Anonymous wrote:Why do many refs struggle so hard to apply the offsides rule? What kind of training is provided on this rule?

First of all, it's "offside".
Second, the vast majority of the time, the AR, who is in the best position to see offside, gets it right, and the people that are complaining are 50 yards away, with poor angles.
Third, when people do struggle to apply the rule, it's because the interpretation of the rule is constantly changing from year to year, and you may have the instinct to raise the flag, or keep it lowered, for a something that would have been a violation last year, but isn't supposed to be this year.
Plus, trying to figure out passive vs. active offside in a split second is hard as hell.

Anonymous wrote:

RantingSoccerDad wrote:Someone suggested a referee AMA on the VYS thread. That actually seems like a good idea.

I've only been reffing for a couple of years. For my first two years, I did a wide range of games -- many different age groups, several different leagues and tournaments, etc. Since I caught COVID-19 in March and felt that my lungs hadn't fully recovered, I eased back into it this year doing U-9 and U-10 games, mostly in the VYS House league but also some NCSL games and WAGS Tournament games. I feel good, so I'm taking some slightly bigger challenges toward the end of the season.

I know other refs lurk here. And I know a lot of parents have questions (or faulty assumptions).

So ... ask away. And answer away.

Why do you miss so many calls, and always seem to favor the other team?

Because we don't like you.

Anonymous wrote:Many refs seem to be overweight elderly men. Why is this?

Gosh, found this thread late...so much to unpack, but I thought I'd start with this one.
Just for reference, I've been reffing for about 20 years, from low level pro, to U8s, and everything in between.

So, let me put this as delicately as possible....the reason your ref is overweight, or slow, or just plain bad? Well, it's because your game is unimportant in the general scheme of things, and that's the best ref the assignor could get.
Higher level refs...the ones with advanced training and fitness tests, are doing higher level games.

Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of great refs doing lower level games too, but there are SO many games, and so few refs, that there are plenty of people reffing games that probably shouldn't be.
There are also plenty of coaches that are terrible, plenty of players who should be in rec, and plenty of parents that can't accept this.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many refs seem to be overweight elderly men. Why is this?

Parents chase the good young referees away. Clubs need to support Referees who kick out abusive parents.

Its a tradition as old as time. just as visiting teams get heckled and booed at away games. Referees get it every game. There is no home court advantage ever for referees. Just as players should learn to take and leave on the field so should referees. Never should a player / coach or a parent / fan ever take it to physical everl or verbal beyond the field of play barrage. But the boos are the ying to the cheers yang. Just as we yell great job Johnny or good call ref. We should accept the Number 12 sucks get him off the field and you blow ref. I mean we have gotten to be a treat them with kid gloves society. As long as it doesn't become physical and no threats are made let game go on. Players play, referees ref, and fans be fanatical.

This is a pile of hog manure. The pool of potential refs really starts at 13/14 years old. If you expect your 13 yr old to take verbal assaults from adults and enjoy it, you have a twisted sense of the world. We raise our children to listen to and respect adults; the cognitive dissonance of having some oafish Dad who doesn't even know the Laws of the Game incorrectly shouting instruction is simply beyond.

You, sir, are the very reason that we only have older men reffing. Older men can "take it" and move past. I don't want a 13 year old to have to endure the howlings of a sideline buffoon.

Personally I wouldn't heckle a teenage refereee under any circumstances. However I have no problem with heckling fat old men.

That’s not nice

Anonymous wrote:What's the deal with boys playing on girls teams? DD's U15 team (NCSL) played against a team recently that had two boys playing on it. One of the parents on DD's team asked some of the parents from the other team if they were boys and was told "there's no rule that says they can't play on a girls team" (or something to that effect). Are there rules that govern this kind of thing? And if so, are they uniform across all of youth soccer or do they vary by league?

Not sure what state this is, but in Virginia any team that has at least one boy on it is a boys team so there are rules that govern that at the state level at least. The league doesn't have rules on it because it is covered by VYSA registration rules. Would be interesting to see that team's roster.

Anonymous wrote:What does a player need to do (or not do) to effectively shield another player from the ball to allow it to go out of bounds, or allow their goalie to make a play for the ball? Effective, meaning they aren't called for interference.

If they are in playing distance of the ball they are allowed to make a play for it and use their body to protect it. They do not have to actually touch the ball for it to be legal to shield it and hold their position.

Anonymous wrote:Many refs seem to be overweight elderly men. Why is this?

Referee attrition rates are very high. Most good ones get tired of taking abuse and no appreciation and quit. If parents and coaches started encouraging young referees instead of abusing them it would change.

Anonymous wrote:Why do many refs struggle so hard to apply the offsides rule? What kind of training is provided on this rule?

I've seen it called wrong, but most of the time if it's a full crew it's the fans that have it wrong not the referees. The majority of the time an off-side call is missed is when the AR is out of position. If you look down the line and the AR is in position with the second last defender then they probably got it right, but if the AR is 30 yards up the field good luck.

Off side is covered in every new referee class and often comes up in recert, especially the years that law gets adjusted.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah the poster wasn’t being racist bc no particular race was mentioned. They were merely being xenophobic.

