FINAL FEEDBACK: WHY ARE WE OUR OWN WORST ENEMIES?

Thanks to all who contributed. These will be the last responses posted.

Feedback 5:
The way an effective referee should manage a free kick will depend on what actually happens during the free kick process, whether quick or ceremonial. We like to label free kicks as quick or ceremonial, but not every “quick” free kick will be the same, and not every “ceremonial” free kick will be the same.
One variable that referees have to realize exists is that most players don’t really know (or pretend they don’t know) how far 10 yards actually is. I have often told an argumentative coach or player who doesn’t agree with “my 10 yards” to simply look at the center circle to realize how far 10 yards really is. Of course that statement only works with someone who wishes to have a rational argument with you.

I have experienced all of the following situations and think that common sense, Law 18, tells me to deal with them in the following ways – generally speaking, there are exceptions at times. And I’m sure there are several other possible situations. Can’t wait to see that new USSF video. That might make me see the light even more.

Situation 1:
Multiple defenders line up in a wall that they honestly think is 10 yards away from ball, but it isn’t (say 7-9), and kicker asks for 10 yards.
Resolution:
Proceed with ceremonial free kick (i.e. establish position of free kick, tell kicker to wait for whistle, back up wall to 10 yards making sure kicker does not try to move ball any further forward during this time, take up a appropriate field position depending on circumstances, signal for kick to be taken.) If defender then encroaches and affects kick in disadvantageous way for kicking team, caution for FRD and repeat ceremonial free kick.

Situation 2:
Multiple defenders quickly line up in a wall that they honestly think is 10 yards away from ball, but it isn’t (say 7-9), and kicker takes unobstructed quick free kick.
Resolution:
Continue play.

Situation 3:
Multiple defenders quickly line up in a wall that they honestly think is 10 yards away from ball, but it isn’t (say 7-9) and kicker takes quick free kick. The kick is affected by a defender who encroaches from this wall in a way that is disadvantageous to the kicking team.
Resolution:
Stop play, caution encroaching defender for FRD. No need for attacker to ask for 10 yards in this case. Restart with ceremonial free kick.

Situation 4:
Multiple defenders quickly line up in a wall that they honestly think is 10 yards away from ball, but it isn’t (say 7-9) and kicker takes quick free kick. The kick is affected by defender(s) who have maintained their position in this wall in a way that is disadvantageous to the kicking team.
Resolution:
Stop play. A caution in this case is probably not needed. Simply warn/educate defenders about proper 10 yard distance and restart with ceremonial free kick. Consider cautioning if same defending team does this again at another free kick.

Situation 5:
No defensive wall is formed, but when kicker takes quick free kick a defender who, in the opinion of the referee, is obviously less than 10 yards away from the spot of the kick, lunges toward or makes some other type of movement to intercept and obstruct the path of the ball once it was kicked. In other words, if the defender had stood still the ball would have continued past this defender on its own path.
Resolution:
Stop play. Caution defender for FRD. No need for attackers to ask for 10 yards in this case. Restart with ceremonial free kick.

Situation 6:
No defensive wall is formed, but when kicker takes quick free kick a defender who, in the opinion of the referee, is obviously less than 10 yards away from the spot of the kick, intercepts the ball because it was directly kicked to him/her, and this defender had no intention of obstructing a passing lane to an attacking teammate nor a shot on goal.
Resolution:
Continue play, unless misconduct has been committed by the kicker.

Situation 7:
No defensive wall is formed, but when a kicker takes quick free kick a defender who, in the opinion of the referee, is obviously less than 10 yards away from the spot of the kick, intercepts the ball because he/she managed to intentionally quickly stand in the way of a passing lane to an attacking teammate or a shot on goal.
Resolution:
Stop play. Caution defender for FRD (and possibly deal with any misconduct committed by kicker). No need for attackers to ask for 10 yards in this case. Restart with ceremonial free kick.

Situation 8:
No one is within 10 yards of the ball except for one defender who tries to deceive the referee by non-chalantly walking in the path of the ball as the kicker is running up/preparing to take the kick. The kicker is affected by this action and/or the ball is intercepted by the defender.
Resolution:
Stop play. Caution defender for FRD. No need for attackers to ask for 10 yards in this case. Restart with ceremonial free kick.

Situation 9:
Once the ball is spotted for the free kick, one or more defenders quickly stand directly in front of the ball (or at some distance that is obviously less than 10 yards away) to intentionally delay the kick until his teammates can set up a wall or otherwise establish better defensive field position. In the opinion of the referee, this has affected the kicker’s timing of when/where to kick the ball.
Resolution:
Caution defender(s) for FRD. No need to ask for 10 yards in this case. Restart with ceremonial free kick.

