We may need this ...

In poking around the FIFA site I ran across the "Official Documents" Section. It can be found here.

All the documents looked interesting, two of which caught my eye right away and figured I would share.


First, is the 2010 FIFA World Cup Fan Guide (download here).

The second is the FIFA Disciplinary Code (download here).

I have to believe we will get good use out of both in the month ahead.

US Soccer Referee Directive: Dissent (Viewer Warning - Explicit Language)

Hey Rooney, F*%@ you too! This may have been the thought of the referee the other night when England played a friendly against Platinum Stars and was mercilessly berated for his efforts.

Recently guardian.co.uk reported on an incident of a foul mouthed Wayne Rooney during a "friendly" in South Africa that have lead some to paint him as a target to get sent off by inciting him to eruptive dissent. From the cited story, "The USA, England's first opponents on Saturday, have already suggested they might play on Rooney's perceived fragile temperament with this an indication that the player can be on edge. "Rooney insulted me," said Selogilwe. "He said: 'Fuck you.' He is a good player when you see him on the television, but when you see him on the pitch he just keeps on insulting the referee."

So lets get local about this ... what do you do when you are faced with dissent?

Remember we were talking about all these neat memorandum and position papers being online for the world to see at US Soccer. Well, here (.pdf download) is the one for dissent. It is a good read in spots, in particular it goes into the three reasons why dissent must be managed. From the memo:

• Erodes the authority of the referee;
• Reduces the enjoyment of other participants and spectators; and
• Can spread if left unchecked.

Further it goes into what three elements can be considered when determining an action for dissent. Again from the memo:

• Public

• Personal

• Provocative

Now, while the LOTG require a caution when dissent occurs, there is a subjective element when one referee feels that threshold has been breached. It can change under the circumstances, even in the same match.

Lets take some examples to illustrate these points.

In a Saturday match somewhere in Podunk USA, a player misses a shot in a one goal game and immediately after shouts "Oh (insert favorite one or two word explicative here)".

Dissent? Lets think ...

Does it erode authority of the referee or match control? Probably not.

Does it affect the enjoyment of the match for all? Probably not.

Can it spread? Probably not.

Was it public? You bet - everyone heard it.

Was it personal? No.

Was it provocative such that others will be incited by the matter? Doubt it.

Is it dissent and therefore deserves a caution? I don't think so. Just some frustration. I would probably respond by publicly jogging over and having a quiet word, maybe not even about the explicative, just to show some presence and acknowledge publicly that I will deal with it.

How about this one. In a Saturday match somewhere in Podunk USA, a foul occurs and immediately after shouts "Oh ref, that (insert favorite one or two word explicative here)".

Ask yourself the same questions as above, what did you get?

How about now. In a Saturday match somewhere in Podunk USA, a foul occurs and immediately after shouts "Oh ref, YOU (insert favorite one or two word explicative here)".

How about this. In a Saturday match somewhere in Podunk USA, a foul occurs and immediately after shouts "Oh ref, YOU (insert one minute trade without and foul language here)".

Same answer? I don't think so. I may be able to excuse the first as frustration, but the second is getting personal, and if done openly, loudly, and publicly, for me likely gets a caution. The third gets a caution. If a player can not calm himself down after a short period of time, he needs help to do so.

Last one. In a Saturday match somewhere in Podunk USA, a foul occurs and immediately after shouts "Oh ref, YOU'RE MOM (or other relative) (insert favorite one or two word explicative here)".

Here, they are done, send them home for foul and abusive language. Something so personal regardless of loud, soft, public, or not must be dealt with. To not do so invites big trouble. Get rid of that player or coach, the game does not need them, and neither do you.

There are lots of ways to dealt with these issues before they even become issues, and the position paper lists these well and we will deal with these later as well. Here is one now. Do some homework. Case in point:

Look at what the USA is planning, to make Rooney pop. Get him under a caution and you neutralize him for part of the match. Send him off and get a huge advantage.

