Upgrade Kudos

As we have done here in the past, I would like to congratulate Amanda Diver, who has recently been upgraded to Grade 7 (Referee 1st Class).

Well done!

A Hopeless American View

Well I am back and mostly recovered from my experiences at the Region I tournament in Lancaster Pennsylvania over the last week or so. There are several stories to share, some funny, some very serious. The first one however was an indication of just how myopic the American view of the sport is.

Here is the scenario:
I was asked to assess a variety of matches over the week. This particular one was a "boys" U-19 match between Eastern PA and Virginia. As some may know these teams are tremendously skilled, and I took note of at least one US National pool player. Also noteworthy was the fact that the referee was a National candidate.

After about 19', play was excellent and moving at a breakneck pace with the referee doing a tremendous job in understanding that the players were there to play, and managed them to perfection in my estimation. In that time the referee had (2) match critical decisions, managed through what could have been a caution, and each team had no fewer than (3) goal scoring opportunities each.

As I was standing there enjoying the match, a parent of one of the teams came by and asked me, "Is there any score?" I replied "Yes, it is currently nil, nil."

He stopped and look perplexed for a second and reflected by stating, "Good, I haven't missed anything" as he strode away.

Wow, I thought to myself. With all that had happened in the match so far, to say they haven't missed anything was stunning. It demonstrated how so many see the game today, any game today, as the only excitement is scoring.

I firmly believe that is why ice hockey has poor acceptance as well, and frankly if it was not for the fights, would be on par with soccer in the US.

Imagine if we counted a goal for 7 points, instead of 1? Can you see the headline? New England Revolution 14, Chicago Fire 7. On some level that does seem more appealing I guess. Maybe not.

I suppose that's why no one likes chess either, or an even better sports analogy is bicycle racing. I mean, most of the world this month is watching the Tour de France (go Team Radio Shack!), and when I bring it up to most, I get a blank look expressing, "What are you talking about?"

Maybe it's me ... I guess I have patience for matches that have no scoring or immediate results. Maybe I just really enjoy the tactics and strategy that go into a match, or something like the TDF. It is truly amazing what goes into such a competition (just look below or here at a Team Radio Shack meeting), and to dismiss it without appreciation is incredibly short sighted, and I hate to say, when it comes to sports, incredibly American.

What now?

Picture courtesy of Townhall.com

Special thanks to C.W. Rice for bringing this one forward!

It could never happen to me

Well here at the Region I tourney we have a saying ... "Be prepared for everything."

Check out the clip below (and here) from the  AUS v. EQG match (report [.pdf]):



The referee for this match was Referee: Gyoengyi Gaal of Hungary. There was no penalty given for the incident (source ... and a really funny article).

Be ready for anything folks, the weirdest things can happen at the worst times.

LIVE from Lancaster PA, it's Kicking Back!

Friends ... I am beat.

It is early morning day 4 of the tournament and it has been a whirlwind.

Days 1 thru 3 are generally the same where referees and assessors will work 3 matches in a day, sometimes 4 in the case of assessors. You are up early (5 or 6 AM) to get ready for the day, and usually down late (midnight) after the meetings, post meetings, post meeting debrief with your delegation, and late night meetings over specific incidents.

Last night a few of us were up to 2 AM discussing the finer points of laws 3, 4, and 5 and how you must restart for equipment changes versus injuries versus bleeding. It was a surprisingly riveting conversation that demonstrated just how convoluted interpretations of the laws can get.

BTW to save everyone from getting a flat spot on their head in finding the CURRENT interpretation of the LOTG (i.e. Advice to referees), a link can be found here at the AYSO site ... not ANYWHERE on the US Soccer site. Check out section 5.8 and 5.9 specifically to get a flavor of the discussion (noting they had recently changed).

Today is semi-final day here, and as I write this at about 7 AM, I can see some unhappy campers. Today is the first day that selections are made and some players, referees, and assessors have not "made the cut."

JAFO puts it well in their post "Testing ones mettle", as these certainly are the times that try men's souls. Soccer is life, and right now THE game has dealt some a tough road to hoe for the foreseeable future to sort out what they believe may be a refereeing issue.

Dear hearts, let me opine that refereeing is an extension of ones self, and to really sort out why one may not have received assignments as a player, referee, or assessor today should invoke some deep introspection to think about what is going on.

