I am kind of a geek when it comes to gadgets. In my professional life I work in the IT field and am somewhat of a geek so that spills over to my reffing like as well. When it comes to trying new things, I like to think I give it a shot. This last week I saw that a new store had opened in a strip mall close to work so I headed over there to see what they had. One of the things that caught my eye was a weird looking whistle called the Hammerhead. It looks like an L and is designed to not propagate the sound towards your ears but rather away from them. Interesting design so I picked one up and used it this past weekend.
The Hammerhead has a pea in it but not the old cork type. It is made of plastic or some sort of rubber and has grooves on it to battle dust and humidity better. I believe it when they say that it moves sound away and the fact that it resists moisture and dust better than a regular pea whistle does.
I also liked the sound. It is deeper, distinctive and fairly loud. My only complaint, and this is a big one, is that you need a large dose of air from your lungs to blow it. It is not a simple tweet, it is more of a candle blow out session when it is your birthday and you are on the larger side of 40 (and the person preparing the cake made sure to include every single candle.
So if you are looking for a different sound so not to sound like everyone else using a Fox 40 classic, then go with this one, but make sure you give it a good dose of air, or no one will hear you tweet.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Now really Passing the torch
This weekend, apart from the crazy referee in the previous post, I worked Saturday for the first time with my son. The local rec league does something that most leagues do not do. That is to put ARs on their U10 and U12 matches. Those are the first age groups where there is a semi big field. It is basically the same size as the fields used by travel if they were 12 and under.
My son and I worked 3 matches, 2 U12 boys and one U12 girls. He was more than observant and did quite well. My glowing moment where I realized he "got" it was during the first match where I was close to him but due to a discussion with a coach on his side, I had my back to him for a second as play restarted. Team took a quick throw in, one player flicked it with his head to a teammate that was slightly offside. I called it without looking at him since I had a good view and he had his flag up, so he saw it as well.
It was great to work with my son, it felt like something akin to bonding time. It helped that he knew what he was doing, so that always works. Good for him. Next weekend, he works with the U6 kids all by himself. I wonder if he will be able to control play just as well as he did on the AR side.
My son and I worked 3 matches, 2 U12 boys and one U12 girls. He was more than observant and did quite well. My glowing moment where I realized he "got" it was during the first match where I was close to him but due to a discussion with a coach on his side, I had my back to him for a second as play restarted. Team took a quick throw in, one player flicked it with his head to a teammate that was slightly offside. I called it without looking at him since I had a good view and he had his flag up, so he saw it as well.
It was great to work with my son, it felt like something akin to bonding time. It helped that he knew what he was doing, so that always works. Good for him. Next weekend, he works with the U6 kids all by himself. I wonder if he will be able to control play just as well as he did on the AR side.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Passing the torch
This weekend was a wet one for many in the east coast. I had my fair share of matches and had some interesting things, but the most important one was working my first games with my son (who did awesome by the way).
To start off, I will go to the Sunday work. Two higher level matches (in terms of age). A U16 Boys match and a U17 match, also boys. I was ARing on the U16 match that featured a well known referee in our parts. He is somewhat of an interesting character, a lot of flair, a lot of other stuff as well.
To start it off, he was using an electronic whistle. I had never had one use it, but there is always a first. The problem was that it was not really audible. If you were in the vicinity (about 15-20 feet), you heard it, but farther away, it was difficult to make out what was going on. He later said that he needed to replace the batteries. Well, why didn't he? Or use a whistle...
To start things off, in the first 10 minutes, there is a ball played over the defense, keeper and attacker come to the 50/50 ball when there is a collision. Keeper had played the ball away and then collided with the attacker. No foul in my book (I was the lead AR) and the ball falls to another attacker who drops it over the defense for a goal. Center signals no goal because of the hurt attacker. Mind you that the time it took from the collision to the goal was 2-3 seconds at the most. Still, no goal for that team.
So what is the restart, since he stopped play for an injured player? Dropped ball, right? Wrong, for this referee, he decided to give the attacking team an indirect free kick from where the shot was taken that eventually resulted in a goal. When questioned at half time as to what he was thinking, he said, it was the fairest way to give the team a chance to score. But it is not in the rulebook, the other AR and I said. Well, but it was what was fairest, he said. We then suggested that this would be fair in high school, but not in weekend soccer.
Then comes a weak penalty for the other team at the start of the second half. It was really weak. Not something I would have ever called, especially not in a 0-0 game like that. The team converts the PK and then down at the other end, he calls for a free kick, close to the 18. As the players are lining up, the team losing try a quick free kick, which goes in, but alas, our great center decides that he was setting up the wall, though no one on the attacking team asked for 10, it was the defending team that asked for it. So for the second time that match, the same team had a good goal wiped off.
