Power Line's Euro 2012 Stars

EURO 2012 — THE TOP STARS

Euro 2012 provided a high quality of play. Only two teams embarrassed themselves — Ireland and Holland. And the Dutch embarrassed themselves by falling far short of their normal standard, not by being objectively bad.

Unfortunately, the European soccer bureaucrats, following Mae West’s view of “too much of good thing” rather than the traditional, correct view, have decided to expand the tournament from 16 to 24 teams. So, the overall quality of play at the Euros will never again be as good as it was this year. Instead, it will probably resemble the mediocre fare served up at the bloated World Cup. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of Power Line.

Kicking Back Comments: Power Line continues to do a tremendous job reporting on politics, as well as soccer. Paul Mirengoff in particular would seem to be in clear command of both. I personally would enjoy his commentary on refereeing as well ... and will be looking out of the same.

I'm with Wiggo

So while this post is in reference to the doping controversy currently swirling around the cycling world, the message is universal.

To have credibility to comment on a matter, once needs to walk a mile in their shoes.

Wiggo made this point transparently clear in his rant the other day when asked about doping. Parental warning regarding foul language, or if you are a Wiggo follower, normal language for him.

Consider the move by US Soccer to qualify only ex-professional referees to their higher level assessing and instructing ranks. This to me is a particular clever maneuver and one that keeps the ship going  in the right direction as these folks should have the most to share for those who need it the most.

Now, you may be asking, I just received an assessment in my youth match from someone who has not refereed much, recently, or maybe even at all. Should I take that advice?

My answer is a conditional yes. In "Confirmation Bias" or "China Syndrome"? we explored this a little bit and I came to the conclusion that all feedback is good feedback. However, you need to file it accordingly.

That said, those who have "been there" I believe hold a particularly keen ability to get the right message, in the right way to those who are listening.

This is true I think with Wiggo as well. Part of his point was related directly to the media who write, not do. While a necessary part of making a sport more attractive on the worlds stage, I hold their opinions (not reporting on the facts) in fairly low regard as so few have ever been where they are reporting on.

Those that have, I listen to more than nearly all others.

A Real Gentelman's Game

For any who were following the drama in Stage 14 of the TdF we were treated to a spectrum of events that ranged from grotesque to divine.

For those unaware, several carpet tacks were spread on the road at the summit of the last climb, the Mur de Péguère. This caused absolute mayhem that included a reported (48) punctures for riders, several team cars, and many referees with over $10,000 of damage reported due to these punctures. Also, Robert Kiserlovski (Astana), tumbled to the tarmac, likely as a result of a puncture from a tack, was forced to abandon with a suspected fractured collarbone.

Reason for this assault is unknown, but when it was unfolding live, Madame X suggested it a Basque separatist statement. Hat tip to her as the Washington Post agrees with her theory here. While I laughed it off at the time, I am eating crow today.

In the carnage was last years Tour de France winner, Cadel Evans who punctured (3) times on his way down the final decent. I was sick to my stomach watching time slip away from him as no team car was present, no neutral support vehicle, and no teammate with the same size wheel, or bike to offer him to allow him to defend his title.

Wiggins the current race leader was made aware of the situation, and in the ultimate gesture of sportsmanship, neutralized the stage, and waited for Evans and the remainder of the teams who were effected by the sabotage. One notable exception was a single escapee, Pierre Rolland, who was eventually reeled in and will be punished by the peleton for the remainder of Le Tour.

Funny thing was when Wiggo was asked about it the next day, he was clear that he did not want to capitalize on another's misfortune, and he noted that such hooligans belonged at a football (soccer) match.

I found that interesting.

For something that I had often considered the ultimate "Gentleman's Game", I was shown that maybe, just maybe, we can learn a thing or two from another sport.

Hat tip to Mr. Wiggins.

Sepp ... Just Leave

FIFA Leader Under Fire

The head of Germany’s football league has called on Sepp Blatter to resign over the FIFA bribery scandal.

Reinhard Rauball told Germany’s Welt Online that Blatter should step down as soon as possible so that FIFA can make a fresh start.

Blatter has acknowledged he knew about payments by marketing agency ISL to former FIFA chief Joao Havelange but insisted they were legal in Switzerland in the 1990s. ...

See the whole story here, from the NYT.

Kicking Back Comments: Take a look at this story from ESPN, and here from the BBC. So it is clear that bribery was rife at FIFA, and Seppy knew about it, and condoned it by doing nothing.

Today he comes forward and states that "... it was legal then ..." which on it's face is nonsense just from a common sense perspective, and that there is now a judgment to the exact contrary that forced a Former FIFA president and Ex-Com member to make repayments and resign their posts (from the IOC and FIFA respectively).

His farcical interview is here, courtesy of the FIFA propaganda machine that continues to lose credibility day by day.

Sepp, just leave and do The Game a favor.

Programming Note

Friends,

Over the next week or so I am going to be traveling on business, and completing my training for the Memory Ride to benefit Alzheimer's.

Please feel free to peruse the past articles and know we'll be back at it next week.

Before I leave you for the week however, here is a great commercial from Specialized that gets to the heart of what I was talking about in I AM SPARTACUS.



Be good, enjoy le Tour, and thanks for reading!
PK

In my last post, I had given several observations from a recent high level amateur tournament, and an overview of why the assessors felt the referees were not measuring up.  (See Kicking Back July 2, 2012)  Now for the last piece of the puzzle:  how does this get fixed?

According to Brian Hall, who just happens to be the Director of Referee Administration for CONCACAF, the solution lies in three parts:

1. Be physically fit.  There is no excuse for not being in shape.  You have to get to where the action is in order to accurately see what is going on.  The modern game demands a much higher rate of fitness.  The old regimen of taking a 30 minute jog three times a week is not going to cut it.  We are talking about concentrated interval and strength training combined with proper nutrition.  Fitness is now measured with heart monitors and data is recorded for all top level referees.  Get an expert to design a training program for you.  
2. Be prepared.  The old boy scout motto is a good one.  Come into the match prepared, and know what is likely to happen before it does.  What is the style of play of the two teams you have today?  Where will the run of play be, and what parts of the field are vulnerable to attack?  Who commits the fouls, and even more importantly who suffers the fouls?  What is the importance of this game to each team?  If possible, go and watch them play in the week before your game, or review the film of their recent game.  Talk to the referee they had last week.
3. Watch more soccer!  As simple as that sounds, watch the game at every opportunity.  Patterns will start to emerge.  Patterns of play, patterns of behavior.  Certain things will trigger certain events.  The more you watch, the more you will become aware of them, to the point where you will see things happening before they happen.  Become an expert at recognizing patterns and situations.  Ultimately the ability to anticipate the next play will be instinctive.  

Brian has one other piece of advice, culled from the lessons he learned as a referee and which he freely admits will apply to any endeavor:  set goals and do not get sidetracked by temporary setbacks.  Success at any level is only possible if you are willing to make the sacrifice.  

Ah, there it is.....Soccer is Life.

