Question Number: 15259

Other 4/23/2007

RE: Rec Under 19

Dave Lauben of Albuquerque, NM USA asks...

OK, maybe I've been doing this for too long, but.... Is it just me, or do you experienced referees also cringe when you read (or hear) words like "goalie" or "goal box" or "penalty box" (or even worse, "goalie box")? I find that it's to the point that when I read such terms I immediately discount the validitiy and credibility of the source. While I know this probably isn't fair, that's my bais.

I'm a 7-year ref, an assessor, and a ref instructor, and I'm constantly amazed at how few people actually know or use the correct terms. This goes for both new refs in class and spectators, coaches or players on the pitch. Is this mainly just an American language/culture thing, or is also cronic throughout the rest of the English speaking world? I'm insterest to hear the panelist views, especially those from countries outside the U.S.

BTW, for others reading this rant, the proper terms are Goalkeeper (or Keeper) and Goal Area/Penalty Area. And I have always noted that the responders on this site have done a very well at using proper terminology when answering quesitons, even when the original question is full of non-standard terms.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

At it too long? I've been calling it a penalty area, goal area, etc. since I learned the terms in 1954. Dave, you're not alone. The panelists, at least on my watch, have been extremely good at using that which appears in Law. If we say something we try to not create, nor perpetuate, myth. We are constantly at each other, behind the scenes, to say it in accordance with Law and what is written. I ask for correction and when correction is not forthcoming the incorrect answer is deleted.

Granted we do make mistakes. But, we correct them and try to unscrew the mess. The last was #15080, I used information provided by the education side of US Soccer without checking the validity of that information. I signed my name to it and found I was wrong. I corrected the answer as soon as I knew of the error and took steps to request a correction at the highest levels of The Game in this country. Got a nice letter back, too -- if you leave out all the Howcum you missed the change, I got it out -- just because the other guys didn't doesn't mean it ain't so, kinda thing.

Offside is my bailiwick and it frosts my cookies when some knowledgeable referee asks about offsides. Sheesh, from what moon of what planet does that one come from. Yeah, it gets old and trying -- right up till the time someone writes and says it frosts his cookies too. Thanks for your support, take care of the little stuff and all the biggies will fall right into place. We do, and we enjoy our reputation as arrogant know-it-all SOB's who should be flogged just because we should.

Thanks again, for being on the same frequency.

Warm Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

From the day I took my first class I've gotten annoyed at people who call it the "18 yard box" or the "Goalie Box" - geometry aside each of these places has a given name, so why does anyone use the wrong names especially if they play or coach the game?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Gee, you didn't even hit our hotspots, "pass back" and "handball". Or that extra "S" everyone adds to the end of "offside".

I heard someone once say that we don't have any boxes out on the field. If there's a box, you'd better move it before someone trips over it and gets hurt.

As for "goalie", that's not a big one for me. I usually shorten it to "keeper", sometimes even putting in a leading apostrophe. The difference between using "goalie" and using "handball" is that the former has only one connotation that I know of. While the latter misconstrues the true concept of handles the ball deliberately as found in the Laws.

Now as for "goalie kick" - Arrgh, I thought I would grind my teeth down to stubs during that game the one coach kept yelling it out ...

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

We all strive to avoid any of those annoying words or phrases, handball and pass back being my favorite 2, although I'm one of the first to say "shoes come in boxes. There are no boxes on a soccer field.". Thanks for input.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 15293