In 10 plus years of coaching multiple sports yesterday is the first time that I really told a ref what I thought after a game. We were participating in a 3v3 event and I watched game after game of referees not knowing the rules, not moving around and balls being 2 yards out of bounds, balls being awarded to the team the put it out. I know that you are not going to get every call right, I know your job out there is not easy. However when you are being compensated for your time you need to try to do the best job you can do. Take the time to know the rules, we expect kids as young as 6 to know them, so I expect you to know them as well. Move around and try you best to get as many calls right as you can, not for the coaches, not for the parents, but for the kids who have put in the work. When you do not care (and believe me, it shows) you are cheating them. As coaches we try to develop kids, I use 3v3 to develop first touch and teach my young kids to pass and work as a team. The coaches of the older kids use it to keep some of their players in good condition and let them keep playing the game over the summer. Now I have witnessed some bad games being called during the regular season but it is far and few between. What I witnessed yesterday was very poor. The excuse I got was that they read the rules that morning, and that they were not moving around much because it was hot. Thank you for you honesty, I'm glad that all the kids out there were wearing air conditioned uniforms. No call that was made cost us a game, but I watched kids from most of the teams just kind throw their arms up. So if you ref, by all means collect your money, it's your time and you should be paid, but at the same time once you collect that money, put in the effort and do your job the best you can!
