SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Girls Varsity Soccer Referees

if mistakes are made boths ways I can agree with you. Always good, always bad, both teams play with same. Bias is a different story.

Zen has been doing some meditation. Too many refs are bias toward a "good" program or against a program they have had run ins with. Good or bad doesn't matter as much as consistency. If the ref is consistant (good or bad) a coach can adjust to it.

Refs/Coaches don't cause injuries, players do.
Refs/Coaches don't score goals, players do.
Refs/Coaches don't make saves, players do.
Refs/ Coaches have no effect on the outcome of a game.players do.

There's nothing worse than going to an athletic event and hearing whining parents for 70-80 minutes cry on how bad the refs are. If the games to tough for you or your child pick a new activity.

i have been watching my kids play competitive soccer for over 10 years. And have never seen the roughness that's been on this thread. And I don't think any high school kid is playing to kill each other. MMA, "are you kidding me." soccer is a physical sport. again if you don't want your child taking that risk then you need to get your child into something else. get them into tennis, golf,cheerleading, ballet,ping pong that type of thing.you'll be much more comfortable.

Uncle Buck...

Do you have your eyes open??

Are the games you watch competitive or are they 8-0 blowouts where a "ref" really isn't needed??

Sometimes it's those 8-0 blowouts where a ref is needed the most! A losing team often does nothing but retaliate physically!

Question Master...

That's the problem. I have my eyes open trying to watch my team play.

And your probably the one with your mouth open for 40 minutes yelling at the refs.

Just watch the game for what it is and enjoy it. Or don't go.

A studs up sliding tackle is at the very least a cautionable offense at every level of soccer, including professional, except, apparently in the girls high school game in SC.
There is a difference between tough, physical soccer and dangerous soccer. It is the referee's job to enforce the rules and, as much as he or she can, protect the players. If you don't understand that, you have never taken the referee's course. If the referees do not have an influence on the game, if only the players have anything to do with the game, then why bother having refs?
And if coaches allow or encourage violent play, some players on that team will play that way. If a player who slides studs up is immediately removed from a game, she will learn to slide properly or keep her feet.