Nice to see it happens everywhere, not just in MLS as some opine

We need refereeing consistency demands Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes that there needs to be more consistency in refereeing decisions.

Ferguson was speaking after his side had beaten Bolton Wanderers 3-0 at Old Trafford on Saturday.

He was unhappy that referee Peter Walton, who awarded United a penalty in the 21st minute which was subsequently saved, did not send off Zat Knight for illegally denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. ...

See the whole story here, from Click-Manchester.com

Kicking Back Comments: So there are two sides to this. First is, a 3-0 loss win is frankly hard to pin on a referee. In a case like this I would think an initial comment would be one of introspection, not blame I think Sir Alex got it mostly right, and was my mistake for thinking otherwise initially as I had the score reversed. Due apologies to Sir Alex (I think my bias just showed through). Second, fairly often we hear a chorus of "experts" saying that what the MLS needs is Eurpoean referees to come in and be more consistent. Well guess what, Sir Alex may want to consider hiring some MLS guys for consistency.

Yes I recognize (now more than before) these two points are in conflict, which is what makes the whole thing funny to me in the first place.

FIFA12 House Cleaning ... Including Roo

So as part of my "day job" I am involved in managing a line of business that produces among other things, software. Over the last few days I have been running across just how incredibly well FIFA12 is doing and was thinking I should have gone into gaming software, not the stuff I currently do. Kidding of course, but it continues to amaze me how well the FIFA franchise is doing.

Take a look here at "FIFA 12 claims sixth week at top of UK charts", where FIFA12 is just rolling over everybody else in the UK. Also from several articles, we find out that FIFA12 is becoming the largest sports game in history with a 23% year on year increase in sales to FIFA11.

Now the last stactistics that really caught my attention were from videoganmer.com.

"Four weeks into the launch, we have hosted 271 million online games, an increase of 105 per cent over last year. Fans are currently playing an average of 94 million minutes per day of FIFA 12 online. These numbers can be confusing so let me provide some context."

Yes he said 94 million minutes of FIFA12 per day. Yeah that equates to about 65,000 people playing 24 hours a day. (I need to find what Jr. is up to =/)

"One month after FIFA 12 launched in stores, the game is still on the console tray and thus still generating incremental revenue. Players are rewriting our assumptions about their traditional decay curve. They're playing longer, they're more engaged and they are eager to spend in order to extend the experience."

Do you think these guys at EA Sports have this one wired?

Finally, and funny, was this article how Roo lost the Ballon d'Ore (I though he had it personally), but how he then lost to a 17 year old Portuguese teenager in a FIFA12 match. Afterward Roo was apparently making excuses about how he was not able to play as much as he would have liked.

To which frankly I say good (as I do with Jr.) as I would rather see them both kick a real ball around, than a video image of one.

2012 Northeast Regional Futsal Championships - Finals Today!!

Today was one of those times that goofing around in my backyard I found buried treasure.

It came in the form of the 2012 Regional Futsal Tournament going on in Brookline (MA) that was going on over the last couple of days. Similar to the outdoor Youth Regionals we all know, love, and have talked about here, this is the futsal equivalent, and the finals to see who is going to the National tournament held February 18 - 20 in Overland Park, KS. Check out the promo from US Youth Futsal below.



I was truly fascinated by the refereeing of the game as I had the pleasure to watch FIFA referees Shane Butler and Jason Krnac work a match first thing Sunday morning. Both have represented the US for CONCACAF appointments and Jason represented the US as a referee at the 2008 Futsal World Cup in Brasil.

I had the opportunity to speak at length with both referees and found them both to be tremendous referees as well as truly interesting people. I would not be surprised to see an interview here with one or both detailing their experience with The Game.

Jason Krnac at 2012 Northeast Regional Futsal Championships

It was a fantastic experience for me, so much so that I have begun a series of stories about futsal, how to become a referee (I think I am on the hook for that one now), some of the differences in how US Soccer administers these referees as compared to outdoor referees (this was fascinating to me), and what I belive are some distinct advantages to being both a futsal and outdoor referee.

