Question Number: 18117

Law 5 - The Referee 12/12/2007

RE: Select Under 17

Ron Hoyt of Houston, TX USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 18109

I see the point you're making Keith (Keith Contarino). I'm going to ask that MrRef be canonized (but still ask him for some advice ;0). I responded to this post because the violence in the U14+ quality Div I play in Houston just keeps escalating. I'm looking for some practical advice - some program or implemented process I could bring to our league and say 'Lets try this!'. Honestly, most refs in Houston believe that all criticism is just whining; they're not looking to improve and they're more concerned with the trivial than with safety. Both my sons play top Div I and are refs too so I'm no ref hater. I think if we had some program that included civil trainer/coach feedback maybe refs wouldn't feel as if they were being attacked and the group effort would result in safer, better soccer. I'm looking for a silver bullet that's worked somewhere before; got anything?

Thanks,
Ron.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Ron, the greatest asset to referee development is a good and involved assignor. I don't know where in Houston you are, but I can almost guarantee the assignor is either not getting feedback on the danger created by undertrained/under-informed/laissez-faire referees or doesn't give a rats' ass. If the former, then make sure the assignor gets written feedback on games, and it is helpful to get it from both coaches - that comes through LOUD and CLEAR. I can tell you from experience that I always listened to the feedback, and acted it on it - either by going and watching the referee in action, visiting with the referee crew, putting other qualified referees with them for feedback or all of the above. Referees who didn't make the effort to improve or meet my minimum standards didn't work for me long. The assignor will/can arrange for assessments or mentoring from qualified senior referees, can arrange for more training, and can push the clubs to pay more for advanced level referees (the assignor should also be paid well for all of the time they devote to the game). In Austin, the WDDOA has a sliding scale - the higher your qualifications, the more you get paid. These complaints should also make it to the State Youth Referee Administrator, a very fine referee in his own right and to the State Referee Administrator - I know them personally and I know they care a great deal about developing and keeping quality referees. If the latter (doesn't give a rat's ass), then you and the other coaches need to complain to your league(s) and push, shove, threaten and help find someone with the desire to improve matters and the skills and means to do so. The kids you coach deserve no less.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

The bottom line here is coaches are not referee assessors so referees usually don't put much stock in what they have to say. League boards can and do listen to coaches and if coaches identify a trend then league boards might just deem some action on their part might be necessary. The action taken should be better training by qualified referee instructors for the referees and better training for coaches who teach or allow their children to play violently.

The silver bullet is training and only allowing decent well trained referees on matches. This isn't going to happen because there aren't enough decent well trained referees to cover all the matches. There is no need for the less than decent referee to submit to training because he is going to be assigned and paid anyway. The well trained referee who is better at what he does commands the same compensation as the other guy as well.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

wish there was a silver bullet we all could share. As my fellow panelists rightly state, it starts with a good assignor and ends with proper training. Referees should view player safety as their first duty. So should coaches. By teaching their players to follow the Laws they can do this. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen. I see more and more players trying to push the limit of fair play. We also need more referees but it seems we lose the good ones every year

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

See Question: 18176