EA is at it again ...

Developers EA Sports has revealed a range of innovations for its latest upcoming game FIFA 13.

The game comes with new features giving realistic touch with improved artificial intelligence. FIFA 13 introduces game changing features like Complete Dribbling, First Touch Control and Attacking Intelligence.

"We are perfecting the best sports game in the world with innovations that capture all the drama and unpredictability of real-world football," said David Rutter, Executive Producer for FIFA 13 in a press release. "These are game-changing innovations that will revolutionize our artificial intelligence, dribbling, ball control and collisions to create a true battle for possession across the entire pitch, and deliver freedom and creativity in attack," Rutter added. ...

See the whole story here, from GamenGuide.com.

Kicking Back Comments: I remain amazed at this EA franchise and how incredibly lucrative it remains for them. I would still love to see a "player" option through the referee eyes. Not a big seller likely (and I recognize that this is what it is all about at the end of the day), but neat none the less.

Becks, POTUS, and Underwear

Well it was good to hear about the LA Galaxy visit to the White House the other day. It is a tradition that goes back for some time for presidents to greet winners of major sports competitions.

As some may recall I wrote about the kerfuffle that Tim Thomas caused when he chose not to visit the White House. Becks, excuse me Sir David Beckham, would never insult a world leader, or his team in that way.

Apparently POTUS took a few jabs at Becks however, kiddingly calling him "old", and commenting on his underwear (ad).

I'll admit, it was pretty funny.


Take a look at the whole thing here, including video, from the NY Daily News.

Welcome Back!

Dear Readers of Kicking Back,

Thanks for being patient with me over the last 3 or so weeks when I have been off and left to my own devices.

It has been a stark reminder of how "real life" can catch up when you are not looking. Gratefully nothing "bad" to be sure, in fact some great stuff, but change none the less that has taken me away from you. For that I am sorry as I enjoy our time here.

A special thanks to those who have reached out over that time, just to check in.

To kick things off right (so to speak) on my return for the abyss, is to reenforce how to send off a coach, or for that matter any team official,  with a neat video from US Soccer in "Ask, Tell, Dismiss."

It's a good video that can help referees take an "easy" 3 step approach, to what can be a very difficult issue.

So please enjoy the video, and the articles coming your way in the days to come as we start to get into the heart of the season.

Programming Note

Friends,

Over the next couple of days I am going to be traveling and "unplugged" as it were.

During this time, please feel free to browse the archives at right and before you know it, we'll be back at it with the spring season in full swing.

Thanks for reading,
PK

REVOLT!

FA should ignore Fifa and police its own game

The Football Association is full of talented people working tirelessly for the betterment of the game. Yet admitting at dinner parties that you work for the organisation these days must be a bit like confessing that in your spare time you microwave small animals on behalf of a consortium of leading merchant banks. Or worse, that you are a journalist. ...

See the whole story here, from The Telegraph.

Kicking Back Comments: There are (2) key passages that jumped out at me.

The first is the relationship between FIFA and any National Association:

But instead of recognising that it has the power properly to intervene, the FA behaves like the society hostess upbraided by George Bernard Shaw.

“Would you sleep with me for a million pounds?” legend has it the playwright asked her. “Yes,” came back the speedy reply. “Good, so would you sleep with me for a pound?”

“What kind of woman do you take me for?” she spluttered in indignation. “We have already established that,” replied Shaw. “We are now merely haggling over the price.”

Boy do I agree with this. FIFA should leave the associations alone to run their leagues. International play ... different story. I think that works and FIFA should appreciate it as FIFA does what is best for themselves, let the country folks do what is best as well.

The other passage is:

Professional referees have demonstrated they are willing to accept responsibility for their errors in the pursuit of improvement.

The FA, however, makes them look a body of men cowering behind procedure that covers up incompetence and punishes innocence. That is not the characteristic of a robust, self-confident organization.

To which I say ... CAN I HAVE AN AMEN!?!

Recognizing and adjusting to errors is a hallmark of the very best referees. The very, very best do this within a particular match so the adjustment is instant.

To have the league "whitewash" an issue when the referee genuinely knows he blew something is not productive, in fact it is counter productive. Now this is a fine balance as most folks are really undereducated to what may have actually happened, but if a referee screwed up, I think, and the author seems to agree, get it out there, learn from it, and move on.

If as referees we are not doing this anyway after EVERY SINGLE MATCH, there is something wrong.

A hilarious video ... with a serious message

Take a look at this ... it is hilarious.



Now take a read here, from Yahoo! Sports, and a look at www.fairworldcup.org.

Not so funny anymore.

Stories regarding FIFA's rule and profit they took in South Africa are far and wide. I'm certainly not accusing FIFA of any of that, and not denying the organization to make money. However if any of these stories are true ... and there is some evidence to show that it is ... it will be really quite sad.

It looks like fairworldcup.org is following this, and I will eagerly watch the developments as the World Cup draws closer.

Lest there be any question ...

So Easter Sunday was, despite the colder weather, good. I watched all of the coverage of Tom Boonen's "2-fer" with his win at  Paris-Roubaix, after his win last week at the Tour de Flanders.

I was able to get out for a ride myself, no where near those speeds of course, but was thinking about the grand tour series that is upon us, and who these cycling athletes have respect for.

In looking around several pro cycling sites, I cam across the Katusha Team (THE Russian Global Cycling Project ... I love that) and took note that in all the riders bio's was the answer to "Who is your favorite soccer team?"

I found that interesting as you generally don't see "Who is your favorite NBA team?" when you see a bio with a NFL player.

Why the overlap? I think because soccer is so universal, that you can ask any (non-american) athlete who their favorite soccer team is and they will have an answer.

Soccer is Life.

By the way, lest there be any question that the Grand Tour season is upon us for cycling ... take a look below. It again looks to be an awesome time in Italy ... and with a start in Denmark.

I have to find a reason to get over there for work =)

More protests and complaints for Brazil

Brazil's World Cup Lag Grows Dire and Angry Words Fly

Brazil may be the world's soccer capital, but as the country gears up to host the World Cup in 2014, a war of words between the government and FIFA, soccer's ruling body, just keeps intensifying.

The hostilities have followed a predictable pattern: FIFA criticizes Brazil for being behind with preparations; Brazil gets in a huff; FIFA apologizes. Then it starts all over again.

In the latest round, FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke caused a storm when he said that Brazil needed a "kick up the backside." Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo said the secretary general should be removed from his post. Marco Aurelio Garcia, a foreign-policy adviser to Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, exclaimed:"This guy is a vagabond!" ...

See the whole story here, from Bloomberg.

Kicking Back Comments: Very best line in the article is ""We want actions, not just more words," Blatter said."

How great is that? The ethics of FIFA is falling down around him and he is willing to sit back and watch as the governing institution for The Game crumbles around him.

Yet, you get anywhere near his wallet, and watch out, its time for action.

It is laughable frankly.

I'll give it to FIFA ... they published it.

