Date:         Tue, 3 Nov 2009 15:01:16 -0500
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 Stagliano <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      Re: newbie has Q - foul called without knowing direction
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Ken and others

This happens to experienced refs, sometimes, especially in the first 5 to 10
minutes of the 2nd half.

Example:  Ball chipped into the air.   Two opponents are at or near where
the ball will land.   One player jumps for the ball and the opposing player
doesn't.  Contact is made between the two players.

First we have to discern:

Was the contact the type that should be judged a foul in this game? 
{remembering that soccer is a Contact Sport}

Was it the player in the air that jumped at or onto the opposing player?

Was it the player who remained on the ground who "under-cut" the opposing
player?

Then, after we whistle, we have to  remember:  Which way is blue going and
which way is white going?   

This Certainly happens to many of us at the beginning of the 2nd half for
throw-in decisions.   We know it is Blue throw-in, and we sometimes merely
yell:  BLUE THROW.  Then when it is obvious which way blue is attacking, we
also signal.   Works OK for the CR, but the AR doesn't yell.   Therefore, we
sometimes have the AR (or a ref in the dual system), pointing the wrong way
on a throw-in at the beginning of the 2nd half.  We know Blue is supposed to
have the throw-in or the free kick, but we just Signaled that White would
take the throw-in or free kick (by the direction we pointed).   

If this still happens to some experienced refs, you can imagine how often it
happens to newbies.....   They may Freeze, and be sorting direction out in
their mind before they point....


I am just glad they are out there trying to referee and are willing to blow
the whistle and Make a Decision.   

Peace
      - Stag




----------- Original Message ----------
Dear All,

I am a strictly volunteer ref, AYSO, recreational only,  inexperienced
compared to you guys, in the SF Bay area, who joined this newsgroup about a
month ago. 

I am also a lawyer and I have enjoyed reading your posts that interpret and
parse the LOTG the way I do professionally with other laws.

I also coach.

I was coaching U12 girls yesterday and the CR blew his whistle, but didn't
signal direction until about 10 secs had elapsed.

I asked him about it after the game and he essentially said he knew it was a
foul, but he wasn't sure who it was on.  He had to process it in his mind.  

My thought is, if you don't know who the foul is on, then you didn't see a
foul. 

On the other hand, when reffing I sometimes DO have a hard time figuring out
who caused the foul.

Comments, please.

thanks,

Coach/Ref Ken