Do you think Mr. Simon is thinking about this leading up to his match on Saturday?

Bet on it.

We'll watch together how he deals with it.

Thank you all!

Over the last couple of days I have been overwhelmed with the number of folks reaching out as kicking-back gets off the ground.

Thank you all for your time in reaching out, and for the kind words, and insights into history from you all.

Please keep them coming! I can be reached here with comments, questions and suggestions as to where our blog should go.

Show me the money!!

I caught an article the other day where this very satirical cartoon of Joseph "Sepp" Blatter, President of FIFA came from. It goes into some interesting detail about how much money FIFA is theoretically going to make in the 2010 World Cup. This article from playthegame.org, estimates FIFA will make between $3.2B and $4B (yes Billion with a B) over the course of the tournament.


Now a disclaimer, and it is above and beyond the Legal Stuff disclaimer. I am not knocking FIFA for making money, and I certainly do not agree with everything the linked web site states about this, or some other topics they report on. I have spent a significant amount of my life attempting to attain membership into this organization as a referee, and if really lucky I may be able to do so via another avenue someday. So believe me when I say, I am not knocking them.

It did get my wheels spinning however regarding the inflection point of money and refereeing at the local levels. For the remainder of this post, please ignore the professional level on up. It is a given that money plays a role and just how much we will explore sometime later. For now it is worth exploring to the youth and amateur referee some places where money plays a role.

So think about your local matches on Saturday. What does money have to do with them? Well, I live in a town that has a really nice athletic complex, and to offset that cost, there is a fee that we pay, per player, per registration. So I have sunk several hundred dollars into each of my little cherubs before they even get to the field. When they get there, I really appreciate when a referee shows up, on time, and in a uniform, any uniform.

This has nothing to do with their competency as an official, it has nothing to do with being fair or that little Jimmy and Jenny are having fun. It has to do (for some) with, I paid for this? 

Sounds harsh huh ... it is. This is a whole new level of being judged for a referee ... a monetary one.

Here is another one for you.

So State Cups are going on in just about every state right now, and from there some will earn a spot to their Regionals, and for a very few from there, the Youth Nationals. Guess who is at these tournaments ...

College recruiters.

Did you know that a private college these days costs about $26,000 per year?

That is insane.

What may be even more insane is the large number of high school players that are competing for the small pool of scholarship monies, and the lengths parents will go to make sure their kids get a shot at it. There is a reasonable argument that this is something good parents do while not taken to the extreme. [One day I will relate the story about a local youth meeting I was in where a mother jumped to her feet and exclaimed, and I mean *EXCLAIMED*, that her daughter was going to be the next Mia Hamm. Her daughter was 5 and the mom's complaint was about how poor the coaching was at that level ... no BS, true story]  If I am ever faced with the situation I will let you know what I decide as as I sit here tonight writing this, I can't say with certainty what I would do.

So what else is at stake in such matches?

Coaches jobs.

Yep, even some youth club coaches do exceedingly well for a salary and losing a Regional Championship match may be a ticket to getting fired. That was tough to get my head around at first. Here I was 19 or so years old and I was told that a coach could lose a job because of my decisions.

It was a lot to consider back then.

My only though is be aware of it at the level you are refereeing at. For the referees in South Africa now, their country is on their shoulders and that weight is far more than someone losing their job. In some cases it can be much, much more. (Remember Andrés Escobar?) From there it trickles down ... all the way down to that 6 v. 6 match in the park on Saturday morning.

Doesn't mean as referees you should change a thing for this reason, certainly not any calls. It is just something else to be aware of and think about when you are out there.

Was that blog, or Blago?

From the real to the unreal.

So, lots of folks have blog out there that say a bunch of neat things, and some covering topics that are, well, interesting. For anyone who has been following the tweets about the US National Team, there was a tweet today from USSOCCER  that pointed to the MNT Blog. For those of us who are ex-players, or just want to get a glimpse into what is going on, this is a good place. Particularly right now when the boys are in South Africa.

