SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Girls Varsity Soccer Refs

Adolescents are at a time in their life at which they are very insecure, forming an identity, and experiencing hormonal imbalances. Adding adrenaline and competition to the mix jumbles it even more. These young people have lots of help during this time--mostly parents, with the addition of church leaders, teachers, coaches, etc. If referees even make the list of helper it is very low. I think when a call or a play goes against a young player, they are facing the experiences of failure, looking bad in front of peers, opponents, adults, etc. It is a typical adolescent reaction to cuss, try to show off, talk back, or do whatever to try to maintain their sense of security. I appreciate a ref who understands this and does not try to teach the child all the lessons at once--if a player gets a yellow and reacts (backtalk, cursing, shirt waving) it is understandable and I do not think they need a red because they apparently did not get the point. Most of my points are general.

Perhaps in this situation the referee should have spoken to the LE coach (and he may have if he explained the yellow, but the parents and Camden coach would not be privy). Without being there, it sounds as though Camden was being beaten soundly and the Camden crowd instead of graciously accepting was screaming at the refs (and possibly the player and coach). If so, I can hardly blame the girl whose team had proved itself on the field responding to those screaming parents with a shirtwave of victory. Do I want it to be allowed in the rules, no--but I do want refs to have some patience and understanding in their judgment and it sounds as if this one may have. (I am assuming the player was wearing something under the jersey--otherwise a definite red)

The point is that the refs aren't being consistent. If they want to allow that type celebration that's fine. But if it's against the rules, which apparently it is, they should enforce the rule. Why have the rule if the ref is gonna arbitrarily enforce it when he feels like it? I've seen the exact same thing result in a red card earlier this year.

There's nothing wrong with showing enthusiasm. I guess winning gracefully is a thing of the past, huh?

I am not really sure why this situation is getting blown out of proportion.

The referee did not speak to me (the LE coach) about the situation, and I did not feel that I needed any explanation. She got a yellow card for persistently rough play, and sliding with her studs up. I have no argument with that call. The celebration, in my opinion, was not classy and was somewhat rude concerning the incidents of the boys match that took place earlier this year.

If the referee felt that another card was deserved, he should have given it. I still would not have complained about the situation.

Bottom line is this, even if we went a man down, the outcome of the match would have remained the same. It was already too late for Camden to come back and win at that point (there may have been 5 min. left in the match). The Lady Demons were playing too well at that point to let the situation affect them.

However, I do agree that the officiating was questionable. During the first half, a foul was called if the ladies hardly even touched one another. It disrupted the flow of the game too much. They should have let the ladies play so that the fans could watch some attractive soccer, which I am assuming is what they came to the match for anyway.

dawgfan, I don't care what this guy/girl says, I am still right!

A tightly called game is better than an out of control one. It took one injury plagued season to teach me that. Go through such, and you might see the same thing .

The girl committed the infraction and was carded. No problem.

She then showed a complete disregard for authority by "do'n tha helicopta!" I think it should have been a red. Sure, there are pressures - but what did she learn from this? She can react HOWEVER she wants to after a card is given? Good people do bad things from time to time.

dawgfan, I don't care what this guy/girl says, I am still right!

Wow, I didn't know my wife posted on this site.


Soccerknut, I'm not claiming that the refs changed the outcome of the game. Lugoff clearly had the better team. I don't like the inconsistency in the ref's calls and their explanations were ridiculous.

I wasn't there to actually here the ref's explanations, but based on what I have heard from you....yes, very poor explanations for the incident.

The saddest part for me, being certified as a USSF referee, is that this shows very poor professionalism on the referee(s) part.

BUT, as we can see from this discussion, that apparently is not going to change anytime soon. As long as the HSL referees are not required to be USSF certified, we will always see inconsistencies in the officiating.

You are going to see inconsistencies even if every high school referee is certified in USSF. Every referee has a different way that they call the game. What I may consider a foul, somebody else might not. I may give advantage, somebody else may not....most of the rules in soccer are termed, in the opinion of the referee. It leaves a lot of room for intrepretation. There is no way to get every call to be the same from different referees. Look at the NFL, each head referee calls the game a little bit different, each has a different percentage for overturning challenged plays. Until a robot can be programmed to call games exatly the same, there are going to be perceived problems with the way that officials call games. We are only human, and can only do the best that we can do. Some have bests that are far superior than other's bests!

Inconsistencies from one official to the next are all part of the game, as long as the calls from each official are consistent for both teams involved in the match. As I explained to one of our players not long ago, every match has different field conditions that can affect the way you have to play the game. Wet or dry, sandy or muddy, tall, slow-rolling grass or short-cropped fast-rollers...all of these are field conditions that have to be considered. Officials can constitute yet another type of field conditions that have to be adjusted to. Some call incidental contact, others let hard impact go; some call offsides more strictly than others; some are quick with the cards while others prefer to give warnings. Just as the same play that works in dry grass would falter in mud, the same style of play that works with one set of officials may not work with another. All part of the game...the smart players and coaches are the ones who recognize the field conditions and adapt their style of play to them rather than complain that the field conditions won't adapt themselves to their one style of play.

Refs for the most part are trying their best to call the games. No Ref sets out to get yelled at the entire game. There are several things I have learned in watching soccer:

1. The Fans and Coaches are always right.

2. Fans and Coaches can see offsides 50-60 yards aways at an angle.

3. Every foul againist a fan's child should be a red card.

4. Every ball taken from a fan's child should be a foul.

5. Refs always call fouls only for the other team.

6. Refs always decide the out come of the game, because of poor calling and never the 15 shanks in front of the net your team made.

7. All Refs are blind and stupid

8. All Refs are boy/girlfriends, uncles or fathers of the players on the opposing team.

9. Wasting time by the other team when winning is as close to devils work as possible unless your the winning team then it is just part of the game.

10. Refer to Number 1.

The problem with trying to Ref and call a perfect game is that you are the only person on that field trying to be fair and equal. I have yet to see a player argue that the other team should get the ball because it went off his/her leg every so slightly. I have yet to see a player ask for a foul or get up from a called and fould and tell the Ref that they made mistake because they just fell down by themselves. Or when have you seen a player stop play and ask for the hand ball call they committed. Or a player score a goal off of being offsides and ask that the score not count.

I find that games are a lot more enjoyable when fans, players and coaches just enjoy the game and take the calls that are given.