Probably ought to start a thread just on refs, but I'll jump in.
One referee instructor I know says that if you never ever call a foul for intentionally handling the ball, you'll be 95% right. At the skill level of high school girls, most handballs are not intentional.
Safety and fairness. These are the principle concerns of referees. It drives me nuts to hear a ref say that he or she wants to "let the girls play," or that "the game should be decided by the players." It's not being decided by the players unless they are playing within the laws.
Finally, when are we going to address sliding tackles? Most of the players I've seen don't know how to slide tackle safely. I've had two players injured this year from sliding tackles, and many close calls. Sliding studs up or sliding from behind (getting the ball or not) is simply against the laws of the game, not to mention dangerous. Dangerous sliding tackles are more closely monitored in the EPL than in the SCHSL.
But that's not to say that our losses this year were anyone's fault but our own. I just want the girls to be as safe as possible, given the physical nature of the game.