MLS Not as geriatric as it used to be

An Eye on Europe, but Choosing M.L.S.

The walls of Major League Soccer’s Fifth Avenue headquarters in Manhattan reflect its reputation in world soccer.

Posters and signed jerseys and balls of stars like Carlos Valderrama and David Beckham who have played out a last well-paid hurrah decorate the premises. The 17-year-old league has long been known as a place for soccer’s geriatrics to ease into retirement. Lately, however, M.L.S. has become a popular way station for young talent from throughout the Western Hemisphere seeking passage to Europe’s top ranks. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of the NYT.

Kicking Back Comments: A good article that details the growth of the league, and a place for some young hopefuls to launch to the next step in their career. Also, as I noted earlier, a place for those older players to retire gracefully.

In all cases, it is not the cash cow other leagues, or sports are. Just take a looks at the MLS 2012 salaries. Good money for a very few notables to be sure, but frankly not a lot for most in what would be a very short tenure in the league.

When I talk to Jr. about it, and his desire to "go pro", I remind him to do his math homework first, they kick the ball in the yard.

What's that saying?

(MLS) Always the bridesmaid, never the bride?

I AM SPARTACUS!!

Photo courtesy of @RSNT

As most of you know I am a great follower of cycling, and specifically of Team Radio Shack.

This last week fans like me who have been suffering through injury, illness, and controversy of the teams early season have been treated with delight to the last week of the Tour de France and RSNT's stellar performance, save Frank Schleck getting caught in a crash on Stage 6 and losing a significant amount of time.

That said, Fabian Cancellara (Spartacus) has worn yellow for the week, and Andreas Kloden (Klodi) is sitting pretty in the GC at only +00:19 seconds back.

Not bad indeed.

So what does this have to do with the price of baguettes in France?

Well, as I continue to prepare for the Memory Ride in a week or so, I sometimes ... okay often ... go out an pretend like I am riding for RSNT on The Tour ... full RSNT kit and all.

While I generally don't pretend to be Spartacus (I'm a Popo fan), it is a nice distraction from grinding out hundreds of miles in an effort to try and get better on the bike.

I used to do the same thing as a younger, and honestly amateur level referee where I would follow the career of some other, more seasoned referees, in an effort to at times emulate what they do, as it was to me,  growing to be a pro.

Now in the RSNT case it is clearly being a fan(atic) as I have no where near the skill of these guys, and never will in my lifetime. The refereeing on the other hand was another matter.

I used to revel in watching Bratsis, Kleinaitis, Evans, and Mauro, and whenever possible pick up tips, tricks, and knowledge from these men from afar, and through good fortune, personally, over time.

Today is an age too that one can follow a referee from afar using tools like Facebook, Twitter, and blogs and I am here to assure you there is no harm in emulating the good behavior of the modern day giants like de Bleeckere, Webb, Stark, and Kassai. In fact it can be quite fun.

Also too as our world gets smaller and smaller, to reach out to these folks and say hello, or even strike up an appropriate dialogue is quite excellent as well.

You may be amazingly suprised just how open folks are to share what they love, when asked.

Shocking ... just shocking

FIFA bows to pressure over goal-line technology

(Reuters) - Soccer's rulemakers and its governing body FIFA bowed to pressure on Thursday when they finally approved the use of goal-line technology and agreed to allow Muslim women players to wear a headscarf.

The first decision followed widespread calls from players, coaches and the media, after a series of embarrassing high profile incidents in which perfectly good goals were disallowed because officials did not see the ball had crossed the line. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of Reuters.

Kicking Back Comments: Well folks, not a surprise, but the camels nose is under the tent with the GLT. A poor decision in my eyes that was brought by pressure from folks who have never had to judge such situations on the most part.

At this point some members of IFAB are just spouting rubbish, such as this:

"None of us are considering any type of technology which would interfere with the free-flowing nature of our game," said Alex Horne, the English member of the IFAB.

"We do not believe it is appropriate for technology to creep out into other areas, we are deliberately drawing a line and saying that goal line technology is where it stops."

To which I say ... Bull S&*t. I say this on (2) levels:

1. How can it not stop the free flow of the match? In the best case these devices would register a goal where the referee has awarded none. Play is stopped to award the goal ... after how long? How do you deal with those incidents that occur in the space between the (non called) goal occurring, and the stoppage? Is the ball still "in play"? Keep in mind this would have an effect on misconduct as well.

In the worst case the referee stops to "check" to see if the ball was in or not. What if the AR has one thing, and "the machine" has another? Who wins?

Are we replacing the AR's between the posts with HAL? In a tie, who wins?

2. FIFA and IFAB won't allow anymore technology ... until the next "crisis" that gets people in a snit. My next prediction for technology is video review on goal scoring opportunities to result in a send off. Or as a close second for me is PK/no PK based on spot of the foul. Almost like goal/no goal, yes?

With this step FIFA and IFAB have opened the door to future "enhancements" of the use of technology.

Finally a question, Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? ... or Who watches the watchers?

I could write for hours on this, but end with the question of what do we do if this system ever fails and how will we ever know?

A coin flip?

Olympic Spot Conceded Without Runoff

EUGENE, Ore. — United States track officials had devised an unprecedented method to resolve an extraordinary situation. After Jeneba Tarmoh and Allyson Felix finished in a dead heat in the final of the 100 meters at the Olympic trials here, the officials gave the runners the option of breaking the tie by a coin toss or a runoff, neither of which has been used to determine a spot on the United States Olympic team. ...

See the whole story here, from the NYT.

Kicking Back Comments: So all the hand wringing aside from the rest of the article, my question to this audience is when in the LOTG do we use a coin toss to decide the match?

Never?

Sometimes?

Before the match if it is raining?

Any thoughts?

Becks a no go for London

David Beckham fails to make Britain’s soccer team for London Olympics

WARSAW, Poland — Former England captain David Beckham has failed to make the British soccer team for the London Olympics.

The Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder made Britain coach Stuart Pearce’s shortlist of 35 but wasn’t selected for the final 18-man squad as one of three players over the age of 23 allowed to compete in the games. ...

See the full story here, courtesy of the Washington Post.

Kicking Back Comments: I feel for Becks a bit. This would seem to be an unceremonious end to a good career.

Have no fear, MLS is very good at keeping "geriatric" players going, and I am certain Beck's will be a fixture for some time to come.

More on Key Findings from USASA tournament

In a recent post, I gave several bullet points that were the key findings and observations from a recent high level amateur tournament.  (See Kicking Back, June 25, 2012)  Here is a broader explanation of some of these points and more importantly, what the assembled assessors were looking for:

• Overall read of the game was lacking - Referees were struggling with anticipating the play and what was going to happen next.  This effected everything from their positioning to what fouls were called to the ability to deal with more serious incidents as they occurred.  If referees could not anticipate the play, they were often left playing catch-up in their managing the game.  They were reacting to things instead of preventing them.

