SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Girls Varsity Soccer Soccer Refs

As an observer of girls' high school soccer for a number of years now, I have seen the quality of play greatly improve. However, at least to my estimation, it seems that the level of officiating has not kept pace with the level of play. I know that for basketball (and probably football) officials there are raters who sit in the stands and rate the officials in actual game situations for their quality of officiating; is this true for soccer officials as well? Particularly with the two officials system often used in high school play, I have seen officials make calls that could/do affect the outcome of the game from halfway across the field. I think that the players deserve better or am I just off track here?

As it has been for many years, it seems that only the Columbia area uses the two-man system. I know here in Charleston, only North Charleston High School chooses to use a two-man system b/c schools here have the choice to use a two or three-man system. I have heard that even they are going to a three-man system this year. I know when we go to play in the Greenville area, and when i was a player there, we always use the three-man system. When we go to play at Waccamaw in the Myrtle Beach area, there is always a three-man system.

I am not sure if it is a money issue or an AD decision or school choice, but it seems that only metro-Columbia schools and tournaments use a two-man system.

There is no doubt that the officials have not kept pace with the growth of the girls game. So many of the officials assigned to girls soccer matches are way overweight (to the fact that they stand for much of the match in one 10 yard radius) and many have limited knowledge of the game. I wish that the coaches could rate referees and have the best assigned to appropriate girls/boys games. The worst ones should have to do the JV games and learn the game or get in shape. The Viking Cup was evidence of this for at least three of the games that I watched.

My experience with the Viking Cup this past week-end was what prompted this post. However, it just brought back experiences from past seasons as well. I guess maybe I'm not imagining it after all.

To Mr. 202677,

How about you joining the ranks of soccer refs in the Columbia area and then maybe 1 less way overweight ref would need to ref? Always interested in how everyone watching matches know everything and the poor, blind ol', way overweight refs know little or nothing. Get out there and ref.

And to FMD20, how come people watching in the stands from much farther away than halfway across the field make even better calls than the refs on the field?

People if you don't like the reffing, then get certified and ref. As you seem to type, how difficult can it be to ref a simple high school soccer match when you know all the rules. Come on and get out there and let the poor, way over weight refs take it easier and only do JV matches.
It will be much appreciated.

Just so everyone else knows....WI and IL use the 2 man system until playoff time too. It isn't just the SC schools that use the 2 man system. I do think it is funny that so many people always complain every year about the quality of the referees. This gets old every year!

Maybe if "so many people always complain every year about the quality of the referees," there might be a reason and my comment about the quality of the officating not keeping up with the quality of play may have merit.

Getinthegame, exactly!

Here is one problem I see with the current Reffing ranks. No youth player wants to do it. So the question why doesn't a youth player that can keep up with the game want to do it? For the most part it is because of the abusive parents and coaches. I know many Refs that try and get their children to ref but they do one game and that is it for them. Maybe if parents and coaches start treating the refs with some respect and understanding then you will be able to get a larger pool of refs which allows a better selection. If you fire every ref that makes a bad call then who do you have left? Parents? Heck, when a game is short on side judges it is always a struggle to get some overweight parents out of their chair to run the sidelines.

I do not Ref so for the most part I keep my trap shut about calls. I might say something to a parent or my wife next to me, but I try to leave the Ref alone for the most part. And if they are young then I really try keep my trap shut. The only time I would like say something is the Ref that allows a game to get out of control and players are starting to get hurt because of over aggressive fouls. But even then it is up to the coach to discss it with the ref and pull his players if he thinks it has gotten out of control.

These are not highly paid REFs like the NFL, no wait everyone complains about them not being able to keep up with the game either....

The worst calls I have seen have been with two refs when the far side ref calls a foul across a field that has a good-size crown. You can't see the feet or the ball, but yet they make a call.

FMD20 you are right the players deserve better, but until we have the numbers in the referee ranks that will be impossible. In the Midlands area during just the last week there were over 125 games played. Many of those games were refereed for free. Refs were paid at the tournament games but pre-season games are freebies. There are just not enough refs to do 3 man crews in all the games in the Midlands. I wish there were it is very difficult to call offsides and view the action at the ball at the same time, and with the two man crew there are two corners of the field that you are forced to make calls from a very long distance away. In a perfect world it would be nice to be graded on our preformance and lower level refs be assigned lower level matches, but in the real world the refrees actually have other jobs and assignments go to who can actually get to the match at the assigned time.
I realize my limitations I am over 50 years old I cannot run with 18 year old boys any more, but until more people step up to the pitch you will have to make do with the fat ol blind guys who do this for the love of the game. There are very few out there doing this for the money.
So if you really care, next time there is a referee clinic in your area please go and get certified to referee. It will give you a completely new perspective on the game.