Referee Week at the Creek
| Wednesday 10/20/2021 |
|
| Thanks to all who signed up and showed up to referee this past weekend! I only refereed one game, so that's good. |
|
| A couple of thoughts and reminders: |
| 1. Please arrive 30 minutes ahead of your match, and sign in at the Ref Tent. This is mainly for my sanity, and I like my sanity. |
2. Please arrive 15 minutes ahead of your match at your Field. There are a lot of procedures required pre-game, most of which are for the safety of the players: inspecting players, fields, nets, getting a Field Monitor, pregame instructions to A.R.'s, etc.). You know how bad the parking lot gets. Please plan ahead. |
| 3. If there are delays in the previous match, please try to start your match on time. Teams are not allotted any amount of practice on the field prior to a match. If the previous match is running long, inspect your match's players while that match is still playing. Even the Coin Flip and getting the soccer balls from the home team can be done prior to the end of the previous match. |
4. Home teams are to place themselves on the North or West side of the field, and the Away team on the opposite side.
Home team does not get to choose.
First team to arrive does not get to choose.
Please remind coaches of this if they are not complying. |
| 5. Please do not, as a Referee or Assistant Referee, retrieve the soccer balls for the players. Conserve your stamina. (You can stop one with your foot or hand if you don't have to move too far.) |
| 6. Remember that there is no race to be first with a call of a foul or out of bounds. Wait for the ball to go out of bounds before moving your arm. If necessary, make eye contact with your refereeing teammate and agree before making a call. |
7. Do not let spectators coach or cheer behind the goals. It can be distracting to the players. This has happened a few times, and we don't want it to become a habit. If they are back there only taking pictures/video or retrieving balls, that's fine. Otherwise, coaches are in their technical areas (width of the Center Circle), and cheering spectators are between the "18's."
8. Referees of Adult League Matches:
We've heard some concerns about "obvious" fouls not being called and concerns of the safety of the players.
Please consider calling the game with an eye on safety and fairness.
Thanks again! |
|
10/13/2021
Thanks to all who signed up and showed up to referee this past weekend! |
|
| Just a few observations and notes from the past weekend: |
| 1. Please wear your black shorts and black socks, and affix your patch to the velcro. Do note that your appearance is the first thing coaches and spectators see, and their first impression might stick with them. |
2. Referees as spectators: please take off, or cover, your referee jersey. An extra yellow shirt on the touchline can be confusing for the center referee. AND, any questions from others that you answer regarding specific decisions by the Referee can be held against them (or you).
Sample acceptable responses to questions: "They are experienced, so they know better than I"; "They can only call what they see"; "I'm just here to watch my {fill in relation} playing soccer"; "I don't know." Etc. |
|
| 3. I have had a few newer (and returning) referees wanting to try being the (Center) Referee for matches, but would like some pointers. |
| I have added an "Advice for Referees" page on the website: |
| https://www.ayso9.org/Default.aspx?tabid=962072 |
| This contains a lot of info, taken from a usyouthsoccer web page, but I believe it to be sage advice to anyone starting out. If any of our more experienced referees think there should be some editing, please let me know! |
| I am looking for more Level 4 Referees who would like to try the Center. Please read the advice above, and ask at the ref tent! |
|
| 4. For any referees just getting back into refereeing after being idle for three or more years, there were a lot of changes to the Laws of The Game in 2019: |
| Coin Toss |
| Goal Kicks and other Kicks inside the Penalty Area |
| Dropped Balls |
| Ball Touching the Referee |
| Cards to Team Officials |
| Attackers Near a Wall |
| Handball |
| Penalty Kick: Keeper Position |
| Please review those Law Changes if you hadn't refereed for a few years. I have posted a summary of them under "Law Changes" on the web site: |
| https://www.ayso9.org/Default.aspx?tabid=962073 |
|
10/6/2021
Good news for me is that I got to referee three matches last Saturday!
Bad news for me is that I HAD to referee three matches last Saturday.
Referee Team: please make sure that the Game Cards are returned to the Referee Tent. We are still missing game cards. Check your bags and pockets! I know it happens, because I've done it myself!
Also, if the game is an Extra match or a 14U match, these have to be forwarded on to Section or Area Administrators, respectively. Please let us know so we can keep them separated. (note to self: bring two paper clips...)
I see there are six Core Teams with 0 referee points. Anyone can see this, as it is available in the "Standings" page on the Region 9 website.
This week, we have only three Extra Matches and three 14U matches. Good news, as these matches, when there are a lot, increase the number of Experienced Referees needed.
It also means that, assuming equal numbers of home games, that other weekends will be heavy on Extra matches.
On 10/23 and 11/6, Region 9 will host EIGHT and SEVEN Extra Matches, respectively, and TWO and TWO 14U matches, respectively.
Please, Experienced Referees, please, be available on those days! I know that the AYSO United teams have been informed of this, so thank you in advance United Refs (and thank you, Steve Brown)!
And, any newer referees at Level 4 who want to move up in Level ranking to be able to sign up as AR's for Extra Matches or 14U matches, please e-mail me, and I'll have a member of our mentoring team observe you. to provide feedback for you and for me.
09/13/2021
Hey, all. Thanks to all who signed up online and worked their games! And thanks to those who walked up and volunteered, and to those who stepped to do one more match.
We had a good week for refereeing: all spots were filled, though we did not have enough sign-ups to open the stand-by spots.
Stand-by spots are opened up ONLY WHEN ALL Level 4 (10U and 12U AR) spots are filled.
We had another 20 new referees take the Regional (10U and up) Badge On-Field Course on Saturday. So I expect those spots to be filled and the Stand-By spots to be opened and filled.
I've had some comments that I need to relay to you:
1. DO NOT START THE MATCH UNTIL THE FIELD MONITOR IS AT THE FIELD WITH A WALKIE-TALKIE IN HAND AND HAS SIGNED THE HOME TEAM CARD! I'm yelling in caps, because it is important, for the players' (and your own) safety.
2. 10U and above Center Referees: please make sure that the two game cards match in scores before signing them. Make sure that the Assistant Referees, who might be new at this, fill out the cards correctly. We had two cards from a game not match each other. AND, make sure the cards get back to the ref tent. We're missing one card.
3. U7 and U8 Referees: make sure the coaches fill out their cards correctly. They should match before you sign them and turn them in.
As usual, if anyone wants an observer to watch their first (or second) match ever, please ask us at the tent.
And, if anyone wants to step up to be The (center) Referee at a match or take on more challenging assignments at a higher Schedule Level, I welcome it (nothing at the Ref Tent makes me happier), but I want some expert eyes to observe and/or monitor before I can allow your referee level to be changed on our Self-Scheduling System.
2020:
This is Sean Donohoe, Referee Administrator, and this is a new feature regarding updates and other observations that we would like to share with our referees.
Thank you everyone for signing up online, signing in to your matches at the ref tent, and refereeing the matches!
And thank you everyone for a great year!
We would like to find ways to improve our referees. If you have some ideas, please let us hear them! For the most part, refereeing more matches is the best way to improve one's ability, as is reviewing your performance afterward with other referees. That is one feature of the Referee Tent, and I hope you utilize the resources (other referees) there.
I would also like to hear from you if your experiences as a referee -- training, signing up, the matches, the staff -- were less fun than you hoped for.
Email me at [email protected] with any of your thoughts on improving the referee experience at Region 9.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------