Well kudos where they are due, and I openly give it to FIFA for publishing the report the Ex-Com received from an independent authority the Basal Institute on Governance.

The report can be see here (.pdf) from the site.

It is a quick read with nothing in it that is shocking or scandalous. It contains some middle of the road (and very important) controls on organizations like FIFA.

Of particular interest to be was the creation of term limits, which I think is needed in any such position.

To put it in perspective, there have only been (8) FIFA presidents ... ever ... since FIFA was created in 1904 (source). This makes the average tenure of a FIFA president 13.5 years.

Longest serving president was Jules Rimet (sound familiar?) with 33 years of service!

Now, is 2 or 4 years too short for something like this? I would be included to say yes, and believe on the order of 6 years is on target for such a position. That said Sepp is going to be pushing 16 years by the time he will consider stepping down.

I'd bet a wooden nickel that Sepp will be happy to implement some of these changes on his way out the door.

I digress however, I really do give FIFA credit for posting the report. It is a good first step.

Brazil v. FIFA, Round 2

Brazil Senate Reignites FIFA Spat by Canceling Valcke Meeting

Brazil’s Senate canceled a meeting with FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke, reigniting a spat with soccer’s ruling body a month after the South American country tried to remove him as the lead representative for the planning of the 2014 World Cup.

A Senate committee overseeing preparations for the tournament said the institution needs to be represented at a hearing scheduled originally for April 11 by its President, Sepp Blatter, and not by Valcke, according to a statement on the Senate’s website today. A new hearing is still to be scheduled, the committee said in the statement. ...

See the full article here, courtesy of Bloomberg.

Kicking Back Comments: This is starting to get good. Sepp is standing by his man, but Brazil wants nothing to do with him. Any guesses on what is next? By the way, Brazil has still not amended its sovereign law to meet FIFA's whims of serving alcohol in stadiums. Is it a money thing, or just Valcke?

Please stop talking ...

So big kudos to Paul Levy in my book for another excellent take on a youth soccer incident. One that I believe he read just right.

Take a look at "When "violent" is not "brutal"" from NRAH.

Let me say that I largely agree with Paul's analysis and appreciate his candor in the matter. After viewing the clip embedded in the article and the article itself I had two similar follow on points.

First, I really dislike the media. I recognize in a way I am part of the institution with Kicking Back, but there is a stark difference. I write to provoke thought through strong and sometimes "tongue in cheek" analysis. I do not like "sensationalistic" commentary.

I have commented about this in the past with some of the reporting that is done around the MLS and is intended to get a headline, not perform genuine analysis. This story strikes me as similar, lots of flash, not much substance. To somehow turn a foul from the back (that was not deserving of the punches thrown by the opponent) into a violent attack where "law enforcement" had to be called in and people were calling for "punishment" under the legal system is just ridiculous. Player lost their cool, yes. Parents behaving badly, yes. Media grossly inflating a "school yard" skirmish, defiantly.

Second, and please put this in the advice column, DON'T TALK TO THE MEDIA as a referee.

Now for those who are not familiar, there is a policy for how to conduct yourself, and it can be found in the Administrative Handbook here on page 43, and states:

Guidelines for Contact With Media
Referees

Game Officials should use good judgment based on the referee Code of Ethics when speaking to the media.

Game Officials should:

1. Not, under any conditions, discuss the politics of the game or the sport. 
2. Stick to what you know as it relates directly to your personal experience in the game of soccer. 
3. Relate only factual information about a game. Do not discuss judgment calls that were made. 
4. Avoid making declarations, which amount to speaking for other people. 
5. Represent yourself, your state association and the game in a positive and enthusiastic way.

That aside, very little good can come from sharing an opinion with the media as a referee. Listen, I get it, it can be a thrill to be interviewed about something you love to do. I've been there, and made that mistake a couple of times, so I don't fault this referee at all as I am certain this was his first rodeo.

However, don't get caught off guard. This can indeed happen to any of us on any given day, and don't be fooled, reporters are not there to make friends with you when the cameras are rolling, just get a story. After the cameras are off, you're on your own and speaking personally I have found having a relationship with a reporter on a personal basis is not a bad thing. Like most things, it depends on the person.

So, if you find yourself in a similar situation ... heck even without the media, but parents asking "what the heck happened", your responsibility is to make a report to the league. Frankly that is your best response. If someone (other than the league) wants to know what happened, you are better off saying "I'm sorry, I can't discuss this until the league is made aware of the facts", or something to that effect. That of course is not reasonable if interviewed by the police ... but even there ... just the facts, not an opinion.

Don't forget, those who are asking may not be all good faith actors and may indeed twist your words to make a trap for fools. It is not unimaginable to find yourself on a witness stand defending your comments (or video of your comments) in some form of litigation.

You can't get in trouble for not saying anything to media/parents/coaches ... so play it safe, and don't.

Written reports and answering media questions are certainly a part of being a higher level referee, and aspects that we will address later in time as I personally have learned some brutal lessons there.

UEFA Experimenting with Referee Speed Drills

Well UEFA had to get in on the technology experiments like FIFA. Just take a look at the video below. In the same vein of adding more referees to cover move of the field, here is an experiment where UEFA still has (4) referees, but in the interest of having the man in the middle more mobile, is issuing a Segway to each to allow them to cover more ground per match.

No word from IFAB yet, the World's Law making authority, if the measure will be taken up next year at the annual meeting where goal line technology was approved just weeks ago to move forward in the international game.

See the whole story here, from the Sun.

Great Story from NRAH

A lesson for a coach

One of my favorite stories in my new book took on surprising relevance recently.  First here's the story:

Ali, aged 14, looked like Li’l Orphan Annie. Short, with a head full of curly red hair and freckles, she was refereeing a game of 12-year-old players. One of the coaches, a large middle-aged man, was persis­tently and angrily yelling from the sidelines about the calls she was making.

She calmly walked over to the coach, looked up at him and said, “Don’t you think you are taking this a bit too seriously?” ...

See the whole story here, from Paul Levy at Not Running A Hospital.

Kicking Back Comments: A great read, and a worthy lesson for us all.

A Frosty Firing Line

Special thanks to Elie for bringing this one forward.

Is this enough to abandon?

Well ... it did last two whole weeks ... right?

FIFA blows whistle on match-fixing hotline

MANCHESTER: FIFA president Sepp Blatter halted a whistle-blowing programme designed to help root out match-fixing in soccer before it could even start to work, FIFA's outgoing head of security said on Wednesday.

The plan to grant anonymity and protection to players and officials targeted by illegal gambling groups was announced amid great fanfare by world soccer's ruling body last September.

It was quietly put on ice two weeks later when Blatter decided to integrate it into broader efforts to clean up governance at FIFA, which has been dogged by allegations of corruption over the awards of World Cups to Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022 and its own election process. ...

See the whole story here, from the Times of India.

Kicking Back Comments: It's almost too easy sometimes. This is one of those cases to me.

Good for the US?

