Cool product - Soccer Shaving Cream for wall management

I have been meaning to write this blog post for the last couple of months, but I did not have all the information to present to you, so I did not write it up. I had bought a set of four sprays that help with wall management. I decided to try and use it for the first time during one of my more competitive matches this season, a U19 D1 girls match (which ended 3-3, so it was indeed competitive).

Anyway, the product is very cool. It is a spray that looks like shaving cream and comes with a cell-phone like holster. When a foul occurs where you need to set up a wall, you spray the stuff and the goo sits there for about a minute before disappearing. I only had to do it twice in that match, but it was funny to see the players react to it. I did let them know that it was coming in my pregame chat with the team and that I expected them to stand behind the line.

How it works: It does not need to be shaken, it works when you hold down the can (upside down of course!) and press the nozzle with both your index and middle fingers (there is a ledge on each side of the nozzle, so it is very simple). I recommend from about 10 inches above the ground, point it at the ground and spray a line where the players are to stand. It works on artificial turf as well as grass and doesn't leave a mark.

I had originally seen it on TV, on GolTV, in a match for the Copa Sudamericana. The ref had what looked like a cell phone on his hip. I immediately wanted to know what it was. And the reason that I had not posted it until now was the fact that I could not for the life of me remember what that site was where I had ordered it from. Until now. So, if you want to get your hands on the latest and greatest for those rougher matches (not really needed for U10 girls to be truthful) then get it from here: http://www.soccersprays.com/

On the site it has how to apply it and it works well. It also lasts quite a while, I bought a pack of 4 with the holster for around $30 and I am still on my first can as I only use it for U15 and above matches and there are not that many of them.

This is the can, when you ref, take the cap off

If you do decide to get it, let me know as I have not heard anyone else mention this stuff, either in forums or with fellow referees but I am curious to hear what your personal experience is with this tool. It certainly should help. I wonder what else it can be used for out on the soccer pitch. It has my vote as product of the year for 2010 as I did not know it existed before then.

Tomorrow I have a soccer convention so hopefully I will see what MLS and FIFA are pushing for this coming year. Till then.

Recert for 2011

Just had my recert class this Saturday. I have to get all my notes together before my next post, but the one point of emphasis was to be more vigilant with concussions and above the shoulders contact. Especially elbow to neck or head contact.

I scored a 98% with 2 questions wrong out of 75 (which I know is not 2%, it is more like 3% but that is what the instructor put on the sheet, so I am going with that). The first one was more of a trick question regarding dangerous play and the second was something of the same where a team with 7 players has another player leave the field without permission (but did not indicate whether the player left for good, or just stepped off the field to receive medical attention or to put an onside player in an offside position) and asked if you suspend the match because he did so and the team was now down to 6 (but without the knowledge of whether that player was returning shortly or not).

I think I would have still gotten the 7 to 6 player question incorrect, because I thought that if a team with 7 players had to go to 6 for any reason, the match ended right there, but if it is for a short while, like medical attention, the match can continue (fortunately it has not happened to me just yet!).

Once I have the time to gather all the minute things from the exam and handouts, I will post them here. Next week there is a youth conference I will be attending that should have more info on what they want us to focus on.

Watch Update

We are in the dearth of games due to winter so there is little to comment on. I can say one thing though as an update from the previous post. I found my old watch! More accurately, my daughter found it. Needless to say, now I don't like it as much as the new ones.

Not much else to report except for the upcoming conference I go to every year as well as my certification class and the high school ref gathering. Lots of stuff to talk about in the coming weeks. Hope everyone had a good holiday.