• No urgency in movement and action when the game required, and an inability to read the warning signs and lend a presence to the situation - Somewhat related to the above, but specific to the more serious incidents that needed attention, referees were not showing the ability to 'smell out' and get to the spot of trouble.  Ideally the referee anticipates when the problems may occur and gets there ahead of time, but in these games some referees were not even recognizing the problems after they happened!

• Effort level and an inability to sprint as needed for 90 minutes - To be clear, referees do not need to sprint for 90 minutes.  But they do need to be able to sprint in the 90th minute!  Climate did not play a part, as the temperature was low 70s.  It is also worth noting that no referee worked more than two games on each day, and had plenty of rest time in between assignments. 

• Dealing with serious challenges the first time they occur - Referees were often seeing serious challenges and allowing them to go unchecked.  Players became emboldened and the level of violence often escalated and/or retaliation was seen.  This left referees having to pull a game back under their control, and few were capable of doing so once the horse had left the barn.

• The referee's personality (response) often did not match the situation, and/or referee's body language sent the wrong message - Referees need to think more about the messages they send with facial expressions, arm position, posture, even tone of voice.  Referees were often seen to be issuing serious warnings with smiles on their faces, or scowling at players when only a gentle prodding was needed.  (The suggestion was made to have a friend video-tape a referee in action.)

• Foul recognition and foul selection was below par - This was most surprising given the experience of the referees at this event, but there was a lot of unevenness to what was called and what was let go, even within the same game.  Where this most became an issue was in games involving teams of totally different styles and sizes, such as a predominantly African team playing a team comprised of Northern Europeans.  Referees struggled to recognize the tactics and reach an acceptable level of foul recognition.  

Granted the standards were high for this event, but these are the expectations for referees wishing to work in the professional leagues.  In a future post I will discuss some of the suggestions for fixing these problems.

Green Eggs and Hamm

Mia Hamm voted top female athlete of past 40 years

WASHINGTON, June 25, 2012 - American soccer great Mia Hamm was voted No. 1 in espnW’s Top 40 Female Athletes of the Past 40 Years, beating out No. 2 Martina Navratilova and No. 3 Jackie Joyner-Kersee. espnW, in conjunction with SportsCenter, over an eight-week timeframe, revealed one athlete per day culminating with Hamm on Friday, June 22. The countdown has been part of ESPN’s recognition of the 40th anniversary of Title IX, signed June 23, 1972. It was announced this morning on espnW that Hamm was voted No.1. ...

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

Kicking Back Comments: A good choice to be certain. For me personally, I was more in the Michelle Akers camp, but, a good choice. Chris Evert too would have made the tops of my list, but I am picking nits.

One thing I did find curious however, is that all (24) voters were women. That by itself was not curious, but that the vote was taken to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Title IX, designed to end discrimination,  was a bit ironic to me.

Chief Justice Roberts said it best in that "If we want to end ... discrimination, we must stop discriminating ... ." Well ... what a better way to celebrate the ending of discrimination against women (not in sports by the way as the initial legislation targeted education), but by getting votes from a broad base of experts ... of both women and men.

Oh yes dear friends ... it is time

Courtesy of leTour.fr

SPAIN PREVAILS IN LACKLUSTER MATCH

SPAIN PREVAILS IN LACKLUSTER MATCH

After two hours of goalless soccer, Spain defeated Portugal today 4-2 on penalty kicks to advance to the finals of Euro 2012. The match was quite disappointing. I never imagined that two teams this good could produce such a poor contest.

Portugal deployed superstar Ronaldo in basically a free lance attacking position, apparently not asking him to do much defensively. But Spain gained little advantage from this decision because, fearful of Ronaldo, their right-back Arbeloa rarely joined in the attack as he did so effectively against France. So Ronaldo was contained, but Spain lost an attacking option.

Spain decided to start a true center forward instead of six midfielders. However, Negredo, the center forward selected was largely ineffective. Spain replaced him with a sixth midfielder, Fabregas, after 53 minutes. Unfortunately, Spain didn’t improve during the next 37. ...

See the whole story here, from PowerLine.

Kicking Back Comments: Good comments, and I too agree with the conclusion that the Portugal coach erred in this one with his player selection.

Les jeux sont faits, Platini??

Platini: Introducing goal-line technology would be a historical mistake

The clamor for confirmation over whether a ball has crossed the line has grown following Ukraine’s ghost-goal against England, but the UEFA chief is strongly against any changes

UEFA president Michel Platini believes FIFA would be making a “historical mistake” if it introduced goal-line technology, following growing calls for its introduction after Ukraine was denied a goal against England in its Euro 2012 Group D clash. ...

See the full story here, courtesy of goal.com.

Kicking Back Comments: I think thou protest too much Mr. Platini. While I agree with his position, and even the reason he states for it in this article, I'm not quite sure this is his only reasoning.

He was the inventor of EAR's (I call them AAR's) and frankly would not look great if they went by the wayside in lieu of GLT.

I'll be honest, I don't see the benefit given the cost. Given the amount of controversy a referee can inject into a match, and the given number of decisions they make, or can help get right, I'm not seeing it.

I think at the highest level it makes sense ... more eyes are better. What has been forgotten is that more referees == more controversy, and the Ukraine v. England match was no exception. The EAR should have called the goal as I wrote earlier.

Believe me, I don't like the ideas of EAR's, or the idea of GLT. Then again, you are listening to a guy who still wears long sleeves when he referees.

FIFA 13 Pre-Order Incentives

For any who have not seen the trailer for FIFA13 .. here it is ... and is pretty cool:



Also, check out, "FIFA 13 pre-orders to feature 'extensive incentives' says EA", from T3 as apparently early adopters are in for some cool treats.

Match fixing and flares ... all in a days work

FIFA's Director of Security Mutschke "Our objective is long-term success"

With Ralf Mutschke less than a month into his new role as FIFA's Director of Security,FIFA.com spoke to the former INTERPOL director about the diverse range of tasks he now faces.

FIFA.com: This week you're flying to Brazil, hosts of the next FIFA World Cup™. What are you expecting from your first visit to the country?

Ralf Mutschke: The World Cup is one of the main topics I'm dealing with. That's why I'm happy to be going to Brazil for the first time next week with FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke. I'll meet our partners over there in order to establish an integrated security plan together. A lot of progress has already been made on that front and we need to put it into practice. But it's difficult because there are so many organisations responsible for security in Brazil. The national government, the host cities and regions, the Local Organising Committee (LOC), a special security taskforce (SESGE), the various state security authorities, the military and even private security firms are involved and we need to coordinate them all. That will keep me very busy. ...

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

Kicking Back Comments: Now there is one person's job at FIFA that I would not want. Talk about "boiling the ocean!"

Key Findings from Regional Amateur tournament

The following were some key findings and observations from inspectors and assessors at last week's USASA Region 1 Championships.  This tournament featured a very select group of 20 top-level referees in the Northeast US, all grade 5 or above.  The observations were made by no fewer than eight high level Inspectors and National Assessors sent by the Federation, including Brian Hall from CONCACAF.  There was no debating the credentials of the observers or the validity of their comments!  Some of the findings are sobering considering the assembled officiating talent.


