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I like your point on "calling it tight in the interest of the players' health". I too enjoy seeing the better (more skilled) team win, not the more physical.

Hurst, I was thinking, $2 times the roster, so $60 extra, on average.



Thank you. Have the assignor call me anytime. I'd be happy to do all of your matches. That's what I like, a customer that appreciates "quality" and isn't afraid to pay for it!

As for calling it tight, I officiated the tournament this past weekend and I encountered my most "difficult match" to date. I prefer to call it tight to keep things from getting out of hand. I had a match between two high-level U-13 boys teams. Very good, very athletic, physical teams that had their share of ODP players on their rosters.

Four of five minutes into the match I decide to call my first foul, right in front of the visiting team's coach. I call his defender for coming through the back of the offensive player. The coach says, "Come on Mr. Referee, that's not a foul. My boy is playing the ball. You can't call that".

What kind of signal does that send to me? Probably not the signal that the moms on the far side of the field wanted to hear. He's telling me this is a high-level match, LET THE BOYS PLAY.

I was consistent, and both teams were aggressive. I did need to issue three yellow cards in the second half in order to settle things down. By that time a boy was injured on an aggressive play when he collided with the opposing goalkeeper. He initiated the contact, flew over the keeper and landed on his head. His dad came over to me and my crew and let us know that his kid was probably done for the tournament and that it was my fault because "I didn't protect the players".

That bothered me a bit because as the father of five, I've always preached safety first.

But what if the coach had not reacted as he did to the first call that was made in the match? Would I have called every push, pull, poke and grab? Probably not......but I probably would have called more than what I did.

Kids play sports because they find it fun. Eliminate the fun and soon you eliminate the kid.