All teams must be prepared to win with or without referee calls in their favor on any given night; referees are part of the game and always will be. Accept it and adjust.
The biggest responsibility entrusted to referees on the field is the safety of players. Four or five people can control the safety of a player during the game:
1) The player – s/he can come off the field if play is too aggressive (Not likely to happen)
2) The coach – s/he can remove a player from the field if the player is in danger (Not likely to happen)
3) The 2 or 3 referees – they can pay attention to aggressive play and control it from the beginning of the game so it doesn’t escalate, especially during emotional matches (Most probable option)
Therefore, I appeal to the referees out there to protect the safety of the players and don’t just assume an “ah, let them play” mentality. As a reminder, we are chatting on a message board about high school children, not professional athletes. Many emotional outbursts from parents stem from calls not made when their child is unfairly taken down. I have witnessed it from even the quietest and most self-controlled parents in the crowd.