As I'm sure you've heard by now, the US was eliminated from Olympic qualifying the other day by El Salvador.

Is this a good thing for the US?

I would say yes ... but not for the disarray and disappointment the players were left with, it is for the US referees looking to go to England this summer.

As you can imagine, when it comes time to select tournament referees, aside form the European bias such tournaments have in selecting their referees, US referees I would think would do fine as the country now does not have a "dog in the hunt" courtesy of last nights result.

Lemonade from lemons, maybe. But also a very real fact of tournaments like this.

We'll see what happens this summer.

Tough Report, but Will FIFA Listen?

FIFA to get 'tough' report on corruption

The anti-corruption expert appointed by FIFA to advise on modernizing reforms and repairing its scandal-hit reputation promises a ''tough'' report to soccer's governing body.

Mark Pieth told the Associated Press that FIFA President Sepp Blatter's executive committee would be wise to accept ''most everything'' when the proposals are presented Friday. The Swiss law professor's 13-member panel includes soccer officials, sponsors and experts in clean government.

''It's going to be pretty tough. There are a few issues that will need heavy negotiation,'' Pieth said in an interview at his University of Basel office. ''If they are wise, they will pick up most everything that is put before them.'' ...

See the whole article here, courtesy of fox sports.com.

Kicking Back Comments: Here is another shining example if FIFA is paying attention to get a "get out of free" (almost) jail card. FIFA summarily rejected this previously from an outside source, but if they take it seriously this time, really seriously this time, they may be able to make some headway.

Even the interim report made sense for some things like, get outsiders, and, replace the old guard (to paraphrase).

This full report is due out on Friday and I hope they publish it as I look forward to see if FIFA is willing to "eat its own dog food."

Any bets?

Blame Kicking Back Junior, Not Me

Junior has turned me onto "Annoying Orange," a sample of which, in a World Cup theme is below.

In other adventures you can see Pear, Passion, and Marshmallow. These characters along with Orange pretty much sum up my family life.

All I can say is, I am not Orange.

10 Year Old Arrested ... Did they get the right person?

So as a follow up to the gruesome youth soccer event that took place in Hong Kong, "Yeah, they are 11 years old", we have a follow up courtesy of a couple of loyal readers. Special thanks to Dr. Rice and an International AR to be soon named.

Based on the article "Hong Kong 10-year-old arrested after violent youth soccer foul", it would seem the HK police have got their "man", but the question I have is, do they have the person to blame?

In my opinion that answer is no.

I base that not on American law where an infancy defense may be available (see here, or more generally the rule of 7's in both criminal and tort law), but on the more common sense notion that a 10 year old does not get these ideas sua sponte, or at least, not in isolation.

My question is, why isn't the ESF coach getting hauled in as well? To me, he is just as, if not more culpable, than the 10 year old boy he was coaching. Here's why.

Take a look at the whole clip starting about :36. Who commits the first (2) nasty fouls?

The #2 player for blue, yes?

Who commits the kick to the head? The #2 player for blue.

So lets say for argument sake that #2 blue was doing this stuff with intent and he was doing in of his own volition.

Why oh why didn't the coach pull him off after foul 1 ... how about 2? Both were nasty and should have stood out, right? After all the parents were so upset they came into the field to make it known how nasty these fouls were, right?

So either the coach was oblivious, like on Mars oblivious, or wanted it to go on.

I don't think he was oblivious. These players were skilled enough at a young enough age to make it clear to me there were trained well.

Still don't believe me? Take a look at 1:20 of the video with blue #3. He fouls and opponent, is not touched, and on the referee whistle, holds his eye like he was hit.

These kids are well coached ... I should say, professionally coached. There is nothing good about this coaching.

Based on the video evidence, these tackles were intentional, and I believe the ESF coach taught it, or at the very least, condoned it.

If he was truly concerned, the ESF coach should have pulled the offending players off, and sat them down until they calmed down.

In my opinion the ESF coach is the one who should be up in front of a magistrate. Instead the coward is letting a 10 year old boy take the rap.

If only FIFA had these b@ll$

Saints Coach Suspended for Season Over Bounties

Meting out unprecedented punishment for a crush-for-cash bounty system that targeted key opposing players, the NFL suspended New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton without pay for next season and indefinitely banned the team's former defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams.

Payton is the first head coach suspended by the league for any reason, accused of trying to cover up a system of extra cash payouts that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Wednesday called "particularly unusual and egregious" and "totally unacceptable." ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of ABC News.

Kicking Back Comments: Top marks for Roger Goodell! Imagine, just imagine, if FIFA has this courage to deal with its corruption issues. You could almost watch the sea part if Sepp had the gumption.

Heavy handed? Maybe.

Message sending? Definitely!

You can bet that all the other teams in the NFL who likely did this, and have any form of tangible evidence are shredding it as we speak here.

Imagine ... just imagine The Game without corruption.

You know, this works for on the field stuff too. If a player presents you with a gift wrapped opportunity to send an appropriate message to all the other players (an example may be for a hard challenge), by all means send the message (however you see fit).

At the end of your match, I'd bet that you would see less issues if you handle the first one with sufficient emphasis.

"The Commish" did here, and the game he presides over will be the better for it in the immediate and long term.

Now THIS is more like it

U.S. Soccer, MLS Create Professional Referee Organization to Manage Soccer Officials in the United States

The U.S. Soccer Federation and Major League Soccer announced today the formation of the Professional Referee Organization (PRO), an organization that will be responsible for managing the referee program in professional soccer leagues in the United States and Canada.

CHICAGO (March 6, 2012) – The U.S. Soccer Federation and Major League Soccer announced today the formation of the Professional Referee Organization (PRO), an organization that will be responsible for managing the referee program in professional soccer leagues in the United States and Canada.

The creation of PRO is designed to increase the quality of officiating in U.S. and Canadian professional leagues, develop more professional quality officials at a younger age and develop officials who will represent the United States and Canada in FIFA competitions. ...

See the whole article here, from US Soccer.

Kicking Back Comments: Here we go folks! NOW we are cooking with gas!

Our Nitwit to the North

Raising the bar for MLS referees

Admission of the problem is the first step to a cure. In the glass half full world of Major League Soccer, there are never really problems - only initiatives.

MLS, however, has a problem which needs fixing. Like anything worthwhile, it cannot be done overnight but the League wants it known a serious initiative is being launched to tackle the situation.

At the dawn of a brand new season, there's a new franchise in Montreal, a new stadium in Houston and a new broadcast partner across the United States. MLS continues to toot its horn on a range of issues from improved standard of play to the growing visibility of the sport in North America. ...

See the whole page of drivel here, from cbc.ca.

Kicking Back Comments: So I read this article, and you know what I got out of it?

A headache.

I'm not sure what is was. Either the snotty tone Reed takes mocking MLS for its "initiates," or "complimenting" the league for recognizing it has a "problem" (which Reed does not define), or his clear inexperience understanding what he is commenting about.