Here is another fun one from US Youth Soccer on an incredible array of topics that some will find interesting for certain.

A Bove Majori Discit Arare Minor

In memory of Stephen A. Kokolski.
June 8, 2010 - 11 years departed.








Applications for the Stephen A. Kokolski Memorial Scholarship Fund continue to be accepted. Any registered soccer referee who is pursuing a degree in engineering as a freshman or current college student are eligible for an award. Request an application by writing to: Scholarship Fund. 70 Oak Point, Wrentham, MA 02093.


Donations are also still being received and are warmly appreciated. These also may be sent to: Scholarship Fund. 70 Oak Point, Wrentham, MA 02093.

Take me out to the ball game ... what ... wait a minute

Fenway Park to host soccer game July 21

The Boston Red Sox have announced that Fenway Park will host an exhibition soccer game between Celtic FC of the Scottish Premier League and Sporting Clube de Portugal, commonly called "Sporting," on July 21.

The Fenway Football Challenge will be the 19th soccer game at Fenway, but the first since 1968. It will be broadcast live on NESN, with kickoff at 8 p.m.

Tickets ($20-$120) will go on sale at noon on June 22 at tickets.com.

Story courtesy of Boston.com

Run Forrest ... RUN!

A very interesting article regarding Brian Hall's training for the 2002 World Cup, and World Cup refereeing fitness generally from CNN's Heath pages.

(CNN) -- For two years leading up to the World Cup, Brian Hall exercised four hours almost every day. ...

Referees for World Cup matches 1 - 16

Full story on FIFA.com.

World Cup 2010 Opening Match Referee Decided

FIFA’s Referee Committee today assigned Ravshan Irmatov from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) as referee for the Opening Match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ held in Johannesburg Soccer City at 16:00 between France and Mexico. (Full story on FIFA.com)

Hail to the Chief

See an entry from the Official White House blog, where President Obama met with the players of Real Salt Lake, and congratulated them on their first ever MLS Championship.

Sorry seems to be the hardest word ...

Maybe Sir John has it right. An apology may indeed be the hardest word, at least a good apology that is. However, could it be a tool to help manage a match? Is it a way to get out of trouble, and save the day? Or is it a way to just sink yourself deeper into trouble with those you are already in trouble with?

We saw from an earlier post that a heartfelt apology offered in a timely fashion can go a long way. A pristine example is that of Jim Joyce and his tearful apology to Armando Galarraga. While having its share of detractors, noting that none of the actors are among them, has earned more respect for the men involved and MLB than ire of folks who witnessed the matter and have eagerly commented. Believe it or not, I think what happened was good for baseball.

Before answering the posed question directly, lets look at some, well,  not so pristine examples of apologies.

Remember Tonya Harding? She was accused of (allegedly) conspiring to injure Nancy Kerrigan prior to the Olympics. Once the scheme has unwound to the point of Tonya just about getting caught with the lead pipe in her own hand she stated, “I know I've let you down, but I've also let myself down too. But I still want to represent my country in Lillehammer, Norway next month.”

How about this one. Latrell Sprewell and what I would consider one of the worst apologies ever in history by saying, "I’m sorry for what I did, and if you don’t believe that, I’ll kick your butt". This after he choked his coach PJ Carlesimo after the coach told him to “put some mustard” on a pass during practice.

Finally, and of greatest concern to me personally, was the apology of Tim Donaghy during his July 29th, 2008 sentencing for the gambling scandal that rocked the NBA. During the proceedings, Donaghy stated, "I brought shame on myself, my family, and the profession".  Frankly Tim, your profession was not the only one affected.

So onto the answer. Can an apology be used to help mange a match, or get out of a scrape? Well, my answer is the same one that I have given on every law school exam to date, it depends.