Positives: 

• Crews felt empowered by referee
• Good communication from referee to ARs
• Overall focus and quality of ARs was good
• Referees were following USSF directives

Things to work on:

• Overall read of the game was lacking
• No urgency in movement and action when the game required, and an inability to read the warning signs and lend a presence to the situation  
• Effort level and an inability to sprint as needed for 90 minutes 
• Dealing with serious challenges the first time they occur
• The referee's personality (response) often did not match the situation, and/or the referee's body language sent the wrong message
• Foul recognition and foul selection was below par

Action plan for all referees:

• Improve yourself by searching out more matches
• Watch more matches to see what top referees are doing
• Professionalism – always be prepared!

What is significant about these findings is that they were universally shared by all of the observers.  In most cases, there is some disagreement even among experts as to the relative strengths and weaknesses of any individual referee or group of referees, but at this tournament the consensus was entirely unanimous.  Obviously we have some things to work on at the higher levels if our amateur referees desire to turn pro.

I will talk more about some of these specific bullet points in a future post.

We are not all one trick ponies

Meet more of football’s all-round sportsmen

Four years ago, while Lionel Messi was preparing to light up the FIFA Men’s Olympic Football Tournament Beijing 2008, FIFA.com drew inspiration from the Games and ran a piece on the multi-talented footballers who have managed to pursue professional careers in other sports (see link on the right).

In the meantime, Argentina’s legendary former striker Gabriel Batistuta has taken up polo and ex-France full-back Bixente Lizarazu has become a European champion of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, while stars from other sports have been trying their hand at football, such as 2006 Tour de France winner Oscar Pereiro, who signed for Spanish third division football club Coruxo. ... 

See the full article here, courtesy of FIFA.

Kicking Back Comments: A very good article and a excellent reminder that players, and referees are more than they appear. While we all play roles, we are often much more than the role we play.

... and by the way. Oscar Pereiro was actually 2nd in the 2006 TdF, to American Floyd Landis ... until he flunked several doping tests. (source)

Right on cue

Fifa chief expects goal-line technology approval in July

Warsaw: Fifa president Sepp Blatter revealed that he and Franz Beckenbauer are “on the same page” over goal-line technology after the two met in Zurich on Thursday.

The Swiss reiterated the need for technology to be introduced after Euro 2012 co-hosts Ukraine were denied a goal against England in their decisive Group D fixture on Tuesday, after television replays showed that the ball had crossed the line. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of zeenews.

Kicking Back Comments: Like I said the other day, not a shocker given the recent events in the Euros. My question is ... will the technology even work?

Also of interest are some of the other matters Sepp & Co. are considering tinkering with. Interesting times as (IMHO) we see a swing away from the referee having the discretion and authority they once did.

Your clothes speak louder than you do

So as I wrote about this last weekend, I was out riding as a domestique for Team Schneider Electric for the 2012 MS150 in Rhode Island.

Great weekend for cycling and aside from a minor calf strain and damage to my "secondary hull", all came away unscathed and in good spirits.

One thing that kept happening over the ride was that people kept calling me by the name on my jersey, "Schneider Electric", and asking me questions about the company.

I'm not complaining, as that is why I was there wearing the jersey, which was to be a brand ambassador, and let people know our company was involved in community outreach as well as "business as usual."

What you wear says a lot about you ... at times when you least expect it.

In my example, I obviously knew what I was doing and also made sure I acted appropriately. Now if I saw someone 

zipping by on a bike wearing the jersey at left, I would know it was Fabian Cancellara, the Swiss National Champion ... again.

If I saw someone wearing a US Soccer referee program shirt, I would imagine they were a US Soccer referee.

If I saw that same person entering an establishment of questionable moral fiber (as defined by the individual observer), I would take note if they were wearing a US Soccer polo of some type.

So what's the message?

If you want to go out after a day on the fields, don't wear anything (anything!) with a soccer logo of any type (not just your FIFA warmup), and stay out of trouble. There is nothing wrong with legal relaxation, so long as it does not get out of hand.

As some have heard, part of this suggestion was followed by (3) Toronto FC players, unfortunately (for them) they were arrested on public intoxication charges, and sent home.

The quote from the TFC coach (Paul Mariner, the former England International) is excellent and spot on. From the article:

"I think it doesn't matter whether it's basketball, ice hockey or whatever sport," said Mariner, a former England international. "I've been a professional athlete myself and you're held to a higher level of order because you're in the spotlight and you're living in a privileged position of being a so-called elite athlete."

Let me add to that as well. This is true for athletes for certain ... it is even more heightened for those who judge these elite athletes. Trust me folks, a referee can lose a badge over something like this ... so just don't do it.

5 Referees, and no goal

Just take a look:



Pretty clear to me ... and should have been for the AAR straddling the goal line, 7 yards away from the post, or even the AR streaking down the field.

Has Platini's experiment with (5) referees failed with this?

Does this seal the fate of goal line technology up for a vote in a couple of weeks?

Sepp tweeted to that effect saying that goal line technology was now a "necessity."

A good article from SF Gate, "England's Luck Changes as Euros Officials Miss Ukraine Goal" covers these angles and more.

Maybe it was luck ... maybe it was poor refereeing ... maybe it was mana from heaven where the "Soccer Gods" smiled on England for a change in this regard.

In any event, I think sadly, it made goal line technology a lock for future matches.

What's good for the goose ...

FIFA to test referees for banned drugs

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) -FIFA says referees could soon undergo testing for banned performance enhancing drugs.

FIFA's chief medical officer Jiri Dvorake says referees are part of the game and should be treated like players.

Dvorak tells FIFA's medical conference there is no indication of a doping problem among referees "but it's something we have to consider.'' ...

See the whole article here, from SI.com.

Kicking Back Comments: Just throwing it out there for now.

Kicking Back == Hypocrisy?

So as a backdrop for this whole story are the recent (re)accusations of Lance Armstrong (this time) by the USADA for doping.

Before I make my primary observation, here are some background opinions on the whole thing to set the stage.

1. I believe the USADA has a useful overall function in keeping young, amateur, developing athletes away from medication that will ultimately hurt them.
2. I believe that the CEO of the USADA, Travis Tygart, is wrong to go after Lance Armstrong. I will expand on why in a later post tentatively titled "Ahab and his Whale."
3. I believe Lance Armstrong is a "clean" rider, yet recognize the mounting amount of what I would consider circumstantial evidence to the contrary.
4. I have spent much of my youth, and all of my adult life trying to stop cheating inside soccer fields across the US and internationally on a more limited basis.

Now ... come in the wayback machine with me to 1986 in Mexico. Anyone recall this:

As a young referee with aspirations of becoming FIFA, I was furious. How could such cheating be left without being punished? How could someone who claimed to have respect for The Game cheat so blatantly?

How dare they!!

I instantly became an anti-fan of Diego Maradona, and while I have tremendous respect for his ability, I personally do not believe he has any respect for The Game at all, and should be punished as a cheater, when he demonstrated such.