As a referee and assessor in regionals past there have been times I have not received such assignments, and it was very refreshing to sit, reflect, and watch a match ... for a change. Going through a tournament like this is a pressure cooker that some distance, and perspective can aid greatly in helping ones understanding of the game, and themselves. Some of my greatest personal victories have come from my most epic failures. This tournament provides great opportunities for both.

When you get down to it though, they might be one and other in disguise.

Testing One's Mettle

The tournament atmosphere is one of the blacksmith's fire. Teams and referees are thrown into a crucible of activity over a very short span of time. Players endure as many as five or six games over a weekend, and referees may end up working twice that many.

Fatigue, injury, equipment failures, decision making under pressure, high stakes. Only the strong survive. It is a battle of attrition.

A Regional level tournament takes all of that to yet another level, as careers (both referees' and players') can be defined. Last week I saw a very solid promising referee get assigned a game just slightly over her head. It was a level of play she had officiated in her home state many times before, but today the skills were sharper, and the stakes were higher. Suddenly she felt stretched, and more than a little overwhelmed.

As I watched the game, I could tell she was out of her comfort zone. She was refereeing by rote - mechanically doing the things she had done many times before, but not really 'feeling' the game. Her good habits were carrying her through this game. She survived, but barely.

Observing her in the dressing room after the game, she was obviously stunned, her confidence shaken. This referee was at a crossroads. Suddenly her dreams of becoming a FIFA referee did not seem so attainable. But with a little support from her crew and quiet discussion with the match assessor, she has decided to keep going. She vows to complete this journey. I for one could not be happier for her.

Everyone gets knocked down from time to time. What matters is what you do next.

Soccer is Life

This time, Pennsylvania

As I write this, I am making my last preparations to depart for the Region I Championships in Lancaster PA.

While I certainly am not looking forward to getting up at 3:00AM (literally) and drive 7 hours to the final destination, I can say that I am looking forward to the camaraderie and experiences of the week.

Being away from my family for a week is no small thing, especially over the 4th of July. It is a great time for picnics and BBQ's and fireworks and stuff that makes lasting memories for years and years. When I was actively refereeing there was a span of half a decade that I did not see 4th of July fireworks because I was out refereeing at this tournament and I really missed those experiences with family and friends.

I write this not lamenting my decision to attend this tournament, but to convey its importance. For referees this is a critical tournament. For some it is the beginning of their "regional career", where they are exposed the very first time to teams outside of their state, or even an assessment for the very 1st time.

Others are at the end of their youth career. They have traversed the gauntlet of youth soccer and will got to Youth Nationals, essentially ending any significant involvement in youth soccer as a referee, until of course they come out the other end of the pipe and do what I am, and circling back around.

Most are in the middle, some know they want to progress and be that referee that goes to the Nationals soon, others might be saying, "Is it really worth it?"

In all cases, these are critical times for a youth referee.

Here is why my particular role, and those of the other assessors and instructors at this tournament are so critical, they have the ability to influence what happens next with these careers. Open and honest feedback is so critical in these cases. So too however is a positive disposition to assure the referee what they did is okay, and here's how you can change it for a different result.

It is pretty incredible to have the opportunity to be able to reach so many young, eager minds in one place, at one time. It's rather rare actually.

At this point, that's why I'm going, to reach those minds and hope to make a difference.

I will do my best to get a post in now and then when I am away, but no promises. In the mean time Nigel and JAFO may jump in and fill the void.

Keep and eye on @Kicking_Back on Twitter as well as I can assure you, that will be popping over the week.

USA 2 :: Korea 0

Well the US did well in their first match as far as a result goes taking it 2::0 after the halftime. More interesting to me however was the match through the referee, and some of the crazy comments after.

For anyone interested, the referees were:
Referee: Bibiana STEINHAUS (GER)

Assistant Referee 1: Marina WOZNIAK (GER)

Assistant Referee 2: Katrin RAFALSKI (GER)

Fourth official: Gyoengyi GAAL (HUN)

This referee is interesting. She is the ONLY woman referee in German professional football, and a police officer to boot (shades of Howard Webb).

Her FIFA profile can be found here, Facebook page here, and personal (authorized) website here. You just have to love the information age.

The match itself (again from a refereeing perspective) to me was boring. A full match summary is here, and the official report is here (.pdf). Just looking at the summary (below), you can get the sense there was really not a lot going on by the way for fouls and misconduct, and this referee did not have to get too involved.