So if you are in the Boston area, come on down to the Park School at 171 Goddard Avenue in Brookline, MA starting at 8:00 AM on the 16th, check out some great referees, great play, and catch the bug like I did today.

General and schedule information can be found here, on the Massachusetts Futsal Association site, or at Twitter @FutsalMA.

Upgrade Kudos

As we have done here in the past, I would like to congratulate Steve Dileo and Ken Koopmans, who have recently been upgraded to Grade 5 (State Referee 1st Class).

While all upgrades are worth mentioning, this particular move to a Grade 5 is particularly noteworthy. With this move it most clearly demonstrates the commitment these folks have to The Game. Now in full disclosure I have the pleasure of knowing these guys and can attest personally that is true. They are both excellent referees who put a lot into their craft.

Also noteworthy is that Grade 5 is a place where a referee has to make a real decision. National or not? Some may say this decision should have been made earlier, even before going to a Grade 5. I am mixed on the topic as I believe there is a place for "State Nationals" as it were ... the best a state has to offer within its own boarders. There is a place for these referees. These folks are the best within the state that want stay within the state, so to speak.

For others the decision is a mere formality as they already know they want to go on to do games that only a National Badge will let them do.

In all cases it is an event to be celebrated, as with it, these referees enter the top 1% of referees in US Soccer.

Well done!

TMT Episode 2: Administration

Download it below, or at right from the iTunes Store.

One Trillion Dollars!!

FIFA vows tough action on match fixing in soccer

(CNN) -- FIFA's head of security has told CNN that match-fixing in soccer is fueled by an illegal gambling market of up to $1 trillion and says governments must work together to stamp out the problem.

Chris Eaton, a former head of international crime agency Interpol, has been tasked by world football's governing body with breaking up a lucrative underground industry. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of CNN as well as the video from CNN below.



Kicking Back Comments: If accurate (and I have no reason to believe it is not), this is an astounding amount of money. This is certainly a serious security concern. No question. I would think a good place to start is within the halls of FIFA itself as there are plenty of allegations to be looked at. Also it may find itself in a better moral position to investigate such crimes (and they are) with cleaner hands.

Why not China?

Why China fails at football

Little red card
The telling reasons why, at least in football, China is unlikely to rule the world in the near future

The Buddha tells the people he can fulfil only one of their wishes. Someone asks: “Could you lower the price of property in China so that people can afford it?” Seeing the Buddha frown in silence, the person makes another wish: “Could you make the Chinese football team qualify for a World Cup?” After a long sigh, the Buddha says: “Let’s talk about property prices.” ...

See the complete article here, courtesy of The Economist.

Kicking Back Comments: An interesting read as to why China is failing at football on the worlds stage. A question I continue to ask is, if a country does not have a viable team, do they have viable referees? Which comes first the teams, or the referee, or are they necessarily tied together to accede together on the worlds stage?

Physically Impossible?

Why the ref cannot get offside decisions right

It is just as football fans always suspected. Referees' inadequate eyesight means they can never be sure of getting offside decisions right.

But it may not be the officials' incompetence that is to blame, despite their reputation for needing glasses or a white stick. A soccer-loving GP argues that the rule which has ruled out so many goals should be scrapped because human eyes are just not up to the job of collating all the information needed for split-second verdicts.

Francisco Belda Maruenda, a fan of Real Madrid and his local teams, says applying the offside rule correctly "is beyond the capacity of the human eye, which may explain why so many offside decisions are controversial". In an article in the British Medical Journal today, he suggests the use of freeze-frame television.

But he told the Guardian: "It is obvious that television can be just used in the case of international matches or in Premier League matches but not in the case of regional or young leagues. That is why, as the offside rule cannot be applied scientifically, it should be removed." ...

See the whole article here, courtesy of Guardian.

