Posted on 03/31/2009 3:49:49 AM PDT by GQuagmire
exactly if he uses that to get into paying for college or even becomes a pro he knows the value of hard work, and it paying off
> OK, so tell me, who is paying attention to a referee that is either incompetent, abusive, or horribly biased? Who is he/she accountable to?
Referees aren’t incompetent: they go thru extensive training and sit and write a tough exam. Then they go thru an internship with an experienced referee. They get their ticket once the Association is happy that they know what they are doing. By the time they have finished they know all of the laws stone cold. That is certainly the process I went thru. It took about a year.
Referees are accountable to whichever Association that has authority over the District. If asked, a referee should show you his ticket: that will tell you who has sanctioned him. Just as easy to look at the crest on his jersey. Left pocket, usually.
As to being abusive, there is no mileage at all for any referee to be abusive. It makes for a difficult game for everybody, and if you think referees like blowing their whistle all the time you’re mad.
Neither is there any mileage in a referee being biased. They don’t get the trophies at the end of the tournament, the teams do. Most referees don’t get paid: sure, the Association has a nominal fee set aside for the referees, but most of them donate that back to the game, so that junior refs can get a few extra dollars in their pocket — otherwise nobody in their right mind would begin their training to be a ref.
Referees tend to do the job for the love of the game. Certainly this is so at the junior levels — actually it would be so right the way thru to the semi-professional level.
Being a referee is one of the most thankless jobs on this planet, not made any easier by moron coaches shouting abuse from the sidelines. The Game isn’t about the coaches, and it isn’t about the spectators either. It is about the kids on the field, having a good time and playing a great game.
As a ref I had no hesitation at all about Red Carding any coach or spectator who forgot that. None.
> Like you say, the match can continue without the coach, but not without the ref.
(Grin!)
The Game is all about the players having a good game. It’s not really about the coach: he/she is entirely optional.
> 5) REAL MEN don’t need to use little kids to stroke their egos.
Well said, Coach! I used to enjoy running the games where people like you were in charge of the teams. They were invariably good games, hard fought with a good result.
I'm sorry, but I have to make a comment.
It's naturally the responsibility of the referee to discipline up to and including removal, but since you mention the Laws of the Game, I should point out that FIFA Law 12 is not your friend in the way you posted.
If, heaven forbid, you and I had disagreed in a match I coached, and you had pulled a stunt like trying to "card" me, I wouldn't have made it pleasant for your supervisors after it was done. And I'd have been right.
FIFA Law 12 gives the referee the authority to expel a coach, but not to card him. Law 12 is crystal clear -- cards may only be given to players and substitutes. You might not have "minded" violating the rules that were your charge to administer, but I would have.
FIFA's Laws of the Game are replete with instructions on what the referee shall do. In short, the Laws of the Game control the referee, not the other way around. It's like the way our law is supposed to control judges.
My job as a coach is to obey the decisions of the referees and to make sure my players do the same. It is not to be subject to grandstanding such as "cards" that are in direct contravention to the Laws of the Game.
Law 5 (ironically called "The Referee") is more your friend. The referee is given control over spectators in this law because he can abandon the match due to any outside interference. Also, Law 5 does make reference to team officials with respect to discipline and Decisions of the International FA Board have laid out quite clearly that portion of the touchline where the coach directs his players (the technical area).
You're absolutely right to note that the entire touchline does not belong to the coach, but neither do I find any wording in the Laws that cedes the field to the referee -- merely control of the game that is played upon its surface, with the referee's actions subject to the Laws of the Game (again, Law 5).
The game, especially at the youth level, belongs to the players, and rightly so. It is about participation, and it is the absolute obligation of the coach to ensure discipline and respect for authority in the form of your own person as the referee.
Play on.
My sister coached a little girls softball team once and the right fielder refused to throw the ball back in “because they never let her play”... ;^)
> If, heaven forbid, you and I had disagreed in a match I coached, and you had pulled a stunt like trying to “card” me, I wouldn’t have made it pleasant for your supervisors after it was done. And I’d have been right.
If, heaven forbid, you as a coach had done anything serious enough to receive a red card from me as the referee, I would have offered to help you write your letter to the Association, and you could have had fun arguing form-over-substance with them during your suspension. I suspect that I would have had the last laugh.
Have you had a discussion with this referee, man-to-man, off the field and offline, maybe over coffee? Raised your concerns and asked him what the deal is? Perhaps he’ll tell you. Or maybe he doesn’t even realize he’s doing it.
There is no intrinsic reason why he should behave as he is. I wouldn’t think there was anything in it for him to be biased — unless he is taking bribes or placing bets on the game. Stranger things have happened.
Excellent advice! I have initiated contact with the state organization outlining our concern and hopefully a resolution via a meeting with our club and/or team.
Unfortunately I think there are a lot of “soccer insider” politics going on here but a good face to face meeting would go a long ways toward each party respecting the other and keeping the kids as the focus of the game.
I like the common phrase used by our local baseball umpires....”the best game you umpire will be the one when nobody remembers you were there”. I really like the bantering with the umpires in our baseball games and the best umpires we have had are the ones that actually “play along” with the bantering. It must be an “Americana” type of thing. :-)
Thanks again.
Play on!
Glad I could help! I hope your discussion goes well.
Cheers!
Lighten up, Francis.
Straighten up and fly right, mate.
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