Now, enter Lance, and his current controversy. I have to be honest, I don't feel the same way ... even if there is a "smoking gun" of evidence found showing he doped during his (7) Tour victories.

I had to stop for a second and really think about why that was. Why isn't a cheater (like Maradona) a cheater (like Armstrong)?

Was it that Maradona's multitude of incidents was just so off the reservation that put me to a point of no return? If true, why didn't Lance doping for (7) years get me to the same place?

Is it that Maradona has not made much of an appearance on the charity circuit as opposed to Armstrong's notable Livestrong Foundation? Not sure if that is true either as Maradona has done charity work for UNICEF, as well as a variety of other causes.

So what is it?

As scary as this might seem, I think for me it comes down to likability. While I have not met (for any length of time) either man, I just like Lance better than Diego.

One is a cheater, and one may soon be proven to be one which theoretically makes them equivalent.

In the eyes of a referee, they should be punished the same as we are not in the business of determining why a player did what they did, but rather responding to the actions they took.

There are always nuances and extraordinary factors to be sure. Do we think however that a player received a caution because you "knew they were going to be trouble", not by what they actually did? Or the opposite of "she's really nice most of the time", so was not sent off today.

It's hard to drop a bias and be completely objective, if that is even possible. As a referee however, we have to dump the baggage, and act on what we see.

As sad as that is to me, Diego and Lance would be one in the same, if Lance is found to have doped.

UEFA's Turn "at bat"

Palestine: FIFA urged to cancel European football tournament in Israel

Palestine football leaders have urged UEFA to remove Israel as the 2013 European Under-21 Championship host nation for jailing Palestinian national team players without trial.

Palestine federation president Jibril Rajoub wrote to UEFA President Michel Platini to say that Israel's government is in "direct violation of FIFA regulations." ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of The Muslim News.

Kicking Back Comments: I would have the same warning for UEFA as I did for FIFA the other day ... be very deliberate if you want to get involved in this one or not.

On another note, I find it interesting (that is to say odd) that as "punishment" for allegedly jailing individuals of a particular citizenship, a soccer tournament is proper to be taken away.

I don't know, even in the extreme, one would seem to far outweigh the other.

Haebous Corpus ... soccer tournament. Not a tough choice, for me anyway.

Back in the saddle

I'm at it again folks in the 2nd ride of my "spring classics" with "Ride the Rhode", a 150 mile, 2 day stage ride supporting the National MS Society.

Serving as domistique for Team Schneider Electric, this ride looks to be fantastic with an opportunity to cross both the Newport and Jamestown bridges on Saturday.

I'll be in the saddle for these two days, but will be back at you on Monday with a road report, and other goings on in the football world.

Enjoy the weekend!

Needham Tournament Retrospective

As many have heard me say here, the Needham Invitational Tournament is one of the very best the US can offer as far as youth tournaments.

While not my first tournament I ever refereed in (this was the Framingham United Memorial Day Tournament), it is certainly unparalleled among showcase tournaments, and one that I love to work at.

Don't believe me, let the 2012 numbers speak for themselves:

• 774 Teams participated
• Over 500 referees from all parts of the United States from California to Maine and international referees from Canada, Australia, and England.
• Needham is now second largest tournament in United States with US cup being first.
• Over 84 soccer fields were used from Braintree to Lancaster, Massachusetts.
• There were over 40 mentors throughout the tournament to help develop referees.
• Specialized ladies tournament academy was held second year in a row.

Can you imagine that ... 500 referees?

What an amazing effort.

If you are a young referee looking to do some quality matches next year at Memorial Day, I would strongly consider seeking out this tournament. It is simply one of the best in the country.

Be careful FIFA ... Is THIS your fight?

FIFA concerned about detention of Palestine players

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has expressed grave concern over reports that several Palestine players have been illegally detained in Israel.

Blatter had written to the Israel Football Association and asked it to draw the attention of Israeli authorities to the matter, FIFA said in a statement.

“FIFA President Joseph Blatter expressed today grave concern and worry about the alleged illegal detention of Palestine football players,” the statement said. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of Al Arabiya news.

Kicking Back Comments: Please let me be clear, my ONLY comment here is FIFA may want to seriously rethink getting involved in this one. I recognize that we are dealing with football players here and FIFA feels the need to get involved. I don't need to say that there is a much wider canvas to this particular issue, well beyond football, and it is my sense based on FIFA's bungling in the past, they should just sit this one out and let the two countries sort it out themselves. They eventually will.

Does Sepp really think, really, any of the involved parties are going to listen to him on this one?

Ego thy name is Sepp.

You know it's bad when ...

... there are people teaching you to cheat in FIFA for PES.

At least the author has the sense to note not to try this in the "real world."

This is not news ...

Hat Tip to Madame X for this one.

She found this article, "Navigating injury: Can GPS help reduce player burnout?" from CNN.

I'll be honest, this was not real exciting to me as if footballers are just getting wind of this type of technology now, and ways to use it ... well, its just disappointing.

This type of technology has been around for a long, long, time.

Way back in the early 2000's I even worked at a company that did this type of work, Trakus. It is (now) a Wakefield Massachusetts based company that specializes in tracking for broadcast, near real time positioning of horses.

Back in the day, it did the same thing for hockey players and was used in the 2001 NHL All Star Game. A sample output of the technology is shown below.

Photo courtesy InterSystems

Without getting into the 1's and 0's of it, a player is tracked in real time, and that information is stored digitally and able to be regurgitated to get statistics such as distance, speed, acceleration, playing time, and so on.

Now, GPS and GPS type system (like the Trakus system above) have been around for a while, and recently with the advent of low and lower cost electronics have been made available to the "prosumer" (like me with my cycling stuff), and the consumer (like most of us with a GPS in their car).

The suggestion from the CNN article is a very simple, and very known one which is, if you track your effort, you will know how you should be training, and when you should be resting to avoid burnout, excess fatigue, and therefore injury.

Honestly, anyone who is really, really serious about training knows about periodicity and training, and may even track their efforts through a commercially available device, such as the Garmin 405CX that I have.

Heck for me I am even measuring power outputs on my bike during rides. This is hardly advanced stuff and is absolutely essential to me training. An example if how this looks can be found here.

This information can be really useful for match analysis as well. Take at look at "Stuck on the Diagonal" and "Just a High School Match?" from last October and you'll get a sense of just how powerful a tool it is.

If professional coaches are just getting wind of this type of stuff now, they are way behind the curve.

My sense is they have known about it for a while now as there are some really talented exercise physiologists working with teams. What I believe is that there will be great resistance to this on (2) fronts.

First, because it goes against "tradition" (whatever that is) the use of GPS systems will not be easily accepted.

Second, these devices will not be accepted because it puts data on the page that can significantly effect players salaries and transfer fees. As a result players unions and agents may fight to prevent such collection. Can you see the discussion, it goes something like this:

Team Management: Gee Becks, you want a 3 year deal? Let's take a look at your stats last year. Wow, you played in 25 matches and ran an average of 6.5 miles per match. That's down 13% from the previous year. Also, your average speed was down over 2 MPH as well. How about a 1 year deal?