Kicking Back Comments: I don't buy this on two levels. I don't doubt the science that eyes can not be four places at once, but I would opine they do not need to. (You can access the full article from the BMJ here (subscription required).) First of all, you can always listen to when the ball is struck to determine when you will judge the offside. This can usually be done even at large stadiums. There are times however that this is not possible due to crowd noise, or a subtle touch.

Assuming however that you can not hear what is going on, what is an AR to do in the case of having multiple things to look at?

Well, assuming the entire play is not in the field of view of the AR, and keep in mind, scientifically, the field of view for a human is pretty large (The approximate field of view of a human eye is 95° out, 75° down, 60° in, 60° up. About 12–15° temporal and 1.5° below the horizontal is the optic nerve or blind spot which is roughly 7.5° high and 5.5° wide.[source]), the AR must take "snapshots in time" and infer if a player is offside or not based on ball and player movement. All of this in a second or two. In short, the AR has to put several pictures together to make the call.

A GUESS YOU GASP!

No, a reasonable inference based on actual information the AR observes.

It's not easy, and takes lots and lots of practice, but in the case where you can not see everything in one "look", this is what an AR must do to get the call right. This is the magic of the highest level ARs who can do this and get it right.

This may make some folks uncomfortable, especially Mr. Maruenda I would imagine, but guess what, referees don't actually see everything and still make correct calls based on the other (than visual) information given. It is what makes a good referee, a great referee. This is a part of The Game folks, and frankly it is a wonderful thing that a referee has the freedom in the LOTG to "fill gaps" with reasonable inferences to manage a match.

Second place this goes off the rails is the suggestion that Law 11 should be "removed" because it " ... can not be applied scientifically (at all levels)." To which I say nonsense.

Ignoring the approximate 164 years of history with the offside law, to suggest it should not be enforced because the application lacks "scientific basis" (that's really the wrong term as it does have a scientific basis ... a better word may be "precision") I say is nonsense too.

The Game is not a mathematical equation that has a finite outcome, it is a series of interactions and subsequent reactions that unfold before everyone eyes. The Game is art, not science.

That to me is why, it is truly The Beautiful Game.

Incorrect Football Refereeing Decisions to be made Mandatory

In what appears to be a follow up of UEFA President Michel Platini's comments about video technology, a spokesperson for the governing body in European Football made the announcement in a press conference yesterday.

"UEFA has decided to make incorrect referee decisions mandatory, effective from the knock out stages of the UEFA Champions League and the Last-16 of Europa League. This ruling will be applicable to only these 2 tournaments this season. However, starting the 2012-13 season, allleagues and all competitions overseen by UEFA will be required to introduce mandatory referee decisions which are incorrect. This decision was taken up as part of our efforts to drive the organization along the 'totally-not-ridiculous' vision of our legendary President Michel Platini."

See the whole story here, courtesy of The Spoof.

Kicking Back Comments: What's that saying? Funny how art imitates life? 

FIFA suspend Angolan referee Heldér Martins

January 1 - FIFA has suspended the Angolan referee Heldér Martins, the country's Football Federation (FAF) have confirmed.

FAF told the Angolan Press Agency that Martins had been informed of the suspension but that no reason had been given.

The agency reported that they have requested further information from FIFA for the reasoning behind the ban.

See the whole story here, courtesy of Inside World Football.

Kicking Back Comments: The US has in the past "benched" FIFA referees (and others), officially, and not officially by not assigning them to matches.

Frankly they have every right to do so for good cause, and should, to prevent even a whiff of impropriety by a referee on, or off the field. For those of us involved with US Soccer, have you read the Code of Ethics for Referees?

If not, you certainly should. It can be found here in the Administrative Handbook. A worthy read for all referees at all levels.

More Government Incompetance

Well someone should be very embarrassed over this one. As some may have seen, in celebration of the London 2012 Olympic games, a series of 29 50p coins were released, one per sport.

Well the football (soccer) coin, of which about 500K are in circulation, feebly attempts to explain offside on one side of the coin ... and gets it wrong. Only by about 17 years or so though ... so it was close by government standards.

As you would imaging everyone at the Royal Mint is spinning and believes the coin is "provoking discussion", or is "true" in representing an offside position.

