help

[Doug]

i know it is a little early, but i am thinking about taking up soccer. how hard is it to officiate? I officiate bb,sb, and vb right now, but i am going to slow down on the sb games and i wanted to take up another sport, and the soccer forum seems unresponsive, thanks



Doug


-Keep your eye on the prize


[Edited by Doug on Oct 14th, 2001 at 08:48 AM]

[BktBallRef]

Soccer is a difficult spot to officiate it. The game usually flows pretty well. There's usually a lot of training available to new officials. Most areas have USSF clinics for certification. There are different styles of officiating. Some officials call a lot of pushes and contact while others allow the players to play through it. I work some rec league soccer with my sons on Saturday. When the youngestson, who plays varsity soccer, graduates, I'll probasbly start officiating HS soccer. But right now, that would interfere with going to his games.

Also, you might get a little more response on the soccer board.

[Mark Padgett]

Since soccer is a "Euro" sport for kids who can't use their hands, there are some fundamental things you must learn in order to become a soccer official.

First, learn to read a game clock backwards. In soccer, the clock counts up instead of showing time left in a period. This must be some metric protocol.

Second, realize that all members of the same team don't wear the same jerseys. This is very confusing.

Third, learn to give technicals with "cards". Apparently, scorekeepers and fans in soccer aren't sophisticated enough to understand hand signals, but can only identify simple colors.

Fourth, learn a new language called "Eurospeak". In this language, the words "zero" and "nothing" are not used. Instead, you will say "nil".

Fifth, (and this is the good part), you get to wear shorts. Of course some of us have knees that look like we're smuggling walnuts.

Why don't you take on officiating croquet, like me? You get to wear a straw hat and drink lemonaide.

[Richard Ogg]

Mark, you mean to say they haven't busted you for walnut smuggling yet?

[Tim Roden]

In chatting with a guy at my church about soccer(fotball) he said this. Be sure you can handle running 7 miles in a 90 minute strech. Some of it at high speeds in cleats. Don't get dissappointed if all they ever let you do is hold a flag and run half of the field from the sidelines. Unlike other sports, soccer does not revolve around the school programs. It is a club sport so most of your games won't even involve a school.

Seriously, it is a sport I have thought about doing but in texas it conflicts with basketball.