Thank You Veterans

Kicking Back thanks the veterans of all branches and nationalities for their service and sacrifice.

A sobering article of how every day should be Veterans day can be found here, from the NY Post.

I for one agree.

True Class

Coach Steve Bonastia: Seckman High

Imperial, Missouri: As soon as the ball was hit, Seckman (Imperial, Mo.) High School softball coach Steve Bonastia knew his team had just given up a tie-breaking two-run home run.

And he knew that with the game being in the fifth inning, there wasn’t much time left and his team was likely in line for a loss. What he didn’t know, though, was that the umpires – all of them – had seen the ball differently and ruled that the ball bounced over the fence. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of The Good In Sports.

Kicking Back Comments: This story touched me on several levels. First was the fact that a coach was willing to truly correct an error that was made by a referee ... and I don't mean the type that we usually face from a coach, without regard to the actual decision, advocates for their team ... as they should.

This was the story of a team of referees who made a mistake, and a coach, to his and his teams detriment, offered a correction.

Now I say offered here, as the refereeing crew was certainly under no obligation to accept the information. Which lead me to the second touch point ... they did.

How willing are we are referees to overturn a decision to "get it right?" Are we even willing to do that? Some are not and don't even consider it at all. Some may be too easy and at the slightest bit of resistance, reverse a decision.

What about the magnitude of the play ... a lot of time is spent on incidents that result in scoring, which is the whole reason we are using GLT now. But what about the other decision that lead up to it? The penalty that was not given, the ineligible substitution that was made, a foul at midfield that prevented an attack from developing?

Where is the line that we should accept, and act on, such advise?

My friends, it is a slippery slope, and can come down to one word ... fingerspitzengefühl.

Hat Tip to FIFA

FIFA completes first-ever development course in South Sudan

Eighteen months after South Sudan became FIFA’s 209th member association, a programme for top referees and assistant referees in the country finished in Juba on Thursday. It was FIFA’s maiden development course in South Sudan.

Thirty participants – 28 male and two female – from all over South Sudan gathered in the country’s largest city for the five-day programme, which aimed at upgrading the theoretical and practical knowledge of referees and assistants referees on the interpretation of the laws of the game. The course was opened by the President of the South Sudan Football Association, Chabur Goc Alei, and it sparked great attention from the local media. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of FIFA.

Kicking Back Comments: As I have said before, FIFA has a great opportunity to do some real good in the world. Here is another case that they truly have.

What I found interesting is that FIFA wanted no time in telling us that they have spent $426+ million over the last 13 years for Africa. This is not surprising as an article of this type should tell us that, as it is truly significant.

Where I get suspicious is how much is lining the pockets of officials (which I recognize is also a "legitimate" way to do business), and not going toward the end goal of helping the people of Africa. With a number that large however (Almost half a Billion dollars), you figure some significant amount is getting through.

For the goal of getting The Game, and help to Africa however, all credit where credit is due.

An Opinion on "Participation Trophies"

Earning It

About this time every high school soccer season, I'd begin thinking about the awards that we coaches would give our players at our season ending get-together.

I had a tradition that, every other season, I would find a toy, token, or object that fit each player and her abilities, attitudes, or interests. Sometimes they would be obvious, sometimes not. They were always meant to be fun, even if they were occasionally a little ambiguously mean.

The superstitious player who wouldn't abandon her soccer boots at the end of the season, choosing to use duck tape on them instead, received a big roll of tape for the next year. The elegant winger who ran like a colt and cursed like a sailor was given a Princess Leia doll with a tiny bar of soap in her mouth. The player who consistently "forgot" to bring her running shoes to practice got another pair of her very own for the next season. ...

See the whole story here, from Keeping Score

Kicking Back Comments: This is a great story, and one I happen to agree with (as I picked up Little Ms. from her last soccer match on Saturday with her new ribbon she received).

I know that it has been said that 80% of life is showing up ... and there are times I agree with that philosophy ... but I also happen to believe that luck is the residue of hard work.

To just show up and get rewarded for it seems a bit vapid for some things. Work as an example ... now I appreciate service awards as I happen to be a recipient of a 10 year award the other day ... but a "thanks for showing up to work" award seems weird to me.