Situation 10:
Once the ball is spotted for the free kick, one or more defenders quickly stand directly in front of the ball ( or at some distance that is obviously less than 10 yards away) to intentionally delay the kick until his teammates can set up a wall or otherwise establish better defensive field position. In the opinion of the referee, this has not affected the kicker as he/she has played the ball quickly in a different direction.
Resolution:
Continue play and warn defender(s) of their cautionable offense.

Feedback 6:
There are many societal issues that affect the way people behave on the field. In the course of my life, particularly the past 25 years, I have noticed an increase in the negative way referees, umpires, officials are treated.

Since I have started doing girls softball and high school and youth soccer, while I was never one to complain about an official, I have little patience for those who do.

As a parent or spectator, I do not question calls. I teach my daughter to respect each of her opponents, to respect the difficult job the officials have, and to stay within herself by playing her game the way she knows it should be played. She knows that if anyone needs to say anything to an official, her coaches will do that. I don’t believe such sportsmanship is widely taught anymore.

As a coach and a fellow official, I might discreetly ask a question about a call, or about a rule, but I do not argue and I do not demean, like many coaches, players, and parents do too often.

Nor do I publicly comment on a call made by another official. If someone asks me a question about a rule, I’ll discuss the rule, but not call or the person who did or didn’t make it.

Each person watches the game from a different angle; therefore, each person sees a variety of plays differently. Each person knows the rules to varying degrees; therefore, plays that may seem incorrect to some are, in fact, actually correct, and vice versa.

My goal in calling a game, especially below middle school level, is to call the game as best I can, in the fairest way possible, while allowing there to be a flow to the contest.

With the youngest kids, I explain why after making a call. Could I call all those games tighter? Absolutely. Would anyone like hearing the whistle a hundred times? Doubtful.

As the players get older and more experienced, I call the games tighter and I say why a lot less. And while I sometimes forget to say play on, thereby at least acknowledging the foul, I do sometimes let minor violations go because I don’t perceive calling them will make a huge difference in the game.

In games played by adults, it is my perception that some referees call the games hoping to get as little garbage back as possible.

Applying every single rule to the letter in a recreational adult league game is not what some of these guys want to do, especially on a Sunday morning.

In countless adult league games I’ve been to for softball, basketball, flag football, and soccer, part of the league schedule, as well as gym or field availability, can be a factor in the blowing of the whistles.

I also don’t think that some of the adult league officials take the games as seriously as some of the players, who still treat the contests as life and death. For others, and perhaps for the refs, too, the fact that the games are recreational applies that the enforcement of the rules can be a little more lax.

As an official, on a field with coaches and/or players who always think they know more, I think we pick our battles. While flagrant fouls clearly deserve red cards, and so too do constant infractions of minor fouls, who really likes to give red cards?

And in an adult recreational league, who really wants the added aggravation and a situation in a parking lot with an offending player afterward?

Getting excessively angry with and hating officials is a mark of immaturity. No offense meant to the writer of the original note. But when the game is truly a game, and nothing more, I bet the tone and underlying feelings are quite different.

Feedback 7:
Just as reformed drunks and reformed prostitutes are least charitable to those currently still in bondage to those conditions, so players who have become referees tend to be hardest on those of our brethren who are less proficient than we all could hope.

It would be wonderful if all referees thoroughly understood the underlying spirit of the Laws, as well as the Laws themselves and their proper application. It would also be wonderful if all players and coaches understood, or even occasionally read, the Laws – even more marvelous if all players strove to play fairly all the time. But we must deal with the world as is, not how we wish it to be.

All of us referees are works in progress; not one of us has ‘arrived’. The real issue is those referees who do not perceive their own shortcomings, and, due to that lack of insight, make no effort to correct those deficiencies. This is where mentors and assessors come in, to provide the perspective that self-analysis cannot attain.

The best we can do, as colleagues of our demonstrably less-than-knowledgeable fellows, is recommend, and continue to recommend, that they seek out guidance from more advanced referees that they can trust, such as Week in Review and Askasoccerreferee.com.

But be prepared for rejection – two hallmarks of underperformers (in any field) are a lack of awareness of their own shortcomings, coupled with a dire lack of motivation to do anything about it, even after they gain awareness.

Parents sometimes discover that, in spite of how hard they strive and how many parenting books they have read, their children still end up going sideways on the road of life. It doesn’t mean those parents did a poor job, it just means that those children needed to learn from their own mistakes, instead of the mistakes of others. Some referees will never get better: what you have in front of you is as good as it gets. Yes, it’s frustrating. But the alternative is not having a referee today. While that may be preferable, there’s really no way to know that ahead of time.

And as one very good coach in another sport once said, to win a championship, you often have to be good enough to win in spite of the officiating.