Refereeing

[JOE23]

The entire season up until the tournaments the referee kept the official time and the time clock/scoreboard was stopped at the two minute mark. For some reason they decided to use the score clock as the official time with the referee telling the people in the score booth when to stop and start the clock, like in football. He even used the signals used in football. And stopping the clock when a goal is scored??? Football yes, soccer no! Where do these refs learn the rules?

I dunno-it sounds like you might have a football ref who took a weekend class and is trying to make some extra cash in the off-season. Talk to your AD about it and/or try to find out who is the over-seeing official for your area.

[sokrfan]

I have to agree with Illini on the offsides issue. Most refs do a pretty good job of getting this call correct, but there is a whole lot of room for interpretation on the offisides rule. Was the player involved in the play when they were in the offside posittion seems to cause more quetions than any other on this rule.

If the player in the offside position drew a defender to him/her and allowed the offensive player with possession to gain advantage, then the offside call should be made. A player does not have to be in possession of the ball or near the ball in order to be judeged offside.

Then there is the human factor. Sometimes refs just blow the call. This happens!

They may have been out of position or looking at another area of play, but the fact is they do miss calls. This is when the center ref needs to step up and make an overriding call when the error is obvious. Rarely happens and I am not sure why????

[JOE23]

I have to agree with Illini on the offsides issue. Most refs do a pretty good job of getting this call correct, but there is a whole lot of room for interpretation on the offisides rule. Was the player involved in the play when they were in the offside posittion seems to cause more quetions than any other on this rule.

If the player in the offside position drew a defender to him/her and allowed the offensive player with possession to gain advantage, then the offside call should be made. A player does not have to be in possession of the ball or near the ball in order to be judeged offside.

Then there is the human factor. Sometimes refs just blow the call. This happens!

They may have been out of position or looking at another area of play, but the fact is they do miss calls. This is when the center ref needs to step up and make an overriding call when the error is obvious. Rarely happens and I am not sure why????

I believe it is because many refs work together on a regular basis (at least in the more rural areas) and many rotate from center official to line judge on a game by game basis. If they dont give each other the benefit of the doubt in a call who will? I think its done out of mutual respect for each other and field support for a very difficult and unpopular job. They cant undermine each other because the players and fans would pick up on that and everything would go to heck real fast.

[sokrfan]

I believe it is because many refs work together on a regular basis (at least in the more rural areas) and many rotate from center official to line judge on a game by game basis. If they dont give each other the benefit of the doubt in a call who will? I think its done out of mutual respect for each other and field support for a very difficult and unpopular job. They cant undermine each other because the players and fans would pick up on that and everything would go to heck real fast.

 

You are probably right on this. Working as a baseball umpire I use to make sure that all were treated with respect and that their opinions were gathered on any difficult situation. But, in the end it is the head ref or umpire that must make the call, good or bad, popular or unpopular.

For a ref to not make an overriding call of a line judge in order to not embarass them, is losing sight of the main reason of for his position. That is to make sure the game is played by the rules and calls are made based on his best judgement. It truely is a thankless job and I believe that most take on the responsibility for the love of the game. I can gurantee they do not do it for the money or the popularity. My hat is off to the ones that approach each match and call with an unbiased and fair approach to each team on the field.

Any fan, parent, or player who believes they can do a better job should get the training and step up to the challenge. This sport needs more trained, experienced refs in order for it to sustain the level of growth and improvement it has had.

[goo]

I have to agree with Illini on the offsides issue. Most refs do a pretty good job of getting this call correct, but there is a whole lot of room for interpretation on the offisides rule. Was the player involved in the play when they were in the offside posittion seems to cause more quetions than any other on this rule.

If the player in the offside position drew a defender to him/her and allowed the offensive player with possession to gain advantage, then the offside call should be made. A player does not have to be in possession of the ball or near the ball in order to be judeged offside.

Then there is the human factor. Sometimes refs just blow the call. This happens!

They may have been out of position or looking at another area of play, but the fact is they do miss calls. This is when the center ref needs to step up and make an overriding call when the error is obvious. Rarely happens and I am not sure why????

