Question Number: 13933

Character, Attitude and Control 9/26/2006

RE: House Under 13

Haley Hanson of Palatine, IL U.S.A. asks...

What happens when a parent shouts out like, "That should have been a goal! The ball was kicked over the line!" and then tries to argue with the referee about the play? And what is the Grievance Commitee? What do they do?

Thanks

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Well Haley this is one where a parent can find herself spoken to or ignored depending on how the referee interprets the outburst. A grievance committee is usually a bunch of league officials that sit in judgement of someone who has become a discipline problem or that hears arguments from unhappy league members.

Because you ask about a grievance committee in relation to a parent yelling at a referee I surmise someone has become famous. Perhaps someone will learn he has no right to question a referee's decision and when he does no good comes of it.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Haley,
parents can be disappointed in an outcome as they want their kids or team to win.
A referee is under no such restrictions. A referee with integrity sees what he sees. He awards a goal if he is of the opinion no infringemenmt by the scoring team occured previously to the ball entering the goal under the crossbar and between the posts and IF he SAW it as so!
If the referee missed the video slow motion review that you have indicating the ball was completely over the goalline or was poorly positioned to have a good look the game continues, play on! NO referee should enter into a useless argument with a parent over a decision made in a match. The coach should intervene in my opinion to keep a sense of calm on the touchlines when the parents get riled. ONly a neutral AR can advise him if there was in fact a legal goal scored. The referee determines if this is true based on his trust of the official and how it fits with what he knows to be true.

Any parent whio thinks publicaly flaunting a dissenting opinion has created a better sense of justice and support in their children do not get how a true parent sets out life standards for their kids to emulate. By the example you set so shall you teach! Standing up on principle does not involve intervening in a youth soccer match on a point of law that the referee missed and you percieved correctlyor if the referee was 100% right and you were percieving incorrectly.

Players will look to those they love for inspiration, mom and dad cry foul and curse and swear you can be sure the kids will likely follow. Players try that crap on the field and cautions yellows or send offs reds begin to appear to quell the uproar. So who benifits ? Who comes out ahead?

If a referee makes a mistake because he does not see something tough, suck it up and move on just like the ten shots that went wide or over top why did they not go in? Only if a referee sees something and stops play for what he thought he saw, then applys what he thought he saw incorrectly can a team find protestable material.

If a match is protested over a decision reguarding facts concerning play no protest will hold water ONLY if the law is misapplied. Here a grievance committee will accept documents and submissions within a deadline and certain regulations to consider if a match is required to be replayed in whole or part or whether an outcome is altered. Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

The referee can stop match and inform coaches of misbehavior. Then coaches must deal with parents. If they do not, then referee can take many actions. Possibilities are 1. Ask coach to ask parents to leave with the threat of terminating match if they do not. 2. Tell parents they must leave or match is over.