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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 2,256 Likes: 2
Coach
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Coach
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 2,256 Likes: 2 |
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I'm not saying that coaches are wrong, I am saying that assessors are looking at different things then coaches do. I just found it funny that when discussing the quality of a referee they jump immediately to judging a referee by getting some calls right and some wrong. And from experience I can tell you that is not the quality of a good or bad official. I simply stated what assessors look for.
I get that. If you actually look at what they were saying, though, they were NOT judging the quality of the referee by getting some calls right and some wrong. It was stated that those officials did a "consistently good job" regardless of disagreement with the calls--because they were consistent and fair. If missing calls was a criteria for making a judgment, then it would be hard to say they did a "consistently good job" while "getting some right and some wrong." Obviously getting all the calls "right" is not a criteria for doing a "consistently good job"--which seems to be consistent with your assessor training.
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They have done games at a level much higher then what you find in any high school soccer program. While not always right (believe me I have disagreed with many assessors) they know a lot more than your average high school, college, or even professional soccer coach.
There ya go...throw that word "average" in there and I will agree with you.
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As to the rest...I am just pointing out the culture of soccer that is in our state for High School, and explain the reason why more people do not come out and officiate. And whether you think it derogatory or not, it is true. Most games start fine, then devolve into yelling at and blaming the officials for losing. When you experience this night after night you wonder if your services aren't appreciated elsewhere. Most of your good officials that the OP wishes they had in high school soccer is turning their back and doing college games and other higher level games, or if they are doing high school games they are being selective of what games they do.
There is truth in this. The offensive part is when someone makes blanket statements about the entire population of high school coaches and parents based on experiences with some of the worst situations. I agree that there is no valid excuse for poor conduct on the part of coaches, players, and fans. There should be accountability across the board for the conduct of players, coaches, parents, fans, and officials. As I have repeatedly told my players, parents, and students, in order to call someone else wrong, you have to make sure YOU are in the RIGHT. Yelling and screaming derogatory comments does not put people in the right...in my opinion that's entering the "two wrongs" category at best. Something else to remember, too, is that the people making the most noise are the ones who get noticed, but they are not always the majority. One or two individuals yelling expletives at an official will stick out more in the memory of a match than 100 others who simply cheered their teams and took the officiating as a matter of course--or even got up and moved a few seats away from the abusive few.
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The question is how do you get these better officials to do your higher level high school games?
1. Improve the culture of high school soccer in South Carolina. Do not tolerate the abuse of officials an opponents by fans.
2. Change the scheduling of matches so you can utilize your referee pool and lessen the amount of 2 man matches.
3. Impliment an assessment program with certified assessors who are trained to help improve referee performance, not by the associations or coaches would blindly give the referee a grade after a match.
4. Schools and AD's need to have a zero tolerance policy towards their coaches when it comes to abuse of officals. Coaches need to remember that the match is the extension of the classroom. Imagine teaching 22 students and having three people burst into your room yelling and screaming for 80 minutes straight.
5. Impliment a mercy rule. For the love of God, no one benifits when they lose 15-0.
6. Referee associations need to designate some of their officials as AR's only. Being an AR is not the same as a CR. Trust me, if you have certain officials that train exclusively as an AR on higher level matches you will have a lot less complaining.
7. Get rid of the good old boy network.
1. No argument there.
2. Also no argument. In any situation of limited resources (in this case, officials), adaptations have to be made to make the most within those limitations--while also taking into account other limitations like field availability. We could certainly look at using more non-Tuesday/Friday slots to alleviate pressure on the pool of officials on those days. Most coaches would prefer not to play on Mondays because they would rather not have a game coming directly off a weekend, and Wednesdays often conflict with track meets for schools that share facilities between those sports, but there are ways to make it work.
3. Agree with the first part, but the second part is what we need to work on in order to work together constructively--this assumption that associations and coaches would "blindly" give a referee a grade after a match. You seem to be stuck in this mentality that anyone who is not a certified official and/or assessor is incompetent to give any kind of constructive feedback. I think that is very short-sighted. Sure, coaches have a dog in the fight and are necessarily biased about the results of the match. That does not render them incapable of making a sound judgment about the fairness of the officials. Students who say "that teacher was really hard on me--my grades weren't great, but I learned a lot" or "I got an easy A in that class, but I don't feel like I learned anything" are giving valuable feedback that is not based on their scores. Coaches are capable of doing the same. If you get nothing but praise or griping based entirely on who wins or loses, that can be dismissed as bias. If a losing coach compliments the fairness and equity of officiating in a game, or if a coach wins by a comfortable margin but cites concerns about player safety and game control--to the point of saying some of his own players should have been cautioned--then I'd say it's worth a listen.