It would have been great to detail Mr. Walton's appointment and maybe do some research about what prompted it from the PRO or MLS perspective. How about some thoughts, some specific thoughts about what needs to be adjusted, and in some cases just plain 'ole fixed in the refereeing ranks.

[I'll give you a hint Mr. Reed ... consider making the referees salaried professionals ... and pay them.]

Nope. Just a fluffy piece back-handly mocking the work that has gone into where we are now with MLS, and asking the self serving question ... Gee will it be fixed now?

Who wants to bet this will be followed sometime mid-MLS season with a "Well I guess it's not working ..." piece?

I've read some of his other stuff and it's pretty good I think. I just don't understand why the wheels come off the journalistic cart when discussing referees.

Then again, in looking at his experience, he has watched a lot of The Game, and to nearly all, that qualifies them to understand the nuances of professional league refereeing, and comment openly about their "problems."

Reed gives us an "out" however in his closing statement that referees don't make the rules, they just enforce them.

If the comment in isolation does not scream "nitwit" (to The Game), I don't know what does. 

iWhat? No silly ... ITIP.

So as I write this, I have just finished up an intense class becoming a US Soccer referee instructor.

I'll be honest folks, it is a bit head spinning and intimidating.

You would think that after a lifetime of being on a field with refereeing and assessing matches I would know what to expect or how to teach referees the same, right?

Wrong!

I was blown away with the preparation, detail, and methodology required to pull off even the (relatively) simplest teaching topics.

After presenting several times and critiquing others doing the same I can say that I have not even scratched the surface, and find myself back at square one on the learning curve.

The method itself is called ITIP, and is described here, in Madeline Hunter's materials, and can also be found here at the US Soccer website.

This is worth a look to any referee who attends a recertification to begin to appreciate the work that is placed into how instructors do what they do so well ... to teach.

Yeah, they are 11 years old

Paul Levy in "On the pitch, we can all do better than this" brought this video to our attention. I find it grotesque.



11 Year old players do not know how to foul like this. It is taught, and is pathetic.

While it can be difficult for a young referee (of any age) to get their head around this, it can happen, so be ready.

Our season start in (2) weeks in this part of the world ... are we ready as referees to deal with THIS, should it arise?

I Don't think he should have apologized

Sir Dave Richards rant 'unfortunate', warns Britain's Fifa executive

• Richards attacked Fifa then fell into a water feature
• Jim Boyce says the outburst may open 'old sores'

Britain's Fifa vice-president, Jim Boyce, says he will try to limit any damage caused by Sir Dave Richards's "unfortunate" attack on Fifa and Uefa for "stealing" football from the English.

Richards, speaking at a security conference in Doha on Wednesday,also criticised China for claiming to have invented football, and told his hosts they had their "heads in the sand" over alcohol restrictions at the Qatar World Cup in 2022. The Premier League and the FA quickly distanced themselves from the remarks. ...

See the whole story (and fountain diving incident) here, from The Guardian.

Kicking Back Comments: While I understand why Sir Dave apologized, I wish he had not as I believe he is right that FIFA has "stolen" The Game. Taken in context, he would seem to imply that FIFA is exploiting The Game for things other than the sake of The Game itself. To that I agree.

Also, the FA and UEFA members are cowards for quickly saying that Sir Dave was there "in a personal capacity", and did not represent either organization in an "official capacity."

Rubbish. Of course he was there "officially."

I give him credit for telling it like it is, and not kowtowing (bad pun I know given the argument of heritage with the Chinese) to the openly corrupt FIFA, and openly cowardly FA.

FIFA Street is here!

EA Launches FIFA Street
By: Zacks Equity Research

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) recently released FIFA Street, the latest game from the FIFA Soccer franchise. The game captures the essence of “the beautiful game”, ala street style. The game can be played on Sony Corp.’s (SNE) PlayStation3 and Microsoft Corp.’s (MSFT) XBox 360.

FIFA Street, as the name implies, gives the gamers a chance to test their street football skills in 35 locations around the world with different modes (Panna Rules, Last Man Standing and World Tour story mode). The game won 9 points out of 10 by Official Xbox Magazine, which commended it by saying that FIFA Street is “setting the standard for all other sports games”. Meanwhile,PlayStation: The Official Magazine described the game as “chaotic, tense, and above all, super fun”.

EA SPORTS’ FIFA franchise has attained an almost cult status among soccer fans. Thus, the release of the latest version is not only going to amplify the present craze but also rake in the revenues for the company. Interestingly, more than 2.1 million gamers have downloaded the demo version of the game, making it the second-most downloaded demo. It is FIFA Soccer 12, also from EA SPORTS’ stable that currently holds the top rank in that list, according to Sony and Microsoft. ...

See the complete story here, at zacks.com.

Kicking Back Comments: I am looking forward to getting a hold of this one ... so is Jr.

Another take on WC14 from Forbes

The Fall of Brazil's Corrupt Soccer King And The Rise of The Green Cup

The most powerful man in Brazilian soccer fell today after skirting decades of corruption charges. In the federal capital, two young men are chasing down a different kind of green.

Construction delays and corruption charges be damned – if Ian McKee and Vicente Mello have their way, World Cup 2014 will go down as the first Green Cup in history. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of Forbes.

Kicking Back Comments: Brilliant or foolish? This one may go either way in the face of the nightmare that is the infrastructure of Brazil. I am certainly interested either way.

Really sick ... or something else?

Ricardo Teixeira out as head of Brazilian soccer

SAO PAULO – Ricardo Teixeira resigned as head of the Brazilian soccer federation and the 2014 World Cup organizing committee on Monday after a contentious 23-year stint in charge of the sport in the country.

The announcement ends an era that mixed success on and off the field for Brazil, with allegations that Teixeira took kickbacks from former FIFA marketing partner ISL in the 1990s.

The 64-year-old Teixeira, one of the most powerful men in Brazil, went on medical leave last week. Now, the Brazilian federation said he was leaving for good to look after his health and be with his family. Last year, he was hospitalized because of an intestinal inflammation. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of Fox News.

Kicking Back Comments: I feel for Teixeira as diverticulitis is no joke and from what I know, can be excruciatingly painful. That said, it may be a convenient excuse to exit stage left before FIFA opens a(nother) investigation into his activities as president of Brazilian soccer.

I will say this, FIFA is being more active in following through on corruption as again evidenced by the lost appeals of Amadou Diakite and Ahongalu Fusimalohi. While this came from CAS it would seem clear that FIFA is looking more actively at the scene.

Now, it has a long way to go, and while it has flicked a few boogers with some obviously corrupt members, it still needs an external board to look at Sepp and pals to get to the heart of the matter. I maintain that until that happens, FIFA is hopelessly tainted.

Don't Get Sucked In

At times referees are witness to very personal things within proximity of the soccer field. This is particularly true in youth soccer where parent/child and coach/child interactions are on full display.

Paul Levy in his blog post "How not to inspire" describes one such interaction between a parent and his daughter after a futsal match. It is a short read with a powerful lesson.

