See you in January?

Players support winter World Cup in 2022

After the comments by Sepp Blatter, Michel Platini and Franz Beckenbauer that the 2022 FIFA World Cup should be played in January instead of June/July, strong support has come from FIFPro, the world footballers’ union which also believes the 2022 World Cup in Qatar should be held in the winter instead of summer.

Summer temperatures hit 50 degrees centigrade in the Gulf and FIFPro has said it is pleased FIFA is open to changing the tournament’s timing to address the issue of heat. ...

See the full article here, courtesy of George Cumming's Football Blog.

Programming Note

Friends,

In the next couple of days I will be completing my preparation for completing my law school studies. During this time I do have a couple of stories queued up for you for your reading pleasure, and I am sure JAFO and Nigel will jump in as well.

I will be back online for the turn of the New Year to answer any comments and "set the bar" for 2011.

Until then, be safe, stay healthy, and enjoy the holidays.

A word of the year

As some of you know I am developing in to a sesquipedalian in my old age. That's just fancy speak for, "I like to unnecessarily use big words."

I am blaming my imminent completion of law school on this phenomenon. Hopefully it will pass.

In the mean time however, I was reading Paul Levy's recent entry, "I'm gonna scream." In it, he points to a recent NYT article that detailed the words of the year that have been added to the English lexicon.

Chief among them ... Vuvuzela.

Yes folks, I just can't get enough ...

Just to finish the year off right, here is a fun story from CNN detailing the history of the fabled horn.

Services for Richard Filippetti

Additional information, and details about the services for Rich have been posted on the Massachusetts State Referee Committee web site here.

Referees planning on attending services are encouraged to wear USSF formal attire.

No comments ... please

Merry Christmas from Kicking Back!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Soccer and the Christmas Truce of 1914

As JAFO is fond of saying, and is correct ... Soccer Is Life.

For those who have not read the story of the Christmas Truce of 1914 please take a few moments and read the linked story and materials. It is an amazing piece of history.

While today, war is a part of life, and for some, sadly, a way of life, this story gives me hope that it does not have to be that way forever.

One interesting note for me was the fact that there were no referees for these matches. This fact continues to strengthen my conviction that referees are really just surplus for THE game anyway as it belongs to the players.

Please note the early release time of this one, as if you are in the same boat as me, you have screaming kids already up and tearing up the house. Nothing better.

Merry Christmas to all!!

Soccer and the Christmas Truce of 1914

It’s can be difficult to explain to one’s fellow non-soccer-loving Americans just how powerful a force the game of soccer is in the world.

For example, soccer can be the spark that ignites the flames of war.

In an already existing atmosphere of heightened political tensions over the borders between El Salvador and Honduras, the qualifying matches for the 1970 World Cup between those two countries led to La guerra del fútbol or “The Football War.” After 100 hours of combat some 3,000 soldiers and civilians were dead and hundreds of thousands of civilians had been displaced. After the war, because each country had won the home leg of their qualifiers, a play-off had to be played, which El Salvador won. They didn’t make it out of the group stages of the World Cup in Mexico and some four decades later the demarcation of the new borders between the two countries has yet to be formalized.

Or, soccer can be the symbol that finally turns the page on a long ended war. ...

Full story continues here, courtesy of The Philly Soccer Page.

Passing of a friend

Dear Friends,

On 23-DEC a true friend of the game, Rich Filippetti, has passed away after a long, and strongly-fought, battle with cancer.

In this holiday time please take just a minute and keep the Filippetti Family in your thoughts as we all have lost a greatly respected member of the Mass Youth Soccer community.

What we were there NOT to see

So the other day I was at Jr.'s indoor match intently watching his, and his teams' performance. Halftime came and the young referee was standing at midfield, juggling the ball, passing the five or so minutes mandated by the facility for halftime rest.

Then it happened.

He missed a juggle, slipped over top the ball, and came crashing down on the pitch.

Ouch.

As he had drawn quite a crowd of spectators and players watching him, he was rewarded with a round of applause and took a bow for good measure ... no harm done.

Or was there?

