the ADMIN pages

Today, I was reminded me why I love reffing at tournaments: the networking.

I love talking with fellow referees, especially those who are better than me. I'm a lowly grade 8 (the lower the better), which is the default grade that nearly everyone starts off at. I've been this way for longer than most referees who have ambitions to upgrade—my current assignor, a state (grade 6) referee, started the same year I did. My only problem is that I don't have the mandatory game requirements for upgrading to a grade 7, the next step up the referee ladder: 75 as a center referee, and 25 as an assistant referee (linesman), all of which must be fully documented with dates, locations, and teams. I worked only in my local, recreational park district league (and a few scattered tournaments) for my first 4 years as a referee. These games are not USSF-affiliated, meaning that they don't count for anything, namely, upgrade requirements. I only just started doing real games (club/traveling soccer) in the middle of the spring 2007 season.

The tournaments I've worked at in the past have always blown me away for the random conversations I have with other referees. They've got stories about tough games, dumb spectators, and moron assessors (the people who determine if you've got the skill to upgrade). I take it all in: synthesizing information has always been a strength of mine. Not only that, but I apply it in the games I referee. I also like to watch good referees as they work games. The little, intangible nuances I pick up on while watching games are often better than the best advice I'll get from other refs.

Today was the first day of the two-day MAX Indoor Soccer Holiday Tournament. If you'll recall, I work for the regular MAX Indoor Soccer league as the on-site coordinator/stand-by referee. Basically, during the regular league, I manage the referees who are doing the games throughout the entire day. I sit at the front desk of the MAX facility, also answering questions and directing players and spectators to their fields. After a referee is done with their block of games for the day, I collect their scores and pay them. (I also get assigned a few games of my own, interspersed throughout the day, to keep me from getting too complacent.) At the end of the day, I plug them into a spreadsheet that my assignor e-mails me, return it to him, and he posts the standings on the MAX Indoor web site. Easy stuff.

Naturally, they again hired me to be the on-site coordinator for their two-day holiday tournament, which concludes tomorrow. Today, my duties were a bit different. I sat at the front desk of the facility with one other person, registering and checking in the teams as they arrived. I also had to collect scores from every game, immediately after it ended, and update the standings on a set of posters that we put up on the second floor of the facility. This was all in addition to my regular duties of managing the referees, making sure the games got started on time, and stepping in for a referee if they didn't show up. Also, I was assigned a set of games for myself.

At any other tournament, this would be the jobs of 2-3 different people. But it was all on me.

Not that I'm complaining—I was paid handsomely for my work. However, we did have a few problems because of my overabundance of duties. I had to leave one game I was reffing right in the middle because the tournament director/league administrator needed help getting the standings updated. (A referee who was on break stepped in to finish my game.)

Additionally, the games were scheduled tight. During the regular league, this is fine, but in the tournament, where scores need to be obtained and possible over-time periods exist, it proved to be slightly problematic. (Games were 25 minutes each, on a running clock, with no half-time period. Games were scheduled in 30 minute intervals.) I'm going to have to talk with the tournament director about altering the timing for their upcoming Valentine's Day tournament.

I had one incident early in the morning. I was sitting at the front registration desk with the other registration staff member, and a spectator (who we later determined was from the Carol Stream U13 Girls team) approached us. He said there was a "goal discrepancy" on the field his daughter was playing on—the goal itself was off the goal line. We promised him that we would look into it, and he left. I checked it out, and finally understood what he meant.

Long story short: the facility's fields convert into half-sizes and run length-wise, so there are extra line markings and extra goals lying around at the ends of the fields. One of the extra goals was behind the goal line on the field in question, so the facility employees and the tournament director had moved the actual goal for the games being played on that field forward, off the regular line, to a line 1 yard inward. This was done for safety, so the players wouldn't run into the extra goal as they played on their field.

I returned to the table and explained it to my assistant. The original complainant returned shortly after, and I explained it to him. He was absolutely aghast at the situation I was explaining. After all, the field his daughter's team was playing on had uneven halves—by three whole feet!! I continuously tried to explain to him that this was done for safety reasons, but he persisted that this inequity in the halves of the field was a major problem. He insisted that we move the other goal forward to even out the halves (in the middle of the game, no less), or declare a half-time period (he actually suggested we stop play every 12 and a half minutes) and switch halves, in order to give each team equal playing time on the shortened half.

We weren't getting anywhere, and he was getting vocal and argumentative. He demanded to speak to the organizer and register a complaint. In my typical smart-ass self, I told him I was the tournament director, and that he can register a complaint with me. (This set-up is partially true—not the part about me being in charge, but the tournament director is the end of the line—there's nobody above him to take complaints.) He continued to lose it on me, asking for my name and contact information. At this point, my assistant went and fetched the real tournament director. He introduced himself to the complaining spectator and told him the exact same thing I did. The spectator didn't even get a chance to argue with the director. Like I said, he's in charge, and that's it. So, he gave the parent his name and phone number, and shooed him away with a "I'll be eagerly awaiting your complaint!" (This is pretty typical of tournament directors and assignors—in the sense that they don't care if people complain about anything, including referees—but badass nonetheless.)

The tournament director actually refused to go back upstairs until the crazed spectator left the facility, under the fear that he'd actually hit the guy.

The day continued without much further incident, besides the aforementioned standings problem and sporadic complaints about the tight scheduling, the latter of which I resonate with as well.

