Question Number: 14808

Law 18 - Common Sense 2/6/2007

RE: Select Under 18

Kyle Jewett of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania United States asks...

Say if I, in my opinion, see a ball go into the net, but parents along the side say that it came through a hole that was in the side of the net from that side. I said that it was a goal, but after the game, the parents of the team that was scored complained about it. Should I have changed my call or not?

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Are you kidding me???? Listen to parents! You can't. You also cannot use information from spectators. You can use the AR's for advice and yourself...and a 4th official if you have one. Since this was U18, I hope you had an AR.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Kyle! Please don't say you were doing a U 18 Select game and you would consider changing a call because the PARENTS disagreed. I expect that kind of question from a new Grade 9 that has only centered 1 U10 game in his life. Parents are NEVER objective. You're supposed to be. Listening to them is pointless. The only things I allow myself to hear coming from parent's sidelines are things that would disrupt the game. As you become more experienced, you learn how to play parents so they'll stop making fools of themselves. ( one of my favorites is to respond to a screaming parent, "I'm blind NOT DEAF! You don't have to yell".

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Kyle,
if you are not certain it was a goal you do not award one !
If you are certain then you award a goal.
Although it is remotely possible ;o) biased fans or parents can be correct their correctness has nothing to do with what you saw.

The reason you inspect the pitch/nets BEFORE a match is to eliminate these types of incidents. If in fact there was a hole in the side netting near the corner get it repaired immediately. We cannot base decisions on what those who require a favourable outcome wish or want.

If we make a mistake then we make an honest one and as a fact of play it becomes part of the match.
cheers

Answer provided by Referee Nathan Lacy

Believe in yourself and call what you see. If, for some reason, you seek input in order to make a decision then seek that input from one of your fellow officials. Pretty much everybody else (parents, coaches, other players, etc.) have an emotional investment in the game and their own agenda (winning) that they are attending too and this skews their perspective - sometimes to the point of downright lying (really - lol). You are there to be impartial so do your best to be just that. All the best,

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

All of the above and please consider this: Law 5 does not require the referee to be able to see! It does say this: Facts connected with play shall include whether a goal is scored or not and the result of the match.

Spectators and parents are not mentioned...

Regards,