parents. A report to game authority is required.
As for the assault by the coach, call 911 for the police and make a full report.
Referee 2:
It is sad that a U8 recreational game has to end this way. If it’s me, no doubt the game is over, and I will be filing criminal and civil charges against that so called “father”! You aren’t worthy of that title when you engage in such an example like this for your child. All you are at that point is a sperm donor. I might even consider getting DCFS involved, because this guy should lose his parental privileges.
The mother’s a different story. While I don’t condone her behavior, and it will be included in the match report to the league, there isn’t much else you can do with her.
Don’t forget to pull the coach’s pass and send it in with the match report to the league, with as many factual details you can include without including any opinions.
Referee 3:
Since the referee was physically assaulted the first call MUST be to the police. Identify yourself as a soccer referee and inform the dispatcher that you have been assaulted. If you know the name of the person, give the name as they will most likely attempt to leave the area before the police arrive.
This is not negotiable, and not optional. ANY assault on a referee must be dealt with immediately and severely. Failing to call the police will send the wrong message. Assaulting a referee is a (I believe) class 4 felony.
The next call would be to the head of the rec league to inform them of the ejection and the call to the police.
After that, let the league and the police handle it.
The Answer:
Yes this happened. It happened to me.
Hindsight is 20/20. In hindsight, when I asked the mother to leave the field the first time and she didn’t comply, I should have terminated the game – period. I put the U8 player’s game ahead of common sense. I can’t say it would have changed the outcome of what happened. Who can? I can say this – after I was attacked, I had a bunch of traumatized U8 players standing around crying. Yep, if it happens again, I’ll just Terminate the game.
The coach who I ejected had been harassing my officials all year. There was an emotional board meeting, where one of the parents of a player on the coaches’ team was complaining that the other team was parking kids at the goal mouth, “clearly offside”. I tried to explain that in U8 Rec, offside isn’t enforced by the rules of the league. “It isn’t fair,” they responded. “It’s our Laws, and it is legal” I explained.
It didn’t matter – they wanted someone senior to ref the game, so I took it. I had dealt with this coach more than once as part of a board action – he was holding practices at his home (no insurance) instead of the practice fields, and was causing attrition of young officials.
I called a tight game (pretty easy at U8). How Tight? I called EVERYTHING.
So, what do you do now? You have someone with your hand around your throat.
Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait long for help. Several bystanders ran on to the field, and pulled the guy off of me. As I was getting air back, I went to the sidelines and asked the people to “Call 911, I have been assaulted.” They did.
The police arrived, but our parent had left already. Not to worry, the police took my statements, got several other statements and a video tape of the event, and arrested him.
It gets weirder. The night after the assault, I got a call from the association president, who asked me point blank “Did you use any racial words out there?”
The question was appalling. I work for a large company – to say I have been trained on how to be PC would be an understatement. I knew exactly what I had said, and nothing racial was involved. They also had everything on video tape.
So, the President watched the tape, and then called the guy back and asked him if he was sure that was the story he wanted to go with, because “I have just watched the tape, and nothing like that is heard.” The parent backed off of his statements.
What happened next would have made a great comedy. I got to talk with the State’s Attorney, who explained he didn’t think the Felony Law applied to Rec Soccer. I told him I spoke with the official who had worked with his State Rep to get the law put into place after he had been assaulted, and that in their opinions, the law DID cover any sports official.
Then the other shoe dropped – the SA told me the guy had a job where if he got a Felony on his record, he could no longer do his job.
So, he got off with a misdemeanor. He was banned from ever coming on the soccer complex property again. He had to write a letter of apology to the association, and to me.
The family moved out of the area, and to Rockford. I sent a letter to the assignor up there, telling him to watch out.
So, What Do You Do?
First off, if you get a parent on the field, and they don’t comply with your instruction to leave, TERMINATE THE GAME. Trust me.
Second, if the worst thing happens, and someone grabs you, chest butts you, heads you, kicks you, or anything else, Call 911. Get the police involved.
Third, and very importantly: DO NOT FIGHT BACK. The parents on the sideline were all sympathetic because I was the victim – I could have tried to break his grip on my throat, but I considered what I had read in NASO – fighting back makes you part of the problem.
Forth: Go to the wall with this – Talk to your State’s Attorney. Drive the issue, and push for a conviction.
Fifth: Don’t read the blogs in newspapers. Some of the stuff people wrote about me was enough to make me want to throw up. “He’s going to file a civil case.” was the comment I found the most annoying. It’s a criminal matter, not a civil matter. It will drive you nuts if you read them.
Sixth: get back on the horse, and get out there and ref again. Don’t get me wrong, I was a little jumpy for the next few months. With that said, I’m back at it now, and am still having a great time. And I’ll still terminate a game without much provocation if I have parents on the field.
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