Later in the match, you guess it, there was a contraversal call. There was some grumbling among parents, and one wise guy said:

Maybe you should stick to playing

I don't believe the young referee heard it, but the point was made ... albeit rudely.

This point was that we were there not to watch a referee show us how good a player he is. A referee is there just to referee the match. No more, no less.

Don't get me wrong, there are a fair number of referees out there, even at the international and professional level that have a "look at me" attitude, sometimes for the wrong reasons.

There is a time to be seen certainly, but most if the time you job is to be hidden and let the players show their skills.

It was once described to me a "getting out your invisible paint and painting yourself before a match." It was an interesting analogy, but also a very accurate one. You just don't want to be seen unless you have to.

Not juggling at midfield during halftime is a good place to start.

Fourteen Get FIFA Badges

Kicking Back Comments: I can only imagine there is no greater thrill than to be a pioneer in a new land. Congratulations to these referees who will now serve as Tanzania's finest.

FIVE local referees and nine assistant referees have been awarded FIFA badges for the 2011 year by the world soccer governing body.

The list comprises four men referees and seven assistants, while there is also one women referee and two assistant referees.

The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) Acting General Secretary Sunday Kayuni named those who have been awarded the full referee badges as Ibada Ramadhan Kibo, Mbaga Oden Charles, Israel Nkongo, and Waziri Sheha.

Bulali Josephati Deu, Hamis Chang'walu, Kanyenye Rongional John, Clemence Erasmo Jesse, Kombo Ally, Maswa Hamisi, Mpenzu Samuel Hudson are the assistant referees considered.

Gamba Judith Andrew is the only full woman referee considered, whereas Makame Mwanahija Foum and Tibabimale Saada Hussein have secured women assistant referee badges.

Source: allAfrica.com.

All I Want for Christmas is ...

Screenshot Courtesy EA Mobile

FIFA 11 goes live for iPad

EA Mobile has released FIFA 11 for iPad, just in time for Christmas. Although if you're on a slower broadband connection, you might want to start downloading it now to ensure it's playable by 25 December - it's a whopping 890MB download.

As you'd expect from FIFA, there are bags of fully-licensed teams to play - 500 from around the world - and 35 gloriously-HD stadia to do it in. It has to be said, too, that the game looks amazing on the iPad screen. ...

Full review continues here, courtesy recombu.com.

No news yet on who's managing US Referees, but ...

... the contact page at US Soccer has changed a bit.

Take a look here.

Any guesses anyone?

“The most annoying player”

So says Claus Bo Larsen, FIFA referee since 1996, of Cristiano Ronaldo from a goal.com article here.

Take a look at the article however as it goes on to say that:

“Cristiano Ronaldo is given a clean slate at the start of every game, but when he would lie down after failing to win a free-kick, he would smile at me because he knows I don’t fall for his theatrics.”

Now *THAT* is refereeing at the highest levels. Know what is coming, talk with the players, and react (not prejudge) when an incident occurs.

Another outstanding FIFA refereeing talent retiring this month.

Nobel Prize?

The NYT had a very interesting article about Blatter's recent visit to Qatar after their victory in securing the 2022 World Cup.

Most of this article spoke about his recent gaffe regarding homosexuals and just how revealing it was of the man himself.

In addition to this, there was a piece that caught my eye. From the article:

This gaffe may take him even further from the Nobel Peace Prize, which he has been lusting after for years. A Nobel Peace Prize for doling out soccer tournaments under murky circumstances, and occasionally prattling about fair play?

Are you [bleeping] me?

Is this pol really in the hunt for a Nobel Peace Prize?
He's kidding, right?

After poking around though, it would seem he is serious ... or at least he is reported to be, from a variety of sources. (ioL Sport, 7am Kickoff, SI.com)

Reaction to this was fairly visceral:

Excuse me while I vomit in the nearest available bucket.

Quoted one article ... and I share the sentiment.

Maybe we got the reason wrong for the abrupt shift for 2022 to Qatar. It may not have been money after all, but pride.

If Sepp winds up with a Nobel, I would have to say that was the primary reason, not the petrodollars currently under suspicion.

Just watch ...

Or here, if the embedded video does not work.