Youth soccer is kinda the same to me ... a "thanks for playing" award? Just odd.

That said, I believe there should be NO awards at those levels. Just come out and play ... and love it. That is the reward ... not a piece of plastic. How are folks inspired to do their best for that?

Then again ... shouldn't that inspiration to excel come from within? 

Want to see how this went?

As usual @dutchreferee does not disappoint with his questions on Twitter. 

I certainly took the time to answer there ... which apparently brought a few laughs?

It's a good question though ... what are folks doing for their "retirement" from refereeing?

I have my answer ... what's yours?

Just read the commnents

Referee Mark Geiger among PRO crew selected to officiate FIFA Club World Cup next month

Major League Soccer will have a presence at next month's FIFA Club World Cup after all. Sort of.

A three-man crew from the Professional Referee Organization — the governing arm that oversees officiating at the professional level in the United States and Canada — has been selected to officiate matches at the international club championship, PRO announced on Monday.

Referee Mark Geiger (above) and assistant referees Sean Hurd and Joe Fletcher were selected to take part in the event, which takes place Dec. 11-21 in Morocco. The crew, which worked in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2011 and the Olympic Games in England in 2012, will be one of five officiating crews at the annual knockout tournament. ...

See the whole story here, on MLSSoccer.com.

Kicking Back Comments: This is a fabulous assignment for these guys and one that is well deserved. What was funny to me was the comments to the story, that (as of this writing) were solely positive toward Mark ... as they should be.

Generally however, when a referee is the subject, it does not generally go that way.

High marks for the "public at large" to appreciate Mark for his skill as a referee.

What a faker ...

So as I have whined here before several times, football referees are employed often to be drama critics of players taking dives ... and feigning injuries. Here are some highlights:



That last one looked like a fire safety video for "Stop, Drop, and Roll."

Well over this weekend there were a couple of college (gridiron) football matches that seemed to have some faking of injuries ... which similar to football ... serves to stop momentum of a team, and even in some cases preserve "timeouts" which are limited.

In the NFL however things have been interesting. There was a rash of such incidents of feigning injuries, one of which that was particularly blatant can be seen here.

So in 2013, the NFL came out and tried to put the clamps down on such activities by sending out a preseason memo saying the league would not stand for it. Only problem, it has backfired totally as there have been several players who have been actually really hurt, yet were "under investigation" from the NFL as if they had feigned the injury. See here, here, and from Dead Spin, here.

All credit to the NFL for taking the pressure off their referees and have the league do the work. We however have to judge for ourselves if a player is feigning or not.

Now, BE CAREFUL, as getting this one wrong can be costly. There are very few of us out there who are trained physicians or similarly skilled to diagnose an injury, so honestly, we shouldn't ... and even if an MD you can not discharge both duties at the same time.

There are times we have to take some things on faith, call a trainer (who may be in on the game) and get a player the attention they need ... or at least act like they need.

Now at any level except professional or international, getting help should be AUTOMATIC, and even in some cases for pros and internationals it should be automatic (e.g. head injuries). There is very little wiggle room for judging injuries wrongly ... as the NFL is discovering.

So make it easy on yourself ... and don't judge ... just get the trainer.

The Simpsons?

Soccer News: “The Simpsons” And Soccer - The Beautiful Game Goes American Main Stream

After twenty-five years of the famed The SIMPSONS, this ultra popular show embraces soccer with a celebration inspired by the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

The 25th Season of THE SIMPSONS Kicks Off with an Episode Inspired By the FIFA World Cup™ from FOX Broadcasting Company. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of Soccer Nation.

Kicking Back Comments: I am looking forward to this episode  but this is not the first time that The Simpsons has incorporated The Game into a story line. I recall an episode called The Cartridge Family where Homer and family go to a match, and start a riot ... classic Simpsons.

A horribly taken video shows the scene below ... funny stuff. I'm sure Homer living the life of a FIFA referee will be classic too.

Angry Birds ... AR Version

It's not this angry bird ...

It is however an angry bird attacking an Assistant Referee during a match:



Check out the whole thing here, courtesy of dutchreferee.com.

