First CR Experience

G

Grace T.

DA
So I did my first CR alone. It was just a scrimmage. Before I've either been AR or had ARs with usually a more senior guy or gal to mentor. Or it was AYSO or Extras with a parent linesman (which always posed other issues such linesman making incorrect offside calls say for example on a throw in and having to bring them along). Or it was myself as a parent doing just a half for my son's team. Or it was with the little ones that I can still outrun and their built out line and the offside line isn't a big deal. But this was my first time solo for the entire game without the build out line.

Wow it's hard. Getting that positioning right is very difficult....if you aren't near the sideline it's tough to see whether the ball completely exits the field of play particularly in early morning light and then you are going to be out of position to see the offside line or any fouls committed in the center. Particularly tough is when the shot is taken because you are watching to see: a) if it goes in, b) if it doesn't if anyone touches it to make a goalkick v. corner, c) if the keeper has it under control, and d) if there's anyone offside for the rebound (that last one was very hard to remember to watch). I think I did o.k. for my first time. My proudest moment was when a loose ball went ahead of a striker chasing it down, keeper held his line, but the parents were yelling "offside"...I held my whistle until the striker made an attempt to play the ball despite the parents yelling for an "offside ref", and as it was just a friendly explained that I had it but needed to wait for an attempt to play by the striker. My biggest question mark was two players running side by side with the ball....I'm behind them trying to keep up (12 year olds are fast man) and can't tell who kicks it loose to the goalkeeper....one side line says illegal backpass and the other says they didn't touch it. ^\_:)?)_/^.

In any case new found respect for my seniors who are required to ref these guys without linesmen. Power to you....it's hard and almost impossible to correctly call the offside line. For that reason, I think even the AYSO games are easier since you at least don't have to worry about the sideline with a parent AR, even if the rec parents tend to be crazier than the club parents. In any case....respect.
 
really cool! I've solo-reffed some basketball, including some really difficult games, but wouldn't even try soccer. As you pointed out, it will be close to impossible to see everything when you're working alone, but as a rule, don't call it unless you see it. Out of bounds will require best-guesses at times, and watching the reaction of the players as it goes out, when you can't see it. But the pass-back or other questionable plays you got to let it go unless you see a foul/violation. To be honest, not sure how it's even possible to cover an entire soccer field - good work!!
 
Good for you and congratulations. If you're doing more solo matches, you might remind coaches ahead of time you'll do the best you can on balls out of play but invariably there will be spots where you're not in the best position. Same thing with offside - you can see the obvious ones, but kids should keep playing to the whistle and not expect a call on a half step either way.

On the pass back thing, my general stance: if a defender is in a footrace with the attacker and in winning the ball knocks it towards their goal / keeper, I don't see that as a pass to the keeper.
 
Phoenix Soccer Dad said:
Good for you and congratulations. If you're doing more solo matches, you might remind coaches ahead of time you'll do the best you can on balls out of play but invariably there will be spots where you're not in the best position. Same thing with offside - you can see the obvious ones, but kids should keep playing to the whistle and not expect a call on a half step either way.

On the pass back thing, my general stance: if a defender is in a footrace with the attacker and in winning the ball knocks it towards their goal / keeper, I don't see that as a pass to the keeper.
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Worst rule change ever.
 
Tea and Busquets said:
Which, the offside participation one, or the back pass?
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The back pass. I was an indoor soccer fan for years and during that time I pretty much ignored the outdoor game. Somewhere in that time, the rule changed. When I first heard about it was from a coach/referee early in my kids' soccer days. Really good teams could kill a lot of game time if they just popped the ball back to the keeper whenever they got in trouble. So the backpass was banned and another judgment call situation was created (was that intentional?). They could have banned a repeating backpass, something like the keeper is not allowed to use his hands after releasing the ball unitl it has been touched by an opposing player or a stoppage and restart has occurred.
 
espola said:
The back pass. I was an indoor soccer fan for years and during that time I pretty much ignored the outdoor game. Somewhere in that time, the rule changed. When I first heard about it was from a coach/referee early in my kids' soccer days. Really good teams could kill a lot of game time if they just popped the ball back to the keeper whenever they got in trouble. So the backpass was banned and another judgment call situation was created (was that intentional?). They could have banned a repeating backpass, something like the keeper is not allowed to use his hands after releasing the ball unitl it has been touched by an opposing player or a stoppage and restart has occurred.
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Those are decent solutions to the issue of delaying the game, but they would also require a judgement call as well as a longer memory of events.
 
Did not know that history - as a parent of a young Keeper we have always thought of it from the "intentional" aspect. Because intent is tough to determine we have always said that if in doubt, pick it up. Its generally pretty clear when it's a play-back versus a deflection or a bad touch.

Knowing that the rule was intended to prevent wasting-time, I think that makes me more in favor of the rule. I have learned to love the sport since the kids began playing but one of my only dislikes is watching the extent some teams go to waste time when they have a one-goal lead. I get the strategy, that when you have a one-goal lead, you want to make the opponent come out and challenge, opening up the field to more scoring opportunities. I'm more talking about the 45 seconds to take a goal kick, the switching players on a throw-in two or three times, etc. Playing the ball back to a GK for a pick up, and another 45 seconds to play it out would be horrific. I like the current rule, you can play back, but then the Keeper is like any other player.
 
LMULions said:
Did not know that history - as a parent of a young Keeper we have always thought of it from the "intentional" aspect. Because intent is tough to determine we have always said that if in doubt, pick it up. Its generally pretty clear when it's a play-back versus a deflection or a bad touch.

Knowing that the rule was intended to prevent wasting-time, I think that makes me more in favor of the rule. I have learned to love the sport since the kids began playing but one of my only dislikes is watching the extent some teams go to waste time when they have a one-goal lead. I get the strategy, that when you have a one-goal lead, you want to make the opponent come out and challenge, opening up the field to more scoring opportunities. I'm more talking about the 45 seconds to take a goal kick, the switching players on a throw-in two or three times, etc. Playing the ball back to a GK for a pick up, and another 45 seconds to play it out would be horrific. I like the current rule, you can play back, but then the Keeper is like any other player.
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The weakness in the current rule is the judgment of intent. The rule change as originally written only mentioned kicking he ball back and did not prohibit a player from popping the ball up with his foot and then heading it to his keeper. It was amazing how easily those big clumsy old defenders learned that. There was a quick re-issue of the rule which included the odious phrase "deliberate trick" - in a location in the rules where it is not obvious that it applies to backpasses (one of the offenses listed under the heading "Cautions for unsporting behavious" is "uses a deliberate trick to pass the ball (including from a free kick) to the goalkeeper with the head, chest, knee etc. to circumvent the Law, whether or not the goalkeeper touches the ball with the hands" - another unnecessary judgment call situation.

The first time I had this conversation with the coach/referee who informed me of the change, his response was that the enforcement varied from one referee to the next (another sign of a bad rule change) and that keeper's teammates should not do anything that would put the referee of the day to have to make a call they might not like.

When I talk to referees about this topic (usually after I repeat the "worst rule change ever" phrase) I get different answers to questions about certain game situations - e.g. -- if a player pops the ball up in the air and a teammate heads it back to the keeper, can the keeper use his hands?
 
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