An effective apology is not one that is manufactured to try to placate a person who may be upset about something. An apology is something that is offered to express genuine regret about something that a person has done to offend another. It can be rejected, and sometimes is.

Keep in mind that not everything deserves an apology on the pitch, most things don't. A referee is out there to make decisions that inevitably 50% of the people participating will not like. You are going to tick more than a few people off by doing exactly what you are supposed to during a match and during a career. If you go around apologizing anytime you have offended someone, you will have no respect from the players, which at the heart of it all really run the match (hint).

That said if you really blew a call, and it is too late to correct it (Did you check with your AR before signaling for a goal kick? Was that hand ball REALLY outside the penalty area?) apologizing to those who you have affected most may go a long way. A brief conversation running back from a goal kick, or during a stoppage in play (like an injury) to simply say that you think you missed it and you will keep working to do better for the next call.

You may think this is corny but players really respond to hard work and a commitment to getting the next one right. I have experienced this all the way through the MLS level ... and it took me by surprise at first honestly. Just when you thought you were going to get CREAMED verbally by a player, a simple "sorry, I blew that one ... I'll work harder ..." can go a long way.

Like I said earlier, it can't be manufactured or a bunch of BS to get you out of a jam where you really screwed up and were just plain negligent in your duties as an official. No apology covers for careless, negligent, or lazy refereeing. Any attempt to do so will make it worse and you will have the worst day in the park of your life. 

I've been there ... it usually gets coupled with arrogance and forgetting who really runs the game ... hint #2, it's the players.

Keep in mind too that players know the difference between a referee that is over their head and trying to hang on, and a referee who is just lazy and does not want to be there. Learning is part of the deal. Evolution is necessary for referees, they grow, they learn, they evolve with experience and time. Players understand and will respond (generally) less harshly in return.

So what of it then, two pages of drivel, what is the result?

Be human with people, and recognize that we all make mistakes sometimes.

They will probably be human back.

Of mice and men

There are times in life when peoples' mettle is tested. June 2nd, 2010 was the day when MLB umpire Jim Joyce (stats) was called to prove his.

For anyone who has been living in a cave over the last 24-48 hours, Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers pitched a perfect game, almost. This as we know is statistically improbable, (unless you’re Kevin Costner and in the movies) as shown by having only 20 perfect games in history.


Galarraga didn’t pitch a perfect game however, as on the very last out of the very last inning, a batter hit a drive to center field, the ball was thrown to first, and the first baseman touched the bag BEFORE THE BATTER GOT THERE. Except that Joyce called the hitter safe. And what the ump says goes. Looking at instant replay isn’t allowed, but after the game Joyce sure looked at a replay, seems like the whole world did.

Some mice may have let it go there and been willing to wither the criticism of the informed and uninformed alike. Not Joyce, what did he do?

He started that night in the club house saying,
"I’m not sure what to say right now other than that probably was the most important call of my career, and I missed it. Nothing like this has ever happened to me, and I don’t know what to say. This isn’t (just) a call -- this is a history call, and I kicked the (crap) out of it, and there’s nobody that feels worse than I do. I take pride in this job and I kicked the (crap) out of that (call), and I took a perfect game away from that kid over there who worked his (butt) off all night."

Wow ...

He continued the next day with a tearful meeting with Galarraga during the roster exchange where Joyce was in the rotation as the home plate umpire.

He's didn't duck, hide, dodge, parry ... nothing ... he said he screwed up, took a game away from someone who deserved it, and asked for forgiveness ... which he was graciously granted by Galarraga.

It was a bitter pill no doubt, but Joyce swallowed it, first time, without question or hesitation.

That's a guy I want working in my league.

Next on my list of folks to hold in high regard for this after Joyce and Galarraga (respectively), is Bud Selig who as of this writing has decided not to invoke the "what's best for the game" rule and overturn Joyce's decision.