In the end, the match ended 1-0 but was not the result of the team, it was a bunch of hogwash. Silly actually.
The one about my son will have to wait until the next time, as I am out of time right now. But what a character he was.
To start off, I will go to the Sunday work. Two higher level matches (in terms of age). A U16 Boys match and a U17 match, also boys. I was ARing on the U16 match that featured a well known referee in our parts. He is somewhat of an interesting character, a lot of flair, a lot of other stuff as well.
To start it off, he was using an electronic whistle. I had never had one use it, but there is always a first. The problem was that it was not really audible. If you were in the vicinity (about 15-20 feet), you heard it, but farther away, it was difficult to make out what was going on. He later said that he needed to replace the batteries. Well, why didn't he? Or use a whistle...
To start things off, in the first 10 minutes, there is a ball played over the defense, keeper and attacker come to the 50/50 ball when there is a collision. Keeper had played the ball away and then collided with the attacker. No foul in my book (I was the lead AR) and the ball falls to another attacker who drops it over the defense for a goal. Center signals no goal because of the hurt attacker. Mind you that the time it took from the collision to the goal was 2-3 seconds at the most. Still, no goal for that team.
So what is the restart, since he stopped play for an injured player? Dropped ball, right? Wrong, for this referee, he decided to give the attacking team an indirect free kick from where the shot was taken that eventually resulted in a goal. When questioned at half time as to what he was thinking, he said, it was the fairest way to give the team a chance to score. But it is not in the rulebook, the other AR and I said. Well, but it was what was fairest, he said. We then suggested that this would be fair in high school, but not in weekend soccer.
Then comes a weak penalty for the other team at the start of the second half. It was really weak. Not something I would have ever called, especially not in a 0-0 game like that. The team converts the PK and then down at the other end, he calls for a free kick, close to the 18. As the players are lining up, the team losing try a quick free kick, which goes in, but alas, our great center decides that he was setting up the wall, though no one on the attacking team asked for 10, it was the defending team that asked for it. So for the second time that match, the same team had a good goal wiped off.
In the end, the match ended 1-0 but was not the result of the team, it was a bunch of hogwash. Silly actually.
The one about my son will have to wait until the next time, as I am out of time right now. But what a character he was.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Do coaches know the rules?
Pretty standard match yesterday I was working as an AR in High School (which I like less and less by the day) until late in the second half. A throw in by white that was more like a corner, a laser. Anyway, it gets flicked and tips off of a defender and into the goal.
Coach from team receiving the goal if I looked at the thrower. I said I did. Then why did I not flag the illegal throw he asks. Because it was not an illegal throw I tell him. So his assistant walks up to me and said, "You mean to tell me that was not an illegal throw?" Again, now more than slightly irritated that indeed, it was a legal throw. To top it off, one of the younger kids on the bench then says real loud "I am a referee and even I know that it was an illegal throw!". At that point I ask all of them, what part of the throw in was not legal.
The coach, assistant coach and idiot sub all basically say that part of his foot was on the field. And so therein lies my problem. How can they be so ignorant of the rules? In my case, I did tell them that unless the foot is completely on the field, it is legal.
After the match, the coach had the gall to ask my the other two members of my team if indeed it was right what I was saying. Ah, what can I expect? A coach that knows the rules. Nah, why bother.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Update on End of Season article
I just received an email from one of you asking to update the End of Season posting from November. Thanks for reminding me. Here is the skinny on all of that:
On the first issue, the referee that worked the center where I was an AR, did not really come to anything. The center and the father of the kid seriously hurt went with me to Alabama and did not have any issues. Apparently, the two high level referees that were doing the assessment on the adjacent field never actually filed a complaint or any other formal issue so nothing seems to have come from that.
On the second issue, I am quite disappointed on how it all panned out. If you recall, in the last match of his season, he received a red card for allegedly fighting. As it happened right in front of me, I saw what happened first hand. The center (who again, was far away and quite biased if you ask me) came over and proceeded to hand out two red cards. One to the aggressor and one to my son. The aggressor walked off after striking my son and my son, who again, did not strike anyone, received his card while laying on the ground holding his head.
When he finally got up and walked off, he had some choice words for the referee which was reported to the league. I thought that both players were going to get a two match suspension, the first kid for fighting and my son for language after the red card. Somehow though, the league found that my son was the only one that deserved a two game suspension.