To which I say ... rubbish.

It is true that it is a collectors item however, and I am in the process of getting one for myself. Call me hypocritical.

You can see the full story (and image of the coin) here, from Guardian.

TMT Episode 1: Goals

Download it below, or at right from the iTunes Store.

FIFA Hack on Xbox Still Very Much at Issue

Xbox Live 'FIFA hack' concerns continue to escalate, Microsoft states Windows Live ID not compromised

Following an increasing occurrence of Xbox Live account hack reports, we are growing concerned over Microsoft's Windows Live ID system, the only layer of protection between a hacker gaining access to a person's Xbox Live account and their information. In our research, the only consistency we saw across users who were hacked was the general inconsistency of what email and payment method was used on their account. Hotmail, Gmail and school emails were used for their Windows Live ID, while payment methods used were credit cards and PayPal. Other than a compromised Windows Live ID, there wasn't a common thread we could identify. ...

See the whole article here, courtesy of Joystiq.

Kicking Back Comments: In my "day job" I am responsible (in part) for investigations like this. IMHO Microsoft needs to take this a little more seriously or they could find themselves in a world of hurt if a large number of people are stolen from.

TV Rights for Election Help

Former Official Says FIFA Traded TV Rights for Election Help

The former vice president of soccer’s governing world body said that he was awarded World Cup television rights for as little as $1 in exchange for helping Sepp Blatter win elections for the presidency of FIFA.

Jack Warner, who resigned from FIFA in June amid bribery allegations, said in a statement Thursday that the organization awarded him the 1998 World Cup rights in his native Trinidad & Tobago for $1 after he helped Blatter win a "brutal" campaign to become FIFA president.

A former president of regional body CONCACAF and the Caribbean Football Union, Warner also said he was sold the rights for the 2002 and 2006 World Cups after helping Blatter get re-elected in 2002, and later bought the 2010 and 2014 rights. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of Fox News Latino.

Kicking Back Comments: Now it will get good. "Retirement" has a way of loosening the tongue.

It's all in your point of view

So I Tweeted about this over the holiday break ... and on a level this is really quite funny where a University of Arizona fan posed as a referee (specifically the Head Linesman, hence the "H" on his jersey) and after stopping the game on the last play of the first half, proceeded to strip down to a Speedo and ran around inside the field.

Take a look at the video clearly taken from the viewpoint of his compatriots or some incredibly keen eyed fans that should be working for the CIA.

Viewer warning for crude language and nudity.



But dear friends, lets take a look at this clip from the broadcast TV, and folks, these are the same moments in time.



What was the referee (the guy in the white hat) looking at?
You guessed it ... the streaker.

What should have the referee (and for that matter, the whole refereeing team) have been looking at.
You guessed it ... the players.

A question I would have if I was the assessor is why the *BLEEP* in a hotly contested football game are the referees leaving players to their own devices?

In this case the only ones that got it right were the coaches from both teams who got right out there, and the cameraman who was EXCELLENT in showing the spark that caused the whole thing. That cameraman "smelt" what was going on better than the referees.

Shame on the players for causing the incident, and shame on the refereeing team for failing to avoid the incident.

Harsh? Maybe. But at this level and above, there are no excuses for lapses in concentration this poor. Yes even a streaker. You need to be aware all the time.

Let me posit two questions and leave them for thought:

What do YOU as a referee look at when a player is being tended to for an injury (caused by another player)?
Should YOU be looking at something else instead?

Gotta Love Jib-Jab: 2011 Buh-Bye

Programming Note - Holiday Version

Friends,

Over the next couple of weeks I will be in studio creating audio for "Two Minute Tips." If all goes according to plan, you will start to see a weekly audio episode starting January 7th, 2012 here and in iTunes.

Each episode will be two minutes in length and is intended to be those little nuggets you get after your formal assessment that can help you in the right scenario.

To be sure, even the most beautiful pearl of wisdom starts as a grain of sand or other irritant, so bear with me as we find our way together.