While I am sure the pressure was tremendous, and Selig recognized he did not want to set a precedent for any questionable decision to be reviewed and judged by the commissioner themselves, part of the decision lie in trusting his officiating crew to make a decision ... even a wrong one sometimes.

What this will do to the state of instant replay we will see in the days ahead.

This lays the groundwork for a few topics of relevance in the subjects we cover. Most notably ... what does an apology get you these days in sports? Sometimes salvation, sometimes big trouble.

Also, there was a very, very interesting comment by that last batter, Jason Donald, who said "I thought it was just so bang-bang, I thought for sure I was going to be called out just because of everything that was at stake." (emphasis added)

Just let that one sink in for a minute ... we'll get to that one soon.

Did you want the four or the five sir?

As some have seen, there has been some controversy regarding the World Cup, even before the first match is played regarding the construction of the ball being used. Here is an interesting article from the AP regarding the Adidas “JABULANI”, and the concerns it is raising.

More locally as we are on the cusp of State Cup play in most states I was reminded of an incident some years back regarding a match ball, and the havoc it wreaked on a youth team, parents, administration, and referees. It was so notable that the story even made Sports Illustrated.

Long story short, while the match ball is not an issue for tournaments like the World Cup, or down through MLS who use a common match ball (I will one day write about why officials have to show up 2 hours before a match ... I am convinced it allows time for the 4th official to check the 20-something balls required in a match), it can very much be an issue for youth tournaments like Regionals, and certainly State Cups where such stringent control of match balls is generally not enforced.

From Law 2 of the 2009/2010 LOTG, we know that the ball is several things, including: "of a circumference of not more than 70 cm (28 ins) and not less than 68 cm (27 ins)"

Which after you unwind the math, is a size 5 ball.

Uh ... but don't some younger players use a size 4, or even a size 3 ball ...

Yes, yes they do.

A very astute, or administratively minded referee or assessor may ask, "Where do local associations get the authority from FIFA to change the ball size then?"

Glad you asked.

Your answer is on page 3 of LOTG and states:

Modifications:
Subject to the agreement of the member association concerned and provided
the principles of these Laws are maintained, the Laws may be modified in their application for matches for players of under 16 years of age, for women footballers, for veteran footballers (over 35 years of age) and for players with disabilities.

Any or all of the following modifications are
permissible:
• size of the field of play
• size, weight and material of the ball
• width between the goalposts and height of the crossbar from the ground
• duration of the periods of play
• substitutions

So all this for what?

To keep a referee from potentially invalidating a match result based on using the wrong ball size and underscore how very critical it is to assure that the match ball you start with, is the one that you play with, and is the one you finish with, unless the referee authorizes a change.

Authority to check and change the ball is in Law 5, and will be discussed another time.

In a youth match, things can get crazy, a ball goes over the fence, and a new one comes it. A ball gets caught in the sidelines, and a new one comes in. To hurry play, a coach put several balls in play that have not been checked.

This could spell DISASTER for a match, and a sure fire failure for an assessment, where it is amazingly easy to deal with.

Here is a simple checklist to consider:

1. Check the ball before the match for safety (are there any lifted panels?) size, weight, and pressure. Note that all are critical, but size may matter the most in this context.
2. Keep that ball with you before the match, and I do mean physically keep it under your arm until the match is ready to start.
3. Continue to use that ball throughout the match, and only THAT ball.
4. If that ball is unavailable or becomes defective, repeat #1 for the new ball.
5. At the end of the match, get possession of the ball, and I do mean physically keep it under your arm, and return it to the person it belongs to.

Sounds simple, almost remedial, but has been the subject of at least one national story and a group of very disappointed 12 year old players and parents.

Don't make that mistake ... check, and recheck the competition rules and assure yourself you have the right size ball for the age group you are refereeing.

Updated list of FIFA World Cup Referees

See the latest list from 27-MAY-2010 here.