What made this worse is that the new season is now upon us and the schedule is out. The rematch, is of course, the second match of the season, so my son has to miss it, and the other player gets to play it. Beyond annoyed. But it will hopefully teach my son a lesson into how to control his emotions. Between you and me though, it is hard to just walk off without saying something to such an injustice. I just wish there was something I could do with regards to this, but sometimes things just don't work out.
Anyway, excited that the season is starting out. The March tournaments were ok, but nothing spectacular. I may write up something over the weekend regarding one coach I had this last weekend, but there is not much there to say other than he behaved badly. Also, I am realizing it is hard to tone down expectations when you've been doing a certain age group for a while and then have to bring it down a couple of notches when the match is a U13 boys match instead of a U19 boys match. The measuring stick is totally different and you sometimes have to retrain yourself.
On the first issue, the referee that worked the center where I was an AR, did not really come to anything. The center and the father of the kid seriously hurt went with me to Alabama and did not have any issues. Apparently, the two high level referees that were doing the assessment on the adjacent field never actually filed a complaint or any other formal issue so nothing seems to have come from that.
On the second issue, I am quite disappointed on how it all panned out. If you recall, in the last match of his season, he received a red card for allegedly fighting. As it happened right in front of me, I saw what happened first hand. The center (who again, was far away and quite biased if you ask me) came over and proceeded to hand out two red cards. One to the aggressor and one to my son. The aggressor walked off after striking my son and my son, who again, did not strike anyone, received his card while laying on the ground holding his head.
When he finally got up and walked off, he had some choice words for the referee which was reported to the league. I thought that both players were going to get a two match suspension, the first kid for fighting and my son for language after the red card. Somehow though, the league found that my son was the only one that deserved a two game suspension.
What made this worse is that the new season is now upon us and the schedule is out. The rematch, is of course, the second match of the season, so my son has to miss it, and the other player gets to play it. Beyond annoyed. But it will hopefully teach my son a lesson into how to control his emotions. Between you and me though, it is hard to just walk off without saying something to such an injustice. I just wish there was something I could do with regards to this, but sometimes things just don't work out.
Anyway, excited that the season is starting out. The March tournaments were ok, but nothing spectacular. I may write up something over the weekend regarding one coach I had this last weekend, but there is not much there to say other than he behaved badly. Also, I am realizing it is hard to tone down expectations when you've been doing a certain age group for a while and then have to bring it down a couple of notches when the match is a U13 boys match instead of a U19 boys match. The measuring stick is totally different and you sometimes have to retrain yourself.
Monday, March 19, 2012
AYSO badge
I had never seen one until my daughter's last match for the tournament. I saw the referee and he had a different badge, one that I had never seen before. So before the match, I walked past him and gave it a good look. It was an AYSO badge. Nothing like what I had seen before, so I had no idea what to make of it.
The performance was fine, so no comments there, just that I had no idea what to make of his badge.
The performance was fine, so no comments there, just that I had no idea what to make of his badge.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Soccered Out
Way too many games in the last 6 days leading up to last Sunday. I was out after the 15th game in 6 days and my knee decided it was too much. I am fine now but it was interesting to get assessed on a match at 8am when the day before I closed out a field at 11pm. It was a long weekend.
What is funny is that most of the referees I worked with this weekend were either grade 6 or something better. As a 7, I was one of the lower levels. Still, in my assessments, I did well and was given good tips on positioning (and what to look for in an about to sprint attacker - answer: heels off the ground) as well as my center. In that one, the assessment came from Brendan Barry, an Irishman now associated with making the reffing in Virginia better. I certainly hope he can do it. He suggested I look at being a 6. Don't see how I would have the time, but will keep it in the back of my mind.
The matches were all high level. Really good soccer for sure. First touch is really important at the U19 levels and these kids were off the charts.
This coming weekend, I will be taking my two kids back and forth from the tournaments so there will probably be little reffing.
What is funny is that most of the referees I worked with this weekend were either grade 6 or something better. As a 7, I was one of the lower levels. Still, in my assessments, I did well and was given good tips on positioning (and what to look for in an about to sprint attacker - answer: heels off the ground) as well as my center. In that one, the assessment came from Brendan Barry, an Irishman now associated with making the reffing in Virginia better. I certainly hope he can do it. He suggested I look at being a 6. Don't see how I would have the time, but will keep it in the back of my mind.
The matches were all high level. Really good soccer for sure. First touch is really important at the U19 levels and these kids were off the charts.
This coming weekend, I will be taking my two kids back and forth from the tournaments so there will probably be little reffing.
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