Sepp, you have failed ...

Sepp Blatter: Fifa president calls for zero tolerance towards racism

Fifa president Sepp Blatter says football's world governing body will "have failed" if it does not adopt a zero tolerance approach to racism.

Uefa opened a disciplinary case against CSKA Moscow this week after Manchester City's Yaya Toure complained of being racially abused by their fans.

Blatter said: "If we are not able to go zero tolerance, we have failed." ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of the BBC.

Kicking Back Comments: Sepp, you have failed. You farmed out this serious issue to a committee lead by Jeffrey Webb who is asking why there are not more managers of color in the UK, when another serious racial incident occurred (and Platini started to blame the referee!) ... Sorry folks I called this one in 10 Matches is not enough.

Sepp you have failed, in failing to follow through on your words of points reductions, suspensions, or relegations for racists.

Sepp you have failed, in actually thinking that a handshake is a cure for racism.

Sepp you have failed, in bolstering a simple (5) match ban for racism. Are you serious? We are still at (5) matches?

Sepp you have failed, to not take a proverbial hammer to these people, and expel them, forever. You want to make an impression, suspend the next player guilty of this behavior for all eternity with no opportunity for a reprieve. You will get everyones attention, and get wide support for it.

Sepp, you have failed.

It's about time ...

Majority-woman crew officiates Division II football game in apparent first for NCAA

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The officials sprinted around the field keeping order, throwing flags and even telling the Miles College band to hush once.

It was a typical college football game Thursday night except that four of the seven people wearing the black-and-white stripes were women. ...

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

Kicking Back Comments: Stepping into a situation generally dominated by another group is hard. By all accounts these ladies did very well. It would be stunning to see a woman in the NFL. I think it would be good for the boys and certainly challenge their perspective.

There is one disadvantage that I see however ... particularly with football ...

I believe (truly) that it should be compulsory for a referee to have played the sport that they will now officiate. It does not have to be at the same level (in fact in many cases it likely can not be as there is nearly an equal time spent "making the pro's" as a referee as it is as a player) but at a level where a referee can develop a sense of specific empathy for a competing player. 

For me it was easy. I played from age 5 on straight through to college ... and even after in far more limited circumstances. It help me develop a sense of empathy that I carried forward throughout my career.

My concern with the ladies in football is the same. Some may have certainly played full contact, and good on them for doing so. Some however may not have, and leaves open the possibility for a criticism of these referees that may be justified.

Please note, I believe this is true at the highest levels of the respective game, al la, MLS, NFL, NHL, NBA, and their respective farm teams.

I don't believe this is necessarily the case in some sports even at the collegiate level, and certainly not any level below that. Refereeing should not be reserved for "former players only." 

But I do believe that former players have a slant as a referee that others do not, that helps them manage the highest level player better than those who do not have that experience.

Maybe David Lee Roth ...

Tim Roth to play Fifa president Sepp Blatter on film

British actor Tim Roth is to star as Fifa president Sepp Blatter in a film about football's governing body.

Provisionally titled F2014, Gerard Depardieu will also appear in the movie as Jules Rimet - one of Fifa's founders and its longest-serving president. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of the BBC.

Kicking Back Comments: Don't get me wrong, Tim Roth is a very talented actor indeed and I am sure will portrait Sepp better than the real Sepp could ever hope for.

What I found funny in the article was that the real Sepp found some "similarities" to Tim Roth in real life, to which I had to think that the real Sepp was more akin to David Lee Roth's character in the below video, not the distinguished actor Tim Roth.

What's that about art imitating life ... or something like that?

Sepp TV indeed.

In their own words

So the other day I wrote about the umpire crew in Game 1 of the World Series getting it right in the 1st inning, in "We have to get it right ... ."

Well as if on cue, we have this article, from Masslive.com, that goes into a bit more depth and has direct quotes from the crew and MLB director of operations.

A fascinating look as to how it happened, and how they worked together to correct it.

My definition of insanity is ...

Sepp Blatter: Fifa president hints at increased term

Fifa president Sepp Blatter has given his strongest hint yet that he plans to stay on in the role past 2015 and finish "his mission".

