SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP Referees

Backscreen, why don't you sign up for a refereeing course? It sounds that you have a lot of solutions to your perceived issues. You must be in terrific shape so you should be able to show them how to lose weight. I cannot wait to hear your feedback.

I am in my 25th year of officiating. I never coached, only played, officiated and assessed. I have been at all levels from little kids up to college and beyond, and I have officiated in 40 of the 50 states. My game count is well over 5000 matches. For every 20 matches a year a parent watches, or a coach manages or a player plays I referee at least seven times that amount easily. I have seen it all.

First, High School soccer, especially in South Carolina is not real soccer. Its boom ball played on very small football pitches that do not allow for much in the way of passing. If your team is being constantly fouled (like most are in High School) then you are doing something wrong. Most European and South American matches have very little player to player contact compared to matches in the U.S. This is a game of passing not of physical one on one contact. The women's games are almost always better to watch in the U.S. because generally they play the game like it is supposed to be played. Your causing the problem by not playing the game correctly. Watch any boys HS match, its all long ball, kick and run and hope for the best, very few small touches. Then watch any International Match, the ball is touched on average 10-12 times before any player to player contact is made. Part of the problem is the horrible football fields. We should be playing 9 v 9 on these fields instead of 11 v 11. The tv series "The White Shadow" had a great scene in it. The coach lined all the players up and told the fastest player to run as fast as he could from one end of the court to the other. While he ran the coach passed the ball to someone all the way at the end of the court, the pass got there well before the player did. Lesson learned, the player was winded and tired out and got to the other end slower than the ball did. The players learned that in ALL team sports, the key is passing.

Second, I declare my soccer fees as income. Guaranteed every cent is declared, and every year just from the .50 a mile deduction I have a loss. I have driven 600 miles round trip to do a single AR at Barton College for $85. That is a $215 loss just for one game. Referees are not making the money you think they are making.

Third, we are the sport with the lowest official to player ratio. All other team sports have at the highest levels more officials on the field, court or ice, comparatively for the size and number of players. Maybe field hockey and lacrosse which are different sports entirely. You can have 6 football officials watch what amounts to mainly 10 yards of action every 5-10 seconds. You have three officials, two of which only really watch 1/4 of the field, and one official be responsible for the entire field all 800 square yards of it.

Fourth, this is a game of angles for officials. Many times people on the sidelines can see a foul because they have a better angle, and surprisingly the farther you are from play at times the better the angle. It is actually easier to see a foul from 20 yards away then 5 yards away, especially if it is on the opposite side of where a referee is. So those old fat referees are actually using their experience to put themselves in a better position to see a shirt grab that is away from the normal field of vision of a referee. With only 6 eyes at most watching 22 people its very difficult to do.

Fifth, I could go on about parents. But I won't. What makes adults think they could go out in public and yell at other adults or worse kids for trying to do a job is beyond me. I just smile at them and laugh at them.

Sixth, coaches. This is the problem. As I said earlier I am over 5000 games and 25 years of experience, you are going to evaluate me? I sound arrogant, but seriously? Guaranteed most officials do not want to go to games with these coaches. There are some top level H.S. programs in the state, I tell my assignor to not send me to, because of the coach. I would much rather do teams that never win a game, and lose 10-0 all the time because they have good, respectful coaches that understand that this is a game. And if I get paid the same to do a 10-0 game and not get any grief from anyone, why would I put myself in a 0-0 game where everyone just yells and screams and no matter what I do its my fault. Those 10-0 games are generally where your best referees are because they know better.

Seventh, finally what you want from an official is for them to be consistent. Not necessarily with everything for sure, but if it is a ball to hand play in the first minute not called it is not called in the 80th minute. It is not the player's, fans, or coaches interpretation of the rules/laws, it is the official's. As long as he calls fouls the same it is not a problem. The problem officials have is not using or calling advantage correctly. How many times have you seen advantage not recognized by the official because he did not yell "Play on Advantage" I have few problems because I do it ALL the time and I hear fans and coaches say, he played the advantage did the right thing. Most officials will play advantage but get themselves in trouble by not letting everyone know he saw it and used it. But consistent calls is the key.

Chelsea: I will respond to you if/when you explain to me how a man/woman who is CLEARLY out of shape (30+ lbs overweight), or unwilling/unable to venture more than a few yards outside the center circle is certified to officiate.
You don't need an officiating course to see THAT.