There is a lesson within the lesson however, and that is for a referee to not get involved in such situations. This may be hard, and frankly may not feel right to do, but it is necessary most of the time. There are of course exceptions when a player is in physical harm, or when the LOTG require intervention from the referee.

While some of us are trained professionals who are equipped to handle such situations as necessary, we can not reasonably discharge both duties at once and expect a good result. We get lambasted for dispensing refereeing decisions, imagine what would happen with these types of scenarios.

Let me be clear, I am not advocating leaving a child in peril, or anyone else for that matter, but leave parenting to the parents, coaching to the coaching, and medical care to the doctors. To do otherwise invites trouble that as referees we don't need.

Let me equally clear that I have not always taken my own advice, with mixed results. There are times that I have stuck my nose in and made things much better for all. I have inserted myself and made things much, much worse as well. So while my general rule is "don't get sucked in," like anything else in life, your mileage may vary if you just can't help yourself.

A "Cooling Off" Period?

FIFA delays 2014 inspection trip to Brazil

ZURICH — FIFA has postponed a 2014 World Cup inspection trip to Brazil next week by its top administrator, who sparked anger there by criticizing delays in preparations.

The governing body says FIFA President Sepp Blatter will first visit Brazil and meet with President Dilma Rousseff. Blatter wrote to Rousseff on Friday, and has requested a meeting in Brazil next week.

FIFA says secretary general Jerome Valcke will resume his scheduled tour of 2014 host cities after the presidents meet. Valcke planned to join former Brazil playing greats Ronaldo and Bebeto in Recife, Brasilia and Cuiaba on the second of six tours this year. ...

See the whole article here, from CBS News.

Kicking Back Comments: I wonder if Sepp put Mr. Valcke in a "time out?"

That's an "A" in my book!

Referees winning the percentage game whatever managers and media say

A few years ago Jeff Winter, a familiar name for any students of refereeing demonology, released an autobiography, Who's the B*****d in the Black?, which contains a particularly enlightening passage about his last match at Anfield before retiring.

Winter reveals he deliberately played a bit of extra time, waiting until the ball was at the Kop end. Then, with everything in position, he blew his whistle. "The fans behind the goal burst into spontaneous applause. It was longer and louder than normal, even for a home win. Did they know it was my final visit? Was it applause for me? They are such knowledgeable football people it would not surprise me."

At the risk of bursting a few dreams, it is a fairly exceptional level of delusion judging by what we know of football's relationship with the referee and, specifically, the way fans tend to distrust them as their default setting. Managers are not much better and we journalists can be culpable, too, given the frequency we bring them up in press conferences, looking for a bite. Very little reasoning is applied sometimes when the blame can be redirected and the buck passed. ...

See the whole article here, courtesy of Guardian.

Kicking Back Comments: Brilliant!! Absolutely brilliant!!

Knock knock. Whose there? FIFA ....

FIFA team inspects World Cup stadiums in Brazil

PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil — Amid concerns at delays in the preparation of stadiums in Brazil that will stage the 2014 World Cup, a FIFA team touring the Porto Alegre arena has been assured that renovation work will resume next week after an eight-month break.

"We are presenting all our infrastructure projects and we guarantee that work in the (Beira-Rio) arena will restart next week," Kalil Sehbe, the sports secretary in Rio Grande do Sul state, told local media.

Officials of Internacional, the football club that owns the stadium, said they were committed to signing a contract before next Tuesday with the Andrade Gutierrez conglomerate to resume the work. ...

See the complete story here, courtesy of AFP.

Kicking Back Comments: Coincidence? I think not based on the recent media kerfuffle.

Head scarfs and goal line technology look to be in

IFAB approve goal-line technology and hijab

By Mike Collett

BAGSHOT, England (Reuters) – Goal-line technology was approved in principle by the soccer’s lawmakers on Saturday and could be used for the first time at FIFA’s Club World Cup finals in Japan at the end of the year.

The eight-man International Football Association Board said that the technologies of two companies, Hawk-Eye from Britain and GoalRef, a German-Danish company, would be subject to further tests until a final decision was taken at a special IFAB meeting in Kiev on July 2. ...

See the whole story here, from euronews.com.

Kicking Back Comments: I admit to being mixed. I believe the hijab is a "no brainer" and one that should have been done long ago. Goal line technology, not so much.

Assuming these systems work ... and that is a big IF. Hawk-Eye will need another referee probably in a booth somewhere to determine goal/no goal, and Goalref that uses a special ball and magnetism to determine if a ball has crossed the line - shades of the Fox glow puck. How oh how are the LOTG going to be adapted with a "time out" to check if that is the case or not? That part will be interesting.

My last remaining question, if we adopt the technology route is, Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? For the first time "the machine" makes a mistake ... and it will eventually ... where does that leave us?

Brazil 2014? Are we sure?

Brazil And FIFA

By Justin Shaffer - SEATTLE, WA (Mar 5, 2012) US Soccer Players -- Over the weekend, FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke triggered a very public back and forth with Brazil over the current state of readiness for the 2014 World Cup, going so far as to say that Brazil needed a “kick up the backside”. Valcke's statements touched on the slow pace of Brazil’s infrastructure improvements, stadium construction delays, and FIFA’s demands for changes in Brazilian laws.

“I don’t understand why things are not moving,” Valcke told reporters. “The stadiums are not on schedule any longer... and why are a lot of things late? The concern is nothing is made or prepared to receive so many people. I am sorry to say but things are not working in Brazil.”

Brazil’s sports minister, Aldo Rabelo, called Valcke’s comments “inappropriate, offensive, and unacceptable.” The ministry went on to say that a letter will be delivered on Monday to FIFA president Sepp Blatter informing him they will no longer deal with Valcke and asking that FIFA appoint a new representative.

Valcke hit back, calling Rabelo’s comments “juvenile” and accusing Rebelo of ignoring the issues at hand. Needless to say, this is not where FIFA expected to find itself in March of 2012. ...

See the whole story here, from ussoccerplayers.com.

Kicking Back Comments: I question Mr. Valcke's credentials to be overseeing a project of this magnitude. You would think that someone who is responsible for organizing the WORLD CUP in a country would have some operational experience doing such, yes? Nope. Mr. Valcke is a sports journalist, then eventually became a CEO of a sports channel (source).

Apparently Brazil it thinking in a similar fashion based on the Goal.com article "Jerome Valcke is a bum." That article is a bit more expressive in how some in the Brazilian government feel about Mr. Valcke and how they are insulted with his comments regarding the Brazilian people.

Hmmmm ... this one will be an interesting finish. I am curious to see if ego will rule and FIFA will force Mr. Valcke down the throat of the Brazilian government.

Is there a plan B? I ask that somewhat seriously as with natural disasters (like a year ago in Japan), what is the backup plan?

I say, bring it here =)

Referee for life?

