Question Number: 12753

Character, Attitude and Control 5/8/2006

RE: rec Under 14

Lori of Storrs, CT USA asks...

This weekend at a girls U13 game the referees were horrible. They didn't make any calls during the first 1/2 of the game. They allowed goals from players that were off-sides, even when the kids were saying "off sides" as well as fans, parents, and coaches. They allowed high kicks. Then after a parent called out telling them they needed to make some calls, the eldest ref got very mad. One of the lines men continued to play golf with his flag, and the elder ref, also a lines men, began baking calls. The center ref never made a call un less this man told him to. At what point, and who can step in for safety sake. Luckily there were minor injuries during the game, but the high kicks continued through out. Then when the elder man finally called a hand ball, he gave the team a direct goal kick instead of where the penalty happened. Our girls came away frustrated and angry with the refs. What can be done?

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Lori you sound very distressed about the match you were watching and relate concern the referees were ill suited for the task at hand. You sound as if there are thoughts in your mind concerning the safety of the players, a referee's primary concern. You also noticed the assistants were deficient in their mechanics.

You ask at what point and who can step in for safety's sake. As a parent you can always take your daughter from harm's way. You didn't so I guess things were not all "that" unsafe. The coach may remove his team from the field. He did not, so he considered what he saw as "safe enough" for his players.

There is one thing to consider regarding how the players reacted to the match officials, did they reflect the opinions of the parents, fans and spectators on the touchlines? Was the pleasure of competition spoiled by spectators who dissented the referees decisions. Was the pleasure of the referees spoiled by constant screaming and carping. Of course you could have drawn three referees assigned to a match beyond their abilities... Just reading I can never know for sure.

Lori, please remember that refereeing is a profession where perfection is expected from the start, with steady improvement thereafter.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Hey Lori. I invite you to become a licensed U.S.S.F. Referee. See your local club referee assignor for information about an upcoming training course near you as obviously you feel that you can do a better job than the crew you had in your game. We are always looking for new referees. You ask what can be done? As Mr. Fleisher said, you can always pull your kid from the game and a coach can always pull his team from the game. If what you described is correct, this refereeing crew needs a lot of work. But a simple solution to your problem would be to recruit more referees that would take their important job more serious. There is most likely a shortage of referees in your area or these referees would not have been assigned the game. Keep in mind that no matter how bad the referees are, without refs there is no game. I watched an ESPN episode where they interviewed top level referees for all sports and asked them why in the world they wanted to be officials? You can only lose as referees and be the goat. You can ref the perfect game, but one louzy call at the end of the game and boom....you are a goat.

A couple of things that need to be cleared up though:

1. High kicking in itself is not a foul. No where in the Laws of the Game does it say a player cannot kick the ball high in the air. It is only a foul if it becomes a dangerous play when the foot becomes close to an opponents face.

2. There is no such thing as "off sides". The proper term is "off side". Offsides is an infraction in football, but in soccer we call it off side.

3. There is no such thing as handballs either...only should it be called when a player deliberatly uses his/her hands to play the ball. It should not be called unless the player deliberatley played the ball with his/her hands. If the ball played the hand...no foul. If the hand came to the ball, then it is a foul. As Always

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Lori,
I will give you credit for addressing the issue of concern for your players. As a parents job that is to be expected. We can not rate the proficiency of a referee crew we did not see. I too coach and have my opinions as to the stellar or less than stellar conduct of the other officials who do our matches. I write down glaring deficiencies and pass them along if I find they are important.

However within my COACHING duties and relaying of tactical advice I try VERY VERY hard not to speak ill against fellow officials in front of my players or parents. When the adults, that the kids love and respect, begin to openly critique the officials the kids become agitated and frustrated with the referees with a vengeance because NOW they follow the examples set by those around them.

The neutral referee one can hope is fit, experienced, well versed in law and application, good foul recognition, a ready smile and concern for the welfare of all participants and their safety. No one can doubt the conviction and integrity of a good referee trying to do the best job possible. However, much in a match is not just of his doing but of the choices others make.

Each referee while a mixture of experience and understanding of the game. HE or SHE is a MATCH condition just like the weather or pitch surface, rain or sun, hard or muddy! A player adapts to the over techy guy, the out of position guy, the new guy, the set in his way old school guy, because for THAT game the referee is a fixture just like the corner flag, post or crossbar, he is part of the field of play. This character may indeed call things loose, tight or somewhere in between.

It is a fact that the consistency of refereeing is not upheld game to game simply because various stages of development are at work. It is only possible for a referee to show consistency in the MATCH he presides over for that 1 & 1/2 hr. As referees complete training and move on up they GENERALLY arrive at greater consensus but man management is a skill that what works for one not always for another and occasionally not even for the one

Many soccer associations are sprinkled with self important people who think their opinion is in the best interest of what is good for the game. Yet the vast majority of those who dedicate their time and effort as well as financial are the driving force of volunteers who make it possible for all the leagues to survive. It does not make them perfect we are all susceptible to varying degrees of confrontation, worry, ego, being made a fool of disagreements etc... However these same people are also compassionate, caring, concerned creatures!

Those watching who are confident THEY are attuned to the game and its laws will JUDGE others in the capacity of I could do better or why do I see things so clearly when you do not? Even those who do not actually say anything because they do know they should not by exasperated sighs and body language can send clear messages of dissatisfaction. It often only takes a single incident to trigger the alarm bells off on these individuals simply because of the immediate effect and the needs and concerns for that incident are not referee driven but parental, or tactical or necessary for a result orientated fixture. The calibre of officiating could also be on a huge curve and it is anybody's guess as to the credentials of those participating.

Do not forget that calibre of officiating or rather the lack of it although it may indeed inspire some to take the whistle thinking they could do better it is only an appreciation and sense of accomplishment and a love of the game for which we stay!

WE know the newer referees are still working through which end of the whistle is the right one to blow. Most of us who have refereed understand how scared they are and that often they are more afraid of making a mistake than making a correct decision, inexperience is not their fault. Not all new referees are youth either an adult can sweat it almost as much because it might seem he SHOULD know more than he does!

If we are angry because in our opinion a referee is not up to the task sure it can motivate us to seek solutions one of which might be to referee ourselves if we are not a referee. Or suggest to the league the referee seek support by mentor, reevaluation, finding an assessor, reread the laws. If leagues HAVE certified referee assignors they are trained to avoid scheduling referees for matches where they should not be or allowing situations to fester without fixing the problems.

Structure, the ability to monitor, the time to provide support, training, financial considerations all factor in to whether we point fingers of blame or seek solutions to problems and fix things that need fixing! Good intentions are simply that good intentions I think the saying is the road to hell is paved with them.

My MAIN concern is not that we support the referee no matter what he does. It is that we MUST support the GAME at all times! What is hard to grasp is not making the referee in the match the focal point of the problem by being one ourselves! In the end we answer to only ourselves and God.
Respond to the events by seeking to fix not blame.
Record the events remembering your are not unbiased
Report the events to those who can appropriately evaluate them
Review the events and try to look at it from other perspectives
Cheers