See, my question would be: Why would any referee, evaluator, assigner defend a colleague who is clearly unfit?
As stated above, the typical soccer match includes 3 officials for 22 players (on a large field), coaching staffs and bench areas. An unfit (or lazy) official places undue responsibility on his/her colleagues, and (arguably) puts players at risk.
Why defend THAT? Why certify THAT?
To me, the fact that some officials/assigners can't or won't answer or address those simple questions should disqualify THEM from the task.
Fitness is a BASELINE qualification.

You misunderstood, I'm not talking about the referee who can't run. I'm talking about the guy who is not always on top of the play. The guy who is 10-20 yards away, not the guy who is 20+ yards away all the time.

The game has devolved so much into kickball, that when the ball is launched down the field in front of my AR, neither I nor any other experienced referee is going to go running after it like some dog. That is why the AR is there, that is his job, to watch that ball. Most of the time it gets booted into touch, or kicked straight back up field without a thought anyway.

I have seen the guys who are more than 30 pounds overweight, and I shake my head like you do, I wonder how they don't get a heart attack sometimes.

I understand. Agree with a good bit of what you say.

Backscreen, be careful what you wish for.

If you take away all of the old, unfit referees, who will take their place? I’m not sure about all areas of the state (or nation, or world), but around here, there is a shortage of referees. The assignors cannot get enough refs on some nights and weekends, and most refs are working more games than they want.

High school and youth club refs fall into two basic categories: the “old and unfit” who have been doing this for years and get abused for being behind play and being blind; and the new, young and fit referees who get abused for not understanding the nuances of the job and lacking the gravitas to control the game. The referee that you are requesting is the guy whose has years of experience, but hasn’t lost his fitness. There are very few people aged 25 – 35 who started refereeing as teenagers that are still interested in this as a hobby or source of secondary income. Many of today’s young referees could become the next generation of great referees, but most don’t last past the first year or two.

So, instead of complaining about old refs, what can you do to help encourage the teenager nervously doing her first U12 game or the college student struggling through a testosterone-filled HS game? Until we (parents, coaches, referees, administrators, etc.) can get enough of the young ones to stick around long enough to become good referees, you’ll be stuck with old, fat guys like me. I have two sons who are currently officiating high school matches. I’m providing all of the encouragement that I can. If they stick with it, maybe I can hang up my whistle soon. If enough of their friends stick with it, maybe the assignor can select young, fit and experienced referees for all games.

My son has been working for several years, and hangs on in hope of getting assignments -- which invariably seem to go to older, less fit people.
What SHOULD be happening is that each high school crew of three includes a "fit veteran" and two fit younger guys. The physically unfit, regardless of age, should not get H.S. games.
If you really want to encourage the next generation, give them assignments with good officials. All too often, the typical high school crew consists of one competent official (if that) and two posers. And our local high school assigner defends his choices with all the usual huffing and puffing about a shortage of officials.
Baloney.
Identify, train, certify, employ, encourage and retain good young ones. More quit because of disuse, or abuse from their older colleagues, than because of parental abuse.

"Identify, train, certify, employ, encourage and retain good young ones. More quit because of disuse, or abuse from their older colleagues, than because of parental abuse."... this comment is stupid, you can only speak for your son.

Backscreen, Be part of the solution, or shut up. You sound like countless fools who like to complain but do not step up to "fix" things. If you are unwilling then accept what you get.

"Stepping up," as you call it, begins in public forums, where legitimate questions are asked and concerns are raised. This is a soccer forum, where I am posting on a thread begun BY SOMEBODY ELSE.
The solution for the fitness issue is simple. A BASIC ANNUAL fitness test, offered on a quarterly basis, including certain age-based MINIMAL standards for (let's say) a 2-mile run and interval training. Fail the test once: retake next quarter. Fail retake: probation and retake following quarter. Fail second retake: immediate loss of certification/assignments.
The solution for in-game evaluation (at each level) is fairly simple. Coaches submit mandatory post-game evals (as short and simple as GOOD, AVERAGE, or NEEDS IMPROVEMENT) to an assigner/evaluator who follows up with his own evaluation for those officials who repeatedly fall short.
The solution for "mentoring" is simple. WHEN POSSIBLE, each crew includes a veteran, mid-level or higher official and AT LEAST one younger official who is learning his/her trade. At least 3X per "season," younger officials are formally evaluated by their "mentors."
To improve certification classes: 1) Limit the classroom time to 4 hours/year. 2) Add an outdoor component that includes fitness testing and situational instruction.
To limit conflicts of interest, require each official to fill out a bio form that includes affiliation with schools/coaches/etc., AND allows each official the opportunity to identify any prospective problem assignment.
To help offset the salary issue, establish PERFORMANCE-BASED pay scale, with enhancements for additional training/classes completed.

Any LEGITIMATE official who wants to contact me privately may do so by private message.