411?!?

I was cruising the net the other day and ran across Dutch Referee Blog. It's a good blog with some interesting content worth reading.

I found one article ... interesting. See 15 minute stop to check the Laws of the Game.

From the article there are a couple of things that caught my attention. First was the lede:

Referees, always make sure have the number of the FA office in your cellphone, just in case you forgot the latest changes in the football rules.

Okay, fair enough. Good to have the league office number in there so pre or post match if you need to report an incident or get a clarification about something (can that player play?) you can do so. Not a bad idea ... right?

Then this came:

The Dutch women’s match between Odysseus’91 and Wartburgia on second amateur level was stopped for at least fifteen minutes, because referee Nielen was not sure he made the right decision.

Oh no ... 

Nielen doubted and made a call to the KNVB, the Dutch FA, and after fifteen minutes he got his answer ...

WHAT!?!? Hang on coach, let me whip out my iPhone and call the league office, or better yet consult the LOTG I keep in electronic form on there.

Are you (bleeping) me?

Friends, know the LOTG and the respective rule of the competition BEFORE going into a match. While things like substitutions can generally be sorted out on the fly and corrected before an error occurs, goal - no goal decisions on penalties have to be automatic from a referee.

Yes, "getting it right" is critical by using non-traditional methods (jumbo-tron anyone?), but is not a substitute for proper preparation.

While the referee was happy about the decision, I would frankly be embarrassed that I did not go into the match knowing the black letter law about when a goal could be scored. I don't know what the league said on the topic, but I have to believe that are not completely happy either.

Speckin sie deutsch?

Every once in a while I get a mail from Proreferee.com. It's a fairly recent addition to cyberspace and one I enjoy.

They have launched a web store that carries not just US based equipment, but also equipment from other parts of the world.

I ran across the Referee Match Report Card, and thought it was pretty neat. It's only downside is that it is printed in German. Not  that I don't like German ... I just can't read it well.

I plan to order a bunch for my upcoming matches ... I just hope they come out with an English version for non-German readers like me.

Thick skin, and a sense of justice ...

Special thanks to Andy M. for bringing this one forward when I was away.

Women have made forays into men's soccer

Kari Seitz is one of just two female FIFA referees from the United States and has officiated the highest level of women's soccer, including last month's World Cup.

Seitz refereed the third-place game between France and Sweden, the top match a U.S. official could work in the tournament since the American team was in the final.

But Seitz, 40, said she would not be as good a referee if she hadn't worked both men's and women's soccer.

She has been a FIFA referee for 12 years and believes she is the only person -- male or female -- to officiate four World Cups. She also has worked two Olympic women's tournaments. ...

See the full story here, courtesy of ESPN.

Kicking Back Comments: An excellent read, with some excellent comments from Kari that puts part of the world of high level refereeing in perspective. It is clear the glass ceiling still exists for so many well qualified women referees. Kari, I believe is a trend setter, and an exception.

Ball First? So What!

How many times have we heard it? "... but they got the ball referee ...", which is generally uttered by a teammate of a player who, yes made contact with the ball, but crunched the opponent in the process.

For those who study the LOTG, the collective answer is "... who cares ..." if the player is significantly out of control, or the underlying tackle itself is not legal, even if they got the ball first.

Well US Soccer apparently feels that this message is not getting through clear enough. So in a memo dated August 5th, 2011 it makes this point to its refereeing corps. This memo is titled, "I Got the Ball."

While it cites a particular incident which is not particularly relevant beyond acting as a catalyst for the memo, it does enumerate several points to consider regarding tackles in proximity of the ball.

Directly from the memo:

Tackles occur regularly in soccer. Most of them are legal but some are not, and the difference between a legal and an illegal tackle has been discussed often in USSF publications.

The following points must be kept in mind by all referees and, where appropriate, assistant referees:

• Getting the ball first does not make a tackle legal.
• Not getting the ball first does make the tackle illegal.
• Getting the ball first but following through with the rest of the body in a careless or reckless manner or using excessive force does make the tackle illegal.
• “Getting the ball” cannot be used as an excuse for committing a tackle which is out of control.

Clear enough. Ball first? So What!