The 77-year-old Swiss, head of the world governing body since 1998, also wants to increase the term for a president from four years to eight. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of the BBC.

Kicking Back Comments: I am a fan of term limits personally. Even in cases where the leadership is exceptional, and remains so, there is a need to build a "bench" to allow others to be ready to take the reigns when the term naturally expires.

In the case of a leader who is not performing, term limits clearly help to minimize issues that are created by a failure of leadership ... which I believe is the case here.

While good in principle, age limits on FIFA referees serve the same purpose where particular physical prowess is required to manage matches at the international level. The issue becomes in my opinion, that I think the window is a bit too small currently. Optimally a term window allows the leader to learn, grow, and become optimally effective in the role. In the case of the FIFA referee, with mandatory retirement at 45, I believe one skill set just coming to play, that of life experience to manage the international player.

I would opine this skill set is just coming around at age 42 - 48, and at a time when physical fitness does not diminish significantly ... and I mean statistically significantly based on published reports ... to effect the performance. So while the head of FIFA has overstayed his welcome, I think their refereeing core is being cut short just a bit too early.

"We have to get it right ..."

Was the mantra of members of the World Series umpiring crew, after an initial incorrect call in the 1st inning at 2nd base, which was soon overturned by a huddle from the crew ...

In this case the manager was mic'ed up and you can hear the umpire crew clearly saying "We have to get it right ..."

The game received justice as a result as Napoli then hit into the gap for a double, clearing the bases in the process and allowing a team that was penalized, to not be. Correctness won over pride, or even tradition.

Kudos for the crew for this. We should all aspire to this "get it right" behavior for every match we do.

You can see the whole article, and video here, from CBS Sports.

... and as a post script ... there was no instant replay used folks.

If a Ball is in the Back of the Net, is it a goal?

Special thanks to Elie for this one.



Goal or not?

Professional Courtesy Goes a Long Way

I have to say after watch Games 5 and 6 of the ALCS, being a MLB catcher looks like no fun at all. Here is one view why:



Ouch.

Avila would eventually leave Game 5 due to this collision with a knee injury, but return for Game 6.

Game 6 was not much fun for Avila either as besides the Tigers losing the game to put the Red Sox in the World Series, he took a wicked hit from a foul tip right in the mask. It is what happened just before and just after that got my attention though.

Immediately before the mask cracking foul tip, home plate umpire Dan Iassogna to start the inning cleaned home plate as they typically do. Well only a few pitches later, Avila was hit and clearly stunned by the foul ball. It was obvious on the video as he swayed back and fourth and went to his knees for a second.

No doubt Iassogna was concerned as you could almost make out the two talking through their masks. Now, to save the embarrassment of a trainer coming out, Iassogna himself stalled the game to give Avila a few extra moments to collect himself ... by cleaning an already clean home plate.

There was no reason for Iassogna to do this except as a professional courtesy to Avila to give him an extra second.

It to me highlighted the special relationship home plate umpires and catchers share throughout a game as so much of the game is decided right there between those guys.

It was really cool actually, and makes me wish catchers and home plate umpires were mic'ed up ... well ... maybe not after seeing this (explicit language warning ... it is funny though and highlights different traditions in different games):

Finally a good case for instant replay ...

Of course it is in Snooker =)



This does highlight however a great interaction between a player and a referee, and while a mistake was made, shows that everyone can have a sense of humor about it.

Touche

You have to love a referee with a sense of humor.

Here is a classic!!

Super Romario to the Rescue!

Romario launches another FIFA attack

Brazilian congressman and former soccer star Romario has launched another attack against FIFA, calling president Sepp Blatter ''a thief'' and secretary general Jerome Valcke ''a blackmailer.''

The comments from the former Brazil striker came at congressional hearing promoted by a tourism and sports commission on Tuesday.

He continued his attack against Valcke with a post published on his website on Wednesday, saying the FIFA official isn't the ''best person to do business'' with Brazil ahead of the 2014 World Cup. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of Fox Soccer.

Kicking Back Comments: Still waiting for FIFA to "officially" comment on this one.