Celebrating an outstanding career, and a friend

December is a special time of year for many. It includes holidays and the drawing of the year to a close, which is often time for reflection and rejuvenation.

For me personally it is a reminder of getting older as my birthday is in December. This is true of a friend of mine as well, who turns 45 this year.

Now early in my life there was nothing magic about turning 45, other than it was a long, long way away. But in my recent past, turning 45 meant the required end of any journey I would have taken on the FIFA panel.

There was no such journey for me personally ... however there was for Tom Supple FIFA AR. This month is his 45th birthday and his mandatory retirement from the pinnacle of refereeing, the FIFA panel.

I write this not to evoke a sadness in anyone, nor regret in myself for never "taking the plunge", it is rather to celebrate a storied career of one of the best AR's in modern times of THE game, and pay tribute to a friend.

Tom is in the first generation of referees to traverse the entire system in US Soccer, from youth matches to the international game. Prior to this generation, referees were generally molded in amateur leagues around various states and then, if there was a professional league at the time, put to the test there. If these referees were able to survive that gambit, then the very lucky were asked to join the FIFA panel as a referee, and potentially on to other assignments as well such as those within CONCACAF or even a World Cup.

David Socha

Refereeing legends such as David Socha who whistled at (2) World Cups (1982 and 1986) were of such ilk. Others such as Vinnie Mauro, Angelo Bratsis, Alfred Kleinaitis, and Ed Bellion who were on the FIFA panel in the 1990's were in similar standing.

As with other referees today, Tom was required to start literally in his backyard, on the South Shore of Massachusetts. Youth matches were the staple of his refereeing diet and included all levels of the game at local leagues, and the occasional club match in various parts of the state.

It wasn't long before Tom was recognized for his superior refereeing ability and was invited to local tournaments, and others such as the Massachusetts State Cup, as well as a host of other, out of state, prestigious assignments.

By this time, Tom and I had met and were working very regularly on the South Shore at the South Shore Sports Center in Hingham, MA under the gentle tutelage and ageless wisdom of Wally Russell.

It wasn't long before he was thrown head first into the various ethnic leagues the state had to offer as he would share stories of the crazy events of the day that would often include a great match, and an escort from a detail officer off the field.

By now Tom's youth career was in full bloom as he attended the Region I championships in 1993, 94, 95, 96, and was selected to complete his US Youth career in Indiana at the US Youth Soccer Nationals. Tom's adult career at this point included mostly top level amateur and professional matches from the A-League and D-3.

Almost on cue, MLS began in 1995 and Tom was one of the referees selected to start from year 1. As was typical, referees such as Tom that were state referees were assigned as 4th officials and JAR in matches. 

Tom Supple: NE v. Miami circa June 1999

As had been his hallmark his whole career, Tom excelled in his role, and was selected for the AR track at the professional level. Take note however, this also meant a fair number of matches carrying a whistle, and as I discussed recently, he can whistle a match just as good as any FIFA referee I know.

After attaining his National Badge in 1999 he continued to distinguish himself in MLS. So much so, he was appointed to the FIFA AR panel in 2004. Now 9 years in MLS, Tom was on the world's stage.

From there, as with his other accomplishments, he excelled. His assignments at this point consisted of professional, international friendly, international, and World Cup qualifying matches as he traveled throughout CONCACAF ... and the world.

So here we are on the eve of his retirement, 25+ years later, FIFA AR, 15 year MLS veteran, and just one heck of a referee all the way around. I'll be honest though, this is not even half of the story, not by a long shot.

The real story is the quality person Tom is and how much he has sacrificed of his very essence for THE game. He took us all on this fantastic ride for so long. Coast to coast, U-6 to international stage. A truly fantastic voyage.

Some may ask, heck he may ask, things like:
Now what?
Was it worth it?

While I certainly can't answer those things, I can say that through every fiber of by being just one thing with absolute certainty ...

He earned it.

He is a FIFA referee, and shall be held as such for life. For some, that badge itself is a means to an end. For me, after spending a lifetime thinking and dreaming about it, I find it a fleeting honor in the grand scheme. It's not the badge, it's that guy behind that badge that means the most.