But as I said, the best part of my day was when I sat in the referee break room during lunch, shooting the breeze with the referees who were also on break at the time. One of the referees, who is also a regular in the normal league, is a guy kid I seriously look up to. He's 17 (same age as me), but he's already a grade 7, IHSA-certified (for high school games), and an amazing referee to watch in his element. He told me all about the upgrade process, with a no-bullshit attitude. I'm planning to upgrade to grade 7 in the middle of 2008 (after I get my game requirements down), and get IHSA-certified for this coming spring season (high-school girls' soccer). Another, a guy I met just today, is a ref who I've already recommended to my assignor to bring back for the regular weekend league games. He's a grade 7 (in theory only, he just needs to finalize the paperwork), but has already worked at State Cup and Regionals. If this means nothing to you, let me put it his way: State Cup is the elite, state-wide tournament that requires a formal application process and a reference in order to work there. Regionals is THE place to work—you don't get paid, so you know that the referees are there to learn. Instead, the value of working there is that you get assessed by three people for every game that you do (and you'll only get one or two games if it's your first time there). Seriously, Regionals is the Holy Grail for referees. If you've reffed at Regionals (and are invited back for a second year), you can ref just about anything. It's that awesome of a resume bullet. Anyway, the three of us had a great, frank discussion on tough games, Official Sports' (OSI) monopoly on referee uniforms, and the new uniform style previewed at the MLS Cup—which, in essence, requires referees to carry a full kit of 18 uniforms (short- and long-sleeve of each color and style), if they want to do good games, such as Regionals. All in all, I learned a lot from these guys, as I always do from other referees.

Ah, the fun parts of my day: actually stepping onto the field and reffing games. Self-assessment: Overall today, I did fantastic. Honestly. I'm being pretty objective here. I'm not afraid to say when I sucked. Last week, for example, I got very little sleep the night before, and called a trifecta of crappy games, right in a row. A coach even asked me where I got my reffing license, and I didn't even have the stomach to tell him off, because I knew I called a horrible game.

My first game of the day was a U13 Girls, done early in the morning. One of the teams was the tournament director's daughter's team. (I heeded some good advice from my assignor on conflicts of interest during the game.) I called a great game. Seriously. The teams tied, 0-0. (One of the teams was from the earlier "goal discrepancy" complainant, and they played fairly well.) Nothing much to say, other than I thought I did great.

I did a few minutes of games here and there in the middle of the day (to even out timing issues for refs moving fields), but nothing worth talking about.

My last two games of the day were U13 Boys games, at the very end of the day. This was a tournament, and I had the consolation game (playing for third place) and the final (playing for first place), back to back. The first game (to determine third/fourth place) was a 7-0 shutout. It was an easy game, and I called it well.

My last game of the day was the U13 Boys final. Two very good teams played, and I called a very good game, if I do say so myself. Quite a bit of contact, but I think I managed to balance the serious fouls from the "let them play" mentality. They are fine lines, as with many things as a referee: dismissing some stuff as trivial, making advantage calls, and keeping the kids in line. The score was tied 0-0 at the end of regulation, but before we could get to the (scoreless) double-overtime periods, I had an issue with one of the coaches.

Here's the situation: With 90 seconds left in regular play, a white player is on a breakaway towards the yellow team's goal, and enters the goal box. As he is just about to make a pass to the center of the field, he receives an elbow from a yellow defender, right into the gut. The white player falls, and the ball goes out of bounds. I saw the elbow clear as day, and I did not hesitate in calling a PK. The yellow coach absolutely erupts at me, coming onto the field (a serious violation for coaches to commit) to dispute the call. I verbally warn him once (which I'm being nice enough to do), and when he continues to abuse me over my call, I caution and show him the yellow card for dissent. He continues non-stop. I caught parts of his yelling: something about taking his players off the field if I continue forward with the PK. I verbally warn him again. Still running his mouth, loud as hell. I caution him again. Two cautions = automatic ejection (red card). He's gone, and another coach takes over. After he leaves the field, the PK continues forward. No score.

So we move into a 5-minute "golden goal" overtime period. No score. So we do another 5-minute overtime period. No score. In the second overtime period, I did miss one thing: the ball hit the ceiling on a powerful kick. I wasn't even looking up (as I never do, nor should any referee—you have to keep an eye on the play/pushing below the ball), so I didn't see it. The league/tournament rules (and the LOTG) call for a drop ball if the ball touches an "outside agent": spectator, coach, or ceiling (for indoor play). I didn't see it hit the ceiling, so I called for play to continue when the players looked at me as if I was going to make a call. I realized my mistake only later, when a remarkably calm spectator mentioned it to me.

And, we move into a penalty kick shootout. 5 players from each team, alternating shots. At this point, a referee from another field has finished, and comes to help me manage the players waiting to kick. Not strictly legit per USSF rules, but indoor soccer is pretty relaxed when it comes to these things. Not that I would turn down the help anyway, because with no ARs or a fourth official, I sure could use it. At the end of the first five shots, each team has scored four. We start over the kicking order, and after two more shots from each team, the white team wins. *phew* Suffice to say, I got the hell out of there after the game: the spectators were livid the entire time.

Also of note: My assignor, a man I'm growing to respect as a referee more and more, suggested that I go to State Cup with him next year, and complimented my strong (loud) whistle. Cool.

On yet another side note (sorry for the long post), I'm working on acquiring my full kit of uniforms from OSI. They're running a holiday sale, so I'm stocking up. Should be good for the upcoming outdoor season. After all, "looking the part" is important as a referee. It helps with selling your calls.

Tomorrow, I've got three games back-to-back at the end of the day. All of them are in the high school division, including the final. I've never centered this high of level (but I do need to start soon if I want to upgrade), but considering my performance today, I'm pretty optimistic about my ability to pull them off. Also, it will be good practice for when I start doing real high school games in the spring. I can't wait.