Very interesting stuff, this list shows the proposed teams of referees for the tournament.

Poll: What region will the referee be from for the final?

Alright folks ... a new poll is up at kicking back.

What region will the referee be from for the final?

Vote early, vote often ... Poll closes before the semi-final matches.

I will also try to (gracefully) put up what referee will work the final as well.

A complete list of the 2010 referees is here for those interested.

Let the games begin!

Please read the disclaimer ... please ...

Being a technology professional, I am always on the look out for something cool or informative in the electronic frontier.

Being a legal professional, I am always leery of what I just saw, or shared, will get me into, or those I associate with, in trouble.

I think this some of these fall more in the latter than the former (somewhat).

Before proceeding, please take a moment and familiarize yourself with the Legal Stuff portion of the blog which basically says ... it's not my fault.

With that I ran across a referee section of a 2010 World Cup Blog that on the surface looked pretty good. I am interested to see what the authors have up their sleeve as some of their posts were both cutting, and funny.

Again, please read the disclaimer ... please ...

... And since we were talking about preperation.

Big kudos to US Soccer for making all of its information available on line for all to see. Of particular note for me tonight has been the Referee Directives from US Soccer.

These (10) areas while certainly not unique to the plight of referees, make up the fabric of what both referees and assessors need to be familiar with.

Each can be downloaded from the above link ... and should for those truly interested in getting on the curve (not even ahead of it) with regard to their refereeing and assessing. While we will step into each in the days ahead, they are a must read now.

Sir ... Step away from the ice cream cone

Much is often made about referee fitness, and rightly so. Fitness is a critical component to match control. While not always used, it must always be available in the event it is called on.

What is not often discussed is assessor fitness. A brief story to help illustrate ...

Over this beautiful Memorial Day weekend I had the opportunity to stop with one of my kids for an ice cream at a local establishment for such. While waiting for our order, I overheard (it was really not that hard as they were speaking VERY LOUDLY) a conversation about how poor the refereeing was at a local soccer match, in particular regarding offside decisions.

My first reaction was to look in the direction of the speaker, and when I did I almost immediately dismissed their comments. Why you ask? Because the speaker was about 300 pounds with ice cream dripping from the hand that was not holding the phone.

How could I take that opinion seriously? They certainly did not look like a referee, or act like a referee, or even seem knowledgeable in the game beside knowledge of the term "offside" which seemed to be in the correct context.

It got me thinking (as I was eating my cake batter ice cream with rainbow sprinkles) that how can a referee take an assessor seriously when they don't look or act the part? Now, granted I may be taking this example to an absurd extreme, but the message stands. It is important for referee and assessor alike to be knowledgeable, act, and look the part.

Now fitness for an assessor clearly need not be to the level of a referee, but to "sell" a message to a referee that much better, putting down the ice cream cone may not be a horrible idea. I know I'm going to.

West Virginia ... or Bust

Well ... it's that time again.

Where players are finishing up their spring seasons and getting ready to compete in State Cup tournament action to see if they will be representing their states, and maybe their regions.

Referees are tuning up from the winter off, or optimally, from a winter indoor season and themselves are getting ready to compete for the same coveted spots as the teams.

Referee assessors, if they are worth their salt, are indeed doing the same. Readying their understanding of the particular tournaments and refreshing themselves about the laws of the game all in the knowledge that they will have the opportunity to mold some (probably) younger referees in the short days ahead.

This series of posts will deal with the lead up to, and details of, the 2010 US Youth Soccer Region I Championships. (Look here for the official website and here for Region I tournament information.)

My goal is to get more behind the scenes that would be typical, in a way that will protect the anonymity of the folks that I will be interacting with ... if they so choose, and give some insight along the way that some may find helpful. Others I anticipate will not, and that is okay too as sometimes learning what *not* to do from others is a valuable lesson.

So hang on, and lets see what develops.