And that guy is Tom Supple.

Homosexuals need not attend 2022 World Cup - Blatter

I don't know what else to say except, "wow."

After all how does one rationalize what FIFA President, Sepp Blatter said (even jokingly) at a Monday (13-DEC) press conference in South Africa, of prospective gay fans: "I would say they should refrain from any sexual activities."

This because homosexual acts are illegal in Qatar.

Maybe Sepp is just trying to be the emissary of the 2022 World Cup and let everyone know what to expect?

Maybe Sepp was just hosing down the pitch with testosterone to keep up with South African President Jacob Zuma, who has said at the same press conference that, "When I was growing up, a (insert "homosexual" slur here) would not have stood in front of me. I would have knocked him out."

Nice.

The president of FIFA and the president of South Africa ... what a fitting couple.

As you can imagine there is a backlash to these comments from a variety of sources, and an interesting article is here from the WSJ about the whole situation.

This will however be an interesting mix in 2022 ... culture for cash. We will see just how far people in Qatar are willing to trade their way of life for sponsorship dollars ... at least for a month (in January??).

Observations from State Referee Recertification Clinic

I stopped in at a recertification session for State referees this past Sunday in Westboro. It is a requirement for anyone holding a state badge in Massachusetts. It was well attended, with most of the state referees in attendance, as well as all of the National referees who helped out.

Observation #1: There is a prevailing undercurrent that things should be laid out and made easy for the referees. Several people were heard to say things like, "They should..." or, "There should be..." (with the rest of the sentence containing the suggestion of what someone else should be doing to make the referees' lives easier). Good suggestions to be sure, but hardly anyone started a sentence with, "We should..." or preferably even, "I should..." I'll be the first to acknowledge that refereeing is a difficult and often thankless job, but did we lose our sense of responsibility somewhere along the way?

Observation #2: Many in the room struggled to catch the nuances of the Laws, especially with regard to things that rarely if ever happen in the match. Some of the more obscure questions on the written exam were dismissed as nonsensical and not important enough to worry about. No doubt most referees may never have to deal with a crazy spectator who comes onto the field to prevent the scoring of a goal, but wouldn't it be nice to know you can when and if it happens? Anybody can handle the common stuff. Better referees are going to prepare for the unusual events which inevitably occur when least expected.

Observation #3: There is a lot of pride in that room. When asked if they wanted to downgrade their fellow officials who did not attend the clinic, the overwhelming sentiment was yes. Being a State Referee requires annual assessments, fitness training, clinic attendance and even a financial commitment that is significantly more than the rest of the population. These people generally have the soccer culture firmly embedded in their souls. They want to keep the standards high. We should be happy to have them representing our state.

Great tackle ... by the coach

So for those who follow grid iron football, and especially those who follow the AFC East, we were treated to a very interesting incident in the contest between the NY Jets and Miami Dolphins. The incident was reported by several outlets (ESPN here) and details NY Jets strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi intentionally tripping Miami cornerback Nolan Carroll during punt coverage as he ran out of bounds. Carroll required some brief medical attention after the incident.

Now, regarding this incident (and I am not going to hide my feelings here), this coward was suspended for the remainder of the season, and fined $25,000 (source). [Please take note that the fine for this coach for this single incident was more than the fine of both Spain and the Netherlands combined for their entire teams during the World Cup final.] While this is a good start, Alosi should also lose his job for doing something so monumentally stupid that place a player in genuine jeopardy.

He of course was remorseful for his actions, and I believe that was genuine, however for me there is only so much afterthought that can be given credit for an absolute lack of forethought.

With that as a stage, what happens if this occurs at a soccer match? What is the decision here?

Keep in mind the incident occurred OUTSIDE THE FIELD, AND AWAY FROM PLAY, or should that even matter?

For the moment let's assume that a brawl did not break out as a result of the incident (as some Miami players would have liked), and the referee did see the incident (as opposed to what happened in this game), and a player simply ran out of bounds as part of play and was tripped by a coach standing out of bounds.

For this answer I am using the 2010/2011 LOTG found here, and 2009/2010 Advice found here.