I received this (really good) question a while back, and neglected to answer it at the time. Fortunately the author gave me another shot and asked again the other day. Special thanks to Steve from bringing this one forward. 

Here is the question:

I was wondering if at the international level ( and others too if different ) if referees are designated as either center or assistant ( or 4th )? Really trying to ask if the same referee will always be in the center or as an assistant or if individuals will take assignments at both position. For example I have seen countless matches with Howard Webb in the middle, but does he ever work the lines?

My answer ranges from "yes" as a matter of procedure at one end of the spectrum to "not always" in the middle to "yes" as a matter of practically at the other end of the spectrum. Let me explain.

US Soccer currently has (12) active grades in the US and several emeritus grades for referees who retire and keep their grade as an honorary title. A copy of the list can be found here, but the most current and complete list can be found in the Administrative Guide for referees at US Soccer.

If you look at that list there is no place where a position is noted except in Grades 2 and 1, International Assistant Referee, and International Referee respectively.

So plainly speaking, if you are wearing a FIFA badge, you must be performing that function commensurate to the badge you are wearing at the international level. If you are wearing a FIFA referee badge, you must be refereeing, or acting as alternate (4th) official. If you are wearing a FIFA AR badge, you must be running a line.

This does NOT mean that all a FIFA referee or AR will do forever is act as a referee or AR. Take a look at the last line on page (2) of the guide. It states:

*International Assistant Referees must wear the USSF National Referee badge when assigned as
referee in all matches.

FIFA AR's when they serve as referee at levels other than International, need to wear their National badge. Take note that FIFA referees need not do so when serving as an AR in other than International matches. It is my experience that these folks do "other" matches and in different positions from time to time.

So at one end of the spectrum, the international level, Referees and 4th are always that, and AR's are always that as well. At this point, at the MLS level each referee is on a path of either serving as a referee, or as AR in nearly all cases and at that point, it will rarely change.

Take great note that sometimes this path is not always the choice the individual would make, and at times bases itself in other more unconventional reasons beyond raw talent, ability and performance. These reasons could include age, space on a particular international list, geography, and yes, political savvy of a candidate, or their state association.

This was not always the case. It was only until the mid-90's that FIFA made this delineation between referee and AR, and one quite frankly I agree whole heatedly with. Being an AR is a specialty, and a really tough one. I personally was very lucky as when I was coming up the ranks and got to serve as 4th, AR, and referee in the MLS, eventually being asked to specialize as referee.

When you are asked to specialize that is all that you wind up doing generally. For example in my post Role Reversal, I opine about just how terrifying it was to pick up a flag of nearly a decade not doing so previously. Keep in mind though in the middle of the spectrum are amateur matches, and all referees will be asked to perform all duties at any time, so one will have solid experience to be able to perform in these other roles.

At the youth level, it is generally a mixed bag also, with an exception of just starting out. At that time I find that you will generally run lines to "get your feet wet" at local youth matches. This isn't a horrible thing as is gives a referee an opportunity to be a part of the game, without having the responsibility of match management yet.

There are several nuances to this, and a few funny stories too as this system was getting off the ground in the US, but hopefully this paints the general picture that one has to be competent in both disciplines through their career, but at the highest levels domestically and internationally, there is specialization.

You make the call ... tsunami version

So you think you know the LOTG? Check out below and test your skills.
Assume that the keeper is taking a goal kick and did not touch the ball as it enters the net.

Comment below with your opinion and reasoning.
I will follow up in a week or so with an explanation.

TMT Episode 5: Fitness Part 3 of 5

Download it below, or at right from the iTunes Store.

Billions in transfers for FIFA in 2011

FIFA processes $3B in player transfers in 2011

GENEVA (AP) -- FIFA processed international transfer deals worth $3 billion (?2.25 billion) in 2011, and said Thursday it will share payment details with UEFA to help monitor European financial fair play rules.

FIFA allowed 11,500 players to make cross-border moves in the first calendar year operating its Transfer Matching System, which aims to curb money laundering and corrupt deals.

The mandatory online project requires buying and selling clubs to input matching information, including payment schedules, before a transfer is approved. ...

See the whole article here, courtesy of SI.com.

Kicking Back Comments: There was one part of the article that was funny to me. It had to deal with FIFA saying they wanted to cut an agents fee from an average of 16% to 3%.

Why would they want to do that? An agent actually provides some value to the transaction, and the individual player can no doubt negotiate this fee themselves. Could it be FIFA wants more of the pie?

Again, with such a trust deficit that FIFA is running, it is hard to believe that it would be for anything except their own benefit.

Another case for technology

I don't know folks ... take a peek before reading on.

The ball defiantly crossed the line, and should have been a goal. My issue comes with the JAR in this case. He is in pretty good position. Optimally he should be on the goal line as the 2nd to last defender (the GK in this case) is there. Last defender in this case is standing off the field, but as well all (should) know, a defender can not step off the end line to create an offside situation.

In this case folks ... I think it was just a blown call and completely distinct from the goal from 2010 between GER v. ENG that I described in Bye - Bye Uruguay where the AR had no chance to make the call when the ball crossed the goal line.

Here, the JAR did very clearly have that chance to make the right call, and I am sure without it, continued to stoke the fires of the need for goal line technology.

Imagine refereeing there ...

Guantanamo detainees get new $750G soccer field

At a time of record deficits, a new soccer field for detainees at Camp 6 in Guantanamo Bay is just getting the finishing touches -- at a cost of $750,000 to taxpayers.

The project was the highlight of a tour Tuesday of the detention camp for reporters at the facility covering the arraignment in a military court of Majid Khan, a former Baltimore resident and the the only legal U.S. resident on trial at Guantanamo. ...

See the whole story from Fox here.

Kicking Back Comments: Political commentary (genuinely) aside for a moment ... This may one of the purest forms of soccer to be played ... for fun, for sport, for hope. Prison soccer is not to be trifled with, not because of the players, but because, I believe it means, and can provide, much more to inmates than to many who show up on a given Sunday because they feel they have to.

Another good story is Soccer Behind Bars from ABC describing a prison soccer league in South Africa and the very complex relationships the players and league have behind prison walls. The article also references some guy from Africa named Mandela (Nelson Mandela anyone?), and how a prison soccer league transformed the anti-apartheid movement.

One thing that has always struck me when I think about this is it is funny to be that these folks don't need referees at all. They figure it out all on their own. Why can't others that are far more "privileged" in what they have, figure that one out?

I think there is a lesson or two in there somewhere for some of us on the "outside."

These fan(atics) have a special place in his ... heart

Moms who saved soccer referee's life to get awards

The mothers of two Vandebilt Catholic soccer players will receive an award for saving the life of a referee who collapsed in the midst of a January game.

Tommy Manor, a longtime Houma referee and coach, collapsed during the Vandebilt girls Jan. 3 game against Lutcher. He survived, but officials said that was because of the diligent efforts by four moms who had been watching the game from the stands.

Manor spent several days at Terrebonne General Medical Center, and he said he has since made a full recovery. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of houmatoday.com.

