Thursday, April 2, 2009
H.S. playoffs, fans and referees
Watching the playoff games recently reminds me why I generally wear headphones. The fans are screaming that every bump is a foul (unless it is on their player, then it is the worst call ever made), the other players all play dirty and the referees are blind, old, slow, fat, etc., etc. Is there a problem with some of the referees, yes. One problem is we don't have enough. That is why until we get to playoffs you rarely have a 3 man crew. A friend just told me about a great blog http://fortheintegrityofsoccer.blogs.com. The current discussion is (in part) where have all the refs gone. In my opinion, the reason we don't see great refs (some would argue even good) is because a good number of them get tired of being screamed at and abused by parents and coaches. I know several very good young referees who quit because of a coach yelling at them or parents berating them throughout a game. Should they have been better protected by a mentor or field marshal, certainly, but look around you at the next match (or even in the mirror) and think about if you would want to be on the receiving end of the barrage of noise pollution. If you want to have great refs, be great coaches and fans at the younger levels and it will pay off later.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
If you are looking for new Soccer Fundraising Ideas I strongly recommend you get in touch with Easy Fundraising Ideas. They have a very wide assortment of fundraisers that have been used successfully throughout the United States.
Many of the problems encountered by new referees, and especially youth referees are best addressed by a good referee assignor. Working with the clubs is useful, but is not the answer.
If the referees have someone to go to after games with issues, and that someone (usually the assignor) is an experienced referee themselves, the new & young referees begin to learn how to stand up for themselves, how to deal with stressful situations, and how to get better at their craft. A good assignor listens, and tends to schedule new & young referees with experienced referees who will mentor and protect them, or uses local assessors when they are available. Having continuing education available and/or required as part of a club's referee program is an excellent way to keep the refs up to date and gaining in proficiency and experience. All of these things are proven to help keep referees from leaving, but they require some foresight, time and effort. A good assignor is worth their weight in gold. (And yes, I was an assignor, and have seen it work.)
Anonymous's comments are well-said, but such a situation is rare. Most referee assignors are so overwhelmed (since they typically serve another post in the soccer organization, in addition to their day job), that simply making sure each game is filled is a challenge. Most barely have any time to consider mentor-mentee relationships.
As an USSF/TASO/HSSOA referee, I have to say that although much criticism is unwarranted, we could do something to improve the situation. First, I have seen too many referees who were unprofessional. They don't know the LoTG and take little pride in their officiating. Second, I have seen too many referees who clearly are unwilling to confront dissent early and forcefully in a match/game.
TASO rules require that BOTH coaches and players be on-field for the pregame conference. It is required that sportsmanship be addressed. Too many times, I've seen the lead official neglect this requirement. If they addressed it, and then ENFORCED IT, then it would not be such a problem. This must be done AT ALL LEVELS of play, not just High School.
Law 5 gives the referee the authority to eject coaches and abandon the match. Law 12 gives the referee the authority to caution or sendoff a player for dissent. The rules are slightly different under the NFHS, but the authority is largely the same. Every referee has that authority and should be ready to exercise that authority if necessary.
There is a chapter in Bob Evans's book "For the Good of the Game" where he talks about the "moment of truth" in a soccer game. If a referee wants to keep a game under control, he/she should read that chapter.
Post a Comment