 

part of the reason that the 'center ref' does not often make an overrule the call is because too often in tssaa play, there is no center judge, as the two ref system is often used. this is also a reason that referees so infrequently get the call right. even when there are three, however, the referees that tssaa tends to get do not seem to have a great understanding of what offsides is. in particular, many (perhaps most) of them fall into the same trap of watching the ball and being unaware of the striker's position when it was played and calling him offsides even if he did not advance into an apparent offsides position until after the ball was played. i know this, because as a defensive player i took advantage of it, running what i called the "tssaa trap" which consisted of telling my defense to step (before if possible) but even just after a ball was played long, leaving the strikers in an apparent offsides position by the time that it got to them. i used this strategy primarily in games where the ref was particularly bad, but contrary to illini's post, i would have to say that on average, had i so desired, i could have had my defense step late and been successful in getting the (unmerited) call 95% of the time.

[ref2coach]

1) TSSAA = NFHS Rules (National Federation of High Schools)

2) Club = USSF = FIFA Laws of the Game.

3) The rules are similar to the Laws but are NOT the same.

 

NFHS = Stadium clock is "official time" IF competent clock operator is available. If not, by State (TSSAA) adaptation official time shall be kept on the field.

 

NFHS time is not "Added" the Referee is to "stop" time with the approved signal for Goals, Injuries, Cautions, Ejections and time wasting on sub's once the coach has been warned.

 

Most school will not provide a competent clock operator. Most schools will not see "time" kept by strict NFHS rules until they reach the State Championships at which TSSAA uses a referee "in the booth" to run the clock.

[Tin-Man]

maybe teams should try and get a competent clock keeper for games past regular season (district and on), just a thought. It shouldn't be too hard; alot of teams have announcers, why can't they just stop the clock as well? or would that be too complicated? i do not know how the clock works.

[BigG]

maybe teams should try and get a competent clock keeper for games past regular season (district and on), just a thought. It shouldn't be too hard; alot of teams have announcers, why can't they just stop the clock as well? or would that be too complicated? i do not know how the clock works.

It's one button. Clock stop, and clock start.

 

That was one of my favorite things in the state finals. The actual clock was kept on the scoreboard, so you knew EXACTLY when the game was over, instead of a "rough estimate".

[lcsoccer]

That was one of my favorite things in the state finals. The actual clock was kept on the scoreboard, so you knew EXACTLY when the game was over, instead of a "rough estimate".

 

Worked out better for you than it did for us G. We cried while you celebrated number 2!

[CodyUCLA]

Most TN refs are horrible and can not keep control of the game.

[MD4Sports]

Most TN refs are horrible and can not keep control of the game.

 

 

Couple quick points guys from a USSF and TSSAA ref. High school rules are quite different from USSF/club rules especially when it comes to time. In FIFA and USSF/club, the clock never stops and the ref adds "stoppage" time to each half depending on subs, injuries, etc.

 

In high school, the clock is stopped only for specific reasons: goals, injuries, cards, penalty kicks, or if the ref believes one team is deliberately delaying play. It is not stopped for subs or any other reasons. When time is up, it is up, and the ref should not allow extra time with the sole exception to complete a penalty kick ( for which the clock should be stopped anyway.)

 

I get frustrated myself with referees that do not keep time properly according to high school rules and also like the stadium clock used at the TSSAA state finals.

 

Subs are also different, as are red cards. Two yellows or a red for excessive celebration constitute a soft red, meaning you are sent off but your team may sub for you. In Tennessee, you also do not sit out the next game for a soft red. I personally think the rule is ridiculous; it should be consistent with USSF...a red should be a red, you're sent off and you play a man down.

 

Yes, offside is frustrating. What so many forget or do not know is that the position of the attacker at the split second the ball is played is what matters, not where he is when he receives the ball. With the quickness of players on both sides, it can be very difficult. I've often said that teams that play an agressive trap are playing a risky defense. You are depending on the AR to protect you and that may or may not be a good thing. I attended last year's state tourney and one of the ARs in the quarterfinal had no clue what offside was. A trapping team there must adjust or be in big trouble.

 

My last point...we don't have enough refs..hence many games only get two instead of three refs. Help us out, get certified, and then you can make all the right calls!!!

[UMrebel21]

Most TN refs are horrible and can not keep control of the game.

 

As the man said above me, you go pass the test to be a ref and start calling games and see if you can control them. Until then dont talk about the refs.