US Soccer Did it Right ... Willkommen Herr Klinsmann

From rigid to rambunctious: U.S. Soccer finally lands Jurgen Klinsmann

No longer will the success and failures of U.S. Soccer get pinned on the rigid American style of play. By announcing the hiring of Jürgen Klinsmann yesterday, U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati not only nabbed the team’s first foreign coach since 1995, he has given the keys to an offensive-minded showman unafraid to reinvent the system.

As coach of Germany for the 2006 World Cup, Klinsmann, who turns 47 on Saturday, bucked a longstanding trend by transforming the Germans from a mechanical defensive unit to smooth attackers.

He’s undertaking a similar task with the Americans, who have never produced a great striker and were outclassed by rival Mexico in the last three matchups. ...

See the whole article here, courtesy of NY Daily News.

Kicking Back Comments: Excellent hiring decision. It does give me a bit of pause however. Everyone is excited about this and is signaling it as a turning point for the US National team. OK, fair enough.

But, is there no domestic coach that can handle this? Or does just putting a "foreigner" at the helm (he lives in CA after all), our saving grace? Now that is not the whole picture to be certain, Klinsmann was an accomplished international soccer phenom as a player. Interesting however that our last two coaches really had no international playing experience. Bob Bradley had none. His playing career seemed to end at Princeton. Bruce Arena had very limited, making a single appearance for the US National Team in 1973, and player professionally for the Tacoma Tides in 1976 as a goalkeeper.

Please note, I'm not knocking here, just observing. I only played college ball too, so Arena's accomplishments are significant to me. But were they the crack in the US Soccer domestic armor ... we don't have anyone yet who can coach the US Team with significant international experience.

Prior to these guys was Bora Milutinović, who assembled and led an inspired US Team in 1994. Bora too has significant playing experience.

It makes me wonder. When will a domestic coach "be ready", to bring the US forward as a soccer power? Is it really when this generation of US MNT players gets older, and joins the coaching ranks?

That said about our coaches ... what about our referees?

USA Gets Gold in Women's World Cup

As most have seen at this point Japan bested the USA in the Women's World Cup Final, 3 kicks to 1 in kicks from the mark, to win the match 3::2.

One aspect that is not being widely reported is the success the USA referees had in the tournament. Based on the performance of Kari Seitz, Marlene Duffy, and Veronica Perez, it was clear they "ran the table" in Germany, and if it was not for the USA being in the final, may have indeed worked that match in lieu of the 3rd place match between Sweden and France (match report .pdf).

Photo courtesy usarefswwc2011

For an interesting and inside look at the tournament through their eyes, check out their blog here. It has some very interesting stuff, including the following video. Certainly worth a look to get a glimpse at the highest level in the world.

Still don't think there's a difference ...

So today, France fell to Sweden 2:1 in the 3rd place match (report .pdf). This was a fun match to watch and the US crew did a fine job. More on that aspect later.

There was a comment on the match that really struck me from Bruno Bini, the coach of France.

"At one point, the spectators starting behaving as if this were a men's match,'' Bini said through a translator. "We had boos and whistles for Sonia. It's unbelievable. She really didn't deserve that. The spectators behaved like this was a men's game, and I don't like this type of football. This destabilized the whole team."

I personally have been lambasted in the past for even suggesting there are differences between the men's and women's games. Well, Bruno did the talking and not me. Let me just say that I agree with the larger point that the fans are different, the athletes are different, the game is played differently, and yes, the refereeing is different. That one I have seen first hand from a few years of refereeing experience in WUSA while working in MLS.

What is fundamentally the same regardless of gender, is the love they all have for the game, and the respect they deserve for participating.

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.

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.

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.

Don't forget to have fun

2011 Massachusetts ODP Referees and Assessors
Photo courtesy of Elie

A Bad Hair Day Indeed

Special thanks to Dick W. for bringing this one forward.

Take a read, comedy aside, if the send off was justified, how could it have been handled better?

Footy player Nathan Van Someren sent off for 'dangerous' mohawk

A FOOTBALLER in Victoria has vowed to keep his mohawk despite being sent off on Saturday "for having a dangerous haircut".