Even using the word xenophobic is racist. Words with more than four syllables are racist constructs designed to make people of color feel inferior.

Actually people from India who are people of color could easily spell that word. They are much smarter than you.

Isn't that racist?

Anonymous wrote:What are you teaching your kids about sportsmanship if you are heckling the ref? It is never ok the heckle the referee.

How would you like someone standing over your shoulder in your office/place of work:
-You used bad gramar in the memo you sent compaby-wide, you suck
-Your formulas are off and your data is wrong, you're an idiot
-Why did you say that that stupid thing in the meeting?
-That was the dumbest thing you could say to your boss
-You should be fired

I think at the higher levels it is normal, the refs at u8-u15 shouldn’t be hearing from parents players or coaches.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dangerous plays??? Can someone explain what goes into the decision on a dangerous play? A kid falls down near the ball. The kid on the ground is playing it or trying to play it. Is the kid on the ground always guilty of dangerous play?

No, only if there are other players near him/her also vying for the ball and he/she is relatively in a dangerous position. The second part of this is key, else a slide tackle would be considered dangerous play all the time.

Yes, I did forget the part where an opponent is right next to the player on the ground. I thought that was implied..so yes, player on the ground trying to play the ball and an opponent next to them trying to play the ball.

What are you teaching your kids about sportsmanship if you are heckling the ref? It is never ok the heckle the referee.

What do you mean by hecking? I've heard parents from our team saying things like "he was offsides!" I've not heard parents making rude personal comments towards a ref. The former seems fine to me.

What are you teaching your kids about sportsmanship if you are heckling the ref? It is never ok the heckle the referee.

How would you like someone standing over your shoulder in your office/place of work:
-You used bad gramar in the memo you sent compaby-wide, you suck
-Your formulas are off and your data is wrong, you're an idiot
-Why did you say that that stupid thing in the meeting?
-That was the dumbest thing you could say to your boss
-You should be fired

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many refs seem to be overweight elderly men. Why is this?

Parents chase the good young referees away. Clubs need to support Referees who kick out abusive parents.

Its a tradition as old as time. just as visiting teams get heckled and booed at away games. Referees get it every game. There is no home court advantage ever for referees. Just as players should learn to take and leave on the field so should referees. Never should a player / coach or a parent / fan ever take it to physical everl or verbal beyond the field of play barrage. But the boos are the ying to the cheers yang. Just as we yell great job Johnny or good call ref. We should accept the Number 12 sucks get him off the field and you blow ref. I mean we have gotten to be a treat them with kid gloves society. As long as it doesn't become physical and no threats are made let game go on. Players play, referees ref, and fans be fanatical.

This is a pile of hog manure. The pool of potential refs really starts at 13/14 years old. If you expect your 13 yr old to take verbal assaults from adults and enjoy it, you have a twisted sense of the world. We raise our children to listen to and respect adults; the cognitive dissonance of having some oafish Dad who doesn't even know the Laws of the Game incorrectly shouting instruction is simply beyond.

You, sir, are the very reason that we only have older men reffing. Older men can "take it" and move past. I don't want a 13 year old to have to endure the howlings of a sideline buffoon.

We condition the athletes to take it from the visiting crowd. Why not the referees? We want to give them the power to keep the game under control. Why not take the boos too. Not everyone can referee just like not everyone can play. Life isn't all about hugs and handshakes. We compete in contest for victories and it means something to the winner. Just as losing is a lesson learned. Both players and fans are invested in the game. Maybe not a rec. level but any age competitive level mean something stop treating competitive situations like delicate flowers.

The you would actively support a ref who is heckled retaliating by calling every niggling foul that can be legitimately called under the Laws of the Game? I mean, what, are you such a delicate flower that you can’t simply follow the letter of the law?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many refs seem to be overweight elderly men. Why is this?

Parents chase the good young referees away. Clubs need to support Referees who kick out abusive parents.

Its a tradition as old as time. just as visiting teams get heckled and booed at away games. Referees get it every game. There is no home court advantage ever for referees. Just as players should learn to take and leave on the field so should referees. Never should a player / coach or a parent / fan ever take it to physical everl or verbal beyond the field of play barrage. But the boos are the ying to the cheers yang. Just as we yell great job Johnny or good call ref. We should accept the Number 12 sucks get him off the field and you blow ref. I mean we have gotten to be a treat them with kid gloves society. As long as it doesn't become physical and no threats are made let game go on. Players play, referees ref, and fans be fanatical.

This is a pile of hog manure. The pool of potential refs really starts at 13/14 years old. If you expect your 13 yr old to take verbal assaults from adults and enjoy it, you have a twisted sense of the world. We raise our children to listen to and respect adults; the cognitive dissonance of having some oafish Dad who doesn't even know the Laws of the Game incorrectly shouting instruction is simply beyond.

You, sir, are the very reason that we only have older men reffing. Older men can "take it" and move past. I don't want a 13 year old to have to endure the howlings of a sideline buffoon.

Personally I wouldn't heckle a teenage refereee under any circumstances. However I have no problem with heckling fat old men.