USAPRK

19	Shots	13
8	Corner kicks	4
0	Yellow cards	0
0	Second yellow card and red card	0
0	Red Cards	0
53%	Possession (%)	47%

One of the more interesting parts came after the match, where the Korea coach Kim Kwang-Min when asked about his teams (lack of) performance, came up with a doosey. Quoting the coach (source):

"When we stayed in Pyongyang during training there was an unexpected accident so our team was not capable of playing. Our players were hit by lightning during a training match. More than five were hospitalised. The match was on 8 June."

Well, at least he did not blame the referee.

¿Hablas español?

Well Tim Howard is not a happy camper based on his rant the other day about the Gold Cup organizers. His tirade made international news, and "jumped the shark" to shows like "The O'Riley Factor", as he harpooned CONCACAF organizers for their lack of cultural sensitivity. In his own words:

“CONCACAF should be ashamed of themselves. I think it was a f&(%ing disgrace that the entire post-match ceremony was in Spanish. You can bet your ass if we were in Mexico City it wouldn’t be all in English.”

Reports on this point are varied as apparently there was some English spoken during the ceremony (source).

Coach Bradley took a decidedly diplomatic tone stating that:

"Obviously, the support that Mexico has on a night like tonight makes it a home game for them,” U.S. coach Bob Bradley said. “Certainly we have some fans, but the overwhelming amount of support (for Mexico) is something that we expected and as a team we understand it's part of what we've got to deal with tonight. It was still a great atmosphere.”

For my money while I was not thrilled with CONCACAFs lousy handling of the situation, and the lack of a spine to fail to give a statement after when asked repeatedly, to me this is not that big a deal. Yes, the ceremonies should have been conducted in both languages out of respect for where the match was being played, and the other team. Shading the way of the Mexican population at a high level seems disrespectful to those who are not able to understand the language.

That said I have the luxury of speaking Spanish and beyond a protocol gaffe, I don't see the issue. I have to believe that Howard was emoting more about the dismal loss the US Team just suffered, than how CONCACAF was conducting business.

... and for the record, the US Teams disrespect for not taking a photo after the match was rather pathetic. They came to the match and lost in a "fair fight." They have professional responsibilities outside of just playing the match. Instead of pouting and hiding in their locker room, act like pros and take the damn picture.

Use it as some motivation the next time the US plays Mexico.

THANK YOU!

As I completed this long weekend in the saddle for Ride the Rhode, I wanted to take a second to thank all of you for the well wishes and support of all kinds. Without you all, it just would not be the same.

Here are the gory details for all interested (click to enlarge):

Day 1:

Day 2:

Next ride is the 2011 Memory Ride for Alzheimer's research on July 23rd 2011.

Multiple guess ...

Okay guys and gals, while I am out on Ride the Rhode for MS over the weekend, what do we think from the video below, or here. Voting is on the right.



Here are the choices:

a. Do nothing
b. Caution Henry
c. Caution Moffat
d. Send off Henry
e. Send off Moffat
f. Caution both players
g. Caution Henry, Send off Moffat
h. Send off Henry, Caution Moffat (What the referee did)
i. Send off both players
j. Dismiss the AR

FIFA Refereeing core loses one of its own

As many no doubt have heard, a RusAir Tupolev 134 was trying to land at its destination of Petrozavodsk in heavy fog, and crashed short of the runway causing the death of (44) people, leaving only 8 survivors (source).

Among these 44 was a man named Vladimir Pettay (Владимир Леонидович Петтай) a FIFA referee who hailed from Pudozh, Russia. A former professional player, referee since 1996, and FIFA since 2010, he leaves a wife, son, and daughter.

Sepp Blatter sent his condolences to Pettay's family and federation stating:

“On behalf of FIFA and the worldwide family of football, I wish to extend our condolences to you, the Russian football community and, most importantly, to Vladimir Pettay’s family, friends and loved ones. Please let them know today the football community stands by their side.”

A sad day indeed, as by all accounts a good man was lost to a tragic event.

Bye Jack ...

Fifa's Jack Warner resigns and claims Chuck Blazer 'undermined' him

• Suspended Fifa vice-president quits all international positions
• Warner accuses Chuck Blazer of 'unimaginable' undermining

See the whole story here, courtesy of Guardian.

