Question Number: 14105

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/12/2006

RE: IM Under 12

Patrick Trombly of Winthrop / Newton, MA USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 14082

MY ERROR IN TERMINOLOGY - - FREE KICK, NOT PENALTY KICK

That said there were 8 of them in a span of 15 minutes, they didn't start until we were up by 5 goals, and the plays were clean.

It wasn't a call or two that could have gone either way, and it wasn't even that the whole game was being uniformly called so as to eliminate contact entirely (which I've seen with girls soccer before and which I consider sexist). It was a deliberate message - your kids are up by 5 goals, tell them to stop playing like they're down by 2.

And that's not something I'm willing to do, because this week we COULD be down by 2 or we could end up down by 2 because my girls picked up bad habits by easing up in this one.

Interesting ideas about what to do to avoid running the score up - - I'm loathe to change game plans to something I don't usually have them do, otherwise they might not revert to form the next week when we play a well-prepared team. Same goes for formation - - even in the tournament when we're up by 2 goals and I go into Marty-ball mode, I won't have 3-4 other than in the last minute or two. If the D gets used to having 4 people back, they won't cover all the gaps the next week with 2 people back, which is our typical formation.

I think of my girls first, other considerations a distant second.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

You have an opinion about how referees call your match, so do the referees. Their opinions count officially so that's the field condition under which your players must play. Sounds like there's something else to do in practice.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

As I think I said before, no referee should set out to do anything to affect the score of any game. Period. It's not our job. If this referee is doing what you suggest, you should have your assignor evaluate and assess him asap. Most Leagues accept input from coaches. I suspect we have all had coaches that request we do not officiate their games again. As Ref Fleischer says, you may get the best or worst referee on the planet. That referee is a field condition and there's little you can do during a game than adjust to it. After the match, avail yourself of the remedies that exist starting with the referee assignor

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

The referee should ref the game and not ref based on the score. Sounds like you have some disagreement here. The referees decision is what stands.