You think I'm kidding.

Players, coaches, and referees are fired for their performance, and often times that is based on objective data such as how many wins, losses, goals, serious incidents, and so on. Imagine if there were a whole set of digitally collect stats for all of these folks? Can you imagine how these would be used?

Now, as we all know, soccer is much more than that. Even the best team on paper can produce horrible results. Just take a look at my poor Radio Shack Nissan Trek cycling team. On paper, the very best team in the world, hands down. In reality, they could not put a beach ball in the ocean if they were standing in the middle of the Atlantic, right now anyway. I am holding my breath for Le Tour however.

It's a piece of the puzzle, and one that can be really abused by those who choose to manipulate the data for their own devices ... as many do.

The Knucklehead Factor

EURO 2012 PREVIEW — THE KNUCKLEHEAD FACTOR

The word knucklehead has enjoyed a revival lately. Even President Obama has used it – to describe people who would take a bullet for him, but who made serious errors of judgment in Colombia.

Usually, though, the term is used by sportswriters to refer to talented players whose immaturity undermines their play and, more importantly, that of their team. Such players – even one of them if he’s central enough – can destroy a team. Just ask the Washington Wizards who in the past few years have labored under the weight of at least four knuckleheads: Gilbert Arenas, Andray Blatche, and (to a lesser degree) Nick Young and JaVale McGee. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of PowerLine.

Kicking Back Comments: Great commentary, from one of my favorite political blogs, with candid commentary on England's "knuckleheads." Great read!!

Friends,

No soccer related post today as I am riding in the Tour de Cure 2012 in southern Rhode Island to To Stop Diabetes!

On behalf of the 25 million Americans with diabetes and their families and friends, OUR FRIENDS, COWORKERS AND FAMILIES, thank you in helping our team make a difference!

The funds and awareness we raised will support the American Diabetes Association's important research, information and advocacy efforts and its mission: to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes.

See you all back here tomorrow for more Kicking Back.

Secret Drink Mix Followup

So last week sometime I posed an article about "Secret Drink Mix", and more specifically about the science of hydration generally.

Well, I am happy to report that I have been using the Skratch Labs Secret Drink Mix for a week on training rides ... and it is AWESOME!!

Hands down best mix I have used, and I am hooked now and forever on the stuff. My personal favorite being the raspberry.

Now in that article I shared a video of Dr. Lim, and a really neat experiment about hydration in general.

Well right on cue, Dr. Williams of The Science of Soccer Online, posted Heat, Dehydration and Performance, a very worthy read on the topic.

The bottom line, and I quote from the article:

"The bottom line is, keep dehydration at bay by drinking plenty of fluids before and during play. Also, drink after the match. Staying hydrated can improve performance and avoid health problems."

Don't forget, referees are endurance athletes too, and need to abide by this same advice. For my money Skratch Labs has the best stuff around for it.

13 Years Later ... and Not At All Easier

In continued loving memory of Stephen A. Kokolski.

June 8, 2012 - 13 years departed.

Refereeing Can Be Like This ...

Up, coffee, feed, gather, race, rinse, repeat

Cherries

That was the subject line of an e-mail from my husband, Lee. HMMM, wonder what that is about. Well it turns out that the cherry trees on our property are booming with lovely yummy cherries. I miss home.

Hump day is over, and I am excited about the last few days of this race. It has been a tough one. I know that I am a strong rider, but it is hard to accept that I am elite enough to be where I am right now. I truly have to fight back thoughts of not belonging and only being lucky. Some of the other ladies have some pretty impressive backgrounds that give them a fighting edge. I hope to be aggressive and competitive enough to pull this through. ...

See the whole story here, from Cycling News.

Kicking Back Comments: Let's face it, refereeing can be BORING sometimes. A match is not challenging, you are just not in the mood, a coach or player is really busting your chops, it can be less than fun.


It can be hard to have the mental toughness to be able to referee day in, day out like is detailed here in a multiple day stage race. It takes hard work, and a strong team to do well, day in, and day out.


Traveling is hard, being away from home is hard, working day in and day out in something that requires so much concentration is hard.


Don't forget, take a break every once in a while. I just (re)learned this lesson the other day. While training for a cycling event, I spent (11) days in a row training ... and paid dearly for it. I found myself just not wanting to get on the bike, tired, and not having fun. What did I do? Took a weekend off the bike, and eating some of my favorite junk foods and watched some TV.


Same is true for refereeing. Build in some breaks, and take some time for yourself and your family. The Game will consume every last moment you have if you let it. Take it from one who has been there. Take a weekend and unplug ... you'll be a better referee for it.

Why I Love "Zero Tolerance" in Youth Matches

Yesterday I wrote about why I really dislike "zero tolerance" mindsets. On a personal note Mrs. Kicking Back did not like that designation, despite agreeing with the subject matter. Henceforth she will be called "Madam X." I'm sure she will find that much more flattering. If not I hope the hospital has good WiFi =/

There is a flip side to the zero tolerance paradigm, and to me it centers around youth referees in general. If there is a place where there should be no tolerance for nonsense, it is in these circles.

Now I admit to having a true dislike for perceived authority, and I have run into my fair share of folks as a youth referee who thought I should listen to them, just because they were older.

Rubbish.

My dad gave me a stellar piece of advice when I was very young in my career, and it was while I was refereeing that I could "talk back" to adults.

I think when he first told me I could hardly contain myself.

Now, I have to admit that there were times ... are times ... that I go overboard with this one. While now it is based in good intentions, the negative results can be the same.

I am a big fan of telling it like it is, and a youth referee standing up, in a good spirited way, to a demeaning player or coach I think is a great thing. Sadly, I think far too may parents and coaches need a reminder of civility, and would not respond well to a "dressing down", even appropriately.

Enter Zero Tolerance.

Such a rule has the best of intentions which is to protect the youth referees that are arbitrating these youth matches. Frankly, they need it as how can a 15 year old reasonably withstand withering criticism from folks that generally have no idea about the laws of the game.

There is a better than 50% attrition rate for youth (soccer) referees after the first year. That number levels off just a little after year 3, but it is still a huge number.

Now while I am certain there are several factors that cause this attrition (gee what else could a 16 year old boy have on his mind), fan(atic) and coach abuse I am fairly certain are among the top (5) reasons.

Zero Tolerance may help in many cases by at least making people aware there are consequences to their oral actions.

Does it get us all of the way there? Nope, not by a long shot in my opinion as it is critical for referees of all levels to have the life skills necessary to fend off (or ignore) an oral tongue lashing when it is based in nonsense.

I will say though, if it saves one referee, or even just makes others feel better about their chances of getting abused when refereeing, it may just be worth it.

Why I Hate "Zero Tolerance" of Any Kind

So while my train of thought has been provoked by a specific incident in my youth soccer circles, I will use it to really answer (in part) the question that Mrs. Kicking Back asked me the other night on the couch when watching the Boston Celtics Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, which was, what do I think is the hardest sport to referee?

