Ref, you missed a lot of calls

I learned a lot of things in my first 6 games as a USSF ref.

1. Never ever ever work 4 consecutive games as a CR at a tournament unless you are under 29.  We had 5 min barely between games to get a refreshment, then it was onto the next game.  By the 3rd game, my right leg started to hurt big time.  By the 4th game, I had no sprint gear.  I could not believe it.  I expected some aerobic issues thanks to my nasty cold, but for my legs to give out?  Not in a million years.  I ski and mountain bike, I am used to punishing my legs.  Guess not good enough.
2. Did I say if you have good ARs your job as a CR is so much easier?  Did I say if your ARs are struggling you, as a CR, are going to look awful bad, especially if you are struggling a bit too?
3. A game on turf is a lot faster than a game on grass.  If, as a ref, you have good players on turf you better be on your toes.  If your players are average, you will get a lot of throw-ins as the players struggle to adjust to the speed of the ball on turf.  The turf shows who really is skilled and who isn't.
4. Girls' parents believe every time a girl falls there's a foul.  If it is their girl that falls, there needs to be a caution or a send off.
5. Every ref has a game where they wish they could just crawl under a rock and hide.

For me, that game happened in my 2nd game on Saturday.  A U-12 Girls "Bronze" game.  I was on a high coming off of a successful U-14 boys game.  Come on, I worked a higher U-12 Girls game the night before, I saw everything that could happen.  Um, I saw it as an AR working with a strong CR.  Not an inexperienced CR working with a bad AR and an inexperienced but at least trying other Grade 9 AR.

I tried encouraging my weak AR. "Give me an assertive, confident call.  Hustle.  Make strong signals because I need you to give me information."  I'm not sure if he was scared, had a big date that night, or just didn't want to be there.  UGH.  The game itself was choppy.  Started out 2-0, but the team that was up 2-0 had a GK that, let's just say was struggling.  First she let a real soft goal in.  Then there was a collision between her and a player on the other team, but the ball was loose (due to an error by said GK) and the GK does not get additional protection under the Laws.  So all of a sudden it's 2-2, the GK is crying to me that the other girl stepped on her hand, my weak AR saw nothing, some parents are up in arms, and all of a sudden it's dawning on me...this may look easy, but IT ISN'T.  So add a hard collision that actually was a fair challenge, another weak goal, a missed dangerous play on my part, and an indecisive AR, and I have a mutiny on my hands.  Fortunately the game ended 4-2 and at the end none of my misfortune mattered.  One parent of the losing team came up to me and apologized to me for the actions of the parents (which in all honesty I could not hear anyway).  So I'm filling out my game card and another person from the losing team walks by and says very strongly "ref you missed a lot of calls."  I just ignored him, but I chewed and chewed and chewed on it.  I should have at least inquired if he was a coach or parent, if the latter obviously letting it go.  But not the former.  That's over the line dissent and I would have noted it in my game report.

Eager to get the stench of the 2nd game out of the way, we started the 3rd game.  I had better ARs this time (one girl, one boy, both young Grade 8s), and I warned the U-12 girls of the lessons I learned the prior game.  Much smoother game, and only a handful of fouls.  I was redeemed.  Even had a laugh with the parents, as I was on that side of the field, the ball crosses the touch line, and no fewer than 6 parents signal the direction they think the ball should go.  I said "thanks parents, but I have a real good AR over here, and if I don't listen to her input, she's going to quit."  Next time I was over there, not one arm was raised.

So my last game is a U-11 Girls "Gold" game.  I had two young Grade 8 ARs, but they were eager.  Walk in the park, right?  No.  These girls were physical.  Pushing.  Shoving.  Wow.  I was shocked.  I learned that "Gold" level games are the cream of the crop for the age group and the players are significantly more skilled.  I nearly lost control of this game too, but I just started blowing my trusty whistle a lot in the 2nd half.  I hate "Free Kick soccer" (just recall the 2010 Men's World Cup Finals and you get the idea), but the girls didn't even flinch - it was as if they expected me to be calling a lot of fouls.  Amazing.  Oh, and I did the last game on one leg.  It was freezing cold at this point too.

That night my legs were on fire.  I must have landed weird on my feet or something, but WOW I was in some pain.  Who knew running 4 games in a row (basically 4 straight hours of running) at that level of games on dead grass would bother me that much.

Sunday I had but one game.  I got, um, talked into running CR even though that was the one thing I couldn't do - RUN.  I had two older HS-aged Grade 8 ARs who were running some center games that day, but either a) wanted a break or b) wanted to defer to the old dude.  So they did.  So I gave the ARs full trust on offside, touch line, and goal line calls, and they did a great job.  They let me focus on the big picture, and also allow me to amble as best I could in a 2/3 jog speed.  This game was on turf and it was windy and cool - us refs were in full winter gear (black hat, gloves, black long-sleeve T, and black sweats). It was a Boys U-11 Bronze game that started out a bit chippy.  I quickly called a few fouls and the boys (and the coaches) got the message, and from that point the game flowed nicely.  At the end of the game both coaches paid high compliments to us.  My son also got to see what the competition would be like if he makes competitive in the fall.

So all in all a big learning experience for me.  I learned that I won't accept a CR on U15+ until I get a few games at that level as AR.*** I learned that I need to focus on leg exercises if I am going to work a tournament.  I also learned a lot about game control.  Finally, I even used the USSF Ask a Soccer Referee website.  They respond quickly, and VERY bluntly.

Until next time...

***Of course, my JV games will have 14/15 yr olds.