In a regional first ruling, Simpson midfielder Nathan Van Someren was given his marching orders midway through the third quarter of his team's game against Otway Districts in the Colac and District Football League, the Geelong Advertiser said.

Van Someren, who has played with his outlandish hair with Simpson for three years, said he couldn't believe it when umpire Don Wheadon showed him a yellow card for his hairdo. ...

See the full story here, courtesy of The Daily Telegraph.

Not so illusive after all

So for anyone who has been following hockey recently, the other night we were treated to an event so rare, it defies reality ... a perfect game for the referees.

On Friday, May 27th 2011, Referees Dan O'Halloran, Stephen Walkom, Kelly Sutherland, and Linesmen: Steve Miller, Pierre Racicot, and Jean Morin officiated a pro hockey game with exactly zero penalty minutes. Outstanding.

See the full box score here, courtesy of USA Today.

How did they do it? Here is an opinion.

They didn't really do anything except recognize why the players were there.

To play.

Basically they got and kept the heck out of the way and quietly managed the game to allow the players to play.

That's all the players really wanted.

You see, here to me is the strongest case of all that the referees have very little to do with the outcome of a game, how many fouls occur, or if a players gets injured.

If the players want to play, the game takes care of itself.

Don't believe me? Take a look here for the following quotes from the NESN article.

"I don't think I've ever been in a game where there's been no penalties, but I think that was the best way to go. The refs did a great job of just letting us play and letting the best team win."

"I mean, they complained before Game 6 about the referees and we had some words about it before this game. I'm happy they let us play. I don't feel like it was a dirty game at all. Maybe there was one or two calls that they could have made, but it was great that they let us play and play to the finish. It's just fitting with how the series has gone that the game went the way that it did and it ended off the way that it did."

"I think the refs realized the situation and wanted the players to decide the game," Kelly said. "That's the way it should have been, especially a Game 7."

Here is one end of the spectrum of respect and understanding for referees. I will show you the other in a day or two, straight out of the MLS.

Easy as 1, 2, 3, 4 ...

There are times when the WWW is just silly. Here is an example.
I wish I had known this when I was working to become an MLS referee. =/

How to Become an MLS Official

Major League Soccer (MLS) is a soccer league for 13 top soccer teams in the United States and Canada. The group was founded in 1996 and has experienced major growth; by 2010, they hope to be made up of 16 teams. Follow these steps if you love soccer and would like to become an official in the MLS.

Difficulty:

 

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. • 1
     Become a referee in the MLS. To become an MLS referee, you must be a National Referee in the United States Soccer Federation. You can only hold that position if you have officiated in over 500 games in a period of not less than 7 years.

See the full 4 step plan here, courtesy of eHow.com.

Read and Reflect

U.S. Club Soccer has changed radically in 10 years

This year marks the 10th anniversary of U.S. Club Soccer, which since gaining U.S. Soccer Federation membership in 2001 has served as an alternative to U.S. Youth Soccer. We spoke with U.S. Club Soccer chairman Phil Wright about the past, present and future of the organization that now has member clubs and leagues in 50 states, runs national and state cup competitions, a player identification program (id2) and the girls Elite Clubs National League (ECNL).

SOCCER AMERICA: I’ve heard it said that U.S. Club Soccer’s aim is to drive U.S. Youth Soccer out of business. …

See the whole article here, courtesy of Soccer America.

Kicking Back Comments: So lets think about this for a second ... Here is an excellent example of how THE game has changed over just the last 10 years. Do we as referees believe that we have adapted to that change? Is this change that we as referees need to worry about (e.g. organizational changes for youth soccer)? Has the refereeing organizational world kept up, or exceeded its mandate making sure its population is well cared for?

Granted some goals are different between the two entities, but the root of the question remains ...

Do US Soccer referees get what they need to evolve with THE game?

Home Depot Center to host MLS Cup 2011

The Galaxy has played in Major League Soccer's championship event five times, successfully claiming the MLS Cup twice, but never in front of a home crowd. The team will have another shot at it this year as the MLS Cup 2011 will be take place at Home Depot Center on Nov. 20, the league announced Tuesday.