Kicking Back Comments:  Translation ==> I am about to get caught with my hand in the cookie jar, so instead of doing the right thing and apologizing for my appalling behavior, I am going to quit and not say anything, but blame it on the guy who had the evidence.

I can only hope that FIFA never allows him back within its ranks again. THAT is a good first step toward cleaning up its act.

GOAL!

Back from June 8th (Goal or no goal?), and June 9th (You would think), we asked the question if a ball struck from a Kick From The Penalty Mark (KFTPM) which after an initial save, stays in play, and crosses the goal line under the crossbar, and between the posts, is a goal.

The correct answer is a goal in all cases shown.

I can say that there was much debate over this from some very high level referees. Like calling a direct free kick for a handball violation of Law 12, decisions like this have to be known going in, and AUTOMATIC when they happen in the field. As was clear in a couple of these clips, at least the AR on the goal line was not.

The legal underpinnings for this decision come from (2) places in the LOTG (2010-2011), and the Advice to Referees (2009-2010).

First, as we are taking kicks from the mark to determine a winner, we begin on p. 36 of the LOTG, "Procedures To Determine The Winner Of A Match", and find the 3rd from last bullet being relevant stating that "... the relevant Laws of the Game ..." apply.

From here, we go to p. 30 of the LOTG, "Law 14 - The Penalty Kick" and find a couple of relevant notes. First the referee decides when a penalty kick has been completed. Second, if the ball is in play and bouncing around off the GK, or posts, and goes over the line ... its a goal.

Now, lets dig into the Advice to Referees. Take a look at paragraph 14.13 on p. 76, which states:

14.13 WHEN IS THE PENALTY KICK COMPLETED?
The penalty kick or kick from the penalty mark is completed only when the referee declares it so, and the referee should not declare the kick to be completed if there is any possibility that the ball is still in play. In other words: So long as the ball is in motion and contacting any combination of the ground, crossbar, goalposts, and goalkeeper, a goal can still be scored.

In other words ... it's a goal.

This is summed up nicely in, "Yes the goal is good!", from Ask A Soccer Referee.

A neat slide deck of many of these finer points of taking kicks from the mark can be found here (.pdf) from FIFA.

Tournament season is upon us right now. We need to be ready to make a decision on these, when they happen.

Passing of a friend to THE game, and a friend of mine

Photo: Joyce Furia

I was deeply saddened today to learn of the passing of Joyce Furia. She was a friend to THE game for as long as I knew her, and for about 25 years, a personal friend of mine. Details regarding her services can be found here at Massref.net.

In thinking back over her body of work, I ran across this interview (.mp3) with her from October of 2008 and remain to this day blow away about her love and knowledge of THE game. Truly amazing.

Joyce and I have had several interactions on the field and off as referee to referee, assessor to referee, journalist to referee, and most importantly friend to friend. One time she had come to me genuinely miffed at how she was being treated by a particular (and now defunct) professional soccer organization. She had asked me to write them a letter in the hopes of helping them understand just how passionate she was, and what a contribution she could make to their organization.

Below is the unedited text of that letter form April 28th, 1999, and as I read it again today, it is as true now, as it was then.

Today my words can only convey how I feel, which is truly sorrowful that a good person has left us before her time.

I'll miss you Joyce.

**********************************************************************************

April 28, 1999

To whom it may concern,

I am writing this letter to highlight the extensive professional knowledge and abilities of Joyce Furia relating to the game of soccer.

I have known Ms. Furia since approximately 1989. Over this time I have worked with her in various capacities surrounding the game of soccer. We have worked together as referees, volunteered at various soccer related functions, and most recently participate with and enjoy her extensive articles on the men and women playing and officiating the game of soccer.  She has always amazed me with her thorough and accurate description of the game.  Additionally, her passion for the sport is quite apparent not only through her words but also her pictures.

Her knowledge of the game and her rapport with the players and referees is simply expert. She regularly interacts with some of the highest level of player and referee not only in the United States, but also in the world. These qualities, combined with her many years of experience within the game, make her an integral part of the world of soccer in Massachusetts.  In addition to her writing skills, her photography has and continues to capture the hearts of her readers.  With her photographs and articles, Joyce is entwined in our lives.  She acknowledges our achievements, comforts our defeats, and encourages us every day.  She allows us to see how we are perceived as players, coaches, and referees.  She captures our excitement and propels us forward to the next achievement.

