SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Boys Varsity Soccer High School Officiating - Is It Getting Worse?

Glad to see I added to the controversey. Understand, I am not saying the officiating in our state doesn't need improvement. I am obviously originally from Ohio and if you visited the forums up their you would hear the same thing regarding their refs. My first couple of years of coaching up their I constantly felt like the refs hated our team. Come to find out, they mostly did due to the reputation of the previous coach and the girls coach, the number of cards, etc. I worked diligently to change the attitude of my parents, players, and fans. Over time, even my parents started commenting that we seemed to be getting better calls and better refs. The funny thing is they were the same refs, only we were treating them differently. One of them actually even said he didn't dread having our games anymore.
Officiating is not an easy job.
If I see one of my kids get away with a foul, I do say something to them. Not right then, but during a break in action, half, end of game. I teach my kids to play until the whistle blows. If they get away with it, they do, but it doesn't make it right.
My point once again is to stop blaming refs. If we lose a close game and their were some questionable calls, I never say the ref took that away from us. I put the responsibility back on myself and my players and ask. What could we have done differently to change the outcome?
I totally agree with having a better system of evaluation. But even then you run into the friends network.

Missed 1v1s and blown assignments? That's part of the game! An official blatantly not calling a handball when he is standing infront of it staring at the event take place is just criminal. Not calling bad helicopter throw-ins? Unacceptable. AR's not knowing that the rule clearly states that the ball must be COMPLETELY over the line before it is deemed out? It's like they don't even read or understand the rules. Offsides on throw-ins? Wow? I completely agree with most people in this thread. Something must be done in the way these officials are assessed and educated. I understand mistakes but I do ask that they correct them.

Nothing is worse than a foul in the box being called by a 2 man ref system with the ref trailing the play by 20 yards making the call while the other that has a much clearer view doesn't make a call. Have seen it for and against our team this season and 9 times out of 10 it is made by "The Shows all about me" ref !!!!

CID, I agree that if the league puts some kind of grading/ assessment scale, the refs will actually try and call a game fairly or at least make an effort to do the right thing. and the coach recommendations is not too bad of an idea. Also, its not that we're condemning the refs for making mistakes. But like shut^ said, when you blatantly miss calls like a side throw in or a blatant hand or the player falls and you're 30 yards on the other side of town, and call a PK because you assume that the defender pushes the kid, then we have issues. Will refs make mistakes? of course they will. Buit what do you want me to tell my team??/ back off the other team because the ref hates us for what happened 5 years ago, and let them run through you so we wont get a card????

trust me, i am not backing the officials. in general, they are pretty bad. there just need to be some sort of assessment that is out of the hands of the current assignors/assessors. the coaches would be a good start.

^^^^^^

it sure would be but i seriously doubt the league will even let an idea like that get any life, i mean it's soccer we're talking about here

i would have to say that officiating is getting worse. I can think of 2 situations where refs were being one-sided and didn't call any red card offenses. 1st horrible call would ahve to be when wando played beaufort high in 2006.. defender for beaufort faked out the wando striker... while defender was pulling away the striker grabbed his jersey and pulled him down to the ground. All beaufort players were waiting for a call to what was the most obvious call anyone has ever seen. striker took the ball crossed it in had a man coming back post who put the ball away at 90 minutes to win the game 3-2. total crap

2nd offense was at summerville where Beauforts forward completely dribbled the whole midfeild... had the last defender to beat. Beat the last defender to only have the defender slide him from behind. Now i was under the impression that an offense like that was punishable under a red card. the defender only recieved a yellow and continued play. im pretty sure theres a rule for a last defender foul.

i have read about other parts of the state, but not about the lower state. any comments?

depends what part. The refs for our home games are from Bluffton/Hilton Head/ Beaufort and they're pretty decent. Miss the occasional offsides and others but no blatant pathetic calls, at least not yet