Date:Wed, 2 Jun 2010 21:27:43 +0000
Reply-To:Discussion of Topics for Soccer Referees
<[log in to unmask]>
Sender:Discussion of Topics for Soccer Referees
<[log in to unmask]>
From:doug smith <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:Re: Refereeing non-USSF matches (Was: RE: Walk them off)
In-Reply-To:<[log in to unmask]>
Content-Type:text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Let's be clear about a few things. The internal politics of USSF and its constituent parts are no doubt a good subject for a PoliSci graduate thesis or dissertation. But we can disregard most of that, because it doesn't apply. That is, the LOTG are not subject to ratification by the USSF membership. If you want to propose a change, there is a procedure in place to do so, through FIFA.
The few pertinent facts are as follows. Each state/district association, in voluntarily joining USSF, promises to abide by USSF/FIFA guidelines - and, for the most part, they do so. USSF National gratefully accepts their registration fees, and provides them with appropriate aid: training materials, a website for assessments, guidance for assignors, a nation-wide framework for organizing players, coaches, and referees, and more. In addition, USSF provides (or mandates, or requests, or suggests, or begs, depending on one's point of view) the rules (LOTG, ATR, plus USSF's policies and bylaws) that leagues and matches should be organized and played by - and leaves the details of implementing them to the states.
I want to emphasize (my opinion) that USSF National does not get involved in state affairs, NOT because they believe that everything the states decide to do is ex officio correct, NOR because they don't believe they have the authority to do so; they delegate to the states because they do not want to get into a turf war about whose game it is.
Oregon is currently experiencing an interesting period (I may be wrong about some aspects of this, and if so, I apologize - Patrick Duffy is free to correct anything that is wrong or misleading (as if he ever needed my permission to do so) - he is much more familiar with all of this than I am). A couple of years ago, Oregon Youth Soccer decided to implement a directive from the National coaching office that matches below a certain age, I believe U-11, be played with 8 players per side, instead of 11. The motivation is, in my opinion, quite valid: approximately 30% more touches on the ball per player will increase learning of technique and skills at this formative age. The down side is that the average team is now 12-13 players, instead of 16-18; clubs are being asked to provide for 30% more coaches, practice slots on already crowded fields, and matches (and referee fees!), with zero increase in funding - the number of players is the same, only the number of teams increases. After getting no satisfaction from OYSA, several clubs are now choosing to bypass the state hierarchy, and affiliate directly with USYSA, so they can continue to offer 11v11 play in those age groups. This means separate leagues, more competition for fields (and referees), and those clubs no longer, I am pretty certain, pay registration fees to OYSA.
For USSF National, the doomsday scenario would be state associations choosing to split off from USSF, and just running their programs without benefit of the National umbrella - which would be exactly what would happen if any state or district began to believe that they weren't getting more value from being in USSF than their fees cost them, or by experiencing excess grief due to unwelcome policy mandates from above. We have a couple of local unaffiliated adult leagues in my area. When they research the cost of affiliating, they usually say "No, Thanks" - they don't perceive that the value they will receive is worth the cost of registering their players and leagues. So long as they can get referees and fields, they don't care about regional or national playoffs, or insurance - they are playing for fun.
A few decades ago, an author named Harlan Ellison described an experience he had in helping turn one of his one-hour television drama screenplays into a finished episode. He had written a line that included a reference to the 19th Century author Camus. At the end of one day of filming, he was sitting in the screening room, a few rows back (the front row was reserved for the network bosses, plus the director and producer et al) watching the dailies, when the actor delivered the line, pronouncing the name as "Cay-muss". Ellison shot upright in his chair, and shouted, "Cah- Mooh!" The bigwigs in the front row turned to see what this unacceptable uproar was about - Ellison explained "He's pronouncing it wrong! The name is French - it's pronounced Ahl-bear Cah- Mooh!" The bigwigs frowned some more, someone whispered to them that this was the (lowly) author of the screenplay, the head honcho growled, "Get him out of here", and they proceeded without him.
Moral: Whether one is right or wrong, the people in authority get to decide whether they listen to you. This sometimes has little to do with whether you are right or wrong.
So, when we referees are acquiescent about rule variations, especially ones that ATR labels as unacceptable, we lend support to our state's belief in its own authority to disregard National directives - and this, in my opinion, is a bad thing. Patrick D. states, without opportunity for discussion, that any match in Oregon that is played under the OYSA or OASA (Oregon Adult Soccer Association) aegis is USSF-affiliated, regardless of how bogus their Rules of Competition are. I would wonder why anyone would want to claim affiliation with a group when one chooses to deliberately contravene their directives - unless one's motivation is to perpetrate a fraud.
I also do not comprehend why anyone would want to wear their USSF badge when using not just variant rules, but forbidden rules - unless, again, one's motivation is the same as in the previous sentence.
Doug Smith
_________________________________________________________________
The New Busy think 9 to 5 is a cute idea. Combine multiple calendars with Hotmail.
http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?tile=multicalendar&ocid=PID28326::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HMP:042010_5
