Quote:
Originally Posted by ref2coach
Nevadaref your blanket statement is wrong for many very good teenage referees. In soccer I am a referee assessor. I routinely assess teenage referees working games of players within 1 to 2 years of their own age and doing an excellent job. "Ability to Control" is a function of personal ability and training, not a "group" characteristic.
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I'm a well-known soccer referee on the west coast. I've done literally hundreds of HS contests, including state finals, and youth soccer games at high level tournaments, including regionals.
I have seen lots of youth referees, and I have seen lots of youth referees doing a great job of calling fouls, throw-ins, goal kicks, and corners. These kids may someday turn into excellent referees, but right now are lacking in the people skills area. They are merely robots running around on the field blowing the whistle. There is next to no management going on. That's fine for a U12 or U14 game, but when the player reach HS age, especially for HS varsity matches, that's just not enough.
I have yet to see a youth referee CONTROL the environment at a game.
Perhaps you and I are not thinking the same thing when I say control the game. So let me attempt to define it. It encompasses all of the following.
A. Command of the field: Taking charge of problem players on the field and get them to fall in line by having a word. Using their voice as a tool during the game. If a card has to be shown, that's the way it goes for some knuckleheads, but a strong referee can get the majority of the players, especially kids, to behave as needed without using the cards. Most youth referees can't do this because they don't have that parenting ability/experience. Dealing with injuries.
B. Bench decorum. Is a hollering coach being dealt with? Is the adult on the bench showing proper respect to the young referee on the field? If not, is the referee demanding that from the coach? How are the substitutes behaving? Are they remaining in the team areas or are they up wandering around where they shouldn't be? Are the coaches bickering with each other? Are the substitutions being handled properly or are they doing it however they please? Using the captains to help.
C. Spectator situations. Are the parents acting in a proper manner for a youth or scholastic game? Does the referee know where the game/site administrator is? If there isn't one around is the referee capable of handling a situation with a fan? What if a fan has to be removed? Are the spectators where they should be? Do the ARs have enough room to operate? Do the ARs have to clear people out of the way themselves or does the Referee look out for his crew?
D. Awareness of upset players/people and potential problems. Knowing game time remaining, knowing which players are fouling frequently and dealing with that, knowing which players are the captains. Knowing the score, knowing who is in the book, knowing that a card will result in a send-off before looking in the book. Ramifications of bad blood from from previous games/seasons/or years.
E. Partner disagreements and over-zealous assitants. How does the Referee handle these? Can the referee tell an adult partner that his call is incorrect or unnecessary and isn't going to be accepted? Can he tell an over-zealous one to focus on his own area?
F. Odd situations. Does the referee have enough experience to handle the strange situations that sometimes come up? Has the referee seen that before and know what to do? Is there enough wise judgment in this person to make a quality decision? Can the official think out of the box?
G. Applying the spirit and intent of the rule vs the letter of the law. Was the person even around when the rule was written/changed/clarified. Does the person understand the history of the development of the rule?
H. Big game pressure and situations. Rivalry games. Dealing with bad blood from previous years? Is the required courage there to make the tough or unpopular call?
I. When the referee walks onto the field do the players and coaches think, "Good we have XXX today" or something else less positive?
I have yet to see a referee under the age of 21 who can do all of that. Most under the age of 25 don't. I'm not saying that it isn't possible for people of those ages to do a quality job, especially when they are partnered with someone who is older. However, if the adult/veteran is handling the game control/game management and the younger official is just focusing on the basics, then he isn't really taking care of business. Someone else is doing a good deal of the work for him and that is allowing him to succeed.
I'm convinced that "ability to control" has a great deal to due with age and maturity. Very little of it can be taught. I must be learned from experience. Feel free to disagree, but I am certain that I am more than qualified to make the statement that I did.