Basketball vs Hockey

[mtn335]

I've officiated football, basketball, soccer, and softball, and played ice hockey; in my opinion, soccer is the most difficult of these to officiate. The demands placed on the one man or woman in the middle are much higher than in any other sport as far as number of players and amount of space in jurisdiction, and no sport has a higher-leverage decision than a penalty kick (an all but awarded goal, in a game where average games see fewer than three). Red cards are also brutal - playing short the remainder of the match - in terms of leverage.

The individual calls may not be the most difficult, but the overall demands are just brutal.

EDIT: I'm not a soccer referee right now (time, had to pick) but at the highest levels, the system just isn't working. I don't have a solution, but more eyes will, I think, be necessary eventually. And used more helpfully than AARs...

[grunewar]

My brother-in-law has done HS scholastic and club hockey just outside of Phila for the last 20 yrs. We have great conversations on the way back from games comparing notes and all. Some thoughts from our discussions:

- It's fast. But, they can glide at times.
- Their players hit, have sticks and use the boards. Play can be very physical and rough. An official needs to really know where to be.....and not to be.
- Their player and coaching behavior seems worse. Whack - get out!
- They may have more paperwork for rough behavior (because it can be condoned) based on major and game misconduct type penalties. Progressive suspensions for charges, fighting, high sticking, plus ejections, may happen more than in basketball. He's been up late with paperwork......
- Getting hit by a redirected puck definitely sucks more than getting hit with a ball. He has told me some horror stories of officials and major reconstructive surgery......
- Their equipment costs more than ours!
- He says the last games of the scholastic season can be tough if you get an idiot acting a fool, who doesn't have to worry about being suspended for the next game(s). But, I guess that's any sport.

Just a few.