The One,
A great post about the state of refs. I agree with most of your comments. There are some guys out there who are either past their prime or going thru poor motions. Then there are young guys still learning and trying their best to get the ref game down. Many people I talk to who love the game are afraid to ref because of what they see and hear dumped on the refs every game. I think a start would be with the zero tolerance policy, which I previously mentioned. It may be difficult at first, for players/coaches/fans to accept, but change is not always easy. I can imagine how the games proceed in the Boston league, which has the policy. More enjoyable soccer is probably played, a better environment exists and it is actually probably a more exciting game, without the distractions among the fans and the constant criticism of coaches/players. I think with more refs in the rotation a gradual increase in quality will come.
With limited numbers now, and with an incredible number of games to be done, it is hard to put certain restrictions on refs at this time. To be certain, there are some refs who are past their days or not in the best shape; but without them games would not be done. If the environment can change, so can the refs.