First, is there anything wrong with the player leaving the field? After all the player "left the field" without permission of the referee, is that a caution as required by Law 12 (p.26 LOTG)?

In this case, no. See section 3.9 of the Advice which states that this conduct is acceptable, if during the normal course of play and not for a tactical advantage. Note, there are exceptions for other situations as discussed in the LOTG and Advice.

So it would seem the player was playing, even if off the field, and the coach was off the field ... it is a foul?
In other words, should we start with a free kick for a foul?

Here too the answer is a clear no, as the opposing coach (who tripped the player) is not an "opponent" as required to be a foul for law 12. From p. 25 of the LOTG a foul would lie if one "kicks or attempts to trip an opponent." Please note, "an opponent" is interpreted to be "an opponent player", while I can make an argument that this coach is "an opponent", and the laws are NOT clear in making the distinction between an opponent (such as a coach) or an opponent player, just roll with me here and know I mean a player.

Can we even stop the game then? After all we have an incident outside the field by people other than players. Where do we have the authority to do this, and should we?

A clear yes is the case here as from Law 5 p.16 the referee may:
"stops, suspends or abandons the match because of outside interference of any kind."

 So we are allowed to do this, but should we?

My answer here is YOU BETTER. If you see it, and it was intentional act by a coach, substitute, whatever ... deal with it right then. Otherwise, the players will. Now the physics of the situation can change greatly based on venue, level and so on. My though here is to stop the game and deal with it, or have those tasked to deal with it (e.g. local staff) deal with it.

Is there a misconduct for the coach?

You betcha. That coach should be "expelled" (note I did not say, "get sent off"), and not return. The LOTG do not have allowances for "send off" a coach per se. That misconduct is reserved for players. See Law 5 p.16 for the distinction.

What is the coach "expelled" for?

Directly from LOTG, Law 5 p.16:
"takes action against team officials who fail to conduct themselves in a responsible manner and may, at his discretion, expel them from the field of play and its immediate surrounds."

So coaches and staff are "expelled" for failing to conduct themselves in a "responsible manner." If you find yourself in this spot, use these magic words on the match report.

So all of this out of the way, how do we restart the match?
Section 5.19 of the Advice is INVALUABLE for this type of question. So look at the table, and let's review.

The offense was committed against an opponent or any other person, off the field. (Row 2, Column 4)

The restart is a drop ball at the spot where the ball was when play was stopped. (Row 3, Column 4)

And this makes sense too from a "fairness" perspective. As this took place outside the field, by an outside agent (a coach), it stands to reason it would be a drop ball. It is NOT a foul (so no free kick), and there was no foul by a player (such as leaving the field without permission), so there should be no free kick for such. Note however, if the ball was out of play, you begin with the appropriate restart. (Column 5)

Our friends at Ask A Soccer Referee have tackled variations on this theme, and their answer is here.

And before you think this can't happen ... check out below (or here if video does not work)

IOC Inquiry Closing

Olympic chief sees corruption probe over in months

GENEVA — Olympic chief Jacques Rogge said on Monday that the IOC's own inquiry into senior sports officials, triggered by allegations of corruption at FIFA, should be completed within months.

"The commission is working with due diligence it's definitely not something that's for tomorrow but it will not, in my humble opinion, last for months," Rogge told journalists.

The International Olympic Committee seized its ethics commission two weeks ago to examine evidence from a BBC report that targeted three senior executive officials at world football's governing body FIFA. ...

Full story continues here, courtesy of AFP.

CONCACAF has the news ...

... but where is the US Soccer announcement on Brian's promotion?

NEW YORK - Former World Cup veteran Brian Hall has been appointed to the newly created position of CONCACAF director of referee administration, and will assume his new post at the confederation's New York headquarters on Monday.

The 49-year-old Hall officiated matches at the amateur and professional level for more than 30 years and was a four-time recipient of U.S. Major League Soccer's Referee of the Year award. He will work in conjunction with the CONCACAF Referee Committee and the FIFA Referee Assistance Program on the appointment, scheduling and assessment of referees. ...

See the CONCACAF site for the full story.