My answer was, hands down, soccer, with a very close second being ice hockey.

Now to be sure, refereeing anything is challenging if done correctly. My (likely biased) answer comes from looking at the laws (rules) associated with each sport.

Soccer to me offers the most flexibility for the referee to work closely with the participants to help shape the outcome of the match. In other words, they can actively manage the match and its outcome, which is a wonderful thing.

Now, people don't come to a match to see the referee, no question, and the best referees will work to assure that is the case through their involvement. Refereeing legend and guru Wally Russell used to call it "painting yourself with invisible paint" before a match. You are there, but should not be seen.

Other sports (again excluding ice hockey) seem to be far more "referee-centric", and far more "rules-centric" than other sports. Soccer as we know has (17) Laws, and similarly, ice hockey has (10) Rules, yet baseball also has (10) Rules, yet is over 130 pages long! Gridiron football is similar with a nearly 250 page rule book.

Now some of this is genuine technical differences in the games, and some is in my opinion is overly mandating how a referee should deal with particular situations. In other words, there is little opinion referees can apply to some of these incidents, it is mandated in the rule.

Zero Tolerance (of anything) works in much the same way. While it has the specious beneficial effect of paving a path for a scenario that may be troublesome, or difficult to implement, it has the effect of failing to allow creative solutions to difficult situations.

I'll admit, I am of the ilk that chooses to blaze a path than follow one, which may very well be I enjoy refereeing soccer so much as it allows exactly that.

Now, with great power comes great responsibility, and the great opportunity to really screw things up. If I didn't want the risk though, I'd umpire baseball.

Free FIFA Soccer?

‘FIFA Soccer’ Maker Enlists Facebook To Lure New Players: Tech

Forty years after Pong bounced across screens to kick off the modern video-game era, Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is struggling to adapt to the shifting nature of play, as gamers abandon high-priced consoles for tablets and smartphones. Now, the company has a plan.

The video-game giant plans to unveil free versions of some its most popular games for its Play4Free website and other sites, including Facebook, at the annual E3 video game expo, which begins today in Los Angeles. The move is part of bid to lure customers, who may not own an Xbox or Playstation, to try best-selling games such as “FIFA Soccer” and “Battlefield,” according to Peter Moore, chief operating officer. ...

See the whole article here, courtesy of Bloomberg.

Kicking Back Comments: Interesting idea. Mr Moore is a smart, smart guy in this arena and I look forward to seeing what the result will be. Heck, anyone who is parodied on South Park has to have some mojo, right?

A Handshake My *$#

FIFA's Misguided Plan to Fix Racist Soccer Cultures With More Soccer

What kind of sports event is it when the star athletes are telling fans not to go? Monday, a special report from BBC1's Panorama explored the racism in the soccer cultures of Poland and Ukraine, where the Euro 2012 soccer tournament will be held next week. The program showed Polish and Ukrainian fans beating up Asian fans and slurring opposing teams as "Jews."

The full 30-minute report is full of shocking moments. In Ukraine, there's one scene showing fans making monkey sounds at black players. There's also one where a white supremacist group admits it embraces "some aspects" of Nazism, like getting rid of non-Ukrainians. The group also happens to train its members in knife fighting. Polish slogans include "Jews to the gas" or "death to hook noses." ...

Se the whole story here, courtesy of The Atlantic.

Kicking Back Comments: I have to admit that this is pretty disturbing if true to the extent detailed in the article and BBC video, which I have only seen a couple of short clips of. Again as I said the other day, where is FIFA? There would seem to me many ways to inspect for these acts (i.e. put delegates in the crowd), and ample ways to deal with it (i.e. do not allow these countries to host). So why not do it?

In this, if true, and by allowing it to occur, in my opinion way FIFA is condoning racism by turning a blind eye to it.

Now, what I also found interesting in a disturbing kind of way were a couple of the comments from the readers.

First, from DMG79:

It's UEFA the European football body that organizes the European Championships not FIFA. If you're going to criticize an organization for their decisions at least get the correct organization. FIFA has absolutely no say in the host country for the Euro's and did not select Poland and Ukraine, UEFA did. Don't you fact check?

Why are we passing the buck here? Yes UEFA organizes the tournament (and in my estimation should be doing something as well), but FIFA is the governing body. If FIFA did not want to have the Euros, they would stop UEFA. Look at what they are going to the SFA right now. Do we really think FIFA has no responsibility here?

Second, from LaurelhurstLiberal:

FIFA referees are allowed to stop or cancel games for racist outbursts from fans, we'll see if it happens.

Talk about buck passing. While I'll agree, and the Terry incident demonstrated this, referees need to be aware of such incidents INSIDE THE FIELD and deal with them, only a fool would think a referee would abandon a match for something some pinhead does in section 204, row 7, seat 12, 13, 14, and 15. This is ultimate buck passing to think that a referee is the authority on stopping racism in the stadium.

We are a link in the chain to be sure, but leadership starts at the top.

Death by Banana?

So I will say up front I am not making light of the plight of Mario Bolotelli with my title. He would clearly seem to have endured racial abuse both on and off the pitch, and I for one have no tolerance for it.

My question is, are people really throwing bananas at him? Where is FIFA on that? Sepp ran as fast as he could to the nearest man of color on the FIFA EXCOM to show he was not racist last fall. Where is he now?

Sepp .... hello?

Check out "Throw bananas and I'll kill you, warns Man City striker Balotelli ahead of Euros" from Mail Online and you'll get a sense of just how graphic and poorly behaved some fans are.

Like I said, I have no tolerance for it and neither should FIFA.

Rangers Get a Red Card?

FIFA may yet act to eject Rangers: Governing body monitoring SFA action

FIFA warned the SFA it will monitor what action is taken against Rangers after the Ibrox club successfully challenged their transfer embargo at the Court of Session.

And there were fears that a spiralling situation could ultimately end with Rangers having their SFA membership terminated — or FIFA handing down a ban on Scottish clubs entering European competition and Scotland playing internationals.

A new dimension to the already complicated and fraught situation at Ibrox began when a judge ruled that an SFA Judicial Panel did not have the power to impose a 12-month registration ban after finding the club guilty of disrepute charges. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of Mail Online.

Kicking Back Comments: Anyone following the $$ on this one? Should be clear if FIFA is challenging in court, it must be losing something.

"Huffing and Puffing" Redux

Paul Levy strikes again with a good article from Not Running A Hospital. In this episode, Huffing and Puffing, Paul and some refereeing colleagues detail anecdotal examples of how the fitness levels of players has changed over the years. He comes to an interesting conclusion on that front as well. Take a look at the article, it was somewhat of a surprise ending that I don't completely disagree with.

It got me thinking however, not only do we have a larger rate of "more unfit players" (my term - and I don't think that is anecdotal, but is supported by good evidence regarding childhood weight), but I would also opine, even purely as a matter of sampling, that we also have a larger number of unfit referees.