"We are extremely pleased to be able to once again host MLS Cup, our league's most important game, in the premier soccer stadium in this country, the Home Depot Center," Galaxy President Tom Payne said. "We would like nothing more than to be playing in MLS Cup 2011 at home in front of our fans." ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of the LA Times.

Kicking Back Comments: Well the venue is set ... any bets on who the referees are going to be? I have some thoughts ...

That's it !!??!!

So apparently FIFA is "giving in" and is set to adopt goal line technology for the 2012-2013 season as reported here by Guardian.

There were some funny things in this article:

Fifa has recognised the shortcomings of the previous testing environment and, in a tender document circulated on April 20, stated: "The tests will be conducted in two phases at a football stadium selected by the respective technology providers, in consultation with Fifa."

How were these tested previously? Not in a football stadium? The engineer in me is coming out and really wondering what happed here the first time around that somehow the testing would not be accurate?

This next line was hilarious.

To proceed to the second round, technologies must demonstrate a minimum of 90% accuracy in recognising whether both a static or a moving ball is across the line.

90%. That's it !!??!!

Frankly, what a joke. While I don't have a hard number, anecdotally if referees had a 10% margin for error on this stuff they would get in deep, deep trouble.

That is an outrageous and unacceptable number! For all the whining that has been done about referees missing crucial goal line calls, and the solution ...

We will get it right 9 out of every 10 times at least ... please.

Give me a live referee 10 out of 10 times.

Massachusetts 2011 Appointments to the Region I Tournaments

One of the most exciting things for me in my young career as a referee was to travel to matches in different states, see different teams, and work with other referees.

As we approach the thrust of the Spring 2011 season there are several young referees who have distinguished themselves to earn the privilege to attend some of the most prestigious youth tournaments in this part of the country, and may earn the opportunity while there, to go even further.

Please join me in congratulating all the referees below for their upcoming appointments.

President's Cup (May 27-30, 2011 - Saratoga Springs, NY):

Jordan Cavaco
Cory Cloutier
Mike Filios
Ron Judd
Aaron Lewinter
Max Perkins
David Rixham
Eric Schreiber
Kristin Sundberg
Brian Trischitta
Matthew Visconti

ODP Region I Tournament - (June 10-12, 2011 - Rider University, NJ):

Kenneth Koopmans
Anthony Brossi
Corson Fidler
Nicholas Grimard
Aaron Lewinter
Cara Pember
Max Perkins
Jo-Ellen Rowley
Kristin Sundberg
Brian Trischitta
Sarah Wooley

Alternates:

Matthew Visconti

Danielle Kaminski

David Rixham

Region I Championships - (June 30 - July 5, 2011 - Huntington, WV):

Anthony Brossi
Cory Cloutier
Michael Dee
Nathanael Dewhurst
Randall Kelley
Kenneth Koopmans
Nelson Machado
Jennine Regan
Peter Ries
Eric Schreiber
Kristin Sundberg
Alex Wallach-Hanson

Alternates:

DJ Corey

Sarah Wooley

Danielle Kaminski

Aaron Lewinter

Another country heard from

Nowak’s referee plea goes beyond crying foul

CHESTER — It’s unusual for a coach to select a match in the first month of the season as his team’s measuring stick, an indicator of future fortunes, a forecaster of what is to come.

But that’s what Saturday represents for the Union according to manager Peter Nowak.

Nowak wants to ensure that the Union’s meeting with New York is a flawless one — from the points that his players control to those out of their hands.

“Soccer is a funny game,” Nowak said, “because there’s always something to complain about.”

By the time the Union take the pitch at PPL Park Saturday afternoon against the Red Bulls, Major League Soccer officials already will have received at least one letter from Nowak. He did the same a year ago — on a number of occasions, no less. The reason? Nowak is dissatisfied.

From what Nowak has seen during the MLS season, and Wednesday night in the Union’s U.S. Open Cup defeat, the officiating has been lackluster. ...

See the full story here, courtesy of the Daily Times.

Kicking Back Comments: While I have not seen the letters to MLS, I can only hope Piotr included some constructive points, and just simply just did not witch about how poor the officiating is. A very talented player and coach, but from my personal experience may not be the best one to dole out advice on high level referees. I hope times have changed and there is more substance than comments about how he believes a referee was "over his head."