In all events, enjoy your holiday season, and I will see you all on the other side of the break.

Thanks for reading,
PK

The Bicycle

The police departments of many cities hold annual auctions to get rid of seized and unclaimed property. Some of the stuff is repossessed, some comes from estates, some is stolen and discarded, or just found on the streets in public places. There is a wide assortment of items, everything from entire houses to knick-knacks for the mantle. Art work is in good supply. There is always plenty of electronic equipment and cameras, and lots of cars.

And usually a fair number of bicycles.

So it was that a young boy of 11 found himself at the police auction one day. He waited patiently for the paintings, cameras and home furnishings to be sold off. Eventually it was time for the bicycles.

The first bike to be auctioned was a beat-up old cruiser with more than a few dings and two well worn tires. It had been abandoned at a popular dumpsite near the river. The young boy immediately came to life and registered his first bid, of $5. The bidding continued, but the boy did not bid again, and the bike was sold for $16.

Several more bikes were wheeled onto the block, each one getting a little newer and nicer than the one before. The boy’s bidding pattern was repeated. With each bike, he registered a bid of $5, but as each bike’s price climbed, the boy stopped bidding.

Finally, the last bike to be auctioned was wheeled to the stage. It was a shiny, almost new ten-speed in immaculate condition, with a titanium frame and racing saddle. It had been taken from a drug dealer’s house.

The boy looked on dejectedly, knowing this bike would also be well out of his price range.

There was an almost imperceptible pause and a subtle murmur in the audience, as the auctioneer cleared his throat and opened the bidding on the last bike. By this time the boy was slumped in his chair, head down, and his perfunctory $5 bid was barely audible.

The auctioneer repeated his call for additional bids, yet none were forthcoming. Surely someone would give more than five dollars for a bike that was worth a hundred times that amount. The boy pulled his head up and looked around the audience. Everyone in the room looked back and smiled, but nobody bid. Going once…going twice…SOLD to the young man in the back for $5!

And so it was that an eleven year-old boy with only $5 to his name took home the best bike in the house, due to the collective kindness of a room full of complete strangers.

Merry Christmas

Can't they just shake hands?

Poyet backs Suarez "to the death"

Former Uruguay international Gustavo Poyet says he backs countryman Luis Suarez "to the death" after the Liverpool striker was banned for eight matches for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra.

Poyet, who spent 19 years playing in England with Chelsea, Tottenham and Swindon, labelled the FA's punishment "shocking and disproportionate" and insisted Suarez had suffered from cultural differences between England and Uruguay. ...

See the whole article here, courtesy of ESPN.

Kicking Back Comments: Where is Sepp when you need him? Mr. Racism things this can be washed away with a handshake? Why didn't the FA just make the guys shake hands? That would have solved it, right?

Wrong.

I actually think Suarez is the unlucky victim of an FA message to FIFA that "racism will not be tolerated." Even taken at face value the punishment may be seen as excessive, FA is sending the message that "if FIFA won't deal with it, we will."

The FA certainly has an axe to grind with FIFA, and this may just have been the latest installment.

Well that was quick

FIFA's new governance committee under fire for lack of transparency and independence

Even before their first meeting, the newly appointed members of FIFA's Independent Governance Committte (IGC) have received an indication of the scrutiny their work will face. Committee members are being criticised for not being independent enough of FIFA, whilst organisations like Transparency International and Football Supports Europe have declined to join the committee. ...

See the whole article here from PlayTheGame.

Kicking Back Comments: My knee-jerk reaction was a yawn as I have come to expect this from FIFA.

On closer inspection however there are some interesting things from the article, like Sunil Guliti is a member of the IGC. Hmmmmm ... FIFA throwing the US a bone of some type, or just another useless committee?

Also, from the article:

"In another blog post, Pielke points to the problems it raises for the committee and its president Mark Pieth that is has not disclosed that FIFA paid Pieth an amount of $128,000 and more than $5,000 per day to produce an initial report for FIFA."

Wow ... it's good to be a FIFA lacky.