Date:         Thu, 10 May 2007 14:22:21 -0400
Reply-To:     Discussion of Topics for Soccer Referees
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Sender:       Discussion of Topics for Soccer Referees
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From:         Tom Walker <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      Re: "Omigod!" is my Co-pilot  (verbose)
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And what was the halftime interval like?  Did you or the other AR dare ask any questions?
 
T 
 
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Sent: Thu, 10 May 2007 8:44 AM
Subject: "Omigod!" is my Co-pilot (verbose)


And just what do you do when you find yourself as AR on a game at a
relatively high level and you figure out a few minutes into the match that
not only are the spectators right in their loud comments that your CR is
making strange calls - you yourself have no idea what he is seeing or what
he is going to do next.   Drawn like a moth to the flame, you can't help but
get distracted from your AR duties as you watch with morbid fascination to
see what hole gets dug next.

Some time ago I was such a hapless AR (begging forgiveness from the heavens
if  I had ever caused similar distress to my AR's when I was in the center.)
The situation: A quirky approach to the game.  In his own world. Poor foul
recognition.  Phantom fouls.  Obsessiveness about ball spots for FK's way
deep in defense (even after the AR had told a defender a close enough spot
was OK).  Missed flags so the AR's had to judge how long (comparatively) to
leave unanswered flags up for various types of signals. Typical that day -
early in the game in front of me, a defender fell of his own accord as he
attempted to tackle an attacker in the box.  Immediately thereafter, the
attacker was taken out in a clear foul from behind by a second defender in
the box. As I looked up at the CR to see if he had seen it, he whistled and
called a foul on the attacker for the first incident (the non-foul), and
sprinted back to midfield.   The whole game went this way.  Aaaaaugggh!
I'm on this team!

Strategies, anyone?

Tempting though it was to throw him under the bus and start "asserting" my
read on calls from the line (my ego had noted that there was a decent crowd
and sophisticated coaches), I resolved, right or wrong, to do what I could
to buttress the CR's credibility so the game did not devolve into a swirling
flush to the sewer, with three doomed little referee heads bobbing in the
vortex. I needed to support calls I didn't entirely agree with, while still
trying to help him get it right.  Since he was quick to signal most out of
play without eye contact with me anyway, I slowed my flag slightly so that I
would mirror his calls and not contradict them. I tried to be noisy on my
flags. I quickly entered the field with a verbal "I'll spot it" for DFK's in
my quadrant so he could clear from potential dissent, but I made eye contact
with the CR before approving any FK spot (once bitten  . . .)  I did the
thumbs up signal and even verbalized "good call" on close calls in my area.
I talked to players so they would engage me not him.   At the half, I tried
to suggest areas for second half focus without being overtly negative. I
tuned out the sideline commentary.   Long day.  I don't think the game
result was altered, but it was deeply unsatisfying.

This was an evaluated but not assessed game.  I guess I was "lucky" (?)
since the evaluator literally unloaded on our team and did not ask me what I
thought. I bit my tongue and went on, but visited with the powers-that-be
later to voice my concerns.

Question 1

What do you do from the line to help the game if you have a (1) struggling
or (2) "lost" CR?

Question 2

If you are being (1) assessed or (2) evaluated as AR, how candid should you
be as to your concerns in the post-game?

Bill Liedtke
OKC OK 07
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