Kicking Back Comments: A truly great story and one that continues to show there is still good in the world.

I have to say though, 5 weeks and he is back! Holy smokes! I'm not so sure I would be so brave, after so short a time. Good for him though ... no doubt doing what he loves.

Casper the friendly goal scorer

Ghost Goals That Haunt Soccer
When Is a Goal Actually a Goal?; The Six Arguments Against Technological Progress

It's one of the great mysteries of soccer: In a sport where the objective is to score goals, why do we put up with needless uncertainty about whether the ball has actually crossed the line? Why doesn't soccer use the technological tools at its disposal to objectively determine whether the very raison d'être of the game has actually taken place?

Soccer has a long history of so-called ghost goals. These are situations in which the ball crosses the line and comes back out, but the officials fail to award the score. Usually this happens when it's cleared by the goalkeeper or a defender on or behind the line. Sometimes, a long-range shot will hit the underside of the bar, bounce straight down behind the line and then, heavy with backspin, carom out like a billiard shot. Occasionally the ball does not cross the line but the officials fail to notice and give the goal. ...

See the whole article here, courtesy of the WSJ.

Kicking Back Comments: An interesting opinion piece that in spots I share the opinion, spots is thoughtful, and spots is just technically incorrect. It is worth a read none the less. At the end of the day though, while I am a technologist, I am not an advocate for technology in this case. One point that I strongly agree with is that such incidents create drama (the author call it debate ... but that is too narrow for me). Drama is why many tolerate a 1 - 0 match, or a 0 - 0 draw. It is in the knowledge that something unexpected can occur, without the intervention of someone sitting in a glass booth somewhere. Let it be determined by those who "feel" the match, referee inclusive.

Let The Game be. Don't try and fix something that is just fine all by itself.

Would the real FIFA please stand up?

So I was cruising the information superhighway the other day and ran across this ... and the irony was just too rich not to share.

FIFA (the acronym) as we know stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association, and I do have some fun at their expense expressing personal opinions, mostly out of the rampant corruption that would seem to be, and in some cases proven to be, taking place. There is no place in The Game, nor its governors for such behavior.

I think I may have the answer as the FIFA we know and love may just be a shell company for the REAL FIFA, the Fertilizer Industry Federation of Australia. I looked at their mission statement and it would seem to be staggeringly similar ... to sell bull $*^t to the world.

I am obviously joking, but with the recent CAS rulings, and Jack Warner threatening to sue a Trinidad newspaper (in part) for behavior he resigned from FIFA over,  I continue to shake my head every time someone from FIFA speaks as I just can't believe a word out of their mouth.

That part is sad as FIFA has hopelessly tainted itself for some time. The dark humor is the other FIFA who sells manure for a living and the irony that both FIFA's share that vision currently it would seem.

What's that about art imitating life?

Another one bites the dust ...

Adamu loses appeal in FIFA World Cup bribery case

Disgraced former FIFA official Amos Adamu lost his appeal against a three-year ban from football for seeking bribes during bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld a judgment by FIFA's ethics committee to expel Adamu from football until October 2013.

A panel of three arbitrators said the ban "was even relatively mild given the seriousness of the offense.'' ...

See the whole story here, from SI.com.

Kicking Back Comments: I agree with the panel ... three years? That's it? Well, he'll be back in time for Brasil in 2014. Take a look at the line of FIFA executives going to trial or coming to decision soon at the bottom of the article. Who knew CAS did more than ban professional cyclists found guilty of doping?

Is there a Contador fan in the house? Anyone?

{crickets}

Yeah, didn't think so.

A look behind the curtain

My nine to five: Peter Walton

The football referee on a restless night's sleep in a hotel, breaking the ice with managers and pre-match butterflies

I only find out what games I'll be refereeing a few days in advance. If it's a Saturday match, I'll travel from Northamptonshire, where I live, on Friday afternoon, then book into a hotel. I'll be in bed by 10pm. I don't sleep well in hotels, so I'll just try to relax and fluff up another hard pillow.

On match day I'll try to lie in and not be up till 9am. I'll flick through the papers to see if there's any news about the game then have a very light breakfast, things you can easily digest like baked beans, tomatoes or boiled egg. ...

See the whole story here, from the Guardian.

Kicking Back Comments: Everyone is different here. For me, check out the pilot episode of TMT located here, discussing my match preparation. A tea before a match though ... very civilized ... I like that.

This is a joke ... right?

FIFA panel calls for handshakes

A FIFA expert panel chaired by German legend Franz Beckenbauer has recommended that players should shake hands on the field more in order to improve the game's image.

The issue of the pre-match handshakes has come under the spotlight in recent months with Liverpool's Luis Suarez refusing to shake Manchester United defender Patrice Evra's hand after having being found guilty of racially abusing him. ...

See the whole story here, from ESPN.

Kicking Back Comments: Solution to a racism issue, or marketing strategy? Beckenbauer himself answers in the article stating "... it would be a better image ... ."

So again my question ... Why is FIFA proposing this?

Epic fail, or absolute genius?

Take a look at the following clip from YouTube of referee Peter Walton:



A couple of questions.

First, did Mr. Walton get what he wanted out of the exchange?
My answer is YES! Take a look at the demeanor of the player, and their responsiveness to what the referee was saying. It did not matter if there was a yellow, red, green, purple, or no card over the players head. THE MESSAGE GOT ACROSS.

Second, Did Mr. Mutch receive a yellow card?
My answer is NO! Ask me 40 or so years ago and my answer is yes, but in today's game, the answer is no.

Why?
Take a look at Law 12 under "Cautionable Offenses", it states in part "A player is cautioned and shown the yellow card if ..." (emphasis is mine). See also p.54 etc in the Advice to Referees. Please note this is true "DURING A MATCH." This changes a bit before and after the match. A good delineation of what a card means and when can be read from the LOTG, Advice, and here (memo on misconduct and display of cards that is on point).

Some time ago a player would know by getting written up in the referees "book." This gave way to the term "booked" that is still used today regarding misconduct. This was the general practice until around 1968 when Sir Ken Aston created them (as the story goes) slowing at a stop light that turned yellow, then red. From there the funny colored cards were used for the first time in the 1970 World Cup. Before that time, no such device was used, only "the book."

In today's game a more obvious display to put a player on notice is needed. I would opine this is true, not for the player themselves, but rather for those watching as if the referee is doing their job right, the player should know from the referee where they stand without the display of a colored piece of plastic.

Goal Play!

Life has many lessons for those who look for them and are willing to accept what it has to offer. Soccer, being a subset of life also has many, many unique lessons to teach.

In his new book, Goal Play!, Paul Levy combines these two to, as he describes it on his blog Not Running A Hospital:

"This book draws on a series of anecdotes from "the pitch" and ties them into my theories of effective leadership. As in all such matters, I have benefited from the advice and experience of many others, and I am hoping that people who are in leadership positions -- or want to be -- can likewise benefit from my perspectives."

