SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Girls Varsity Soccer hartsville vs south florence

last night was a horrible game for Hville. The refs were college aged girls from FMU did not know how to make calls and let the game get totally out of hand. 2 red cards 2 fights and parents leaving the seats.thats just in the girls game the boys game was not much better yellow cards, ejections from the stands this game was a prime example of not using properly trained refs.

I'm interested in feedback from the many veteran coaches who participate on this site. The officiating in the WF/WHS game and the SF/HHS games were subpar, to say the least. Both games got out of hand, resulting in punches being thrown. Having witnessed one of these games in person, it was worthy of any grotesque soccer fight seen on youtube. Is it too much to ask for state certified officials to keep control of a game? I know we're talking about 120 to 150 pound grils here and not 250 pound football players, but some girl is going to get seriously hurt if something is not done. Maybe there should be more severe punishment for throwing a punch. Instead of two games, perhaps a season long suspension. I'm interested in the veteran coaches point of view.

Im not a veteran coach, but I actually have refereed games in that area before. The refs down there were never the best to begin with. Most were older guys that really couldn't keep up with the play. The Florence schools along with Hartsville always get fired up to play each other and the games always had a feeling of a ticking time bomb. I never had to control any fights but had to throw out coaches and players in those games before. Been escorted out twice by cops at WF because of the fans getting out of hand. This was quite a few years ago so I dont know how the atmospheres are now.

Earn the respect from the players at the very start of the game. If you know you have a "time bomb" on your hands, tell the captains (and the coaches) at the coin toss that you are going to call it tight and your not going to tolerate anything LATE or FROM BEHIND.

Blow the whistle at the first infraction and stay consistent. Show a card if necessary. The girls will settle down.

Now the boys.........that's another forum.

The same girls refereed a few games for my friend's high school team...one game one of the girls did not have a whistle and the other one had to blow the fouls with her holding her arm up when there was a foul; also, they did not call anything and it was getting out of hand..

i heard too that these girls knew south florence boys' players as they were talking to them after a game...

it is ridiculous that things like this get out of hand-from my understanding but to be a high school ref you just put your name on the test and complete it and you become certified-nothing against those refs that are quality refs...but someone needs to be aware of these type of refs and monitor them closely...i know that coaches have requested that these girls not ref their games b.c they are horrible and call nothing!!!

a shame to the game and for the teams who played the game

Coach P is spot on. I tell my players to do the right thing, regardless of what someone else is doing. (It's the same conversation I've had time and again with my children.) If they get clipped from behind, play the game correctly regardless if there is a foul called or not. I might agree or disagree with a referee's call, but there is no reason to embarass myself, my team, or the referee by making a scene on the sidelines. Have I had players carded for dissent? Yes. I also have a good talk with them about how their actions have consequences.

I concur with what Coach P and ccscoach are saying, yet at the same time, I also coach my players to play to the level the referee is calling. If they are calling touch fouls - back off. If they are allowing aggressive play - then play aggressive. The problem is when young inexperienced referees are put in the center or put on the field in a dual official game. Play can easily escalate to heated and out of control.