Now there is a continuum here to be sure. Referees at the International and Professional level train nearly every day, and need to, to be able to keep up with the game. As you traverse the ranks, there is really less and less training required at the typical town level. If you go to a tournament like the Dallas Cup, all bets are off as those players in most groups are very experienced, very fit, and professionally trained. They will not hesitate to take advantage of a referee who has a "blind spot" because they can not get to a particular play.

Long story short, if you don't want to train to referee, to do well, you should plan to keep it in the youth soccer world (like U-12 and below who need a manager more than a referee), and fairly local. This may sound like a jab to youth soccer (who need good referees!), but it is really just intended to reinforce the point that you can not referee a match to train, to be ready to referee. It's a circular argument that holds no water.

Now, you can use matches to supplement your training. I used to do this a bunch where I would work a amateur match regularly to ready myself mentally and physically for a professional match. It was a "tuner" as it was. But to do no training, at all, and show up on Sunday for a match is not good practice, and frankly is not good training.

Think about it this way, you are training once a week in the event you are competing in. While I would agree by the end of a 3 month season you may have a marginal increase in fitness is it really the fitness you need for a match? Also, what about all those matches you were not "match fit" for? Is this fair to those teams?

I think not.

Train to referee ... not referee to train.

A Lesson from Indy

So in cruising the information superhighway, I saw the video below. Take a quick peek.



Player (in white) was getting cute, yes?

Referee is nowhere to be seen, which may be a bad think as if this player does not get rid of the ball, an opponent may have the mind to go in and clean his clock, just for showboating.

In cases like this, it is important for the referee to be aware, or bad things can happen.

Case in point is the clip below from Indiana Jones.



Any questions?

"Secret Drink Mix"

So dear friends, tournament season is upon us, and as many have heard me say in the past, refereeing at tournaments is an endurance sport.

At these events you are endurance athletes and need to fuel yourself like endurance athletes.

This is a topic near and dear to my heart as in my post-refereeing life I too am an endurance athlete in a different sport, cycling. These lessons are directly relatable though, and I offer an article on the topic here.

The author is Dr. Allen Lim, an exercise physiologist for Omega-Pharma-Quickstep pro cycling team. His blog post, Hydration Science and Practice, is a good reminder about how to fuel your body, and why just water is not enough, and some popular sports drinks are too much.

He does have an electrolyte solution for sale that I have not tried, so I don't have any comment on it yet, but (and more importantly of this discussion), the science involved is spectacular and worth looking at for any endurance athlete. I have included the video here which details his experiment.



Truly fascinating stuff, and a reminder about what it takes to keep and endurance athlete working at capacity for long stretches of time.

Think about it, a multi day stage race for cycling, 3 to 5 hours in the saddle churning for much of that time, for a few days in a row. Youth tournament play, several game sets, 5+ hours in a day working or exposed, for several days back to back. Both are demanding .... very demanding ... and there is some sharing between the two I feel.

"Secret Drink Mix" comes from Dr. Lim himself where he worked on the Tour de France in secretly replacing the overly sweet drinks supplied by the sponsor with his own, all natural recipes. Riders loved them, and thrived using this formula. As it was kept from the sponsors it became known as the "Secret Drink Mix."

Today, Dr. Lim and company can be found dispensing products, advice, and a most excellent cookbook (The FeedZone Cookbook) at SkratchLabs. If you are really interested, he has his "Secret Drink Mix" available for sale also, here.

Welcome Lydia!!

FIFA names woman to executive committee for first time

BUDAPEST (Reuters) -- FIFA co-opted a woman to its executive committee for the first time on Tuesday and continued its reform process by pressing ahead with changes to its ethics committee.

Lydia Nsekera, the president of the Burundi Football Association, will be installed as the co-opted executive committee member at the 62nd FIFA Congress this week with the formal election of a woman on the committee to follow at next year's Congress, soccer's governing body said in a statement.

Nsekera, 45, is a member of the women's football and the women's World Cup committees and is also on the organising committee for the Olympic Football Tournaments having been part of the IOC since 2009. ...

See the whole story here, from SI.

Kicking Back Comments: It would be sad to think that this move came out of exclusively an effort to reform, and not also out of a sense to include someone who is deserving to be an EXCOM member. She is president of the Fédération de Football du Burundi since 2004, and has been a member of the International Olympic Committee since 2009. Far more credentialed than some others who currently hold a seat.

Either way, I'll take it, as it is a step in the right direction.

Sometimes you have to roll the dice

So for those who have been following me for a while, you know that I am also a huge cycling fan. For those who have been unlucky enough to sit through one of my presentations on teamwork I go into great details about cycling, how they work together, and how they need each other to win.

Another refereeing lesson was reenforced for me the other day from the cycling world when I was watching stage 7 of the Amgen Tour of California. It was about taking risks.

You can see a profile of the stage here ... it is basically straight up.

Now, Chris Horner (of my favorite team - Radio Shack Nissan Trek) is last years winner, and was expected by many to repeat again this year. Only problem was that he was down 2:30ish in the General Classification (GC) before stage 7, meaning basically he had very little chance, short of a catastrophe for many other rides, to win the GC.

Knowing this was the case, at the beginning of the stage, he collected several members of his team, and "Swung for the GC Fence."

He knew it was a long shot, and basically did not care what everyone else thought ... he went for it, and very nearly won it all with such an epic risk.

Refereeing can be like that sometimes. You have to take that risk. It might be in the form of playing an advantage, maybe it is NOT cautioning a player that did not "feel" right to do. Maybe it is sending off a player straight away to keep the match from going into disrepute.

In all matches there are elements of risk involved. After all, you don't know what is going to happen when you choose A over B. Sometimes picking one path has more risk than another. There are times that we do this knowingly as a referee to move to a particular desired outcome, ultimately to manage a match. There are times however, we make a decision not being fully aware what the outcome may be.

In all cases however, when we learn about the risks, we have to be ready to take them. There are times taking these risks (with the best of intentions) will yield disaster. There are also times when they will yield a beautiful match.

Taking no risks however may yield the same results, but you will get there in a far more unpredictable fashion than if you were to take the risk. After all, this is the magic of refereeing soccer where the referee is allowed such wide discretion to manage the match how they see fit, and take those chances to allow the magic to happen.

Joao Going Home

Former FIFA President Joao Havelange set to leave hospital next week

SAO PAULO — Doctors says former FIFA President Joao Havelange is expected to leave the hospital next week, more than two months after being admitted with a serious infection on his right ankle.

The Hospital Samaritano said Friday the 96-year-old Havelange improved significantly after leaving semi-intensive care last week and will be allowed to return home in a few days if his health doesn’t deteriorate. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of the Washington Post.

Kicking Back Comments: I am happy to see this, and I have to believe Joao is too. 

I did get a laugh though in the article in his leaving "semi-intensive case." What the heck is that? It made it sound like is was a "kind of" serious issue. I would think it was *serious* until it was not.

Ladies and gentlemen, demonstrating cunning logic like this is why I am an engineer and not a doctor.

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.