You can see the full introduction on his website here, and a complete description with online purchasing can be found here from CreateSpace, or here from Amazon, where I got mine.

Based on the reviews to date (every single one is a 5 star rating), it looks like an amazing book, and one that I will share a review with all here after I tear through it.

Programming Note - "Winter" Break

Readers of Kicking Back:

Over the next week or so I am going to be "unplugged" and unable to write regularly. However, I will be likely tweeting my fingers off at @Kicking_Back so please check there regularly.

I expect to be back at it in full just in time for the school vacation week of 20-FEB. Until then, please enjoy the archives.

Thanks for reading!
PK

This is cool ...

Life As a Referee: Part 2

For any who have not seen these videos, it is a revealing look into the life of one of US Soccer's "up and comers" Mark Geiger.

Life As a Referee: Part 1

For any who have not seen these videos, it is a revealing look into the life of one of US Soccer's "up and comers" Mark Geiger.

What is the referee looking at?

What is the referee looking at?
Robert Evans

How many times out on the park have you heard that cry: "What is he looking at?" That and all its variants: "You're missing a great game!" or "How could she miss that?" and "It was right in front of him, and he did nothing!" As an instructor I have dealt with this problem many, many times, and tried various themes as a way of impressing referees that knowing where and when to look is as important as knowing the laws. And after watching the Premiership these last few months, I have to say that the problem doesn't exist only in the amateur game.

So before I go on to the subject, let me ask a few questions of you . . . and then we'll have a practical demonstration from the eight-year-old daughter of two skillful soccer-playing parents, with whom I have had the great pleasure of playing. ...

See the complete (and phenomenal) article here, at For the Integrity of Soccer.

Kicking Back Comments: It rarely gets better than this. A must read!

Super Bowl!!

So last year I compared World Cup to the Super Bowl, and got into some general Super Bowl lore in "It's Superbowl Day."

This year I am a bit more vested as the New England Patriots are in playing the New York Giants in a Super Bowl rematch that I am looking forward to.

Football aside however, I enjoy the TV commercials the most and am hoping the 2012 versions are better than the 2011 ones ... save one exception noted below which was by far my favorite.



It makes me wonder though ... this young man seems to have all the makings of a future referee. After all, who parades around in a Darth Vader costume?

My least favorite leading up to the Big Game is here:



As these guys tried, and failed, to be funny (save Manning's line of 'a guy has to work') by again poking fun at referee Phil Luckett from the November 26, 1998 coin tossing incident. Too bad as detailed in this analysis by Referee Magazine that Bettis lied about the incident and threw Luckett under the ... errr ... Bus.

For the record as detailed in the story, Luckett got it right, and Bus was just plain wrong.

Yes Stanley, we are ...

Are We All Nuts?
A Personal Story by Stanley Lover

Look at the facts. We are an endangered species. More than a million of us worldwide, dying out like dinosaurs of a bygone age. Our demise is largely due to our own folly for we suffer the cruelty of human nature from the very people we help add sunshine into workaday lives. We put up with insults, abuse, threats and assaults.

Trained experts in our field, we are the targets for the masses who protest, contest, accuse us of corruption and worse.

No, we are not politicians. We are sports officials.

According to verbal taunts from the sidelines we are the lowest form of human existence, illegitimate offspring of unmarried parents, fair game for insults and humiliation. So, why do we do it? Are we all nuts? ...

See the whole story here, from referee magazine.

Kicking Back Comments: A fun read. This was especially true in light of the article Kicking Back ran the other day in "How to get into college 101", where we had a view from a young referee in their college essay.

Very interesting to juxtapose the two essays. There were more than a few common threads, and a few things that did not align at all. If I had to pick a "side" though, it would be Stanley's.

Then again, I'm an old guy now and 20 years ago, I no doubt would have had a different view. Funny how my perspective of The Game has changed with me as I have gotten older. Sure a shame FIFA has cut, and likely will continue to cut, the age limit on the highest level referees. There is something to be said for life experience.

Word on the street ...

... is FIFA Street 2012 (FIFA Street 4) will be available March 13th, 2012. Check out the trailer below. Looks pretty cool.

Death toll rises to 79 from soccer riots in Egypt

Cairo (CNN) -- The death toll from a riot at a soccer game in Egypt rose to 79, officials said Thursday, as many continued to mourn and look for the reasons behind the deadly melee.

A somber crowd of hundreds were in Cairo's Tahrir Square Thursday, some saying chants decrying Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. Many were wearing the popular apparel of the Al-Ahly club. ...

See the whole story and video below here, from CNN.


Kicking Back Comments: At 1:55 of this video the reporter is describing the scene of fan(atics) entering the field and celebrating with the team after a goal. This reporter continues by saying regarding this, "... the referee didn't do anything ... ."


What exactly is a referee to do?


For me, find your team, find security, get safe, abandon, and write a match report. For the matches I have abandoned this is what I generally have done. What we see on the video is nothing like I have ever experienced before personally however. Primary concern I think in a case like this is get you and your team safely away however you can. Remove your jersey and get out of there to a safe location. I take pride in my uniform, but not more than my life. A referee can write a report that details a situation like this without staying to watch "who wins" at the end. Report what you see on the way to the door, don't feel compelled to stay to observe as referees are a natural target when chaos erupts. Even if you think the violence will not come to you (as with here it would seem political unrest played a part, not a match decision), get out.


Take a look here, 79 people were sadly killed, and scores of others no doubt hurt. Don't be a statistic.


Get your team, get safe, and get out. 

Do I Have To Go Mom?

Photo Credit: USA Today

So unless you have been living under a rock for the last week or so, the controversy about Tim Thomas, Net minder for the NHL Boston Bruins, and his decision  and statements to not accept an invitation from POTUS has just not gone away.

If anyone is interested in other notable athletes that have not accepted a POTUS invitation to the WHite House, just take a look here. Also, former Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstien refused an invitation from POTUS as well, back in 2008.

To stay politically neutral, lets look at Alex Ovechkin, from the NHL Washington Capitals who refused to participate in the NHL All Star Game this year.

Without regard to politics, if put in a similar situation should a referee refuse such an invitation for an "official function?"

My answer is no, if representing yourself as a referee.

Now there is a thin line here as I am also a strong believer of the 1st Amendment to the COTUS, and the acts described above plainly fit into that category. However, if as a referee you are asked to an official function, such as an awards ceremony, you should go if at all possible.

This has nothing to do with the individual in their individual capacity, it has everything to do with you representing yourself as part of a larger team, that of US Soccer referees.

There is always time later to express your individual views, (look at Kicking Back as an example of this as I would have NEVER said most of the things when I was an active referee) but there is also a time to act as a professional and do what is best for the team, not just the individual.

I will say finally that, even if an individual chooses not to accept an invitation to an event, it should not be held against them as to refute ones deeply held personal beliefs, is not conducive to team coherence, which is critically important, especially when you are looking for that offside flag.