Question Number: 17928

Other 11/15/2007

RE: all levels Under 13

Zoran of Santa Monica, CA USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 17883

First of all I would like to thank you refs for your input and I would like to respond to some of the comments.

- I would love to see you guys retreive the ball for the opposing team, go ahead do it in your game and see what happens. Some of you guys are level 5 and I cant believe what I am hearing /I would like to know if they do that in Seria A etc maybe in US soccer they do it but not anywhere else.
Next time you guys go ahead and get the ball in the mexican league for the opposing team who is loosing at last moments of the game, please.
- The ref made the kid change into a goalie jersey at the start of seconf half per my objections and the boy was hot and went back to his game jersey in 4th Q/ My players wear black jerseys, black short and black socks and they dont complain about the heat in CA sun. But this coach is smart so he picks the sun in first half for his team and then the other team is tired and in the sun during second half while we are in shade.
-About being a bad coach- my coaching record speaks for it self- 2 years coaching in AYSO and one champioship and having finals this sat, enough said.
-I have taken kids and made them into ALL Star players, and I have parents asking me and the league to coach their kids. No parents complain on my team as I coach to win and that pizza comment is mickey mouse and is for the birds. I coach winners and play, ref and coach by the rules, no more no less. Thats why we have those FIFA rules.
-About the parking lot visit-well thats some of your opinion- but let me know when you guys go for a ball out of bounds and fetch it for the other team, see if you will be welcomed by the fans . So you want to kick me out of the game for pointing out your mistakes, hey it takes a man with some cohones to say "you know coach you are correct" but no you guys are like gods. I ref and I love when both sides tell me greaf refing and AYSO wanted me to be their ref director.
- Also where does it say that I cant kick the ball out of bounds, hey tactics boys and girls. See thats the problem most of you never played the game so how would you know. Whats the differece between kicking the ball out of bounds under pressure at any time in the game and kicking it out or down the field no difference. I dont know what kind of football sorry soccer you guys play but take a look at the Italians play in league and world cup, very simple game strategy - score a goal pull back and just wait and knock it out and win.
- Also about someone said that they would not let me coach their brother or sister well go to that gringo coach and let him coach him or her and see what happens. Leave the coaching to Europeans and others.
Look at Chivas USA they stinked first year and they were the laughing stock of the league and then my countrymen Preki from Serbia comes over with the whole Serbian coaching staff and turns it around. I dont know what they are doing as I dont follow MLS pizza league.
I saw them play vs galaxy and I said to my for 2 years in a row All Star son " now thats how football is played" and not that MLS what ever you call it.
- Hire Preki for national team and see what happens.
-Also Bora Milutinovic also Serb was US national coach but "he was let go because the man was very tough on his US players, ohh poor babies" but the man only took 6 diff countries to the world cup. Enough said.
- Also where are the US refs in world cup matches , ahh I love a challenge and a good verbal arguments.
Hey my father was a pro player in Yugoslavia so must be that gene in me, sorry.
Good night and good luck refing

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Zoran,
it is good to see players excel and if you are part of it then good on you. I too coach and referee and enjoy the satisfaction of seeing many of those I coached enter into college, university and even national levels of play.

As a coach you do not get to tell the referees anything, as a coach you focus on the kids, anything else sets a poor example no matter how talented you?re technical or wizardry your skill sets are.

You need to pull back from your looking glass view and not compare oranges with lettuce; there is no comparison in how youth games with unlimited subs and tournament or scheduling restraints can be laid as identical to the elite matches between national associations.

No referee here endorses fetching the ball in fact I strictly forbid my ARs from doing so. But in youth match with a single ball the time lost to flagrant kicking a ball into the bushes has no basis at elite with balls being returned to play within seconds as a plethora of balls and ball boys stand at the ready to retrieve and make them available. You may have noticed the law innovations on deliberate kicks of the ball by a team mate to his keeper restricting the keeper?s use of hands? It was to prevent time wasting. Why do you think they play with more than one ball? In youth it is not often practical to do so.

No referee could quibble with a defender clearing out a long ball under pressure as extraordinary. But blasting balls into the bush or over a small ditch filled with water to simply use up time is unsporting and not really tactically sound if time added is allowed. Not only could we add the time lost in its retrieval but even suggest financial restitution if the culprit does not recover it if it was the opposing teams? ball.

Field schedules and tournament schedules with limited access and time play havoc with the ball being slotted out into touch. You are correct, banging a ball out to get out of trouble is a legitimate use of time but in the situations where adding for time lost is not the same as FIFA allows then it becomes a matter of integrity. Do I assume you win at all costs? Do you teach players to dive and fake injury?

Referees can indeed admit an error, but a keeper jersey needs only be visibly different in the OPINION of the referee not the opposing coach. No one is infallible, but a referee is a match condition, no different than the rain or sun, you adapt and play. At the youth level you will see many referees with no greater skill set than any player starting out. If you are into quarters then this must be very young ages?

I do not disrespect your knowledge or abilities as a coach, I take exception though to any coach who CLAIMS to be a referee and then not follow the protocol afforded to him under the codes of conduct when coaching. You tactically advise your team and act responsibly, sure you could say, ?Hey Ref what?s up with that? That might get you a look possibly a warning but rarely a sending off. You can not argue it, you can note it and even apply to protest it if you think it violates as a misapplication of law. Youth soccer and school soccer in general have funny idiosyncrasies about what soccer laws can be adapted to in the pursuit of safety and fairness within a fun environment.. Being of strong opinion neither makes one more right or less wrong. Perceptions are what the individual takes away from his or her view as clear or colored as that view might be!

If you see something that bugs you record and report it to the league. You asked for some input and pretty much were sliced and diced for your actions, NOT whether you were correct in thinking it was unfair for a neutral official to be involved. Because in my opinion as a neutral official all players take on the consequences of their actions as do all coaches!
Cheers