Discussions with Ms. Furia are insightful and stimulating.  She draws us out, and helps us replay the events of the game.  As we grow in maturity and experience, Ms. Furia is right there beside us.  For 10 years I have admired Ms. Furia for all of these things, her knowledge, experiences, dedication, passion, skill, compassion, and most of all her rapport and ability to capture us and the game of soccer so completely.  I look forward to our continued relationship, her photographs, and words of wisdom.             

With Respect,

Peter S. Kokolski

What FIFA won't do, Korea will.

Lifetime Bans for Korean Players

(WFI) South Korea’s top football league is slapping 10 players with lifetime bans for their roles in match-fixing schemes.

“We made the decision, determined that this would be the first and the last match-fixing scandal in the league," K-League disciplinary head Kwak Young-Cheol was quoted Friday by AFP. ...

See the whole article here, courtesy of World Football Insider.

Kicking Back Comments: Kudos to Korea, and shame on FIFA. While certainly not easy to ban players for life for such behavior, Korea did as FIFA stood by. If I am the FIFA representative running the investigation on the three Gold Cup matches that are now under investigation for match fixing, you would bet, even if there is no fixing there, I would have an incredibly comprehensive report as to why and what happened.

Lots of people are asking "why?" during these "investigations", yet there seems to be very little coming back. Go figure.

More than a badge

It can be hard to remember sometimes that the people behind those referee badges have friends, family, jobs, interests, and real life stuff outside of soccer. Believe it or not, there is a real person under these uniforms. JAFO put this quite elegantly in his post "Making Connections."

In my recent past as I try to find some form again after law school (other than spherical), I have had the opportunity to really reflect on what is important, and just how lucky I am for my family and I to have good health.

As part of my regime now I am cycling a bunch, getting ready to do some racing (gulp), but most importantly riding in a series of charity rides to help those who are inflicted by some really horrible diseases. Just as much as I am astounded by how many people are touched by THE game. I am even more astounded in how many are touched by such horrible ailments that cut life short or curtail it significantly.

All too often I cavalierly speak about this play, or that physical act, or fitness of a player or referee, many times forgetting about those who just never get the chance, or those who could at a point in their life, and now can't.

For my part in reflecting on those who may not have this chance, I am raising funds and riding in Ride the Rhode bike tour for MS in about a week. On this tour about 900 cyclists will ride 150 miles to raise funds for MS, a truly horrible and debilitating disease that makes life just that much more challenging.

If you have the time, please come on out and ride, or volunteer your time. It is an experience that you will never forget to help others, who may not be able to help themselves.

If you can't come out, please consider sponsoring me for this ride here. All donations regardless of amount are warmly accepted, are paid directly to the National MS Society, and are tax deductible as allowed by law as a recognized 501(c)(3) charity.

For a full BBB report on the National MS Society, please go here.

Yes, soccer is life, and sometimes life, like soccer, can bounce in a way you never expect. Please help me to make a difference for someone who may have caught and unlucky bounce.

FIFA gets it right this time

FIFA to donate $6 mil. in quake aid to Japanese soccer

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Soccer's world governing body FIFA has decided to donate about $6 million in aid to clubs and areas affected by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, Japan Football Association President Junji Ogura said Thursday.

Clubs including the three worst-hit teams -- Vegalta Sendai, seven-time J-League champions Kashima Antlers and second-division Mito Hollyhock -- will receive $4.5 million for repairs to their stadiums and training facilities damaged by the deadly quake and tsunami that also triggered a nuclear crisis in Fukushima Prefecture. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of the Mainichi Daily News.

Kicking Back Comments: As I have stated before here, FIFA has a tremendous capacity to do some real good in the world. This is an excellent example. They need to just get out of the shadow of speculation by placing a leader at the helm that stands beyond reproach and turn the body back into a true model for international football governance. Until then, FIFA as a whole is marred, and no amount of good in my opinion will make a difference.

Don't forget to have fun

2011 Massachusetts ODP Referees and Assessors
Photo courtesy of Elie

Sunil Gulati an Obama Bundler?

He is not, but I ran across an article form NPR titled,  Report: Obama's Big Money Raisers Get Key Posts, Access, Stimulus Dollars.

Clearly the article is referring in the picture to Donald Gips, the ambassador to South Africa, and Obama mega-bundler. I have to admit surprise though when I saw our president (Mr. Gulati) when I opened the article.

No conspiracy theories this time, just a chuckle.

Photo Courtesy of NPR