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[quote=Anonymous]Former Cert. Coach, current Cert. Ref, current Team Manager for ECRL team here.

The problems with the Ref situation is similar to the problems with Youth/Travel Soccer in General:
 
1. Too many cooks in the mix (Assignors) for too many Leagues in the area.  No one talks to one another in general.
I would contend that there is NOT a lack of Refs in the area to cover games.  When I receive email blasts from Assignors, it generally goes out to over 1200 people from one Assignor.   The problem is getting these folks properly Assigned. 
In order to get a Ref assignment one must email the Assignor and request a game(s).  Then the Assignor emails back if the Ref is selected and the Ref must Accept the game.  If the Ref never hears back from the Assignor, the game was claimed by another Ref.  Often I have requested games and did not receive the Assignment(s) and therefore did not Ref any games that day even though I was available to Ref.  Point is there is no one System to get Games assigned to Refs.  I believe there are enough Refs in the area to cover games,  just the Systems are inept to communicate with one another to make sure all games get covered.

2.  There are very good Refs from age 13 and up out there.  There are some very bad Refs from age 13 and up out there. Age is not the issue.  A desire to Oversee Rules of A Game and to fairly call that game is what is needed.   3 Refs cannot see everything but they need to make sure fairness is upheld.  Because of the "implied" shortage of Refs, there are no Standards Refs must adhere to and no Performance Reviews they need to worry about.  Even Refs who consistently behave poorly and receive complaints through League avenues, get no recourse or even feedback.  There is no incentive to make bad Refs good ones, or to weed out the bad ones.

3.  Parents/Coaches and Club Administrators for the most part believe Refs are another "team" or "opposition" working against them to achieve their goals of winning.  I have seen it and heard it from hundreds and thousands of mouths.  This must change and it should come from the Clubs themselves.

4.  Why become a Ref?  I did it because I love the game and want to be involved with making the game better where it is needed the most, good Officiating.  It is hard to convince someone without the love of the game to become a Ref.   It is not because of money.  In fact, a Ref must often wait up to 30days to even get paid for games worked.  There are games on October I worked and still have not gotten paid for (it is Nov. 25th)  Assignors claim Leagues do not pay them until a certain date and then the Refs get their pay.  Again this is a terrible System for keeping Refs over the long haul.  Why continue to wait for payment for games over a month old when parents & Coaches abuse and belittle Refs every weekend?

The game used to be for the kids to love and to learn and to play.  It is a far cry from that now.  Just as everything else, people hungry for money co-opt the situation for their own gain.  Youth/Travel Soccer has been bought by Business interests to fulfill their own aspirations, not aspirations of players. Same can be said for Referees.  
Are the peole and powers that be, really looking out for the Players as a whole?   I dare say no.   [/quote]

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