Newbie
 

Hello everyone.

I am brand new to soccer. I will be doing games starting at the beginning of this October through the end of November. It is a rec league. I will be working with the Athletic Director. This is really a test for me to see if I want to do this on a regular basis. I was lent an NFHS rule book to read but he says this is a really relaxed league. He says that the hardest part will probably be calling off sides and the applying the appropriate penalty. I read the rule book and have to agree. I will be reading it many more times before the season starts.

Given that I have a short amount of time are there any particular tips, tricks, suggestions, etc. I should concentrate on before starting?

BTW I have been a softball umpire for 23 years but I don't think that's going to help much.

Thanks in advance for any and all help.

Thanks for the link Nevadaref. I hadn't thought about going to the NFHS Soccer Forum. The games I will be doing will be mostly younger than high school players. Although I was lent an NFHS rule book it is the 2002-03 Rule Book. I plan on getting the 2006-07 or the 2007-08 Rule Book before the season starts. My guess is that the league rules are loosely based on the NFHS rule set. I will get that straight before the season starts.


Now for a dumb question. Are hats a no no for soccer refs? I've never seen one wear one.

Yes you may wear a hat. Use a completely black one (no stripes or advertisements ect..) When my eyes are facing the sun or rain is pelting down I will use one, otherwise it just holds in your body heat.

[QUOTE=CLBuffalo]
BTW I have been a softball umpire for 23 years but I don't think that's going to help much.QUOTE]

CLB Don't be so quick to discount your 23 years of Judging "play and players". You already have experience in making decisions and "living" with them. It is experience that will serve you well.

Find your local US Soccer "Instructor", borrow the tape "The myths of the game", and a booklet "Soccer rules simplified".

http://www.ussoccer.com/laws/index.jsp.html Follow this link and review the presentation on "Proper Positioning".

Good Luck in your new soccer frontier.

Thank you JerBear. I do have a solid black hat but will only wear it if I need to.

Thank you ref2coach. A wonderful site with a lot of downloadable information. I've downloaded 10 PDF files and 1 Power Point file. I'm going to be very busy this weekend. I know the AD does not have the tape or booklet you mentioned so I'll try to find them online and will buy them if necessary.

I'm looking forward to a very interesting time. Some of the girls that will be playing also play softball. They and their parents are friends and they know I'm new to this so hopefully they'll cut me a little slack until I get more experienced.

May everyone have a safe and happy Labor Day weekend.

Hats and sunglasses are always a point of discussion. The NFHS book says that referees may wear a solid black cap. The USSF Advice to Referees says, "The referee uniform does not include a hat, cap, or other head covering, with the exception of religious head covering."

Sunglasses are a general no under both administrations since they eliminate eye contact with the players, coaches, and partners.

One would never see a referee or an assistant wear a hat or sunglasses on a high level FIFA match. It is considered unacceptable. On a youth game, there may be times with an extreme sun on the horizon that a hat could be appropriate for the AR facing the sun. However, this would be an exception, not the general case.

The only people who generally wear a hat are the old folks and those without any hair! :D

Last season, for the first time in 40 plus years of watching (and officiating), I saw an AR wearing a black cap at Luton Town v Leicester City (English Championship). The sun was bright and low, but it was a unique occasion.

CL,
If the sun is blazing down and your head is going to get sunburned or if it helps keep the sun out of your eyes and helps you see better, wear the hat. It will make it much hotter, but you won't be miserable from a sunburn for 10 days. If you're an AR and staring right into the sun, wear the sun glasses. Tools that enable you to see better enable you to make better calls.

:(

Better advice for any referee would be to find out what is acceptable in his area. When one inquires with the proper authorities, it may be the case that one will be told not to wear a hat to protect one's head from a sunburn, but instead to simply wear sunscreen. A person may also learn that sunglasses are strictly forbidden while working game for a particular league/assignor/region and that only a hat or visor (or nothing at all) is acceptable.

And maybe not. At the young level you are working, these are not going to be a big deal.

I always wear sunglasses on bright sunny days. I do primarily center assignments and I tell my AR's that I will wear the sunglasses. If they would like to wear sunglasses, too, I allow them to. For me, anything that can help to better officiate a game, I'm all for it. Some, if not most, people believe that sunglasses should NEVER be worn. However, i totally disagree. I also sometimes officiate with a black towel hanging out of the back of my shorts. That allows me to get the sweat off of my hands, arms, head, and face on the hot days. Again, most people would not allow that to happen, but my contention is whateve will help me throughout the game, I will use.

As an official, the focus should never be on you. The focus should be on the game itself. If someone is worried about what you're wearing, then THEY are focusing on the wrong thing. If anyone has an issue with me wearing sunglasses and/or a towel, I suggest to them that they call the assigner and/or state. In my 10+ years of officiating, I have never been told not to do as such.