4. The SCHSL has very specific rules about unsportsmanlike conduct by coaches as well as players, including suspensions and substantial fines. Officials have the power and the responsibility to caution and/or eject coaches whose conduct is disrespectful and abusive. If three people burst into my classroom and start screaming while I'm trying to teach, I'm going to immediately make it clear to them that the conduct is unacceptable, ask them to desist, and explain the consequences if they do not. If they refuse to stop, I will write them up for referral to administration and if necessary have them removed immediately. If I allow that behavior to continue for 80 minutes without addressing it, that's my fault. I have watched both players and coaches having a go at officials...depending on the duration and severity, sometimes I admire the officials' patience, and other times I can't imagine for the life of me why they allow it to continue.
5. I've been on both ends of double-digit games--they are what you make of them. Some would prefer to cut it short and go home; others prefer to get the whole 80 on the field regardless of the score. I can see both sides.
6. Makes perfect logical sense to me. Players and coaches receive specialized training for specialized positions--why not officials?
7. First and foremost in any decision-making process should be what is best for the players and the integrity of the game.
We may not agree on every part of every point, but there's a lot of common ground here.
I've got good news and bad news...
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 70
throw in
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throw in
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 70 |
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Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 67
Throw In
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Throw In
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 67 |
Accepting an assignment for a game that involves a school that your child goes to or you work at, OR involves teams in the same immediate division that could effect the outcome of your child's school is unethical behavior and violates the official's code of ethics.
Now, if you happen to be at the game and they need an emergency official and you are certified and they ask you, that is a different story.
Most states, like Georgia for instance and the NCAA, ban the practice and would suspend you if you were caught.
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Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 422
Goal
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Goal
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 422 |
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 3
bench
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bench
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 3 |
I may have missed this somewhere, but I am interested about why I've never seen what I believe is the simplest suggestion for getting more, better refs... Pay them more.
As with any profession you get some people who love reffing or do it out of a sense of obligation, for whom the money has little relevance, but for a lot of people money is a motivator. Instead of expecting a change in SC HS soccer culture, why not consider rewarding them more for what is a very difficult and often thankless job? I agree that some of the best refs are recent college players, and in my opinion offering more money would probably increase the pool of recent college athletes willing to try reffing.
By the way, he certainly allowed a physical game but I thought the head ref in the 4A final did an overall good job - particularly in terms of consistency.
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Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 67
Throw In
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Throw In
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 67 |
Its not just an issue of money. By simply offering more money you may be attracting more people, however, is that going to guarantee that they stay in officiating?
I have seen studies done that show that people would rather be more respected and work in a better environment then have a higher pay.
You will also continue to have problems with getting good officials to do the harder games if you simply increase pay. I am lucky, I can turn down or tell my assignor that I will not do certain teams becuase of their coaching staff, fans, or simply the environment they create which in my opinion is not sportsman like. My assignor is more than happy to give me other games that will be blow outs or games were officals are treated like professionals, and I still get paid the same regardless. I do the same for my college games, I tell my assignor I want mainly women's matches, there is such a shortage that it isn't a problem. I still get paid the same.
There is an inelastic supply of officials at competitive levels for soccer. The NFL found out about this the hard way during their recent officials lockout. Throwing money at the problem will help in the short term get officials, but it will not help keeping those officials for the long run.
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,062
brace
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brace
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,062 |
I wish you wouldn't brag about turning down games. To many of us, that represents the absolute height of gutlessness and hypocrisy. Great officials take on challenges. They help solve problems. They don't just pass them on to lesser colleagues.
Suppose PLAYERS and COACHES did this. Suppose they refused to play at tougher away venues.
What does THAT teach? That you can opt out of tough situations and "blame" someone else?
You claim to be "disciplining" obnoxious coaches and fans. Baloney. You're just passing the buck and allowing visiting kids and coaches, who deserve better, to absorb the nonsense that you won't take a stand on and resolve.
You may be a great official. But on this one issue, shame on you. And shame on any official who doesn't constructively work to make things better, not by "boycotting," but by soldiering on.
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 824
Brace
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Brace
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 824 |
Backscreen...you could go to the school and take a zero tolerance policy and just start tossing coaches....and empty the stadium if necesssary. I bet if you did that a few times as an official, it would turn some heads quickly. I have been known to empty the sidelines a time or two because of what is being yelled onto the field. Take the tough game, drive the point home that you will only tolerate good behavior...and get your referee association to follow this practice at a given venue(s) and you will force change.
Just my two cents.....
If you are going to argue a point, at least get factual information to back up your side.....
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